A/N: I totally said I wasn't going to post this until I got at least one review on the first chapter, but it hasn't happened yet =[. Never one to be discouraged, I figured I'd just keep writing anyway. Enjoy!

But hold your breath

They didn't have another perfect night for a long time after that. Edward tried too hard, tried to make his touches seem as natural as she wanted, tried not to be so afraid. Bella told him not to bother, that she could feel his fear in the air. "Its in the way you move, the way you look at me, the way your fingers tremble. You don't want to. Its fine." She'd say, but he knew it wasn't fine. It was in the way she moved, the way she looked at him, the way her fingers trembled. She wanted this more than she'd wanted anything since he'd met her. Maybe even more than she wanted to be an immortal. And that made his unwillingness to please her far from fine.

And if all those small signs hadn't been enough, her wardrobe change certainly would've tipped him off. She must've had Alice take her shopping, because all the sudden, she was in designer lingerie, instead of her normal sweats and t-shirt. It bothered him that his family agreed with her so whole heartedly, that no one seemed to see the danger in this at all. Thats because there is no danger, a voice in his head told him. The owner of the voice varied, depending on the timing. Sometimes it was Carlisle, Jasper, Esme, Emmett, Alice, Bella, they'd all said it, or thought it, at some point. All but Rosalie, who delighted in this new conflict between Bella and himself. She seemed to know when he was wavering, when he was giving in, because every time he thought he'd be okay, she began imagining the mangled positions Bella would be found in, and she'd chuckle in her head. Poor, poor Bella. After that, he'd abandon whatever he'd been doing and go play his piano until he calmed down.

But even without Rosalie's evil imaginings, he found himself at his piano more now than he'd been since his involvement with Bella began. He found it easier now to just stay away from her. Outside of school, where she was forced to behave, everywhere else she was impossible. She was always wearing something seductive and smelling like something seductive and whispering something seductive, things that sounded sinful and wonderful and all together possible, and turned her bed into one big possibility in itself.

Beds, he thought with a sigh, they'd always been trivial, but he was contemplating getting one himself. For her of course. One bigger than the one she had at Charlie's, of course. She needed more room to move. She liked to roll around at night, especially when she was dreaming. Especially when the dreams were about him, the kind where she whimpered and moaned and writhed, the ones that made him flee the bed and sit in the rocking chair in the corner, waiting for them to pass. And sometimes made him leave entirely, only for an hour or so, because it was impossible to watch her moving around that way, wearing almost nothing, looking so good he could almost-

"Woah, buddy." Jasper called from the ktichen, startling Edward from his thoughts. "I know you like the piano, but I doubt its making you feel what you're feeling right now. Calm it down." And he sent a wave of calm, that Edward was ever so grateful for. Emmett laughed boisterously. "Seriously, the way this has been going on, the piano's getting more action then Bella. Maybe I should go help her out." A low growl started deep in Edward's chest. He rose from the piano and was in the kitchen in half a second. Esme came to Emmett's rescue.

"Emmett, don't tease your brother, its not attractive," she said, and Emmett rolled his eyes at Edward but quickly responded, "yes, ma'am." Before he could say anything, Esme zeroed in on Edward as well. "Edward, don't tease Bella, thats not attractive either." His eyes dropped to the floor in shame. It was just, well, embarrassing to have your mother privy to your sex life, or lack there of. But I could hear that her thoughts were just those that mothers had for their sons. She was worried about me, worried about Bella, worried that the strain on our relationship would lead to it ending, which would hurt me.

Ending?! It hadn't even occured to me. My eyes flew to hers. "Would she?" I whispered, "is it important enough to her that she would leave me?" I whispered, terrified at this new possibility. Esme shrugged. "Women are fickle, human women even more so. I've seen relationships end for less Edward, as have you, I'm sure." And with that she walked away. Emmett laughed again, louder this time. He said nothing, but his thoughts were enough. Would she leave you? Of COURSE she'd leave you! Sex is important to women, idiot. Look at me and Rose. No seriously, LOOK at me and Rose! seventy five years! How you may ask, good sex, idiot! I growled again. "Oh don't get mad at me because you're voluntarily not getting any!" Emmett cried, raising his arms in mock innocence. Jasper chuckled. I glared at him. He chuckled a little harder. "You guys are impossible." I muttered, and was prepared to go back to the piano when I was stopped by Jasper's hand on my arm.

"It matters to her that much, I promise you that." He began, "Girls...women....they have this image of themselves, and almost anything can shatter it. And once its shattered, they go looking for someone to put the pieces back together again. You're shattering her image, Edward. Every time you say no to her, you take another nick at it, and Bella, well, Bella's got plenty of people waiting in the wings, begging to pick up her pieces. You've got to decide. You're worried that you're too strong...that you'll hurt her. But the question is, are you strong enough to stop hurting her? Are you strong enough to give her what she wants?" He said all this quietly, and I could tell his wasn't attempting to manipulate my emotions. I walked away, pondering his words, choosing to ignore Emmett's thoughts.

...And if he's not strong enough...I'll be sure to take it off his hands. We all know I'm strong enough....

As he sat back down at the piano, stroking the keys, he couldn't help but think he was strong enough to give her what she wanted. If she cooperated with him, if she went slow. They could, he supposed. They could try, at least, of that he was sure.

And, as if riding on the wave of his certainty, Alice bounded down the stairs. She stopped just short of plowing into him, and was beaming at him when she said, "I've seen it! I've seen it! You're strong enough! You did it! I've seen it Edward!" She cried, jumping up and down a bit as she did. Jasper came from the kitchen, wrapped an arm around her waist and whispered something in her ear, too low for even Edward to hear. She giggled. As they turned to walk away, Jasper called over his shoulder. "If Alice's emotions are any indication, you don't hurt her at all. Not a bit." And with that they were gone. Emmett chuckled from the kitchen.

....Not at all? He thought. It's supposed to hurt a little, spices it up. Guess he's strong enough but his Jimmy's not quite there yet.

Edward's growl was the last thing anyone heard before he lunged at Emmett