Disclaimer: I only own my OC.


Chapter Nine


Her heart immediately felt like it punched her ribcage, before beating frantically.

"W-want? L-like...um, in what way?" she somehow managed to force out, looking down at his chest.

"I think you know," he whispered, and she tensed, feeling his cold, soft lips press into her forehead multiple times. He turned her head lightly, kissing her temple and down to her cheek.

She thought she was going to have a heart attack. A good heart attack, that is. Was there even such a thing?

"Your pulse is very high," he whispered against her cheek, his sweet breath filling her nostrils and almost making her groan out loud. "Are you afraid?"

"N-no, I'm not a-afraid," she blurted out, not wanting him to pull away from her again. If he didn't kiss her this time, she might actually get frustrated enough to take the initiative and kiss him.

"I see," he chuckled, kissing her cheek lightly as he put his fingers under her chin, tilting her head up to look at him.

His amber eyes were zeroed in on her lips, making her heart punch her rib cage again.

Yes, this is it!

"I'm going to kiss you now," he whispered. "I can't wait anymore..."

"I might be bad at it," she warned quietly, flushing as he came within inches of her lips.

He gave a small chuckle, his cool breath fanning over her face, making her eyes glaze over.

"I don't think that's possible," he said, sliding his beautiful eyes closed and causing her to instinctively to do the same.

Slowly, he pressed his lips gently against hers. They were hard and cool, but at the same time, they were soft and inviting. He gently cupped her cheek, moving his lips slowly against hers, his touch as light as a feather and almost chaste. No, she wanted more.

Her blood rushed and a thrill shot through her veins, urging her on to slowly kiss him back, drinking in his smell. Her mind was reeling, all logical thought suddenly cut off. Her mind was a haze, and as of that moment, completely incapable of a rational thought. All she could know was that Carlisle's lips were on hers, and it was the most amazing thing she'd ever felt.

He gently kissed her bottom lip and her top lip, lightly pulling them into his mouth, making a tiny whimper escape her without permission.

God, this was too much. Stars burst behind her lids, and her body was practically quivering under his lips.

He paused when he heard her whimper, no doubt thinking he hurt her for moments. Feeling unusually brave, she inhaled through her nose sharply, pushing her lips harder against his and shoving her hand in his silky hair in the process.

She felt him shudder above her, before sliding his hand into her hair and pushing her head against his with a low growl in his chest. Maybe it should have scared her, but the only thing it did was fuel the desire pumping through her veins.

She ran her tongue across his cool bottom lip, before pulling it in her warm mouth and biting it lightly. He deeply groaned, sending the vibrations all over her body and making her shudder.

His sweet, honey taste entered her mouth and when his opened slightly, she shoved her tongue in his mouth, rubbing against his own to get more.

More, more, more was the mantra in her mind as her tongue silkily caressed his. He was trembling against her, and she knew that he was enjoying it as much as she was.

Suddenly, she was gently pushed back, her mouth slightly open and her eyes slowly opening in a haze. Her chest was rapidly rising and falling, sucking in the oxygen she had just completely deprived herself of.

He was staring at her, completely out of breath, even though he didn't need to breathe. His eyes...his eyes were black as coal again, but for some reason, she wasn't afraid.

"Carlisle..." she whispered, leaning towards him and gently pressing her lips against his, needing to feel it again. She was rewarded with a low growl in his chest, his lips furiously moving against hers for moments. His kiss was passionate, heated, and needy. She felt like he wanted to consume her in every way possible, and by God, did she enjoy it.

"No..." he rasped, pulling back lightly. "It's—too much at first."

"T-too much...what?" she asked, moving her hand from his hair and sliding her arm around his neck.

"I want you too much...I didn't expect-" he took a deep, calming breath. The excitement in his dark eyes starting to calm down.

"..."

"You're going to kill me," he whispered, looking at her confused expression.

Before she could contemplate his words, she found herself laying on her back on the couch, with a very handsome, very excited vampire looming over her.

He instantly dove down on her neck, placing cold kisses up and down her flushed skin.

She gasped, sliding her hands in his hair and lightly arching her back.

"Vanessa...God," he hissed against her neck, latching his lips on and lightly sucking on her pulse point.

"So beautiful..." he murmured in between pants, running his tongue up the side of her neck and lightly flicking it against the lobe of her ear.

She moaned, running her hands through his hair and squeezing tightly into his locks, making another low growl grumble in his chest.

He trailed harsh kisses across her exposed collarbone, before moving to the other side of her neck.

His hands were on either side of her, keeping his weight completely off of her. For some reason, this didn't settle well with her, and she found herself pulling down on his head, and lightly arching her body up as she squirmed underneath him.

He paused, breathing heavily against her throat. Almost as if he was shaking, he reached one hand down to her knee, grasping it firmly and running his hand roughly up her outer thigh, settling it on her hip. He squeezed her hip, groaning into her neck as though he was trying to reign in his self-control.

"Kitten..." he breathed huskily against her neck, making shivers of want run up and down her spine.

She held on to his hair, pulling his head back to look at her. She knew she only could cause he obviously let her. She gasped when she saw his eyes were still black, but it didn't scare her again as it probably should have. As said, her mind was long gone as she crashed her lips back onto his.

He furiously kissed her back, running his cool tongue across her lips and making her whimper. He let go of her hip, and slid it under her back, pulling her up and pushing her chest against his. He put his hand on the arm of the couch, clutching her to him as he kissed every bit of sense she had left right out of her.

A cracking sound invaded her ears, and it sounded like wood breaking.

In the next moment, his presence was gone. She sat completely up, her eyes fluttering as she saw him across the room with his head sticking out the window, breathing deeply as his back moved up and down.

She panted, trying to get her breath and heart in control as waves of desire rolled over her body.

Calm down she thought to herself, taking deep breaths.

"Are – are you alright? Did...did I do something wrong?" she asked breathlessly when she felt she was finally able to talk.

"No, you didn't baby," he said quietly, but she still heard him. "I just need a minute."

His voice sounded gruff, but smooth at the same time. She took a few more deep breaths, willing her racing heart to calm down. She fell a little light headed. She'd always thought that those girls in movies fainting after getting kissed was stupid – but now, she could definitely see how that was clearly possible. Perhaps if the man was gorgeous...gorgeous, blonde vampire...named Carlisle.

She'd shared a few kisses with a few boys, but nothing compared to the way Carlisle just kissed her. She put her fingers up to her trembling lips, and they felt slightly swollen from their intense kissing.

Jesus, how we she supposed to control herself around him now? She wasn't sure if it was just him, or maybe her teenage hormones...but now, every time she saw him, she was going to be tempted to drag him in an intense make-out session.

She watched as he slowly turned around. His eyes were no longer black, but a dark amber once again.

In a second, he was sitting next to her on the couch, his eyes traveling over her flushed cheeks and chest, before moving behind her. Confused, she turned to look, raising her eyebrows in shock when she saw the arm of the couch hanging in the floor.

"I was starting to lose control of my strength," he explained quietly, making her look back at him.

"I...barely recall hearing that," she blinked, faintly remembering hearing wood break.

He chuckled deeply, looking at her with eyes that were still intense, making her catch her breath. It honestly took all her willpower not to just jump on him. But she knew, considering the circumstances, she didn't need to push him.

"I'm sorry," she frowned, looking down and suddenly feeling embarrassed. She kind of felt like she'd acted like some wonton slut.

"No, I pushed myself a little too far for a first kiss. I just didn't want to stop," he finished quietly, making her look up when she felt him moving closer to her.

He smiled and wrapped his arms around her, and she willingly let him pull her into his chest.

He sighed contentedly, pressing a kiss on the top of her head. She knew in that moment that their burst of passion was over for the night.

She felt a little disappointed, but it was probably for the best.

"So..." she cleared her throat, not looking at him. "Are we...um-"

"A couple?" he thankfully interrupted, saving her from the embarrassment of having to say it.

"..."

She couldn't even answer, making him chuckle.

"We're anything you want us to be. Nothing would make me happier than to be in a romantic relationship with you," she could almost hear the smile in his voice.

She fidgeted. "I – I think I'd like that," she muttered, embarrassed as she felt giddiness travel in her system.

"Of course, I have to meet your father and gain his approval," he mused, making her raise her eyebrows. "But, even if he objects, I have every intention of seeing you anyway."

"You don't have to do that," she groaned, sighing at the potentially awkward situation.

"Of course I do. I want to do this right. I want your family to approve of me-"

"How could my dad not approve?" she chuckled bitterly. "You're a handsome, successful doctor. If anything, he'll faint in shock. I think he always assumed I'd get with some metal head degenerate. He'd approve, trust me. Well, when he gains consciousness."

"That makes me happy to hear," he smiled, kissing her head. "If anything, I was surprised that you would be interested in me. I thought, maybe, I might seem boring to you-"

She immediately sat up, staring at him indecorously.

"You're fuckin' kidding, right?" she scoffed out, making him lift an amused brow.

"Well, I see you as a girl that loves to do exciting things. Like go to rock concerts and such," he chuckled as she flushed. "While, I will go to concerts and things with you, I am not the type of person that generally enjoys...'getting down.'"

"..."

"Please, don't ever say that again," she cringed, smiling and causing him to laugh. "You could never be boring to me Carlisle. Opposites attract, you know."

He grinned and she rolled her eyes, groaning.

"Great, now I'm sounding like Paula Abdul and Bella."

"You're right. I love how you keep me on my toes and throw me off," he grinned as she groaned and put her head back in her chest. "And I love how you dress...and I'll admit this once: I even like how you can be vulgar. Despite me being mostly proper, I can't stand prissy women. I like that you aren't that way at all."

"So, we even each other out," she grinned, looking up at him. "You try rationally talking it out, and if that doesn't work, I'll be there to cuss them out."

He let out a bark of laughter, throwing his elegant head back.

"Yes, perhaps we will be quite the team," his eyes flashing as he looked back down at her.

"Mhmm," she smiled, yawning in the process.

"I should probably get you home, kitten."

"Urgh, I wanna stay," she frowned, clutching his shirt and making him chuckle.

"I can stay with you again," he whispered against her head.

"...isn't that boring?" she frowned again.

"No, there's nowhere I'd rather be than holding you while you sleep," he chuckled. "I'll be perfectly fine."

"...wouldn't I seem slutty if I did ask you stay the night with me?" she cringed. It didn't sound good at all...they'd just decided to be a couple.

"No, of course not," she felt him frown against her head. "Because its not like that at all."

She was quiet for moments.

"Okay, I want you to stay."

"I was hoping you'd say that," he chuckled.

He was still, and almost too quiet for moments.

"Why don't you want to tell your father about me?" he suddenly blurted.

She raised her eyebrows, looking up at him, confused.

"It's not that I don't want to tell him about you...It's just, I've never introduced a – boyfriend to him before," she said quietly, watching the tension leave his face in understanding.

"I understand," he said quietly. "Also, if we're going to be together...you're mine. I don't share. If you want to be with someone else, please, tell me first. I don't hide, either. I hope this isn't something you'd be embarrassed to tell your friends about."

She raised her eyebrows, looking up at him. Of course she was his! Who the hell else could even compete with him in her eyes? And also, her? Embarrassed of HIM? Shit, she was tempted to sit him on a trophy shelf.

"Of course. I could never be embarrassed of you, Carlisle," she whispered, looking back down. "Does that mean you're mine?"

"Always," he answered quickly. "I'll always be yours, even if you aren't mine anymore..."

Her heart fluttered at his words. Did he...really mean that?

"So...you'd never be embarrassed of me?" she asked timidly, turning his question back on him.

He immediately froze.

"Absolutely not," he said quite forcefully. "How could you even ask that? Vanessa, you're an amazing, gorgeous girl. What is there possibly to be embarrassed about?"

Well, I'm fat, for one...

"Now you know how I felt when you asked me that," she muttered, looking up at him to see his face relax gently.

"So, I'm gorgeous?" he asked, raising his eyebrow and seeming thoughtful.

"Oh come off it," she scoffed. "There's no way you don't know you aren't. Women forget they have voice boxes in your presence."

He laughed musically, squeezing her closer to him."If you say so, kitten. I should probably get you home now."

She sighed, gasping in shock as he suddenly propped her on his back.

"Please warn me before you do that," she groaned, her body tingling as she felt his arms hooked under her knees.

"Next time, kitten," he smiled over her shoulder, before he shot out the door at his ridiculous speed.

The colors blurred by her as they did last time, and she groaned, closing her eyes.

She tucked her face into the crook of his neck, inhaling his sweet scent and hoping that he didn't notice. Even though he smelled her hair constantly, it still felt weird if she tried to do it.

After a while, she felt the wind stop once again, and she opened her eyes in shock to see they were in her bedroom.

"How – how did you get in the window without me noticing?" she gasped as he got down one knee again, easily letting her step off his back.

"I'm very sneaky," he winked at her, causing her to flush as she hurried to her dresser, pulling out a long, black tee shirt. She dug through her all her drawers, looking for some shorts, but couldn't find any.

She looked around, seeing the her dirty clothes hamper was full. Even though the shirt would probably come mid thigh, could she really wear that in front of him?

She looked over at him, seeing him patiently waiting on her bed with a warm smile as he watched her.

She bit her lip and decided it didn't matter. It was just a long, baggy tee-shirt. He'd already seen her thighs in shorts and hasn't went running for the hills yet. So, did it really matter? It wasn't like she was putting on sexy lingerie—far from it.

She gave him a small smile. "I'll be right back."

"Take your time," he smirked, leaning back on her pillow and tucking his hands behind his head.

She tried not to ogle too long, but damn...he looked good with his tall, lean body stretched out across her bed.

Biting her lip, she quickly went into the bathroom, shutting her door behind her.

She quickly undressed, threw on the shirt, washed her face, brushed her teeth and then her hair.

Looking the mirror, she pulled at the shirt, and she was right. It came to mid thigh. But, it was too baggy, and there was absolutely nothing sexy about it in anyway shape or form.

She nodded, quietly opening the door and quickly going into her room, shutting and locking the door behind her.

She quickly turned back around, flushing in embarrassment when she saw his amber eyes trailing down her exposed legs, making her feel self conscious.

Quickly, she hurried over to the bed, climbing under the covers and cutting off his view as his bright eyes snapped to her face.

She lay on her side next to him, looking up at his handsome face.

Her heart felt like it quivered in her chest. What was happening to her? She knew she was infatuated with Carlisle, and she knew she wasn't in love with him...but that didn't mean she wasn't in the process of falling in love with him.

For some reason, that scared her. If she fell in love with Carlisle; what if he left her? Him and his family said he'd never been this way before, but what if his interest waned and he lost his infatuation with her? She knew it would mean trouble, and she wasn't sure how she'd handle it. She didn't deal with rejection very well, and that was why she'd avoided being put in situations that involved rejection her entire life.

His eyebrows suddenly furrowed at her expression, and he raised up on his side, reaching his hand over and touching her cheek with a concerned expression.

"What's going on in that beautiful head of yours, kitten?" he whispered quietly, looking her in the eyes as he tilted her chin up.

"I'm scared," she blurted, instantly cringing at telling him that. What was it about that man that made her comfortable enough to tell him everything? It had to be one of those so called, 'gifts.' Compassion rolled off him in waves, making a person feel so secure and comfortable...that they could tell him and trust him with anything.

His eyes immediately saddened, and he pulled his hand away.

No, not of him!

Her eyes widened as she saw how he was taking her words, and she panicked, grabbing his retreating hand and putting it back on her cheek.

"Not of you, Carlisle," she said firmly. "I suppose I'm scared of me."

His expression relaxed for moments, but then became furrowed again as she finished.

"What do you mean?" he asked quickly, stroking her cheek, encouraging her to speak with his touch and his eyes.

She took a deep breath. How did she explain this without offending him? She'd have to try, but she was staying far away from the dreaded L word. And she didn't mean the show.

"I'm just..." she sighed, looking down. "I don't – I'm afraid to get too attached to you."

His fingers paused for moments, before they continued stroking her cheek in a comforting way.

"Why is that?" he whispered quietly, making her heart race.

"...what if you decide you don't like me anymore?" she blurted, flushing. "I don't...handle rejection very well. I don't – I don't like feeling vulnerable like this."

"I understand," he said quietly, kissing the top of her head. "I could tell you that you have nothing to worry about, but I'm sure it wouldn't help. The only thing I can do is show you that I won't ever reject you. And I will never decide I don't like you anymore – it's impossible."

"..."

"Kitten," he pulled his fingers up making her look at him. "Every time you care about, or trust someone, you're opening up the opportunity to get hurt. It's the negative side about opening up to someone. But, it can't be helped. You can't live your entire life without taking the chance to get close to someone because of fear. You have to take that chance eventually, or you'll end up being alone. And trust me when I say that being alone is one of the worst feelings in the world..." a sadness washed over his face, and she knew he must be thinking about his past.

"You were alone, Carlisle?" she whispered, reaching up and tentatively running her fingers across his jaw. His bright eye closed at her touch, and he took a deep, unneeded breath before opening them again.

"Yes, for nearly two centuries," he told her, stroking her hair. "After I was changed, I wouldn't dare give someone else this life. In the 1800's though, I found the Volturi in Italy..." he paused at her confused expression.

"The Volturi is basically the government of our kind," he smiled. A government of vampires? "I stayed with them a few decades, and found friendship with the leader of them...but I did not approve of their blatant disregard of human life," he frowned, and she saw disgust travel through his eyes. "They were constantly trying to get me to change to our so called, natural food source. But, I always knew what I wanted to be, and being a monster was the biggest fear I could ever have. They constantly tempted me, leaving bleeding bodies outside my door for the sole purpose of testing my self control-"

"Those dicks!" she said a little too loudly, making him raise an amused eyebrow at her. They killed people with the sole purpose to see if Carlisle would break? They ended lives over that? She didn't like those people. She didn't care if they had been Carlisle's friends, or if they still were...dicks!

"Yes, I agree," he chuckled at her apalled expression. "But I can proudly say that not once did I ever give in. They didn't know what to think of me. To them, I was a complete oddity. They just couldn't figure out what made me tick, so to speak."

"No offense, but I don't think I'd ever want to meet these friends of yours," she frowned. Surely, Carlisle wasn't still friends with these people? No, not people, these things.

Carlisle shifted. "Well, its complicated. You don't want to be on their bad side," he murmured. "They are the law, technically, and keeping our kind a secret is their top priority."

Vanessa tensed. Was she endangered because she knew what they were?

"Am I...in danger?" she asked, her voice high pitched.

"No, I'll never allow anyone to hurt you," he said firmly. "But technically, we have broken the law. The only humans we're allowed to tell are the ones we intend to change. If the Volturi knew that you and Bella knew-"

"They'd make you change us?" she whispered, her heart pumping. "And if you refused?"

"..."

"They'd kill us, wouldn't they?" she whispered, closing her eyes as a heavy dose of fear traveled through her veins.

"You don't need to worry about this, kitten," Carlisle said softly as she opened her eyes. "The Volturi will never know that you and Bella know of our existence. They have no reason to come here."

Vanessa felt comforted by his words, but she was still a little frightened. How could she not be? If the vampire government found out she knew their secret, then they'd kill her. Of course, she knew that somehow, Carlisle wouldn't let that happen. She knew he'd change her, if he had too...

"Would you do it?" she whispered, putting her hands on his shirt. "If they found out, would you change me?"

"...yes, if that is what you wanted," he finally answered quietly. "You would never age, nor would you get sick. But, as a newborn, you would be twice as strong as me because human blood will be fresh in your tissues...and newborns..." he frowned, trailing off before continuing. "Are hard to control at first. Their hunger is great, as is their strength. But, everyone is different. I, for instance, was able to resist...but I am sure that I am one of the few who can. Rosalie has never had human blood, either."

Vanessa's eyes widened. So, that meant his family had killed people...even Alice. Sweet, small, kind Alice...God, that was surprising.

"So...the rest of your family...they've – killed people?" she asked, her voice high pitched.

"Yes, but they have been on only animals for many many decades," he assured her.

She frowned, not feeling too good about Bella being with someone that had massacred people.

"And Edward?" she asked, and he didn't seem surprised. He probably knew she'd ask for Bella's sake.

"As you know, Edward can read minds," Carlisle said softly. "After I turned him, he stuck to my diet, but ended up resenting me for curbing his appetite. He left me-" Vanessa clung to his shirt when she heard the pain in his voice. "And used his gift to select his victims. He would read their minds. He killed only the evil...murderers, rapists, child molesters..."

Vanessa frowned at that. Sure, in her head, those people may have had it coming...but who was he to judge and take away their lives? It sounded to her like he was playing God, and had no right.

"I'm conflicted on how I feel about that," Vanessa said bitterly. "On one hand, I can't find myself to ever feel bad for people like that...but at the same time, Edward playing God isn't right either."

"My thoughts exactly," Carlisle said, lifting her chin up to look at him.

"H-he wouldn't...do it again, w-would he?" she asked timidly, blinking up at him.

He smiled weakly. "No, sweetheart. He wouldn't."

She released a breath of relief.

"Bella will be one of you one day?" she asked timidly, not really sure how she'd feel about her cousin turning into...a vampire.

"Alice has seen it," he said smoothly. "But her visions are not concrete. The future can always change. She wants to be one of us, but Edward is hesitant. He loves her so much, but he's afraid of damning her soul. He generally believes that our existence is our afterlife, and that there is no afterlife for us, that we are damned. He loves her too much to risk her soul, but at the same time, he cannot exist forever without his mate."

Vanessa blinked, looking down. "What would happen to Edward if Bella died of old age as a human?"

Carlisle paused. "He would...get himself destroyed," he said quietly, as though the thought brought him extreme pain. "He will not live without her, especially for an eternity."

"...what do you believe?"

"I don't believe we are damned," he answered instantly, sounding sure of himself. "I see us similar to humans. All people have the capability to kill. That doesn't mean that all of them do. I believe a murderous vampire would be judged the same as a murderous human. It's my hope that I'll get credit for trying to do my best with what I was given."

Vanessa silently agreed. She couldn't imagine someone like Carlisle being damned to hell...a vampire that had rose above his position to save the very thing he was meant to kill. Carlisle loved humanity...her heart fluttered annoyingly.

"You can't die though, right? So, it's not really a question, is it?" she asked quietly, rubbing her fingers against his chest in what she hoped was a comforting motion.

"We can be killed...but only by another of our kind," he answered. "We must be ripped to pieces, and the pieces must then be burned. If they aren't burned, we can reattach ourselves. As for dying, there are vampires that are beyond ancient. I have no idea if we have a time limit. I would think that eventually, everything ends. I'm sure we're no exception."

"I agree with you...and fire can destroy your kind?" she asked. Of course, fire seems to be the weakness for just about everything.

"Yes, but we have to be in pieces," he said. "If you were to set a vampire on fire, with speed, they could easily put it out. It would be pointless unless they were in a position where they were unable to move for a period of time."

"That makes sense...as much as any of this can make sense," she frowned, a thought occurring to her. "What about other supposedly mythical things? Like, are there witches and werewolves?"

He shifted uncomfortably. "No, not to my knowledge. But just because I've never seen it, does not mean such things don't exist."

"Yeah, just a few weeks ago, I never would have believed I'd be in bed with a vampire," she chuckled bitterly.

He chuckled, running his hand down her arm and giving her chills.

"Are you cold, kitten?" he asked, sounding concerned. "I can move away if I'm making you cold." he removed his hand.

"No, I'm fine. Usually, I get too hot at night," she laughed, looking up at his perfect face. "I use to kill dad with the AC in L.A. I kept it turned down so low. I hate being hot."

"Well, you are hot so you better get use to it."

"..."

"That's the cheesiest thing I've ever heard," she started laughing as he grinned at her.

"My apologies. If I try to speak like people of today, I always end up seeming idiotic."

"Well, bad pickup lines are generally frowned upon no matter what," she smirked. "At least you didn't say: If I could rearrange the alphabet, I'd put U and I together."

He stared at her, then starting laughing, making her heart race as she stared at his perfect, sparkling teeth. Being able to make Carlisle laugh gave her a sense of pride for some reason.

"You're a very funny girl," he chuckled, rubbing his hand on her cheek.

She shrugged. "I had to be."

"What do you mean?" he asked, looking confused.

She shifted uncomfortably. "Well...I was always kind of chubby growing up," she frowned, looking down with an embarrassed look. "And well, it seemed like when you were thin and pretty, people would just look at you and automatically like you. Well, no one looked at me and automatically liked me, so I developed a personality that's generally liked. I wasn't cute, so I had to be funny and nice."

"I looked at you and automatically liked you," he said quietly, making her flush.

"Well, you're probably the only one," she smiled bitterly. "I don't mind too much. Being overweight a lot of my life gave me the personality I do have. If I'd always been thin, there's no telling who I'd be now. Although, it made it frustrating with dating...if someone liked me, I'd have no clue unless they out right said it. I was very unwilling to accept that anyone could find me attractive. I'm still kind of like that."

"I don't understand you," he said, sighing. "I'm sure there have been more males than you know who liked you. Haven't you had other boyfriends?"

Other boyfriends...meaning he's mine now. She tried not to get giggly like an idiot.

"Yeah, a couple," she shrugged, feeling his arm tighten around her, almost jealously. He couldn't possibly be jealous, could he? "But they were all busts. Same shit from every one of them. They were all assholes, so I've never been in love before."

"How did they displease you?" he asked, and she didn't miss the barely concealed curiosity in his voice. What was he doing, making mental notes or something?

"Well, they were all immature dickheads," she chuckled. "Picking their stupid friends over me or demanding sex-" he paused when he tightened his hold on her even further, letting out a low hiss.

"..."

"And the usual juvenile stuff," she continued, pretending she didn't notice. "Like not calling me back...which fucking enrages me. I don't care how immature it sounds. I hate that shit."

He let out a low breath. "I've noticed that. Did you...give into their demands?"

She paused, looking up at his face. He was looking down at her with an almost concerned look, but she didn't miss the jealousy in his eyes. That he cared enough to get jealous was almost thrilling to her. He must really, actually like her.

"They wouldn't even give me and call, so I was supposed to give them my body?" she snorted. "I don't fucking think so. So, to ease your tension...yes, I'm a virgin. I'm not uptight or anything, I just never met anyone I would have slept with. I don't really believe in waiting until marriage. I mean...if you're willing to marry someone, shouldn't you be willing to sleep with them? What if you get married and on your wedding night, you find out they're into really freak shit or something? I mean, sex isn't everything, but its a part of the relationship, and you have to be compatible in it."

He let a relieved breath. "I'm glad to hear that."

"I can tell," she looked up at him, raising an amused eyebrow.

"...What would you classify as freaky things?" he asked, raising his eyebrow and making her flush.

"I don't know...but there's some weird fetishes out there, you know," she looked down again. "I don't think I could be in a relationship with someone that wanted me to dress up like a turtle before sex. That's a little too creepy, even for me."

He burst into laughter, making her press her forehead into his chest and chuckle.

"Yes, I think that would be just a little too odd for me too and surprisingly, I'm very open minded."

Her heart raced...how did they end up talking about sex again? Damn.

"I dated a guy with a foot fetish," she blurted, trying to get her mind off just how open minded Carlisle was. "He'd always want to give me foot rubs, and I thought it was a little strange. But then he told me, and when he'd ask me, I'd say no because I'm ticklish and in his case...the innocent act seemed dirty now that I knew."

"I assure you, I don't have a foot fetish," he chuckled. "I simply wanted to rub your feet because they were in my lap."

"That's a relief," she sighed. "Not that I'd like make you go away because of it...I'd be fine with it. I just don't understand it."

"Well, you do have lovely feet."

"..."

"Are you sure you don't have a foot fetish?" she asked, looking up at him humorously.

"I suppose I'm not positive," he chuckled. "But, I haven't caught myself looking at any feet over the past few years. Perhaps I just have a Vanessa fetish?"

She gave him an amused look. "You're so cheesy, do you know that?"

He gave her an adorably pouting look. "Is it a turn off?" he chuckled, his eyes sparkling. "I think I just do it because I know it amuses you."

"It does. I think its cute," she mumbled, flushing.

She felt him lean down and press a kiss on her head, making her look up at him.

His eyes were tender as he put his hand to her chin, tilting her face more towards him. Her breathing hitched as she saw his eyes were narrowed on her lips.

Her eyes closed as his did, and he gently pressed his lips to hers, making a jolt shoot through her system. And here she thought he wouldn't kiss her again tonight, but she wasn't complaining.

She instantly wrapped her arms around his neck. She pulled him closer to her, trying to ignore how her heart was racing even more than it was last time.