Sorry for not updating sooner, but the 6 whole reviews didn't exactly inspire me to be fast.

Yogibears: Thanks so much! You're very kind! Hope you enjoy this chapter too.

Haha: Yup, I waded through 46 chapters of Blood Solstice before she said there will never be a sex scene. All those long winded stories and flashbacks...and no sex. Cruel, cruel, cruel.

Here comes chapter 3!

Chapter Three: Another vampire?

Stuck in traffic and running late for Alice's Pump class, and unable to waste time on my iPhone since I signed Oprah's No Phone Zone pledge, I reflected on my patients that day. In particular I was struck by a teenage girl who was in a very similar situation to me. A boyfriend who was very loving and not outwardly abusive - but ultra controlling. Like Edward, he tended to use guilt to control her.

Very unlike Edward though, he also used sex.

I guess one thing that made Edward from your standard typically controlling boyfriend was sex. Or rather, the lack of it. The girls in my support groups almost always tell me that sex was an issue in their relationship. Usually he was trying to get as much as he could. In my case it was the opposite. Edward and I never had sex, and he wouldn't give it to me no matter how much I wanted it.

And yet, that was one of the ways he controlled me. By denying me that, making me feel unattractive, he had all the power.

I'm good at psychoanalysing myself.

There was another interesting patient today also. Very interesting indeed.

A young woman about my age, Micki. She's been coming to me for a few months now, and we're slowly building our relationship enough for her to trust me. She's been struggling with her sexuality, another specialty of mine. Last week she admitted her feelings for a co-worker that she's had for several years now.

"Okay I know this is going to sound weird," she said nervously. "But I think she's a...vampire." She whispered the last word.

I sat up straighter in my chair. She certainly had my attention. "A vampire?" I tried to sound casual.

"Yeah...like a vampire vampire."

"Oh. I see. And...what exactly makes you think that?"

"I've seen things."

"Define things."

"Well...she has this amazing strength. Like, more than any normal person. I swear I saw her lift a car once. She never eats. Her skin is always cold..." her voice trailed off.

I was on the edge of my seat. This certainly sounded familiar. But, was this girl just delusional, or possibly just very imaginative?

"And...she never goes in the sunlight. But...this one time...the sun came out...and...and..."

"What happened?"

"Well, I mean most people think vampires burn in sunlight, right? But she...she sparkled."

"Right. Sparkled. I will write that down. I think that's the end of our time today, but make an appointment for next week, okay?"

I could not get out of there fast enough.

We knew there were vampires in Australia, we'd already met Aisha. But wow...what a full circle moment for me. A patient in my office, also in love with a vampire. Except this one got the gender right this time.

I really need to talk to Alice.

I make it to the class a few minutes late, finding parking at Chadstone is a bitch even on a good day. Luckily Alice had forseen this and set up my equipment for me. I usually stand up front, but she knew I'd be embarrassed about walking through the class late so she put me at the back. I smile thankfully at her as I grab my bar and join in. She nods a greeting to me with a gorgeous dimpled smile.

"Alright team! Warm up over, let's put on our heaviest weight for the squat track!" This is where Alice is most impressive. She squats 80 kilos, which was something like 175lb back in the US. She could do a lot more but the bar won't hold any more than four ten kilo plates on each side

She could squat a Buick if she wanted to.

She's even more impressive because she's a tiny little thing. At not even five feet tall, Alice is the height of a ten year old. She's also stick thin, so it looks kind of ridiculous to see those enormous weights on her itsy bitsy frame.

But so, so sexy. She picks them up like they are nothing (since to her, they are) and puts them on her shoulders. In her red halter top with matching mini skorts, she is insanely hot.

I'm sure I'm not the only one checking her out in this room. But I am the only one who will get to take her home tonight.

The next track kicks in, and I find my mind wandering to Micki. There was no doubt in my mind this crush of hers was a vampire. Nobody could know about sparkling, nobody!

I can't wait for the class to end so I can tell Alice. I need her advice for what to tell Micki. Micki would be in danger if she knew the truth. If she told anyone, the Volturi would not hesitate to get involved. And if the Volturi came here, they might find me. Technically I was supposed to be a vampire by now, thanks to Edward and his histrionic suicide attempt in Italy. Hiding out in Australia seems to have stalled them for now.

Another bonus in moving here.

Driving home after the class, with Alice in the car I tell her what happened with Micki. She listens intently, until I get to the part about sparkling.

"It certainly sounds like this girl has found herself a vampire," Alice interjects thoughtfully. "Not many people know about the whole sparkle question is, how many are here? And does this chick hunt humans or animals? The only one we've ever seen here is Aisha, and she must be a vegetarian if she's able to have a normal job and be in a room with sweaty humans all day."

I nod my agreement. "Has Aisha ever said anything to indicate she knows what you are?"

"No babe, I'd have told you if she did." Alice shakes her head. "I thought it best not to bring it up. We just act like normal co-workers."

"Maybe we need to confront her. There are others here, and a human has figured them out. Just like I did. Aisha might know something. Perhaps they are in a coven?"

"See what information you can get from Micki first. Perhaps we can investigate, and see what we are dealing with before we talk to Aisha."

"Good idea honey," I say as we pull into our driveway.

"Enough vampire talk," Alice says in an abruptly sultry voice. "I've missed you all day." She's suddenly on top of me, nipping at my neck and pushing her hips against mine.

"Mmmm," I murmur into her spiked hair. "I missed you too." I slip my hands under her top and caress the cool bare skin of her back. She continues to nuzzle at my neck, her tongue slipping out and licking my pulse points.

I have the sudden overwhelming urge to kiss her. I pull my hand from her shirt and grab the back of her hair. I pull her back roughly and she yelps. I know it didn't hurt. I could run Alice over with the car and not hurt her.

I tug her face towards mine and crush my lips against hers. Her tongue thrusts straight into my waiting mouth. Her mouth is so cold, yet somehow manages to make me so warm.

I feel a rush of wetness between my legs. I feel Alice tense up and inhale deeply as she catches the scent. Her hips begin to grind against me.

"Mmm, baby this is wonderful, but perhaps we should take this inside?" I hum into her mouth.

She grins, still rubbing against me. "What, no car sex?"

I kiss her again, taking her bottom lip between mine. "I think we'd be a little more comfortable inside don't you?"

"If you say so," she purrs.

Fumbling with the door handle, I manage to unbuckle myself, grab the key from the ignition and climb out with Alice still wrapped around me. I pick her up and stumble toward our front door, holding her with one arm while trying to get the key in the lock with the other.

I hope the neighbours aren't watching.

"Here baby," Alice offers, and with lightning fast vampire speed jumps out of my arms, snatches the key from my hands, unlocks the door, pulls me inside and is back in my arms before I could blink.

"Thanks Speedy," I giggle between kisses.

"Where do we want it? Sofa, dining table, bedroom...?" Alice asks, pushing me against the front door and tugging at my clothes.

"Uh...I think we'll need to lie down for what I'm planning."

Alice pulls back a moment. Her face goes blank and her eyes stare into the distance for a moment. Then she blinks and her face breaks into an enormous smile. "Oh, yes, that looks wonderful darling! Definitely bed!"

Suddenly my whole world is a blur and before I realize Alice has picked me up and vampire dashed to the bedroom, we are already there.

"Headspin!"

"Sorry sweetie. I couldn't wait," she looks sheepishly up at me.

"That's ok," I say breathlessly. "I missed you so much. I can't wait either." We immediately resume kissing, our hands everywhere.

Despite our excitement, we take our time undressing each other. This is our time to reconnect and savor after our day. I carefully help Alice out of her Pump uniform, sliding the skorts down over her hips and feeling her chilled skin along my way.

Alice's fingers are at the hem of my singlet. I'm still slightly sweaty from the class, but Alice says she likes it that way. Makes my scent stronger, she says. Alice doesn't sweat, of course.

It's a vampire thing.

She deftly pulls the top up and over my head. I lift my hands up to help her get it off, then I immediately bring them down to caress her breasts. Alice's vampire breasts are not soft like a human's. They are rock hard, and I can squeeze as hard as I want and not even make a dent in them.

She moans a little, into my mouth. Rock hard or not, it drives her crazy when I touch them.

Still in my three quarter gym pants, Alice guides me backwards towards the bed. I begin to climb backwards across it, still kissing Alice passionately as she follows.

My head hits the pillow and Alice is already on top of me, her cool tongue eagerly exploring my mouth as my hands find their way into her short cropped hair.

I shiver as an icy hand begins to slide over my breast. My nipple hardens instantly under her touch. Her thumb circles around, and around, until I can't help from making little whimpery sounds. She's just so good at it! I know she has to hold back her strength so much with me. It must be so frustrating for her but she never complains.

Suddenly the hand is sliding lower, and lower, then she grabs me between my legs cupping me firmly. I subconsciously begin to lightly thrust against her hand.

She rubs me through my lycra gym pants, creating a delicious friction. God I love it when she does that.

I can already feel the tension starting to build between my legs and I need more. I push harder against her hand, not so subtly letting her know how much I need it.

She slowly, painstakingly – annoyingly – peels my tight gym pants from my hips and begins to slide them down my legs. Her wickedly quirked eyebrow tells me she knows perfectly well she is driving me crazy.

Once the pants are off she kneels beside my feet and grins evilly. We're both down to our underwear now as I bite my lip, waiting for her to hurry the hell up and take me already.

She leans down and kisses me over my panties. Still grinning, she places feather light kisses on my inner thighs. I grunt in frustration, hook my thumbs in my pants and yank them down myself.

Alice snickers. "Someone's impatient."

Right. I've had it. Enough teasing. I sit up and grab Alice by the neck, pulling her down forcefully. I flip her over so she is on her back, and pull off her panties roughly.

She makes a little contented sigh as I reach between her legs and begin to play with her, just a little.

Suddenly it's Alice's turn to sound frustrated. "Now who's teasing?" she protests.

"You love it," I smirk as I push my finger inside her, eliciting a sharp gasp from my little vampire. I only use one – once she starts to come she's so strong inside that it can literally break your fingers. I found that out the hard way.

That was a fun trip to the emergency room let me tell you. So I stick to one.

I shiver as a cool hand runs down my spine and over my hip. Her finger circles my belly a few times, tormenting me once again.

"Alice," I grimace. She smirks once more, then finally puts me out of my misery. Her cold finger enters me slowly, followed by a second. I pull her closer, kissing her hard.

We lay on our sides, facing each other, each rocking against the others hand. This is bliss, pure bliss.

Alice pulls her slickened fingers out of me and begins to work on my clit. As she increases the pace I feel myself getting closer and closer. I want us to come together so I do the same to her. It doesn't take long until we are both moaning into each other's mouths.

Alice comes so much faster than I do. She's already throwing her head back and chanting my name. The sight of her coming pushes me over the edge and pretty soon I'm shrieking her name too.

With a final strangled cry we both collapse against each other, panting hard.

"Night Bella."

"It's only 8.30 Alice."

"But I'm vewwy tired." She begins to snore.

"You are one ridiculous vampire, you know that?"

"That's why you wuv me!"

I suppose I can't argue with that.