As I scooped my beautiful bride up into my free arm while grabbing our luggage with the other, a flood of emotions took over my thought process completely. Was this really about to happen? What was going to happen? How would she react? How would I react?

This was the biggest question.

It took all I could do to push the oncoming doubts and worries about what was about to take place out of my mind.

In almost no time, we were at the front porch to the house given to my mother Esme as a gift from her husband, Carlisle. I opened the door and crossed the threshold, concentrating on nothing but Bella. It took no time to get through the house and turn on most of the lights.

With Bella still clutched to my chest, I opened the large double doors that led into Carlisle and Esme's suite. As we entered the room, Bella gasped and I glanced down at her to see a wide range of emotions cross her face. First wonder, then shock, doubt, worry, and last, a brilliant blush that filled her cheeks. It was breathtaking.

Without saying a word, I sat her on her feet and whispered ever so lightly, "I'll run and grab our things."

As I made my way through the house, checking the other rooms and the kitchen, my nerves reached their peak and I could barely concentrate, and almost forgot the luggage I had left on the porch. After I sat her suitcase on the empty dresser, I decided that I would give her a little while to get settled. I most definitely did not want to be present when she discovered all the more playful articles of clothing that Alice had packed for out trip. I would go down to the beach and take a swim, and hope to have her join me.

When I turned from sitting the other suitcases down, she was standing in the middle of the room, absentmindedly touching the feathery canopy that hung from the ceiling to the floor. When I approached her from behind, I noticed a faint flush on the back of her neck, and a bead of sweat that had dewed up there, which I wiped away briskly, leaving chills.

"It's a bit warm here.....I assumed that would make things easier for you."

She nodded once while turning towards me and smiling the tiniest smile. Her face was filled with worry.

"I'll give you a few minutes to yourself to get settled." She nodded once more but still never looked away or moved an inch. Her breath hitched and it worried me. I leaned down, in an attempt to calm the nerves that were almost rattling her body, and touched my lips lightly to her forehead. She let out a little sigh and looked up at me through anxious, worried eyes.

"So I was thinking, since Forks doesn't offer much in the avenue of swimming that we could take a dip together. The water won't be cold. You'll enjoy it."

I spoke very carefully, anticipating whatever reaction was to come.

"Sounds fun." she replied.

I could hear the worry thick in her feeble words.

"Excellent....then I'll meet you in the water, Mrs. Cullen."

There was no way to hide the hint of excitement in my voice, but that was replaced quickly with worry. I looked into her deep eyes once more, brushed her cheek lightly with the back of my hand, and stole out the back doors, pulling my shirt off and leaving it in the doorway.

I took my time walking to the water. I was trying to sort things out in my head. First, I came to the realization that my swim trunks were packed away and that - judging by the way Bella's heart was hammering away in her chest - it wasn't a good idea for me to go back in to the room. So I just stripped down and left my clothes on a nearby palm tree several yards from the water's edge. Finally, after trying all too hard to avoid it, the thought surfaced that this was really about to happen. I was about to endanger the life of the one person that I could not and would not live without. Bella was my entire life and the thought of causing her anymore pain than I already have threatened to tear a hole through my stone heart. My fears and doubts on this subject almost stopped me dead in my tracks. Going back on our little compromise sounded like a good idea.

Get a grip!! If you can taste her blood and pull away from that, then you can handle this!

I dove into the warm water, repeating this reassurance. Bella's heart never slowed.

As I noticed her heartbeat moving closer the back doors that opened to the beach, I made my way into shallow water to wait. I heard and paid very close attention to her every step, her every breath, and every movement she made as she stepped onto the sand. After a few steps she stopped, and I heard her inhale deeply and exhale in relief as she dropped her towel onto the sand, and a small smile turned up the corners of my lips.

Not wanting to startle her or make her any more nervous than she already was, I didn't turn to greet her when she entered the water. As she moved closer, I moved a little further out so that both of our bodies would be completely submerged.

I stayed turned away from her and relaxed my back a little when I felt her only a few inches from me, and to hopefully ease some of her discomfort, I made my way into deeper waters once again. She spoke my name.

"Edward?"

When she spoke I could hear a new tone in her voice. A tone of bravery and confidence, but also one that was hiding the worries and the nerves that were really there. This time, when I heard the quickening of her breath, her heartbeat, and the softness of her voice, the love I knew I possessed for this fragile human peaked, filling my body with nothing but pure love and adoration at the thought that she was my wife, forever. With this overflow of emotion, a new sense of control washed over me as well, and I knew that this was meant to be, that I could not and would not hurt her. With this new found knowledge I turned and made my way back up the smooth slope of the sand so that our faces were on the same level. When I looked her in the eyes, her breath quickened and her heart thundered on, as a result of the nerves I was sure.

I stared severely into her beautiful, deep, chocolate eyes, once again wishing that just once I could hear the thoughts that were spinning in her head. Just to get some sort of sense of what she wanted or what she was mostly nervous about. But as usual, I was unsuccessful in my attempt. As I made a move closer, for once, I was thanking God for whom and what I was, thanking Him for simply letting me be so that I could have this moment with the one person that I am destined to be with.

After my revelation, I relaxed even more and leaned forward so that I could brush her wet hair off of her shoulder, and then lightly brush her cheek, feeling the warmth of her skin on my fingertips. "Bella….." I whispered. Then I went in for the kiss that would set my icy stone body on fire.

This kiss started out as any other kiss would have, I went in slowly, bracing myself for the flame that was going to rip up my throat. This aspect of being with Bella, was now all too easily forgotten within less than a second, but never failed to send me into momentary shock and have me on my guard. I could sense that she was being more careful with this one as well, and I knew exactly why and knew that that had to be changed, and quick. So I leaned into the kiss, pulling her into me with more force than I typically would have, felling every contour of her body against mine, and embracing the warmth of her pale skin. I kissed more fiercely, tracing the outline of her lips with my tongue, caressing her back and neck with my hands, letting my guard down without a fear.

This caught her by surprise.

I made my way across her cheek to her jaw line, and the moment my lips left hers, she gasped. "Oh!"

This tiniest of gasps ignited the flame that was waiting to be turned loose in my core, setting every inch of me on fire with a desire stronger than anything I had felt before, and with this desire, I almost lost control. So I pulled away, carefully, not wanting to startle her. My breath was coming out in huffs- something a bit awkward for a vampire I must say- so I rested my head on her forehead.

"Why…did…you…stop?" she asked in between harsh breaths.

This almost lost attempt at pouting made me smile, and helped me regain focus a little. With my head clear, I could concentrate on what was going on.

"We're supposed to be swimming." I teased lightly.

Her breath was coming more easily now, and she growled at me. This was enough to make me giggle just a bit.

"Well since neither of us is very interested in swimming right now, maybe we could go inside. I figure it will be more……comfortable."

I noticed that while her breath was more even, mine was still coming out in gusts, and this surprised me.

She looked at me for the smallest portion of a second, and then threw herself at me.

"Will you be with me?" She asked very sensually.

Once again, feeling the smoothness of her skin against mine set me on fire and I bent down to kiss her once more. This time not so forcefully. At that precise moment, I swept her off her feet with the movement of the waves so as to not knock her off balance, and into my arms never breaking our kiss. I knew the island well enough that I barely had to focus to know which way was the quickest to the bedroom.

We made it into the suite with the oversized bed very quickly. I finally laid Bella down on the bed and broke the kiss. Just as soon as she opened her eyes, that stunning shade of scarlet brushed across her cheeks. I knew that this part would be the most nerve racking for her. So to ease her nerves a little, I stayed frozen, looking at nothing but the depth of her gorgeous eyes. She let hers close while inhaling, and reopened them when she exhaled very slowly. But I never looked away from her face. I smiled and bent down lower to kiss her slowly and more expressively.

After a couple of minutes, I unlocked my lips from around hers, knowing that this was my only chance, and let my eyes follow the length of her body once. She squirmed. The image of Bella lying before me was more wholesome and magnificent than anything I had ever experienced. Her body was more than just a human body; it was a work of art, perfectly crafted in every way. It was as if a painting of a goddess was lying under me. She was spectacular.

"Beautiful." I breathed, not letting my eyes wander for too long. Then that same fire was rekindled within my entire being and I let my lips crash down on top of hers.

This time, she kissed back with more force than she had ever had, unleashing the power of her body on me in every way imaginable. She was pulling her fingers through my hair, pressing her body against mine so that every part of our bodies were intertwined. The fire was almost becoming too much. But as this occurred to me, my subconscious reminded me of my new control over my emotions. So I let the fire rage on, let it engulf my entire being, all the while, surrendering my body to her. Thirst was no longer an issue. There was nothing but Bella and me, here and now, bodies wrapped together almost as one. Without really knowing what I was doing, I began to move myself over her, positioning myself in the most careful manner.

When I moved, she wrenched her mouth away from mine with a sudden gasp. I froze.

"Bella?"

When I spoke, she seemed to relax a little, and began to kiss me tenderly down my shoulder and around my collarbone. It was maddening.

"Bella, we don't have to do this right now. We can stop. We have…..forever." I leaned in and whispered in her ear very softly.

"No, please, don't stop. I'm fine." She said reassuringly.

She leaned up towards me and went in for another kiss. But I didn't let her distract me this time, even though her body was screaming for my attention.

"You're sure?"

She looked at me impatiently and let out another growl. I smiled.

I leaned back down to pick up where we had left off, somewhere around her neck, and began to embrace the fire once more. Though I did not allow myself to move another inch on top of her until I knew I had that control locked in place. But I knew she was impatient. She began to move her legs around my torso so that I was almost where I wanted to be. I had to stop.

"Bella," I protested. "I promised you that we would do this, but you really have to stop being so tempting. I can't lose my control, even for a second."

After I knew that she understood, I continued to caress her. She was amazing. Every inch of her was pulling me in, taking me under, it was exhilarating. I moved myself to the position that was my original destination and rested my head on hers. She looked back up at me through new eyes, eyes I had never seen. There was a new desire, a passion, and most notably a fire that was radiating, not only from her eyes, but her entire body. She was a wildfire burning out of control. That was all I needed.

It wasn't very difficult to find. It seemed as if that exact point in the center of her body was the source of the inferno. It was almost smoldering hot, but in a good way. I moved forward, bracing myself for the new sensations and emotions that were sure to come. Then another thought crossed my mind. Pain. This was going to cause her pain no matter what. She was a virgin and this scared me more than anything. I stopped abruptly with a sigh.

"You'll tell me if I'm hurting you?" I asked sweetly.

"Edward! I swear, I'm going to explode into a thousand tiny little pieces if you don't stop driving me crazy and just get on with it already! Besides, this part is probably going to hurt, regardless, so let's just get it over with!" she exclaimed.

I knew she was impatient, but I just could hardly take the knowledge of causing her pain. It was unbearable.

She exhaled and spoke again, "Please? I promise I'll tell you if it gets too bad!"

She was begging. And on top of that she threw in my name. Whenever she spoke my name, those flames seem to lap around the edges, growing. I sighed and opened my eyes, still worried.

She smiled. "Please? If you love me."

I did love her, and I would never deny her what she wanted. I just couldn't. It was mostly due to the fact that I wanted it right now just as much as she did. I couldn't help myself. She was my addiction, and I was about to surrender to her.

I saw her squirm a little, probably preparing herself for what was about to happen. She closed her eyes as I made the initial contact between us. Then I pushed myself gently inside her, watching her very carefully, seeing her squeeze her eyes shut more tightly as I went farther in. It was a very tight fit, not at all uncomfortable to me, but positively painful for her I was sure. That thought was pushed to the corner of my mind as something new began to happen. I realized that this feeling, this sensation, was utterly amazing, it was mind boggling, pure pleasure. I eased out a little, still watching her intently when her eyes shot open. She smiled feebly.

"Are you alright?" I asked, my words coming out in a heavy rush.

"Yes." She said in an uncomfortable tone. "I'm all right, Edward."

She reached up and ran her fingers through my damp hair once and then traced my lips with her thumbs. The raging fire from before was back, just one look from these new eyes, had me hooked and ready to take another hit.

I smiled gently and whispered, "I'm sorry." Then I bent down to kiss her once more as I went deeper, letting the wildfire rage on between us.

This time it was even better. I was on a new high and wanted to go higher every second. I pushed myself away once again and she made a little moan that sounded as if she was protesting. This was certainly not the case. I had no intentions on stopping; I was already in too deep. I wanted more. So I braced myself, breaking the kiss and placing my hands on either side of her face on the bed and then pushed everything inside of her with a growl slipping in between my lips from the pure pleasure of it. She moaned and then gasped. I opened my eyes slowly to find her staring at me, studying my face, with the fire in her eyes at a new level that was surely about to reach super nova the way they were smoldering. There was not even a trace of pain left in her eyes at this point. So I picked up the pace, settling in to a slow rhythm that was easy. Even though the fire raged on inside of my body, my control never faltered.

She was beautiful. There was no other way to describe then human that was now mine. Every time she looked into my eyes, with that fire raging, my entire body went up in flames, but not flames of torture or thirst, but the pure flames of passion and love. It was something that I would never get used to.

"I love you." I said.

"I love you, Edward," She gasped and wrapped her arms around my neck.

Things were going exceptionally well. It was beyond perfection, our bodies connected and intertwined. But then things began to change. Suddenly it felt as if her whole body had tightened up, like a piano being tuned. She was scraping her finger nails across my back, kissing me with a new ferocity, and meeting me with much more force as I pushed our bodies together time after time. She was reaching for me, pulling me closer to her, wanting more. So I placed one hand on the side of the head board, steadying myself, wanting to give her exactly what she wanted. As I did this, I barely could control the ferocious growl that burst up my throat and out my lips, or the way I was grabbing onto her bare arm. Pleasure was not something that could be controlled easily. That seemed to just add more fuel to the fire that was raging between our bodies. I shoved one hand under her back and pulled her up closer to me, completely lifting her off the bed so that we could fit together better. Immediately when I did this, I could tell that Bella was almost at the end of her fuse. But something inside of me was wanting that for her, I wasn't sure what part, but I wanted her there, like a firecracker that was about to pop. She was meeting me thrust for thrust, continuously picking up the speed. I did not object. Then suddenly, after a few seconds of riding our high together, Bella let out an unadulterated scream. This should have frightened me, but I knew in an instant that this was not a cry of pain, but gratification. Her entire body erupted into flames from the point we were connected and I knew she was there. She clutched onto me even harder, pulling at my hair, my back, and every part of me that was reachable. Gradually, she began to come down from that high and I lowered her gently back down to the bed, letting her rest as I continued to press my lips against the skin of her shoulders, her neck, and her collar bone. She opened her eyes.

"Bella?" I asked softly. "Are you all right?"

She mumbled something that even my super sensitive ears could not understand.

"What?"

"I said, 'why do you have to be so good at everything'?" She said in a tired voice.

I dropped my worried expression - realizing that no obvious harm had been done – and nestled my head into the hollow of her neck, chuckling.

This chuckle did more than amazing things to the point where we were connected, and my chuckling turned into growling in an instant. I started to kiss her neck once more, realizing that I was still good to go for another round.

So I began again with the same fervent combustion as before. This time it was easier to concentrate on all the new discoveries I was making. Bella's body, her breath, practically everything I was memorizing. So we kept going at a very comfortable pace that was just enough to keep sending Bella over the edge. And every time she would reach that point, my own pleasure was intensified. It was invigorating. It was fogging my brain, making me loose sight of that control that had been there for me. As she made the leap for the edge for the third time, I knew I was about to loose it. I almost stopped but didn't because of a more efficient and safe way to assist me in taming myself, a pillow. When it was beginning to really become too much, I leaned my head down and picked up one of the many white down pillows with my teeth and barred down on it, ripping it open. This seemed to relieve some of the frenzy that was surely happening at this point of our endeavor. I kept ripping, satiating the thirst that was raging. I was making a mess. Little white goose feathers were floating down like rain around where we were making love. The humor in this distracted me from my desire for more of Bella than I could take and something new was happening.

All of my mind's energy was being concentrated around the center of my body, yearning to be forced out. I opened my eyes to find Bella staring at me. The moment our eyes met, that yearning became a necessity. Without thinking, I began to pull Bella towards me harder and faster with each thrust. She seemed to adhere to what I wanted this time and was meeting me every time. I let my lips meet hers, and I kissed her like I never had before, letting my tongue trace and massage hers, taking in her hot breath as she breathed heavily. She was pushing into me with even greater force than before, clawing at every touchable surface of my body, wanting more, her body howling for me.

"Edward." She breathed. And as if that wasn't enough, she let out a deep moan into my shoulder that I had no idea she was capable of producing. It wasn't human, but animal-like.

This time it wasn't a moan that escaped my lips, but a groan. My body was reacting to this in a way I had never experienced before. My entire body tensed like I was a human grenade just waiting to explode. I was almost there.

"Bella!" I grunted as my last few seconds of sanity flew by.

What happened next was pretty close to being pushed in to insanity. My whole figure tightened up and then exploded where we were connected. My fingers turned into rigid claws on the bed sheets, my eyes seem to roll into the back of my head, and my toes curled and then went completely numb with the shear pleasure of the experience. We both let out an exhilarated cry at the same moment. We both exploded together.

Fire and ice. A single star imploding in space. Bella and I.

After a couple of incoherent minutes, I was able to manage myself again. I looked down in to the face of my beloved and saw nothing but awe and adoration. Her eyes slid shut just long enough for me to move from on top of her and lay her next to me on the bed and begin to trail little kisses up her shoulder to her neck. She squirmed and I pulled her close to my chest, resting her head close to my throat.

"Tell me what you're thinking." I mumbled into her messy hair.

"That you're amazing." She replied breathlessly.

I snorted as I let my nose follow the familiar path between her jaw line and her collar bone. My every touch left goose bumps on her pale skin.

"I love you." I stated, trying to hide my smugness. "You're amazing."

"You stole my line." She muttered in a flat sarcastic tone that was dripping with exhaustion.

I grinned with my face still pressed against her throat.

"Go to sleep, Bella," I instructed.

Within a matter of seconds, the exhaustion took over and she was in a deep slumber.

I held her and pondered on the events that had just taken place, remembering the best parts and the most romantic. It was amazing and I could not have asked for anything more of this life. I had Bella and I did not need anything else. She was my life and I cherished her more than my entire existence. I needed her and lived for her and her alone.

As I pondered I began to inspect her body a little more closely. The more I looked, the more I came across. She was beginning to bruise. Not only in certain spots around her abdomen, but everywhere, her shoulders, her arms, her pelvis. It was unnerving and I almost could not handle it. I knew that there was nothing left but a long night of hurt awaiting me. I had hurt Bella. She was bruised because of me. And my selfishness. This was something that was not anywhere near asking for forgiveness. The damage was done. I spent the rest of the night wallowing in the uncertainties of how Bella, my life and my love, would react when she saw that I had hurt her. This would not happen again. I could not let this happen again.