Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight and its characters. No copyright infringement is intended.

All original characters, plots, and the storyline contained within this derivative work are the property of Lazykate. This story may not be reproduced or reposted without permission from the author. This story is rated M for Mature and is not intended for anyone under the age of eighteen.

Chapter Twenty-Five

BPOV

"It basically falls under the Thirteenth Amendment, and also the California Civil Code Section 3423. Now if you like, I could throw all the technical legalese at you, but I'm sure you'd probably prefer to know exactly how it applies to you and your situation."

"Yes, please," I replied to the phone. The complications of the holidays, along with Edward's insistence on speaking to only the best entertainment lawyer in LA, Jason Jenks, meant that we'd been lucky to even get this fifteen-minute phone conference with him, one day before I was due to report back to work. Edward had managed to clear his schedule, and we sat in his office at work, with the speakerphone on and the door locked.

"All right. Miss Swan, you signed what is known as a personal services contract. The good news is that Section 3423, for all intents and purposes, prevents your employer from making you complete the contract, since that would constitute forced servitude, which is illegal. They could try to obtain an injunction obliging you to carry out the remainder of your contract, but there's no way in hell it would fly, and I'd be shocked if they even tried.

"Now, the bad news is that Section 3423 does not prevent your employer from attempting to collect damages based on your breaching the contract. Based on what you've faxed over to me, your contract is defined by a certain period of time, one year, not a certain number of films. Approximately how many films did you complete in the year prior to the signing of this contract?"

"Thirty-two." Thanks to the detailed records Rosalie and I kept for tax reasons, that was an easy one.

"Regarding the conventions, appearances, and photoshoots, how many are you scheduled to do, right now?"

"For sure?"

"Yes, for sure, on paper."

"Um, conventions, just the AFES convention next October. I don't have any appearances or photoshoots specifically scheduled right now."

"That's good." I could hear a pen scratching over paper. "Don't commit to any from here on out, even if you have to lie about why. And these webchats?"

"Right now I'm only scheduled for three. I've done a grand total of eight before today."

"They'll probably try to collect on those as well, but with having only three scheduled, and you only having done eight, it'll be almost impossible for them to collect on much more than that. The real sticking point that we'll have to fight is the lost revenue for the movies you did contractually agree to film. Is there anything about you that would make you less valuable to them as an entertainer?"

"I, um..." I could feel my face turning red. "I don't perform anal sex, which is kinda considered industry standard."

"Does it limit your profitability?"

"Yes, definitely...my boss commented on more than one occasion that unless I started doing anal, he'd have to start giving bigger roles to other stars. And that the reason I wasn't more popular on the webchats is because I don't do it."

"Excellent." There was a brief moment of silence and more writing. "All right. Based on what you've told me today, and what you've faxed over to me, we absolutely have a case. Now, the next step for you is to act like absolutely nothing is wrong, we don't want them to get the jump on us. We'll formally serve them notice that you intend to walk away from your contract. You don't intend to sign with another company, or perform as an independent contractor, do you?"

"No, absolutely not."

"You're lucky, Miss Swan, the judge will probably be sympathetic. We'll play up the aspect of you trying to get out of an industry that is viewed as disreputable, after only doing it to care for your ailing father. They can't sue you simply for breaking your contract, so I can almost guarantee that the only thing OPB will get is an injunction against you performing anywhere else, and monetary damages for the films. I can't tell you how much that will be, since they'll have to provide evidence of exactly how much of their profit is walking out the door. I don't suppose there's a chance they'll just let you go without a fight?"

I thought of James' fury the day Rosalie had given him her notice. "I very seriously doubt it."

"All right then. Carry on as usual until you hear from one of my associates, notifying you to terminate any and all involvement with OPB, Inc."

"How long do you think that'll take?" Edward interjected.

"No more than a few days at the very most. We'll be in touch."

I smiled at Edward as he hung up the phone. "I guess there's light at the end of the tunnel after all."

He ran his hand through his hair and tried his best to return my smile. "I wish you didn't have to film tomorrow, though. And who the hell knows what 'a few days' means?"

"I can get through a few days. And the second James is served notice that I'm quitting, I'm completely done. Hell, I should probably empty out my locker tomorrow when no one else is around."

Edward's desk phone buzzed. "Dr. Cullen? Dr. Gerandy is on line two."

I stood and grabbed my purse, then leaned over to press a quick kiss to his lips. "I'm on my way. Call me later?"

"Yep, will do."

I went out to the parking lot feeling a thousand times better than I had earlier. Realistically, I'd known that James couldn't literally force me to film for him, but knowing there was an actual law backing me up was infinitely reassuring.

To my absolute shock, I'd received a phone call from the Forks realtor that morning, and there was already an offer on Charlie's house, pending the inspection. The offer was only slightly below the asking price, and I'd told her that I'd accept it. Between that and the money I'd been socking away towards Charlie's future care, I surely had enough money to pay off whatever damages OPB felt they were owed. Especially since Edward was footing the bill for the attorney and any future court costs.

I frowned a little, thinking about it, but I'd made him a promise, and I knew that he was happy I'd acquiesced on that one detail. It was hard, though; I'd spent years being completely self-sufficient and depending only on myself…simply letting someone pay my way felt wrong.

There were a lot of things I was going to have to learn to do differently, though, if Edward and I were going to make it work this time.

We'd spent more time talking since Christmas Eve than anything else. The chemistry we'd both felt on our first date was still there, but a lot of other feelings had come into our relationship too, and since not all of them were good ones, they had to be dealt with first.

He confessed how frustrated and hurt it had made him that I'd refused to consider any other options for Charlie, even as he'd felt guilty for thinking it. I told him that his insistence on keeping a nursing home an option had seemed as though he was ignoring everything I'd told him. We were finally being more honest with each other than we'd been for the entire duration of our relationship.

One thing we weren't doing was having sex. We were affectionate, but we kept our kisses chaste and careful, and after Christmas Eve, we didn't spend the night at each others' apartments again.

Part of the reason was obvious: moving slowly and not leaping back in where we'd left off was definitely in our best interest if we wanted to do this right. But locked away in my heart, behind a wall of armor I'd put up long ago, had been a niggling little fear. Edward had made it clear he couldn't be with a porn star, and if Jason Jenks' news had been bad, I'd been secretly afraid that it would mean the end of Edward and I too.

I slid into my car and just sat for a moment, before slowly inhaling and then blowing out a long steady breath, allowing myself to process it all.

I was getting out of porn.

Edward and I were together.

If I could just get through the next few days, it would be like starting all over again. And that was the best news of all.

~o~

There wasn't a script awaiting me when I arrived at the studio the next day, which was unusual but not unheard of. I slipped into the elegant lingerie that had been left for me, threw on a robe, and headed over to hair and makeup.

"Are you all right, Isabella?" Tami inquired. "You're kinda quiet today."

I forced a smile to my face, since I couldn't exactly tell her that it had taken everything in me to come in today. Only Jenks' advice to act as normally as possible had gotten me to drive to the studio, and I prayed that my reticence wouldn't come across on camera. "I'm fine, just got a lot of stuff on my mind."

"James said you had a family emergency right before Christmas, everything okay?"

Nothing in the world would make me bring Charlie's memory into Isabella's space. "It is now, thank you."

She applied a final light dusting of powder over my nose. "Okay, you're all done!"

"Thanks," I murmured, slipping out of the chair and heading toward the set.

The staging was fairly nondescript but lovely nevertheless: an elegant bedroom, roses on the bedside table, muted colors. This was probably going to be a compilation bit for Bare Love, then.

Benjamin was waiting for me. "Hey Isabella! How were your holidays?"

I forced the same sick smile to my face. "The usual. How were yours?"

His eyes lit up as he started telling me about the new baby's first Christmas. I nodded and responded at all the appropriate moments, fleetingly thinking that his wife, Tia, had really hit the jackpot with her exit strategy from porn. A pregnancy clause in the contract had made things as cut-and-dry as they could be.

"…so anyway, she had more fun playing with the wrapping paper, much to my parents' disappointment. I told them to just get her a roll of wrapping paper for her birthday!" Benjamin laughed, and I finally gave him a genuine smile. Just because I was counting the seconds until I was out of the business didn't mean I wouldn't miss some of the people in it. Ben was genuinely a good guy, a kind soul in an industry populated by assholes.

"That sounds like a great Christmas, you'll have to show me pictures."

"Oh, I've got some on my phone, I can show you after we're done if you want!"

James strode up just then. "Benjamin, Isabella, good to see you both. Are we all set?"

I nodded automatically.

"Yep, but what exactly are we doing?" Ben queried.

"Something new that I was sure you two would make absolutely perfect. I was considering Alec, but the two of you are so comfortable together, I knew it would be best with Ben. Bare Love is doing incredibly well, and it's time to kick it up a notch, to show people that certain things they'd never considered before can be done lovingly and enjoyably."

James' face was calm and open, completely different from the thick lump I suddenly felt form in my throat.

"I trust you both implicitly, so I'm just going to give you a general outline and then you can take it from there. You're a husband and wife, asleep in bed together. Isabella, you'll be having a very vivid dream about something very erotic. Benjamin wakes you up because you're moaning and rubbing up against him in your sleep. You confess that you were dreaming about having anal sex…phrase it however you like, just be sure you're a little embarrassed and flustered about it. Ben offers to make your dream a reality. Ben, I trust your judgment from there, but let's stick to mostly missionary and from-behind. Make sure you come on her. Okay?"

I stared at my boss, stunned. I'd done some light anal play for the webchats and a couple of films, but nothing more than a very slim vibrator had made its way into my ass, and that only by the grace of lube and a couple of shots of vodka beforehand. "Are you serious?" I croaked.

James smiled easily at me. "I know you're ready, Isabella. Believe me, I wouldn't ask you to do it if you weren't. I know you're comfortable with Ben, and he'll be careful with you. Trust me, you might just enjoy it."

I turned to stare at my co-star, but from the stunned look on his face, I knew immediately that he'd had no foreknowledge about this. "I…can't…"

"Yes, Isabella, you can," James said quietly. "You've done everything I've ever asked you to. Just think, you'll be helping women who've never experienced anal sex appreciate how enjoyable it can be. We'll be able to tag this compilation as Isabella's first true anal experience…it'll be a huge hit."

"I don't think I can," I said desperately.

"Yes, you can," my boss repeated, this time dropping the smile. "Why do you think I was so patient in letting you work your way up to this? Why do you think I picked Ben to be your first? Why do you think I put it in your contract? Because I know you can. With Rose gone, I need you to do this. Understood?"

I stood, mute and frozen, as he turned on his heel and walked away without waiting for an answer. It wasn't until Ben reached down and squeezed my hand that I looked at him, desperate for a way out.

"I'll be okay, Isabella," he said softly. "I won't hurt you, you know I'd never hurt you. Just…relax, and when I start pushing into you, don't tense up, push back like you're…you know. Once the head is in, it'll be okay. It might burn a little at first, but I promise it'll get better. If you relax, it'll be okay. I'll do everything I can to make it feel good."

His gentle voice and pleading words was the only thing that unglued my feet from the floor. We were on the bed and under the sheets before I knew it. And still I lay frozen even as Ben gathered me in his arms, in a lovers' sleepy embrace, under the bright studio lights.

I'd been vaguely aware that James was snapping orders at the crew, but I didn't focus on him until he came to stand beside the bed, ready to dispense his last orders before filming commenced. "All right you two, let's really do this. Make it meaningful, not just another scene on camera."

His words hit me like a punch to the gut, triggering a sense of déjà vu so strong that I was dizzy.

Rosalie laughing at me as Alice painted my toenails. "It's kinky, it's taboo, but it can also be really fun. Yeah, you can trust the guys at work not to hurt you since they do it all the time, but with Edward it would be something meaningful, not just another scene on camera."

"No." I threw back the covers over me and wrenched out Ben's arms. "I'm not doing this."

Our robes had been moved out of the shot, so there was nothing covering me other than wispy lingerie as James came around the bed to face me. "Get back in bed, Isabella."

"No."

"I'm getting tired of this juvenile bullshit from a contract star. Get back into the fucking bed."

I wasn't sure if it was years of repressing my disgust with myself, James' obvious machinations, or the knowledge that I was so close to being free of that entire world that fueled my fury, but something inside of me snapped. "No, why don't you get in the bed and get a dick rammed up your ass, you piece of shit? Now get the fuck away from me, I'm fucking leaving!"

The last of my screamed words echoed around the suddenly-silent set as I stormed away, toward the dressing room. I'd probably blown it all now, but I just didn't care. Let James sue me, let the judge make me pay him hundreds of thousands of dollars, but I was done. Effective immediately, I was done.

Of course I should have known better, and no sooner had I slammed the dressing room door behind me than James had wrenched it back open again, storming inside, his legendary fury twisting his features. "What the fuck was that, Isabella?"

I ripped the lingerie off my body, not caring that my boss was standing right there. God knows he'd seen me naked often enough. "I meant what I said. I'm not fucking doing it, and I'm leaving."

"Are you out of your mind?" Even through his rage, I could tell that James was genuinely confused.

"No, I'm just making it clear to you what happens when you try to force someone into doing something they don't want to do!" I snapped back, opening my locker and grabbing my clothes. "That's called prostitution, James."

"It isn't if you signed a contract that agreed to certain services, specific services," he countered icily. "I know you had it rough over the holidays, with your father getting sick, but that's no excuse for acting the way you just did. I'll overlook it this once if you'll get your act together and get back out there, but my patience is at a breaking point."

I tugged on my panties, realizing that James had no idea that Charlie had passed away over the holiday break. "Thanks for nothing, but I'll pass. My dad died, by the way."

A storm of emotions crossed James' face. "I'm sorry," he said after a moment. "I wish you would have told me, though, if you weren't ready to go back to work. Instead, acting like some spoiled diva and storming off the set…"

"Well, don't feel that you'll have to worry about me doing it again."

His eyes narrowed as he watched me continue to dress, and then comprehension slowly dawned in them. "You're quitting, aren't you? Now that your father's dead, you're quitting."

I didn't answer, instead pulling on my jeans.

"You signed a contract, Isabella. A legal contract, which means you are required to carry out the terms therein. Although with the way you're acting, I'm tempted to have you finish it out in LA. Trust me when I say there's a certain market that enjoys sex where the woman doesn't look willing."

Despite what I knew, an icy shiver ran down my spine at his words. "Fuck you, James."

"After everything I've done for you…your father would have been rotting in some shithole nursing home if I hadn't taken you in, gotten you to where you are today. I should have let Victoria have you, you'd be taking two dicks up your ass without batting an eye by this point."

I grabbed my purse. "Make sure you repeat all that for my attorney. Now get the fuck out of my way."

He made no move to block me, stepping aside as I half-ran out the door. I barely heard his words as I made my way down the hall: "I'll see you in court, Isabella."

~o~

Adrenaline kept my heart pumping furiously as I drove home and threw my purse on the couch. It wasn't until I sat down and tried to slow my breathing that a whisper of worry began tickling my mind. Jenks had said not to let James know about anything in advance, and here I'd practically handed him an outline of my exact intentions. Shit.

I paced around the apartment for a few minutes before digging into my purse for the phone number Edward had written down for me. I dialed the number to Jenks' firm with shaking fingers and left a message with a bored-sounding receptionist. Then I paced some more.

I'd graduated from pacing to staring into the open refrigerator, trying to find anything remotely appetizing, when the intercom buzzed and I jumped like a scared cat. "Jesus Christ," I muttered, before reaching over to press the button. "Who is it?"

"Bella, it's me."

Edward. With that one thought, relief washed over me and I had the front door open and waiting, hearing him take the steps two at a time. He took one look at my face and pulled me tightly against him, shuffling both of us awkwardly back into the apartment.

"Baby…what happened?"

I buried my face in his neck. "I did something really stupid."

"What did you do?"

I blinked back the sting of tears and looked up at him. "Wait a minute, how did you know?"

"I got an extremely short text from Alice when I was leaving work telling me to get my ass over here. I called about ten times, but you weren't answering your phone."

Shit. I'd turned the volume off for work and, in my anger and subsequent panic, had forgotten to turn the ringer back on. "I'm sorry."

He hugged me back against him. "It's all right…now are you okay? What the fuck happened?"

I burrowed against the warmth of his body. "I kinda lost my shit because James set me up and I stomped out and he knows I'm quitting and he's pissed…"

"Whoa…baby, you're talking a million miles a minute. Calm down, sit on my lap, and tell me what happened."

"Sitting on your lap isn't going to calm me down," I muttered, and he chuckled as he sprawled onto the couch and then pulled me down too. I immediately curled up against him.

"First things first," Edward said, reaching over to where my phone sat on the table. "Your ringer is now back on. And you have twelve missed calls."

"I'm sorry," I murmured, taking the phone from him. Alice and Rosalie had both called as well, and I tapped out a quick text to both of them.

When I was done, Edward set my phone back on the table and then reached up to loosen his tie with his free hand, the other one pulled me back against him. "Okay, start over and take your time."

I took a deep breath. "James decided that today was going to be the day Isabella lost her anal virginity, whether she wanted to or not. He had it all planned out. And I just…I lost it. I snapped. I screamed at him in front of the entire cast and crew and stomped off the set. He followed me into the dressing room and we really went at it."

Edward's body had gone rigid the moment I'd said the word anal. "Did he hurt you?"

There was no way in hell I could tell Edward the things James had said to me, he'd freak out. "Words can't hurt me."

"The hell they can't. Did he threaten you?"

I bit my lip. "He threatened to send me to LA to finish out my contract there."

Edward swore softly. "Fucking son-of-a-bitch. We've got to make sure Jenks knows about that."

"Oh, I left him a message too."

"Good. Bella, please please promise me that you won't take a step back into that place again, or let that James cocksucker anywhere near you. No matter what, promise me!"

"I promise," I said immediately. There was no way I could ever trust James not to hurt me, after the things he'd said. "As of this afternoon, I guess I'm officially an ex-pornstar."

"Thank God for that," Edward replied, kissing the top of my head.

I snuggled closer to him and then blinked as realization hit me. "Oh my God…I never have to do it again. I don't…" I almost got a little dizzy as I thought of all the things I would never have to do again, things I couldn't say out loud to Edward. No more guys jerking off until they came on my face. No more having my head shoved down onto a cock until I gagged. No more pretending to come when I was actually sore as hell. No more laying there wishing I was anywhere else in the world…

Edward's smile was strained as he lifted my chin with his fingers and then wiped at the tears that had spilled down my cheeks. "Don't think about all the bad shit, baby. It's behind us now."

Us. It was behind us. "It's just…it all happened so fast, it's almost too good to be true."

He started to reply, but was interrupted by the shrill ring of my phone. Edward looked at the caller ID and then handed it to me. "I think it's Jenks."

I answered the call on speakerphone. "Hello?"

"Bella Swan?"

"Yes."

"This is Max Scott, I'm one of Jason Jenks' associates. I'm assisting him on your case and I was given your message."

Leaving out the more salacious details, I outlined what had happened earlier in the day. "Well, it's not the ideal situation, but it's not catastrophic," Scott finally said. "What it probably boils down to is that he was on the phone with their attorney before you'd left the parking lot, and they've already started totaling up how much they intend to sue you for. We sent off the papers this afternoon telling him that you were officially through. Don't have any contact with him whatsoever from now on, though…if he tries to call you, refer him to us."

"There's more," Edward spoke up. "He threatened her as she was leaving."

"Physically?"

"No, it was more like…threatening to make me do gross stuff if I didn't cut it out."

"What exactly did he say?"

"Umm…" I hesitated, really not wanting to repeat James' words in front of Edward. "You need to know exactly what he said?"

"I wouldn't ask if I didn't think it might help your case. The worse it sounds, the more pissed a judge will probably be hearing it."

Fuck. I squeezed my eyes tightly shut, and repeated as much of James' rant as I could remember.

"Jesus, what a scumbag," Scott said after a moment. "Well, threatening an employee like that to try and coerce her into fulfilling a contract…hell, you could turn around and sue him."

"No," I said quickly, opening my eyes again, noting that Edward's face was rapidly turning a dark red. "I just want to get all this over and done with."

"Okay, but I'll definitely be passing it along. Between you and me, though, Jenks really should have told you that you didn't have to keep performing if things were that bad. Call us if anything else happens, okay?"

"Okay," I whispered, before hanging up the phone, eyeing Edward cautiously.

"He said that shit to you?" His voice was ragged, as if he were barely hanging onto his self-control.

"He said it because he knew it would hurt."

He swallowed hard. "Bella…I want you to please, for the sake of my sanity, just say yes to what I'm about to ask you. Please come home with me tonight. Please do not stay here."

I blinked, confused. "Okay, if you want. But…"

"That fucker has your home address, doesn't he?" Edward snapped, not looking at me.

"Oh. Yes, but…"

"No buts. Just…let's go. Now."

"Edward…"

"Why can't you just let me take care of you for once?" he exploded, and I pulled away from him, stunned. "Just for once, do this one little thing that will give me some peace of mind, knowing that you're okay."

My first immediate thought was that there was something more simmering below the surface of Edward's rage, but I didn't want to fight with him. "I said I'll come home with you. Calm down, please?"

He scrubbed his hand over his eyes. "Pack enough for the entire weekend, please?"

"Okay."

"I'm sorry…I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. But baby…that is some fucked-up shit he said to you."

I couldn't deny that.

He exhaled slowly before shoving himself up off the couch, then reaching out a hand for me. "Come on, I'll help you pack."

~o~

Edward ended up insisting I pack for a few more days than just the weekend, and I drove myself to his apartment with him behind me. He was supposed to be on-call that weekend, and didn't want to leave me without transportation if he had an emergency.

We both showered and changed, and then sat down to pick at a delivery pizza that neither of us was very hungry for. Eventually Edward gave up and set his plate down on the coffee table, muting the evening news. "Bella, there's something I want to ask you about."

I set down my pizza too, and then turned to face him on the couch. "Yes?"

"You might think this sounds weird or crazy, but…Jasper suggested something to me awhile back. At first I thought no way, but…" He took a deep breath. "He suggested that you and I go to couples' counseling. And the more I've thought about it, especially since Christmas, the more I think it's a good idea."

"Whoa. Um, okay…" I looked away from him for a moment, confused. Couples' counseling was supposed to be for people who were on the verge of getting divorced or something. And Edward and I weren't even close to getting married. "I guess…I mean if you really wanted to, I'm not opposed to the idea. But can I ask why?"

His shoulders relaxed a little. "I'm not saying we need to go into long-term therapy or anything, but you and I…we've had stuff in our relationship that most normal couples don't come anywhere close to experiencing. The whole porn issue made little issues into big issues, and even though I know we've been trying to work through them on our own…like earlier. I blew up at you when I was really pissed about what that asshole said to you. Or how you seem pathologically unable to accept help sometimes, even if it's being offered when you really need it."

Those words smarted, but I couldn't deny the truth of what he was saying. "You don't think we could get back to the way things were on our own?"

"Baby, I don't want to go back to the way things were, and I hope you don't either," he said softly. "That shit was always there, from the moment we met, always fucking with us. I want us to have something different, something better."

"That's true," I murmured. "And I guess it would be a good idea."

He leaned forward to place a gentle kiss on my lips. "I'll ask my dad for some recommendations."

I reached out my hand to squeeze his. "Thank you for thinking I'm worth it."

Surprise crossed his face. "Why would you say that?"

"All of it. The porn, the fighting, me being stubborn…I love you, Edward. I guess I'm just grateful that you think it's worth it."

"That's…a very strange thing to say," he said slowly. "I love you. Of course you're worth it."

"Without trying to sound overly whiny or self-pitying, sometimes it's hard for me to believe."

"Do you believe I love you?"

I looked directly into his emerald-green eyes, and there was absolutely no doubt in my heart or mind when I answered. "I definitely believe that."

"Good. I think that means I get to kiss you some more now."

My laugh was lost in his mouth as he pulled me tightly against him. I threaded my hands through his hair as our lips met again and again, each kiss sweeter and deeper than the last. I moaned with pleasure as his tongue finally tangled with mine, and it wasn't long before we were horizontal on the couch, making out like we hadn't in weeks. I reveled in the feeling of his hard body full-length over mine, and then gasped in delight as I felt his erection, rock-hard beneath his pants, pressing against me.

"Fuck…Bella, you feel so good…" he muttered, and then groaned thickly as I parted my legs just enough to allow his hips to settle between my thighs. Now his cock was pressing right where I wanted it so badly, and he thrust involuntarily against me. "Oh God…so fucking good…baby, I want you…"

I whimpered as he thrust against me again. "I want you too."

He propped himself up on his elbows just enough so that his eyes could meet mine. "Do you think it's a good idea? I mean…shit…I think it's a great idea but if it's too soon...are you okay with…"

"Edward," I cut him off. "We are two consenting adults who love each other, and who just promised to do whatever it takes to make this relationship work. Plus you are incredibly fucking sexy and I'm horny as hell. I think it's an awesome idea."

His grin was the last thing I saw before he started kissing me again, and then everything became a blur of pleasure until I felt him pulling me up off the couch. "Bed…now…" he panted.

Half-stumbling through a tangle of clothing that was being pulled off with each step, we somehow made it into the bedroom and collapsed onto the bed. We'd both managed to shed our underwear, so there was nothing but the warm slip of skin against skin as we twisted together, re-exploring each others' bodies, our need growing more desperate. I had the presence of mind to claw for a condom from his bedside table at the last moment; I'd had a clean STD test since I'd last filmed, but I wasn't taking any chances. Not with him.

"This is like our first time was," he gasped out as I rolled the latex down his length. "I was so fucking desperate to have you…"

"The feeling was mutual," I agreed, and then kissed him hard as he positioned himself between my legs.

The feeling of Edward's thickness sliding into me…oh God. My back arched as erotic pleasure soared through me. I'd missed this, so much, this part of our relationship that had always been perfect and free from all the other bullshit that we dealt with. He and I fit together like two perfect puzzle pieces.

We were already worked into a frenzy, and almost immediately my hips were rising to meet his as he pounded relentlessly into me. I dug my fingernails into his back, moaning non-stop, begging him not to stop, begging him for more…

One of his fingers tapping over my clit was all it took for me to explode around him, and I half-screamed as the pleasure burned a path through my entire lower abdomen. It had been so long…so long…

Edward grunted and gripped my hips hard, cursing as he came too, and the look of absolute release and bliss on his face almost did me in. He collapsed on top of me, his chest heaving as he panted heavily into my neck. "Holy shit…baby…don't take this the wrong way, but God I've missed you."

I turned my head just enough to kiss his damp cheek. "I've missed you too."

.

.

A/N:

For anyone interested, the line to kick James squarely in the nuts forms riiiight over here!

I would be remiss if I didn't congratulate grabadietcoke and happymoon35 for figuring out the twist back in Chapter 23 that Bella's contract isn't legally enforceable…you're two smart cookies!

Just one chapter and an epilogue left now. These two are finally moving in the right direction, I can't wait to hear your thoughts! THANK YOU for all your reviews!