It was three days before our wedding, and I was a mess.

Alice was everywhere it seemed, fixing my dress, talking about flowers, asking me random questions that I had no answer for.

"You like Billy Joel, right?"

"Which color do you prefer, Pink Blush or Bashful Rose?"

And occasionally she would get that look in her eyes, then laugh hysterically alongside Edward. I could always tell when it was about me, because he would reach out and pull me closer, laughing into my hair. This worked, of course, and he knew it. I could never be angry with him when he was that close.

So when Alice posed this next question, I was more than taken by surprise.

"Bella, how would you feel about spending some alone time with Edward?"

I looked up from the ribbons suspiciously. She'd dragged me over to help choose a color scheme, though I couldn't understand why. She would know the answer before she even asked. Again, this is why I was suspicious. And blushing.

"Uh, what about it?" I asked, fumbling with the pink satin.

"Just an idea. I could get Charlie out of the way for you."

I had to laugh at the notion. What could she possibly do with Charlie that would keep him all night? Kidnap him?

The idea rang a bell, and I wondered if this was all Edward's plan.

My mind wandered to him.

If this was his plan...

I began to blush as if Alice could somehow read my thoughts. Overwhelmed, I just shrugged.

"Sure, I'd love to have a night alone. If you can get Charlie out of the way, that'd be great."

She smiled, she already knew, but she was gracious about it anyhow.

It occured to me it might be simpler just to ask the Cullen's... but the thought of actually ASKING them to give us the house for the night...

I blushed Bashful Rose.

I had to hand it to the girl. She was sneakier than I had thought. Charlie hadn't had the time to even become suspicious, because after dinner that night, Alice suddenly raced into our living room.

"Charlie!"

"What?" he asked, jumping. He looked to me, but I shrugged.

"Your tux! They've completely lost your tux!"

He frowned.

"But it's in my closet."

I couldn't bear to look at him.

"No, I sent it to the dry cleaners, but they've lost it, and now we have to get you a new one! Right now!"

She yanked on his hand and he tried to plant his feet.

"Wait, wait, now? Where are we going?"

"There's a shop in Seattle, and I know the owner. We've got to get there before he thinks we've stood him up!"

"But I can't leave Bella - "

"She will be fine. She's eighteen. And she'll be living on her own pretty soon, you know."

Charlie's entire body seemed to droop at the idea. He turned to look at me.

"You'll be alright for a while?"

I knew she would make sure to keep him so long, he'd have to spend the night somewhere. But I wasn't going to let on.

"Sure. Don't worry Charlie."

He seemed wary of my answer, but before he could protest anymore, she had dragged him out the front door. I laughed when I realized he still had his beer in his other hand.

The TV was muted and the sudden silence filled the room. Oh my god.

Edward would be here. And I would finally...

I stood up. I couldn't be wearing this ratty t-shirt and sweatpants when he got here. But I had to be fast.

I dashed up the stairs and had the shirt off before I'd reached the top. I threw open my door and pulled the sweatpants off. I stood up, the clothes bundled in my hands, and proceeded to drop them on the floor.

Edward was standing across the room, his face in utter shock.

I couldn't move. This was not exactly the seduction I was planning for.

His beautiful marble self was now truly a statue. He didn't move, and neither did I.

Finally he broke into a grin. Then he laughed. He began guffawing like an old man, leaning over and bracing himself against my bed.

"Edward, it's not funny!" I whined and darted into my closet for something to at least cover myself. I grabbed a black v-neck tee, shrunken enough that it fit my body perfectly, but long enough that it hung lightly over my rear. I pulled it on and ran my fingers through my hair.

Stepping out of the closet, I looked for him.

He was sitting on the bed, still giggling to himself.

Ugh. I want to die right now. I am so not sexy.

He looked up at me as I walked into view, and he stopped laughing.

I knew he could hear my heart stop.

"Bella, come here."

I did as I was told. I crawled forward and sat next to him on my bed, like I had so many times before. He pulled me against him and we laid back, nestled together. I loved lying in the nook of his arm. I ran my hand down his chest and took in his unbelievable smell. I could feel him playing with my hair.

"You're so beautiful. Sometimes I can hardly stand it." he whispered and I shuddered. How wrong he'd gotten it, but I decided for once not to correct him. I basked in the glow of his adoration and tried not to think about what would happen next.

"I love you." I whispered and he sighed contently.

"Even more than you do." he said.

Then he seemed to stiffen. He began to sit up and I protested with a small sound. But he turned to face me and took one hand under my chin.

"You know, we don't have to do this. This isn't an obligation."

I didn't know what to say. Did he not know how passionately I felt for him? Did he not know how utterly sexy he was? Did he not have a mirror?

"I know that." I said, and found myself smiling. "But you know what I want."

"Immortality." he said, and grinned that crooked grin.

"Oh you know, you're right. That's all I want. Nothing else, from you, at all."

I grinned.

"Bite me."

He laughed and shook his head. "That was terrible, Bella."

I took advantage of his relaxed posture and moved forward onto him.

"Shut up." I whispered right before I kissed him.

He was sitting still, trying to be a gentleman, and I took his hands in mine. Our lips still together, I pulled his arms around my neck and reached forward for him. We were sitting awkwardly, so I tried to get to my knees and move.

But before I could, he had let go of his reservations. He cupped one hand under my rear, pulled me down and rocked forward on top of me. I could feel my heart like a hurricane in my chest.

Edward traced his hand from my hip down the outside of my thigh. I shivered involuntarily, and pulled him closer to me. We were pressed together from head to toe and he pulled his hands from under my body.

His kissing had gotten more intense now. I was no longer behind his wall, only allowed to press our lips together. He was slowly opening his mouth, taking moments to breath against mine, and the chill from his cool sweet breath against my flushed face was making me lightheaded. It was making me forget all about his hands.

Gone from underneath me, they were making their way down my sides. I could do nothing but run my hands through his hair.

Finally he reached my hips and slid his fingertips down to my inner thighs. I was shaking a bit now.

He pulled his face back to look in my eyes. He looked down at me, full of a desire I hadn't been able to see before. His eyes were piercing me and he braced himself on one arm above me.

With the other hand he reached down and pushed one of my legs to the side. I bent my knee and let it curl up, and he nestled himself in between them. I could feel the coolness of the buckle from his belt on the outside of my panties and I swallowed hard. I tried to remember how to breathe.

He bent his head down and kissed the side of my neck, where my pulse was the strongest. I let my arms fall back beside my head as he worked his way up to my ear. Lightly nibbling on my earlobe, I gasped as I heard his voice.

"Are you okay?" he whispered so lightly I wondered if I'd imagined it.

"Yes..." I sighed out.

He waited a moment, then I felt his fingertips slide down from my bent knee.

Down my thigh, down to the bottom of my shirt. He slid his fingers under the bottom and let them rest on my stomach. I couldn't disguise my shaking now, it was everywhere, and it was out of my control. Somehow though, I felt safe even though I knew I was completely in his hands.

He let his hand rest on my stomach for a moment, then slid it around to my lower back. He pulled me against him, rocking us once.

I made a noise and he pulled his lips from my neck.

I opened my eyes and he was staring at me with concern. I nodded, too lightheaded to speak, and he bent down and kissed me. All at once, I could taste him. It was exactly like he smelled, only intensified. I wondered if my heart truly had stopped beating.

I opened my mouth wider, eager for more of him. He let himself down on top of me, and intertwined our fingers behind my head. I lost my patience.

I pushed back on his shoulder lightly, but he responded as if I'd shoved him. He sat back quickly, and I leaned up to reach him.

"What?" he said, a small hint of fear in his eyes.

I sat up more and reached for the bottom of his shirt. I slowly pulled it up, pulling it over his head, and tried not to gasp as I stared at his beautiful chest. The few hairs running down below his beltline, the taught muscles of his abdomen, the flexed muscle of his arms and chest as he held himself above me.

I reached up and wrapped my hand around the back of his neck, pulling his face down to mine.

He put both of his hands under my shirt and began to pull it out from under me. I rocked to free myself and he tossed it aside. He smiled tenderly and leaned back down to kiss me. This time, he gently ran a finger over each of my eyes, and kissed the closed eyelid.

I swore I would keep breathing.

I knew if I didn't focus on something else, even for just a moment, I would certainly faint. I pulled my hands up and reached for his belt buckle. Before I could even pull at it, he had his hands on mine.

"Bella."

"Don't-" I said and kissed him again. He kept his lips closed, but I forced him to open his mouth. He responded with a low gutteral sound, and I knew we'd reached a point of no return.

I undid his belt buckle and pulled it from the jeans. Before I could even toss it aside, he'd undone the zipper and was shaking them off his ankles.

I grinned against his lips. It was a completely different kind of high when I could feel him enjoying himself.

Now we laid together, sheathed only in thin white cotton.

"I love you." he whispered and I felt him reach up from my stomach. His finger lightly brushed over my nipple and I couldn't keep from making a sound. He kissed me deeper and put his hands under my back, cradling me.

Then he rolled onto his back, pulling me with him, in perfect unison.

I was straddling him now, and his hands were dropping to my lower back.

I knew what to do next.

I pulled my face from his and sat up straight. He laid underneath me, holding me gently on top of him, and I reached back for the clasp to my bra.

Feeling it give, I let the straps fall off my shoulders and down to my wrists.

Edward's face shocked me. I'd never seen him like this. I couldn't think of a word to describe it. He was so still, so entranced... it was awe. He was in awe of me.

I let him pull it off my wrists and fling it aside. He sat up, still between my legs, and kissed the space between my breasts. I shuddered and tried to breathe, running my hands through my hair. I closed my eyes and felt myself rock forward. His hands shot up to my ribs, supporting me, and he kissed up to my neck. He put his hands under the back of my head and angled me down to kiss him.

I kept my eyes closed as he pulled me down on top of him. I could feel his hands running down my bare back and I shivered.

I took his tongue in my mouth, but this time, I pulled him in deeper and I heard him groan. His hands dug a little into my back and then I felt him quickly release me. He rolled his palms down to my rear and pulled me tighter against him.

I was warm everywhere, and I felt parts of my body that I hadn't before. Warm shivers were running all over me and I kissed him harder.

I realized that he was waiting. We had only one step left.

I reached down and struggled to get out of my panties. I pulled too hard and felt myself roll to the side, off of him. Before I could be embarrassed, I had tossed them away and he was leaning over me again. He smiled, charmed, and kissed me before I could say anything.

I spread my legs and pulled on his shoulders, and he laid in me. I rocked against him, again and again, and I could feel him now.

But he was still hesitating.

I forced myself to break away from his kiss and pulled his face back slightly, where I could focus on his eyes. They couldn't have been more than two inches from my own when I told him I loved him.

But the topaz that I loved so much glistened and he whispered his love as he slid down his boxers.

He didn't kiss me then, he kept our eyes locked together as he entered me. I closed my eyes and gasped. It hurt a little, and I cringed.

He didn't say anything but the look on his face said it all. I bit my lip and pulled his face to mine. He kissed me deeply and I could feel my body opening more. He slid inside easier this time, a perfect fit.

"Bella." he whispered as we came together again. I couldn't say anything and I didn't try to anymore.

I let my head roll to the side and tried not to moan. But it didn't work. I was gasping now, my entire body shaking, and he blew cool air on my neck and ear. I was sure I was going to faint.

Then something happened that felt like the absolute opposite of fainting. It was everywhere, it was rolling through me like thunder. He pulled my face towards his and in the moment, we were one. Our eyes locked together, our minds connected, our bodies one.

My eyes rolled back and I felt like my entire body sighed. He sighed out loud and let his body rest on top of mine. I pulled his head down next to mine and ran my fingers through his hair. I wrapped one leg over him, pulling him closer, cradling him into me.

His arms were underneath me, holding us together, and I knew we would never let go.