Meadow Love I was going to go insane.

Edward and I had finally made love last night and now I was waiting. He had left my room as I slept before Charlie got home, and I wok e to find a small note on the pillow next to my head that simply read: "Tonight, my love." I had instantly felt both anxious for whatever Edward had planned for the evening, and intensely lonely without being in his arms. I felt empty witho ut feeling him inside of me. I had a hard time being normal in front of Charlie all day. I was constantly distracted, so the few times he actually made an effor t to talk to me, I was either zoned out thinking about the events of my night wi th Edward, or unusually antsy. How did people do this every day? How does a pers on have an amazing, passionate night making love and then go about their day lik e it hadn't happened? Like I said: I was going to go insane. It was six-thirty n ow, and I was putting the dinner dishes into the sink. As it filled with hot, so apy water, my cell phone vibrated in my pocket, alerting me to a text message. I set down the plates in my hands and grabbed the phone. It was Edward.

My heart about burst out of my chest, exactly the way it had the first few times I would see his Volvo waiting in the driveway to take me to school. I didn't ev en know I was grinning until my cheeks started to hurt. "Come upstairs," it said . I suddenly understood Alice's ability to squeal when she got excited about som ething she wanted to buy me. I held the sound back, clearing my throat and did m y best to concentrate on putting the last few dishes in the sink. "Dad, I'm goin g to let them soak for a few minutes before I start trying to scrub at the lasag na." I was insanely proud of the fact that my voice remained calm and normal. "T hat's fine, Bells," Charlie said. "Take the night off kitchen duty, I'll do them ." "Thanks, Dad." I felt a small swelling off grateful love for Charlie. He had no idea how happy the offer made me. Now, to get to my room. "I'm just going to do some reading until Edward gets here," I barely waited for Charlie's acknowled gement before practically flying up the stairs. I opened the door and was sudden ly wrapped in cold arms, being kissed fervently, and Edward's sweet breath final ly gave me a little relief from my torturous day without him. By the time we sto pped kissing. I was out of breath and we had both worked out hands under one ano ther's shirts. "I take it the last several hours were as unbearable for you as t hey were for me?" Edward asked quietly. His smile was amused, but his golden eye s glittered with excitement and were a bit darker than usual. "Yes," I breathed. He had no idea. I wanted to forget that Edward had something planned tonight, f orget that Charlie was right downstairs. I was already unbuttoning Edward's shir t; he was already growling deep in his chest. I knew he could smell my arousal. His eyes were darkening even more with desire as I pushed my warm hands against his icy, hard chest. He grabbed my hands gently and took in a ragged breath. "Wa it just a little while longer, Bella," Edward's voice belied his words. I knew h e didn't want to stop. "I have to officially pick you up. I will be right back." He was gone before I could protest.

"I have to change clothes first," I whispered out the window, knowing he would h ear me. I thought I heard a sigh. Now he would have to wait for me. I quickly gr abbed a new shirt I had purchased on a recent trip with Alice. It was exactly th e same shade of blue as Edward's favorite shirt, only this one was silk. Normall y I would have protested immediately, but it was perfect; v-necked just enough t o show off my cleavage, but not enough to make Charlie freak out, and snuggly fi t to hug my waist and hips. The sleeves were sort of a cross between wide tank t op straps and cap sleeves, and they fit almost off the shoulder. Of course, Alic e had squealed the I picked out the top myself and insisted (menacingly) that th is required an entire outfit, lingerie included. I had already put on the dark b lue silk bra and lace boy short set under my sweats after I showered today, so I quickly yanked on the shirt, flown, knee-length beige skirt and the chocolate b rown knee-high boots. This was the first time I really had to hand it to Alice, because she'd finally gotten my clothes exactly right. This was just the type of outfit I would have loved to wear but never got around to buying. "I'm ready," I whispered, my smile evident in my voice. No sooner had I said that then I hear d Edward knocking at the door. I rolled my eyes, still grinning. Vampire speed. I'll get it, Dad!" I yelled down to Charlie, watching every step I took down the stairs. The last thing I needed to do was break my neck in these boots. They we re surprisingly comfortable, but I knew my lack of coordination way too well to actually trust that comfort as a proper deterrent to me falling. I made it downs tairs without incident and quickly opened the door. Edward's jaw dropped for abo ut half of a second before he reigned in his reaction. My grin grew wider and I winked at him, ignoring the fact that I was just as affected when I saw him whil e I grabbed my coat. "Hi," I said finally, trying not to giggle. He looks dazzle d. "Hello," Edward breathed. "You look very tempting." He made sure only I could hear him. The last thing we needed was for Charlie to know that Edward was turn ed on by my outfit. Knowing Charlie, he might have told me to go change into an Eskimo costume instead.

"Hello, Edward," Charlie rose from his easy chair, convincingly masking the disc omfort he felt toward the fact that Edward and I were engaged. "Good evening, Ch arlie. Who's playing tonight?" Edward was always insanely polite and good-nature d toward Charlie. It was mostly genuine, but I knew that a small part of it was that Edward was amused knowing Charlie's thoughts were always less than polite. "Mariners are getting clobbered by Fresno," Charlie shook his head in disappoint ment "It s a damn shame." "I think they may pull through by the fourth quarter, Char lie. I wouldn't give up just yet." Edward smiled unabashedly at Charlie and I go t the distinct feeling that Alice had something to do with Edward's reassurances . "You know me better than that. I never give up on the Mariners." Charlie's app rehensions seemed to melt away anytime Edward talked football. Charlie turned to me, "Eleven-thirty, Bella?" That was my Saturday night curfew, which was more l ike a suggestion now that I was eighteen and engaged. "Sure thing, Dad. See you later." Edward and I twined out hands together and walked toward his Volvo as Ch arlie shut the door behind us. Edward let me into the passenger side then got be hind the wheel as my curiosity got the best of me. "So where are we going? Is yo ur family out hunting?" The prospect of Edward's house being empty all night was irresistible. "Bella, were that the case, I would not be able to let you leave my room, let alone get you home for curfew." Edward was grinning mischievously. "And our destination is a surprise." I pouted a bit as Edward started the car. E dward made a show of driving at the speed limit until we got around the block th en gave me a blinding smile as the speedometer shot up to 100mph. I groaned and rolled my eyes at him. He knew I hated when he drove like this, but he also knew I was just as impatient as he was to get to wherever we were going.

In less than ten minutes, Edward stopped the car. He opened my door and let me s tep out. I recognized the area immediately, and my heart began to race. "The mea dow?" The entire reason we ended up making love the night before was because I h ad a particularly naughty dream about being with Edward in the meadow, and he ha d been listening in on my sleep-talking. "Our meadow," Edward corrected, beaming at me. Edward went to the trunk and pulled out some large metal pieces and a ro und gate. They looked completely foreign to me, and I couldn't figure out what t hey were for. "What is that?" It was obvious that the pieces fit together, but I had no idea what they were meant to build. "Portable firepot. I figured we woul d need something to keep you warm." As he spoke, Edward put the pieces into the crate he had taken out of the trunk, then laid a few blankets on top of the whol e thing and closed the trunk. He quickly pulled me onto his back, then grabbed t he crate while I found my grip around his neck. Edward was running half a second later. As he ran, I grinned and took this opportunity to tease Edward, kissing up his neck, all the way to the hollow below his ear, then back down to where hi s shirt collar ended. I could feel his throat vibrate in a low growl. "That's ve ry distracting, Bella," I could hear the smile in his voice. I smiled and let my tongue dart out against the curve of his neck. His growl became more pronounced . I became curious about trying something. I was fairly certain it would be alri ght, but I wanted to ask, just in case. Slowly, I kissed back up to Edward's ear . "Can I bite?" I whispered. Edward let out a strangled moan and shivered before answering. "Please wait until I can at least start the fire. I don't want you t o freeze to death because you seduced me into forgetting that you're adverse to cold weather."

I giggled a bit at the thought as Edward set me down. He spun me around and kiss ed me fiercely. I was dizzy when he pulled away, and we were both left breathles s. "I will be right back," he murmured against my lips before disappearing. Abou t a minute later, the fire pit was set up and blazing and a pile of more wood wa s lying nearby. Edward was laying out the blankets in the grass. He came over an d picked me up, setting me down on the blankets, and wrapped his arms around my waist. My heart was already racing in anticipation. Edward appeared fairly calm, on the other hand. If I didn't know him so well, I may not have noticed the way his eyes smoldered, appearing just a little darker gold than usual. I knew he w as just as worked up as I was. "So," Edward began, an entertained smile playing on his face. "Last night was the most incredible night of my life." Edward's alr eady darkened eyes turned onyx and I knew he was replaying our evening in his mi nd. So was I. "I feel exactly the same way," I breathed, feeling a blush creep u p my cheeks from my own memories. Edward chuckled, sliding his hand up to cup my face. I leaned into his palm, reveling in the way I always felt both an intense sense of comfort as well as an electric current of desire whenever Edward touch ed me. Edward leaned in to kiss me, gently at first, then with growing urgency. I twined my hands in his hair, moaning softly as the kiss built in fervor. He br ought his other hand up to caress my neck and throat. I felt a sudden urge to cl imb into Edward's lap, but before I could act on it, he had already pulled me th ere, my legs straddling his. I sighed happily into Edward's mouth. The closer I got to him, the more I gained some relief from the painful hours I had spent wit hout him. I ran my hands down Edward's sides, then slipped them under his shirt. He shivered and removed my coat running his icy fingers up and down my bare arm s. I pulled back from the kiss just enough to gulp in some air before I became d izzy. Edward's lips never stopped as he let me breathe. They whispered over my l ips, and kissed up and down my jaw. The breaths I was sucking in were ragged, sh allow, barely even a viable source of oxygen, but I didn't care. I would not hav e let him stop, even if I passed out.

"Breathe, Bella," I could hear the laughter in Edward's voice. If he weren't a v ampire, I would have called him a hypocrite; His breathing was more erratic than mine. "I am breathing," I mumbled, my mouth hunting along his jaw, searching fo r his lips. When I found them, I breathed in Edward's sweet, addictive breath, g aining more relief from it than I had from the oxygen. Edward's hands were at my shoulders now, sliding the sleeves of my shirt down to my elbows. I shivered in anticipation, wondering how much longer I would be able to stand waiting to fee l Edward really touch me. I had the feeling it would not be long; already I was biting my lip to keep from begging, my entire body shaking impatiently, as throu gh from withdrawl. I could almost swear I felt Edward's fingers trembling as wel l as he ran them slowly over my chest, the swell of my breasts. I gripped his up per arms, suddenly feeling like I would not be able to hold myself upright. Edwa rd's fingers left my chest for half a second - just long enough for him to take his shirt off - before returning to slide lovingly down my torso, over my shirt, then under it. I looked up at him, my eyes feeling just as dark with desire as his were while he slowly inched my shirt up until he could raise my arms and sli de it over my head. The combination of the warmth of the fire and my own overhea ted skin meant that I was not cold, yet my nipples were visibly hard through the dark blue silk of my bra. Edward could not hide the shock, the lust, from color ing his expression. "Over one hundred years, and I've never wanted anything more than I want you right now, Bella," Edward's voice was hoarse, his eyes smoulder ing as he gained eye contact with me until I wasn't breathing. Suddenly, I giggl ed a bit, causing Edward to raise an eyebrow. "You haven't even seen the matchin g underwear yet," I tried to explain, but as I said the words, I realized I had no idea why that struck me as funny. Edward had forgotten about my irregular sen se of humor entirely. "They match?" His onyx eyes glossed over slightly, as thou gh he was trying to see it in his mind. Before I could confirm his question, Edw ard had laid me down on the blankets and taken my boots off. I wouldn't help but arch my back a little as I felt his hand at the waistband of my skirt. A discon certingly fast move later and my skirt was on top of the growing pile of our clo thing. It had not escaped my knowledge that there were more of my clothes in the pile than Edward's.

I could not think about that now, as Edward took in the sight of me in nothing b ut navy blue silk and lace. I blushed deeply, unable to move to hide myself, yet not really wanting to. Edward had stopped breathing, his eyes slowly moving ove r my form, as though he was committing the image to memory. He probably was, con sidering that another vampire perk was photographic memory. "No one should look so tempting, it's not fair," Edward whispered, a smile playing on his lips as he recalled the morning at my house after that first night he had spent with me. " Tempting how?" I asked, playing along. "Shall I explain how you are tempting me? " Edward leaned over me, his fingers tracing slowly down my chest, between my br easts, then down my stomach. His breathing had sped up, coming in rough, shallow gasps. Unlike that morning, I reminded myself to keep breathing, although my br eaths were just as erratic as Edward's. My heart raced, occassionally skipping a beat as his hand slowly grazed over the lace at the waistband of my underwear. It was hard work to make myself speak. "So... how am I tempting you?" My voice w as shaky and barely audible. I felt the very tip of one of Edward's fingers slip under the waistband, causing me to gasp. Edward chuckled throatily, leaning in to whisper in my ear. "Beautiful does not even begin to describe how alluring yo u are to me," Edward brought his hand up to cup my face and began to kiss down m y jaw before continuing. "Your skin is like warm silk against my fingers. It's a lmost impossible to stop touching your skin once I start. Especially here, at th e arch of your neck..." Edward's hand followed his words, his fingers trailing d own my neck, sliding lower to dip in the hollow of my throat. His lips kissed sl owly down the opposite side of my neck, then back up to my jaw before he started to speak again. "But for as smooth and silky as your skin is, your lips..." his own lips ventured to move gently against mine as he spoke. "Your lips are even softer, and I've let myself become addicted to their taste."

Edward's tongue ran softly over my lips before he kissed me. I moaned lightly, a nd the slow, lazy way he kissed me was breaking my control. As gentle as the kis s was, his tongue was dancing with mine, stirring up my already blatant arousal. I was starting to feel dizzy. Edward broke the kiss gently and began to kiss do wn my throat, pausing to dip his tongue in the little hollow his finger had foun d before. I shivered at the contact and felt his lips smile against his collarbo ne before I heard him speak again. "Even better is the way your heart races, the way your breath quickens when I touch you until your breasts rise and fall." Ed ward's hand moved down to the swell of my breasts and laid it, palm down, over b oth of them. My heartbeat and breathing wre exactly the way he had described the m. Edward peppered kisses just above the satin of my bra, following the line of it to the valley between my breasts, the tip of his tongue grazing the sensitive skin there. I moaned a little and arched my back. I felt his hands slide behind my back momentarily, and then they were gone, along with my bra. I was about to complain that Edward was still wearing more than me, but he was only in his box ers. When did he take his pants off? Edward grinned at my sudden confusion befor e cupping my breasts in each hand. I gasped, almost crying out at the contact. H is cool hands felt amazing against my overheated skin, making my nipples tighten further. I blushed as Edward spoke, embarrassment coloring my cheeks while an a roused flush warmed my breasts. He squeezed them lightly, then released using on ly his fingertips to trail up to my nipples. His fingers barely grazed at them, yet I felt electric shocks at each pass they made. "Perfect," Edward mused befor e he descended on my right nipple, the tip of his tongue tracing its shape. I sh outed his name, my hands flying to the back of his head. Edward never lost eye c ontact with me as his tongue circled my nipple. HIs eyes smouldered as they took in my reactions. I had to close my eyes as the flat of Edward's tongue made one rough lick across my nipple. Bursts of color danced behind my eyelids as Edward pulled back minutely to let his cool breath blow over my breast as he spoke.

"You taste delectable... Irresistible, in fact," Edward murmured, then he descen ded again, his lips wrapping around my nipple. I cried out, my fingers tightenin g in his hair as he sucked gently, his tongue moving rhythmically over the sensi tive tip in his mouth. His hand was still at my left nipple, plucking and tuggin g at it until I was whimpering with every breath. Edward was still watching me i ntently and suddenly began to growl low in his chest, sending vibrations through his mouth to me. "Oh," I gasped, my eyes wide at the new sensation. Edward arch ed an eyebrow in question, but did not stop what he was doing. "That feels..." I tried to gather my thoughts, but all I could do was moan. I took in a deep brea th. "Amazing. The growling." My words came out rushed, breathless. A flicker of smug pride crossed Edward's expression, and I could tell he was storing that bit of information away in his mind. He tugged lightly, then released my nipple fro m the confines of his mouth, his hand stilling on the other nipple. I watched hi m expectantly, assuming he was about to switch sides as he had done the night be fore. "Patience, Bella. I'm not finished telling you how you are tempting me," E dward grinned mischieviously. I pouted a little and Edward laughed. His fingers plucked at my nipple again, making me forget my mild disappointment. I gasped an d bit my lip. "Every sound you make, everytime you arch your back, bite your lip , or grab onto me." Edward's voice had grown hoarse, his breathing speeding up a little. "Every time you say my name." He shuddered a bit. My heartbeat was raci ng erratically as Edward spoke. All I could think of was the ways Edward had eli cited those reactions from me. I thought of the sounds he had made: the gasps, t he way he had said my name -- those snarls. "Everything you did was exquisite to me, was tempting." Edward smiled favorite, crooked smile. "And, as I said, I ha d the intense satisfaction of knowing that only I had ever caused that kind of p leasure in you." "No one else will ever make me feel that way," I spoke honestly . I knew that only Edward was capable of giving me the intense pleasure I felt f rom his touches, from

having him inside of me. Edward growled possessively, then gave me a wicked grin . He leaned in, kissing and licking his way up my neck until I was gasping. "Min e," he growled into my ear, his fingers pinching my nipple a little roughly as h e spoke. "Oh," I gasped, feeling my inner muscles grasp at nothing, a flood of h eat suddenly making the lace of my underwear more than a little damp. Edward sna rled softly into my ear, that perfect, triumphantly possessive snarl. I moaned w eakly, still trying to wrap my head around what just happened. Edward didn't giv e me the chance. "Mine," this time he snarled, his other hand gripping my hair f orcefully. "Edward," I cried out, my back arching as it happened again, my muscl es clenched, a new flood soaking into the lace. I gasped as I slowly relaxed. "D id I just..?" It seemed impossible. "Twice," the smug grin was evident in Edward 's voice. "But, all you did was..." I was really confused. "Claim you as my mate ," Edward's nose skimmed down my jaw. "So, anytime you say the word 'mine' I'm g oing to have an orgasm?" I didn't like the sound of that. What if he said it wit hout thinking in front of Charlie? Edward chuckled. "No, I have to say it with t he intention of claiming you. I did it last night, too." I remembered the wicked grin on his face when he'd said it the night before. I had still been climaxing and his claim had caused another orgasm to override the first. Now it all made sense. "Another vampire thing?" I asked, a smile playing on my lips. "Yes, now h ush and let me tell you why you're so tempting to me," Edward grinned playfully. He knew exactly how badly he was teasing me. I wondered how much longer he coul d keep this up "You aren't finished?"

"Not even close," Edward's grin grew before he leaned down to kiss the valley be tween my breasts. He moved to my left breast now, his lips tightening around the nipple until I was gasping his name. When Edward released it gently, he chuckle d a bit as I frowned in protest. He kissed his way down my stomach, his tongue d arting out quickly into my navel before he began to speak. "Whenever I kiss you, or touch you a certain way - sometimes even with a mere look - your body heat r adiates like liquid fire here," Edward's fingers gently traced my entrance throu gh the damp lace covering it. I let out a strangled breath, my hips jerking up t o him. Edward gasped, his nostrils flaring as a new rush of arousal rose within me. "So blissfully hot," his voice was rough again and he looked as though he ha d to struggle to move his hand, but he did. He lightly ran his fingers down my l eg and breathed deeply before continuing. "The curve of your thighs is like an i nvitation to me, asking me to settle between them." Edward laid down and kissed up my knee to my inner thigh as he continued. "They request my attention to turn back to your heat," Edward's eyes burned into mine as he licked at the skin jus t below the lace of my boyshorts. "I can do nothing but obey." I was unable to e scape Edward's stare as he slowly slid the underwear off of me. My breathing was coming in ragged gasps; he was so close. Edward inhaled deeply, growling in his chest. "Your scent is the most tempting of all," he whispered, his cool breath caressing my entrance, making my hips writhe a bit. "It's sinfully mouthwatering . Your arousal calls to me more strongly than your blood." Edward's eyes were gl azed over as his gaze turned to the apex between my legs. His expression was a m ixture of lust and conflict. His jaw set as his eyes became clear again, determi ned. I had no idea what he was trying to do. He looked up at me and smiled. "Kee ping in mind how mouthwatering you smell to me, I'd like to try something." Befo re I could wrap my mind around what Edward was saying, he began kissing hesitant ly up my inner thigh, dangerously close to the souce of my arousal. My head

fell back against the blankets as I realized what Edward meant to do. As he got closer to the crease of my thigh, his tongue darted out tentatively. "Oh, God," I breathed, my hands gripping the blankets beneath me. Edward's icy tongue licke d more confidently there, then his lips closed over the small area. My back arch ed, and I bit back a groan. Edward shivered a bit and released the delicate fles h from his mouth, moving over until he hovered directly over my center. His brea th was madening and I moved my hips restlessly. Logically, I knew that Edward wa s trying to compose himself first but all I cared about was wanting to know how his cold lips and tongue would feel caressing my folds, my clit. I shuddered in anticipation. He gave my entrance a gentle, closed-mouthed kiss, making me gasp wildly, then pulled back, his lips wet. Edward looked cautiously into my eyes as he licked his lips experimentally. I stopped breathing, afraid of his reaction, embarrassed, and turned on all at the same time. Edward's eyes widened in shock . He muttered something that sounded like a curse, then lowered his head and ran his tongue slowly up my entrance, making me cry out. Edward snarled loudly, the sound echoing through the trees around us, then began to lap gently at the new flood of slick arousal I knew had escaped me. He wrapped his mouth around my ent ire opening, his tongue flickering more intently, yet carefully avoiding my clit . Edward's hands cupped my backside, angling me up a little so he could gain bet ter access to me. His tongue began to focus directly on my entrance, pushing and worming its way until it was inside of me. My hips bucked wildly, serving to pu sh his tongue even deeper within me. I shouted Edward's name, my hands suddenly pulling, yanking at his hair as I felt the tip of his tongue dart around my inne r walls. Edward seemed unaware of anything beyond my shouts and what he was doin g. He pushed his head more tightly to me, his tongue reaching out just a little farther. I screamed as Edward snarled in triumph. If I could have formed a thoug ht, I would have wondered how in the hell Edward's tongue had actually found my most sensitive spot, but all I knew was that I was climaxing. My breath hitched in my throat as my muscles latched onto Edward's eager tongue. His lips sucked h arder around me, his tongue rhythmically pressing against that glorious spot, pr olonging my orgasm until I was almost in pain from the intensity of it.

Slowly, Edward withdrew his tongue as I came down from my ecstasy, going back to gentle laps at the outer folds of my opening, his mouth still latched onto me. One of Edward's hands now rested on my thigh, his fingers tracing soft patterns there. "Oh, God... that was... how did you..?" I was panting still, completely u nable to form thoughts, let alone sentences. Edward bit back a chuckle, but did not stop what he was doing. Instead, his fingers inched up, his mouth releasing me while his tongue remained unrelenting. I felt his fingers hold back my folds, his licks moving upward until he reached my clit. Color burst behind my eyelids and I almost bolted upright at the sudden shock of pleasure I felt. Edward's mo uth latched onto my clit, his tongue flickering at it roughly. I was thrashing m y head back and forth, my hips writhing. Then Edward slid two fingers inside of me, hitting their mark on the first try. I shouted hoarsely, my entire body goin g rigid. I thought I was going to climax again. Edward let out another victoriou s snarl as his fingers began to move within me in slow, rough strokes. His tongu e kept up the same thythm, the flat of it swiping forcefully against my clit in time with the movements of his fingers. I wasn't sure how much more of this I co uld take, my entire body was trembling, all my muscles felt weak except the ones grasped reflexively around Edward's fingers. My hands were still in Edward's ha ir, alternating between pulling at it and then trying to push his head more tigh tly to me. I was panting, gasping, and crying out Edward's name over and over un til I could only make wordless shouts. Edward's fingers and tongue became more i nsistant and unforgiving in their determination. He knew exactly how close I was , even as I marvelled that I was going to be able to have another orgasm so soon . Edward snarled, his fingers thrusting rapidly a few times, causing me to screa m once more. That possessive snarl gained volume and resonance as he continued h is short, rough strokes within me until I finally tumbled into my climax, breath ing his name before I was no longer able to breathe at all. When I finally came down from my bliss, Edward had removed his fingers and was gently lapping at my entrance again. His hair was wet. So was mine, for that matter. It was raining. Now that I was aware of my surroundings, I felt the icy drops pelting my heated skin. It felt incredible. "When did it start raining?" I sat up as Edward crawle d up my body, smiling his crooked smile.

"About ten minutes ago." He kissed me gently, then got up for a few seconds to b uild up the fire. The lid on the firepit mercifully kept it from being put out. Edward returned to me, his fingers slipping over my wet skin. "You smell so good in the rain," Edward murmured, his head dipping to my neck so that he could inh ale the scent there before whispering in my ear: "You taste even better. I could do that for days on end." I shivered and blushed at Edward's words before respo nding. "I would probably pass out eventually." "You're probably right," Edward l aughed exhuberantly. "I'm not even sure that would stop me. You may find me stil l down there when you regained consciousness." I grinned at Edward. "That seems like a great thing to wake up to," I said playfully, my heartbeat finally settli ng a bit. Edward's eyes sparkled mischievously. "I won't forget you said that, l ove." I gasped, then fought off my other reactions to Edward's vow so that I cou ld speak. "And yet, you have forgotten that I was supposed to try something earl ier," I arched an eyebrow at him meaningfully. "No, Bella, I did not forget, but I wanted to get my chance to taste you before you made me lose my mind." I grin ned as wickedly as I could and tugged at his boxers, signalling him to remove th em. I blinked and they were gone, and Edward was still sitting in the exact same position. I shivered as I was hit again with the perfection of him. With my mem ory of last night, the effect was twice as powerful. I could still feel the way he felt inside of me. I climbed into Edward's lap wordlessly, my mischievous gri n still evident as I leaned in to kiss him passionately, my arms wrapping around his neck, and my body pressed tightly to his. We were both breathless when I pu lled back from his lips, my eyes shining in anticipation. I silently asked Edwar d for permission to proceed. He swallowed roughly and nodded.

Slowly, I kissed my way down his jaw to the very edge of his neck. I hesitated b efore darting my tongue out to taste the skin there. My eyes glazed over as I he ard Edward's breath hitch. His skin tasted incredible. I gained a trance-like se nse of confidence, licking and sucking my way to the crux of Edward's neck. He w as moaning out loud now, gasping my name when I hit the exact spot I wanted. I l et the tip of my tongue trail patterns there, hoping to make the flesh more sens itive. It seemed to work as Edward's gasps became punctuated by low growls, his hands digging into my hips so tightly that it hurt. The slight pain felt delicio us - it spurred me on. Gently, but with slight pressure, I raked my teeth over t he area I had chosen. Edward stiffened and stopped breathing. I felt him poised at my entrance, both of us slick with the rain and my arousal. I closed my mouth over his neck and bit down, hard. Edward let out a choked off snarl and slammed his hips down, thrusting himself into me completely. I screamed into his neck, my teeth tightening in tandem with my inner muscles. As Edward exhaled sharply, he let out a hushed "Oh, God." I felt a cool rush of pleasure within me as he th rust erratically a few more times. Edward's body went completely still, save for his quick, ragged breathing. We both were wide-eyed in shock at his instantaneo us orgasm. Edward cleared his throat. "That was... intense," he breathed, his sh aky, velvet voice just over a whisper. "That was awesome!" I exalted. I had neve r felt pride like this: possessive and triumphant. I was jazzed, and more than a little turned on knowing how strongly I could make Edward react at practically the drop of a hat. Edward's eyes narrowed playfully, a snarl building slowly in his chest. My muscles clenched around him reflexively. His fingers tangled in my hair, tugging my head to him roughly. "Edward," I gasped quietly, knowing what was coming. A rush of arousal slicked my already wet center. Edward gave me a wi cked grin, finding his favorite spot inside of me effortlessly as he leaned his lips to my ear. "Mine," he snarled slowly, lovingly even. Edward's name fell fro m my lips half a second before my entire body went taut. My eyes were screwed sh ut, my mouth open in a silent scream as ny head fell back with

the reverent intensity of my orgasm. The only thought that entered my mind was t hat I belonged to Edward completely. When I became aware of our surroundings aga in, Edward had laid me back down, slowly working within me to give me pleasure w hile soothing my tense inner muscles. He was beaming lovingly at me, but his jaw was set in restraint and concentration. It seemed like he was having difficulty keeping the lazy rhythm, yet enjoying the added tension. He was moaning softly, shuddering with pleasure at each torturous stroke. I began to move my hips in t ime with Edward, meeting him at every inward push. Our pace built slowly, increa sing in speed and force until my measured breaths turned to sharp gasps. My inne r muscles locked themselves around him. "Bella," Edward whispered, his eyes burn ing into mine. He ran his hands over my body, his fingers sliding easily across my rainslick skin. The rain poured down harder as my head fell back, the cold dr ops stinging pleasurably on my fevered skin, making my nipples tighten and my br eath hitch. Edward growled low in his chest, his hands reaching up to cup my bre asts, his thumbs grazing the hard nipples. My back arched as I cried out. Edward began to pinch and roll them between his fingers in time with his thrusts withi n me. "Edward... oh, please," I whispered between gasps. I could feel the tighte ning in the pit of my stomach. Every thrust that Edward made only made it harder to hold back the climax I knew was coming, yet it felt impossible to reach at t he same time. Edward grinned wickedly and put a little more force behind his mov ements without increasing his speed. "Please what, my love?" His voice was rough , but amused as he pinched a bit harder. "I can't... I need you, please," I pant ed, my body writhing in pleasure as I tried to speak my broken thoughts. I could not even think in complete sentences, yet alone speak them. Edward crushed his lips to mine, his thrusts and pinches never breaking rhythm. I screamed as he sn arled into the kiss, the orgasm crashing over me like a tidal wave. "Look at me, Bella," Edward murmured against my lips. I opened my eyes wide, still lost in w ave after wave of ecstasy. Edward's eyes were black fire, intense and impossible to turn away from. He ran his tongue over my lower lip.

"Mine," he snarled, and this time I could not even scream. I opened my mouth wid e in silence, my muscles clamping down on Edward tighter than ever, making him g rit his teeth, his thrusts becoming more erratic. "Bella," Edward whispered, his lips still grazing mine. I felt the cool rush of his release as Edward wrapped his arms around my back tightly. I could not have been more blissful than I was as we both came down from our climaxes. Edward was laying on top of me, making s ure not to crush me with his weight. I ran my fingers through his hair gently as he peppered my neck with soft kisses. Edward's arms were still wrapped tightly around me. I could have stayed this way forever. The rain had faded into a gentl e mist, but I hardly noticed. Edward lifted his head to lock eyes with me. We bo th had matching, blissful grins on our faces as we whispered "I love yous" to ea ch other repeatedly. It was the kind of mushy moment that would have made me gag in the past. We could not seem to say the words enough, yet they didn't fully e xpress how we felt. I pulled Edward to me and kissed him slowly, reverently, kno wing that kissing him this way could explain my love far better than words. My l ips caressed his intimately while my tongue worshipped with his. I needed him to know how godlike he was, how sacred. Edward seemed to be expressing the same th ings to me, but with a hint of possessive awe. It rekindled all my desire, my ne ed for him. Eventually, Edward pulled back the smallest amount so that he could speak. "We should get going soon, Bella," he whispered against my lips. He didn' t sound like he wanted to leave at all. "I don't want to leave," I pouted, even though I knew he was probably right. "You know I'll be staying all night in your room, silly girl," Edward chucked pulling a strand of wet hair out of my face. "But Charlie will be home tonight," I reminded him, exasperated. Then my eyes wi dened as something finally occurred to me. "Holy crow, our clothes! They're all wet."

"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. " Edward grinned impishly. "I loved that matching set, by the way." "I could tel l," I grinned back at Edward. My grin grew decidedly more mischievous as I purpo sely clenched my inner muscles around Edward. It was like trying to squeeze marb le. Edward pushed into me reflexively, making me gasp, my head falling back. "Be lla, I have to get you home," Edward groaned, sliding in and out of me a few mor e times before pulling out completely. We both moaned in protest before he spoke again. "You're making the task shockingly difficult." I would have made more of a protest, but Edward was already putting out the bonfire. I shivered as the co ld weather finally started to affect me. Goosebumps appeared all over my skin, m y nipples so taut they hurt. Edward wrapped his wet shirt around me, slipping my arms through the sleeves before fastening the buttons. "This may not keep you w arm, but at least you won't have to be naked on the trip back to the car," he ex plained. He pulled on his rain-heavy slacks, then bundled up our other clothes i n the crate with the portable firepit. I got up and started attempting to fold t he blankets. They were dripping wet, and they took a great deal of effort to wor k with. Edward stopped me and used all his strength to beat them against a tree. Water flew off of them in waves, and within seconds they were almost dry and co mpletely folded. Edward finished packing up and then came back to me, wrapping o ne arm around my waist, his other hand coming up to cup my face. "I like seeing my shirt on you," he said, his eyes flickering between love and amusement. "I th ink you should sleep in it." The hand at my back snaked under the shirt and slid up to the front, his fingers running delicately against the underside of my lef t breast. I nodded mutely, trying to steady my breathing. Edward's eyes blazed m omentarily before his lips descended

on mine, his kiss pushing for as much passion as he could get before he had to p ull away. It reminded me of the way I used to kiss him when he was still trying to guard his control. The kiss seemed to last an eternity, but it was still too soon when Edward finally pulled back, his breathing ragged. I was dizzy, his bre ath still running through my blood, making it hard to think. Edward chuckled and lifted me onto his back. "Hang on tight, my love. You look like you're going to fall over," Edward teased, lifting the heavy crate with ease. I rolled my eyes even though he couldn't see it. "I could biteyou again, Edward," I said, trying to sound threatening. I could only sound breathless in the aftermath of the kiss . Edward just laughed harder. "That was incredibly adorable," Edward said, amuse ment sill coloring his voice. "My little tiger-kitten." I frowned a bit in confu sion, as Edward had never called me anything besides "love" or "my love" until n ow. I decided not to question it though. It was an acceptable nickname. Regardle ss, I couldn't help myself. "I can be threatening when I want to," My own voice was as amused as his. "Ah, yes: the wrath that will put grizzlies to shame. Mayb e if I'd infuriated you further, I would have pushed those ridiculous boundaries a bit more," Edward was grinning as he set me down by his Volvo. "I have the fe eling, the way things were going that night, that you would have immediately mov ed out of Charlie's house so that you could stay in my bed." "I'm considering th at now," I said, knowing he was right on the mark with that statement. "I had a hard enough time without you today." "As did I, my love," Edward whispered, runn ing his hand across my temple, down my jaw to my chin. I shivered lightly at his touch. "Let me get those dry clothes and start the heater," Edward suggested. D ry clothing and a warm car were starting to sound like a good plan. We walked ar ound to the trunk so that Edward could put the crate back in before starting the car and grabbing the bags of clothing from the backseat. I wasn't surprised tha t I had not noticed them

earlier: I was usually too distracted by Edward's presence to even glance anywhe re else. Edward was fully changed in practically the blink of an eye, looking ex actly as put together as he had when he picked me up, except for his wet hair. I put my underwear on before unbuttoning his wet shirt and rummaging for the fres h bra I knew was in the bag. I heart Edward growl low in his chest. "What?" I as ked, turning to look at him. I was wearing his shirt completely open and the win d blew the right side away, exposing my breast. Edward's hands snaked under the shirt, holding my hips. "Utterly indecent," he murmured, lowering his head to ki ss me deeply. I reacted in kind, my fingers tangling in his hair tightly. Before long, he had me pinned against the side of the car, every line of his body matc hed to mine. Edward made another low growl as I moaned into his mouth. It didn't matter that we just finished making love less than half an hour again. I still wanted Edward as badly as I had after hours of being without him. Edward pulled back suddenly, stepping several feet away from me. I was dizzy, gasping for brea th, and utterly confused. "What's wrong, Edward?" I freaked out for a few moment s, afraid the last two nights had only been a dream. Edward came back to me inst antly, caressing my face. "Nothing is wrong, Bella," he said soothingly. It was impossible not to believe him. "However, I had to reign myself in before we ende d up making love again and missing your curfew." Edward smiled my favorite, croo ked smile, and I realized he was right. I knew I would not have stopped, and he, obviously, did not want to either. "I still need my dry clothes before we go an ywhere," I reminded him. He was only inches away from me as I slowly removed his wet shirt and tossed it into the trunk. "You really are the most dangerous crea ture I have ever met," Edward said. His eyes had turned black instantly. I grinn ed as mischievously as I could before turning around to grab the rest of my clot hes. As I bent over to pull my skirt up, I heard Edward get into the car. I look ed

at him in the rearview mirror curiously. Edward smirked widely before answering my unasked question. "I decided it was best. 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 blushed deeply at Edward's forward compliment and finished dress ing as quickly as possible, deciding to put my boots on in the car. Inside, the car was blessedly warm, instantly relaxing the way my muscles always tensed up i n the cold. I held my hands in front of the vents, knowing they needed to have a little direct heat. The ride home was fairly silent, and I had the feeling that if we started a conversation it would probably end up with Edward making some r idiculous, Indy500 style turn toward his house instead of back to mine. The atmo sphere in the car was very similar to the electric current we had felt on movie day in biology class that first year we met. Except this was infinitely more exc ruciating. We held each others' hand, our fingers twined tightly together. We we re both grinning, remembering that day in class and the night's previous events. When Edward stopped outside my house he turned to me, taking my hand in both of his. My engagement ring glinted under the street light. I tried to tell myself that I didn't wince because I was distracted by the feeling of Edward's hands ar ound mine. "I would not be able to let you leave this car if I couldn't come bac k for the night," Edward said, an amused smile playing on his lips. "I say we ma ke a break for it and drive back to your house instead," I teased, although I wa s half serious. Edward pulled me close to him, a low growl in his chest. "Don't tempt me, Bella. Charlie would never forgive me, and I'm already having a hard t ime remembering why that would be such a bad thing." Instead of answering him, I pulled myself forward, kissing Edward with as much passion as I could. Edward r esponded back with equal force, his arms wrapping tightly around me. If the car engine had still been on, I probably would have switched gears with my body as I slid closer to Edward. By the time Edward pulled away, I had my fingers tangled in his hair and Edward's hands were under the back of my shirt. "It's not like he could actually kill you, Edward," I joked, not even loosening my grip on him. He didn't seem to be letting me go either.

"No, but he may try to ship you off to Florida to live with your mother, which w ould not be acceptable for either of us." I rolled my eyes as Edward finally rel eased his hold on me. I begrudgingly grabbed my jacket off the back of the passe nger seat, knowing I'd need it as soon as the car door opened. "Go inside, Bella . I'll be back in ten minutes." Edward gently kissed my forehead. "That's too lo ng. I wish I could just spend the night over there," I pouted. "Soon enough, my love," Edward reassured me. "However the longer you put off getting out of my ca r tonight, the longer it will be before I am lying beside you again." Edward cup ped my face reverently, a small smile breaking in the corner of his lips. "Fine, I'm going," I sighed. I kissed him quickly and turned away before I could make myself stay. I was instantly assaulted with the discomfort of the chill night ai r as I opened the car door. I shivered and got out quickly, looking longlingly a t Edward before shutting the door and walking back to the house. When I got in, I took my boots off and set them by the door to dry. Charlie was still waiting u p for me, even though I was half an hour past my flexible curfew. He tried to pl ay off the fact that he'd stayed up by conjuring up the football game he had on the television. I tried not to roll my eyes, noting that the colors of the unifo rms didn't match any of the teams Charlie usually watched. After another ten min utes of answering Charlie's typical questions ("Did you have fun?" "What did you guys do tonight?"), most of which I answered with bold-faced lies and red cheek s, I told him I was going to bed and went up to my room. Edward was already on m y bed, his shirt in his hand instead of on his body. He held it out to me expect antly. I took it and grinned. "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 y our eyes while I change," I advised him jokingly. "Why exactly would I want to c heat myself out of that vision anymore?" Edward looked completely relaxed sittin g on my bed, talking about me removing my clothing as casually as he would have asked me what movie I wanted to watch. He arched an eyebrow in amusement.

"Especially when I could just take your clothes off myself." "Uh... Charlie... d ownstairs?" There went my ability to think properly. Edward came over to me inst antly, his eyes burning black again. "It seems as though you are intoxicated by my presence again. I suppose that means I have a responsibility to remove your c lothing for you now, since you are currently incapable." He didn't give me a cha nce to protest as he kissed me, his hands running under my shirt, pushing it up slowly until he had to break the kiss to pull it over my arms and head. "You kno w, this is really unfair, Edward," I muttered, undoing my bra as quickly as poss ible. I waited to actually take it off until Edward's eyes were on my torso agai n. Edward cleared his throat as I slowly removed the bra, dropping it on the flo or. "What's unfair?" He asked, his hands trailed to my hips, sliding my skirt of f with ease. "With Charlie still awake, we can't do anything, even though I real ly want to," I complained, pulling Edward's shirt on, and leaving it unbuttoned for the moment. "Then you should stop actually trying to tempt me," Edward grinn ed. "It's one thing when you're just tempting by being yourself, but it's a deci dedly evil thing when you actually tempt me on purpose." I rolled my eyes and bu ttoned his shirt up before removing my underwear and crawling into bed. Edward g rowled low in his chest and got into bed with me in the same second. "See? Evil temptress," he growled quietly in my ear as his hand grazed gently up my bare th igh. I shivered in pleasure, using all my will not to push my hips forward and i nto his. I took a shaky breath before speaking. "So... any plans for tomorrow?" I arched an eyebrow at Edward, fighting off my reactions to the way his fingers were tracing patterns on my thigh. "I can think of a few. However, I believe it' s going to be exceptionally sunny and warm tomorrow." Edward smiled broadly, a s light hint of excitement in his eyes. "Would you mind going back to our meadow?"

My heart about stopped at the prospect. Seeing Edward naked in the sun was ridic ulously tempting. "Not at all. Although, if you'd like to do that during the day , I should probably get some sleep," I grinned smugly as Edward sighed in frustr ation, removing his hand from my thigh so that he could wrap his arm around my w aist gently. "Sleep well, my love. We have a long day ahead of us," Edward murmu red in my ear, and I could not help the way I shuddered at the implications he m ade. As Edward pulled the blankets up more tightly around me, I curled up even c loser to him, listening to his voice pick up in volume as he hummed what sounded like my lullaby. I listened carefully for a few moments, noting that there was a new harmony to it that seemed so much stronger, so much more sweet. "It's diff erent," I tried to say, not realizing that I was already half-asleep. "I created a new one. It's not a lullaby, but it works well with the original," Edward whi spered near my ear before continuing the melody where he left off. I might have said "okay" after his explination, but I was asleep before I could be sure I hea rd my voice or not.