"I like what you've put together, Bella. Good work."

"Thank you. I'm really excited about the possibilities."

Chuck led me to his door, holding my spreadsheet in his hands. He flipped through the pages, shaking his head a little, probably at my compulsive color coding. "I have to say, your dedication is really impressive. I think the people up top are going to be really happy with these ideas. Start talking to the guys today, get things rolling."

He handed me back the packet. "And send me a copy of this."

"You got it," I said, giving him a small salute. I smirked at James, who was standing a little ways off, glaring at the two of us. He scowled a little bit more before pushing off the wall he was leaning against and walking toward Chuck's office.

"Can we talk?" he said tersely. Chuck shrugged and jerked his head back toward his door.

"Come on back."

I ignored the exchange and went back to my desk, genuinely excited about my job for the first time in many weeks. When I got to my desk, I smiled at the bright tulips that were still next to my desktop. They were a little wilted now, but I was hesitant to throw them out, especially in light of the weekend. Edward's kiss lingered on my lips all day Sunday and was still on my mind on Monday.

I knew I needed to take things slowly with Edward, for both our sakes. Slow, however, was hard to focus on when I remembered how it was before everything blew up: those few, sacred days where it seemed like Edward's lips were almost constantly attached to mine. There was no denying there was a very basic chemistry between us.

The sound of my phone ringing interrupted my thoughts. I glanced down: Alice. It was like she sensed my dirty thoughts about her brother and needed to discuss them ASAP.

"Hello?"

"Hey! I'm not interrupting anything am I?"

I laughed. "I wouldn't have answered if I was in the middle of something. What's up?"

"Well," she began, then paused. I could almost see her steeling herself. "I know it's a bit early yet... but I was wondering if you were planning on getting together with us this week. You know. On Thursday."

I had put a lot of thought into that very question on Sunday, so Alice's question didn't really catch me off guard. "Actually, I was going to ask you about that. Is there any way we could get together at my place this week?"

"That would be so great! I'm sure Emmett and Rosalie would be okay with that. Do you need help with baby-proofing the apartment?"

"Um..."

"Just because Avery isn't walking or crawling yet doesn't mean you don't have to be careful! I'll come over and help if you want."

"Thanks, that would be really helpful. I guess I didn't think about that."

"Okay, great. I'm sorry, Bella, I'm actually getting into a cab right now. Why don't I come over after work tomorrow and we'll get everything squared away?"

"Definitely. I'll see you then."

The idea to have family night at my place was a carefully calculated risk. I hoped that I could convince Edward to come, to mend some fences, to talk to Alice a little. He was still so angry, and while I understood the need to take some time and think about things, she was also his sister. It wasn't right that they weren't speaking at all. I didn't have any brothers or sisters, and I missed that connection growing up. Edward had worked hard to get his relationship with his family back, and I didn't like that this thing with me had caused another rift so quickly.

With that in mind, I called him over on Monday night. He arrived at my apartment with a bottle of wine and a cheesecake.

"What's the occasion?" I asked, taking the cheesecake. He grinned and shrugged.

"Does there need to be an occasion? I was under the impression that women always appreciated a little cheesecake. And the wine... well, that's because it's a Monday."

"Fair enough," I laughed. "Come on in."

He kicked off his shoes and followed me into the kitchen, plucking my wine key from the utility drawer and deftly opened the bottle. "Glasses?"

"Right cabinet, top shelf. Is there any reason that this Monday called for red wine?"

"Well, we're prepping for our concert next month, and I have to pick the kids to play in the pit for the musical. Rehearsals for that are going to suck up a ton of time, which is fun but totally draining. I really love my students, but I hate the auditioning process. I hate telling kids no, so I usually end up with more than I need."

He scrubbed his face with his hands before pouring two glasses nearly to the brim. I picked up two plates of cheesecake with forks and walked back to the living room.

"I never would have figured you for a guy who can't say no. I may have to use that to my advantage."

He followed me and set the wine down on the coffee table. "For the record, you'd never be taking advantage."

I flushed, and tried to cover it with a drink of wine from the glass closest to me. "Okay. Well."

He laughed. "You don't have to be embarrassed about it." He leaned in and kissed me on my jaw, just next to my mouth.

"I'm not embarrassed!" I protested.

He cocked an eyebrow and scooped up a piece of cheesecake with his fork. I watched as he closed his lips around it, watched his tongue come out and lick traces of chocolate off his lips.

"How was your day?" he asked abruptly, leaning back and getting comfortable. I took another drink of wine to clear my head.

"I talked to Alice today." His face tightened a little, but otherwise he made no response. "I'm going to host family night this week. She's coming over tomorrow to help me baby proof."

"Hmm," he murmured, loading up another forkful of cheesecake. Maybe he thought if he kept his mouth full he wouldn't have to have the conversation with me.

"Have you talked to her at all?"

"No," he sighed, setting the plate down. He looped an arm around my shoulders and set his cheek down on the top of my head. "And I don't want to."

"But...?"

"No buts," he grumbled.

We sat quietly for a few minutes, me sipping wine, Edward taking slow, measured breaths into my hair.

"But she's my sister," he murmured eventually. "And I miss her, no matter how angry I am with her."

"Talk to her," I urged. "I know you're mad. Believe me, I get it. Let her say she's sorry. Start working past this thing."

"This thing," he scoffed.

"Yes. This thing."

He wrapped his other arm around me, and I leaned forward to set my wine down before turning into his chest. His heartbeat quickened slightly, and I inhaled the smell of his cologne and soap.

He smelled so good. I cuddled into him, his arms tightening around me. I felt him leave little kisses on the top of my head. His lips pressed lightly to my hair, then slowly down the side of my head. I shivered and tilted my head to the side, allowing his lips to travel down past my ear, past the tiny hairs at the nape of my neck.

He stopped at the crook of my neck, breathing heavier than normal, his mouth slightly open. I felt heated, flushed.

"Bella?"

I tilted my head a little further, enjoying the soft vibrations of his voice against my neck. His lips closed around a patch of skin and his tongue flicked out.

"I really don't want to talk about my sister right now."

I couldn't really control the embarrassing whimpering noise that escaped my chest. Edward laughed and pulled away, reaching for his wine. I gasped, trying to reconcile myself to the sudden absence of body heat. I reached for my glass as well, taking a big swallow to calm my nerves. All it did was add to the heat that was flooding my body.

"So, do you think you'll come Thursday?"

"I'll think about it," he said. He took one more bite of cheesecake, dropped the fork with a clatter, and pulled me back into his arms. He lay down against the armrest of the couch, supporting me with his chest, his hands at the bare skin on my waist.

I stretched upwards, kissing first his chin, then his bottom lip. His lips parted, and I could smell chocolate and wine. Carefully, I pulled his lip into my mouth. He sighed pulled me up, mouths colliding, legs twisting together. The slow, leisurely feeling evaporated, replaced with a frantic edge as we pressed together.

I half climbed, half slid up his chest, scrambling to get as close to him as I could. My shirt rode up and Edward's hands danced up my spine. The cool air raised goose bumps on my skin; or maybe it was his touch. He dropped kisses all over my face, my cheeks, my jaw line, my forehead, the tip of my nose. I hooked both of my arms through his, crossing them behind his back so our chests were flush.

A tingling, burning feeling consumed me, centering in a tight knot. I circled my hips against him, groaning when the tingling intensified. Edward's hands left my back and landed on my butt, pushing me into him as his hips jerked up. This time we both moaned. The sound made me even hotter.

Our mouths were connected, gasping, not kissing but not quite not kissing. I opened my eyes and found him staring at me, green eyes focused on my face as he took noisy, uneven breaths. I pulled my arms out from around him and ran them up his sides, stopping briefly at his shoulders as we ground together again.

Gently, I cupped his face in my hands, focusing on the slow, rhythmic movement of our bodies and the rough, scratchy feeling of his cheeks. I didn't close my eyes, and I didn't pull away. I just allowed myself to feel, to really feel Edward.

His heart pounded almost audibly against my chest, joining my own galloping pulse; I could have sworn I could hear the two sounds overlapping and intermingling. I could feel the muscles of his arms where they rested against my sides, and the strong lines of his legs where they lay entwined with my own. Despite the fact that we were both fully clothed, our bodies responded, desperate to connect, to create friction, to be whole.

But these sensations were almost secondary to what I felt when I looked at him. It was impossible to look away. His eyes burned, pleaded, loved, and worshiped. It was overwhelming, but not in a way that made me want to run away. I hoped he saw something similar in my eyes. It made me want to hold on tighter—and so that's what I did.

Faster and faster, forgetting the rough denim between us and the layers of cotton. I was coiled tightly like the spring of a trap.

"Yes, Edward, yes," I whispered, barely audible over my panting. He closed his eyes and pressed his lips tightly to mine, letting his tongue sweep over my bottom lip before sliding it into my mouth. That was all it took. My eyes squeezed shut and white stars exploded behind my lids, a sudden burst of tension and then waves of pleasure. Hard and fast at first, then ebbing slowly as our bodies relaxed and shuddered to a stop.

I went limp, and for the first time I noticed the light layer of sweat that coated our faces and arms. My cheek stuck to the skin on his neck, making me giggle a little and try to pull away. Edward made a low, growling noise in his chest and squeezed me tighter, effectively immobilizing me.

"Don't you dare move."

"I don't know if I could."

His chest shook with silent laughter.

"Yeah, laugh it up. You're not the one who may have just lost major motor functions from an orgasm."

Feather light touches drew random patterns up my spine.

"That good, huh?"

"Mmmmmmm," I hummed, letting myself slide down a little and settle into his arms. "You have no idea."

Then he rolled a little in my arms and I realized he really didn't have any idea. I rested my hand on top of the visible bulge, smiling as he squirmed a little.

"Bella," he murmured, a hint of warning in his tone.

"Suddenly I'm not feeling so paralyzed," I teased, letting my fingers tease the soft skin under the elastic band of his boxer briefs, while my other hand unbuttoned his jeans. His hips twisted as I slipped my whole hand underneath, wrapping it around him and taking a few strong strokes.

His mouth dropped open and he grunted a little, his eyes fluttering shut. "Oh, God."

"You don't have to call me God," I whispered in his ear, letting my palm slide over his tip and twisting my wrist a little. "But I like it." I sucked his earlobe into my mouth and bit down gently.

A few quick strokes—up, around, over, and down—and he was gasping, shuddering, falling to pieces in my hand.

"Wow," he breathed. "You're incredible."

I laughed a little and fell into the curve his arm created. "And you are sticky."

He shrugged. "I'll take sticky pants over blue balls any day."

"You are such a man."

"100 percent, baby," he growled.

"If you liked what just happened, you'll never call me baby again."

"Darling? Honey? Sweetheart? Pumpkin? How am I doing?"

"Now you're just being ridiculous."

"It's possible," he laughed, kissing the top of my head.

"Ridiculous is good."

He hummed happily and tucked me underneath his chin, still holding me tightly. I felt warm, comfortable, and safe. My eyelids felt heavy, so I closed them, breathing in his cologne and sagging into his chest. A yawn bubbled up in my throat and pushed out. I muffled it in Edward's chest and he laughed.

"You look like you could use a nap," he murmured, running his fingers through my hair.

"Maybe." I yawned again.

The low thrum of his heartbeat and the rumble of his humming was soothing, like a lullaby.

"Just a few minutes," I mumbled.

His laugh was the last thing I remembered hearing before I drifted off.

I awoke to Edward rubbing his hands up and down my back.

"Wake up, Sleeping Beauty," he whispered. "I have to go home."

"Stay," I protested, fisting his shirt and rubbing my face against his chest.

"Can I take a rain check?" he asked, a smile in his voice. "I have some things I have to take care of tonight."

"What could possibly be more important?" I teased, sighing dramatically and sitting up.

"I thought I'd call Alice," he said softly.

I rubbed my eyes quickly and looked over at him. "Really?"

"Yeah. The least I can do is hear her out."

"I think that's a very mature decision."

He snorted and gave me a wry smile. "Right, well hopefully it's not also a very stupid decision."

I leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "I'm proud of you."

That night I half expected to hear from one of them, either Alice calling in breathless excitement about reconciliation with Edward, or Edward calling to vent. My phone, however, remained silent. Nor did I hear from them the next day. I knew it wasn't really my business, but I still worried a little that Alice didn't at least call to confirm our baby-proofing plans.

James was acting odd, strutting around the office one minute and scowling at me the next. I ignored him for the most part, instead focusing on setting up meetings with the writers involved in my projects and a bunch of smaller projects that had fallen to the wayside.

Alice was waiting at my door when I got to my building, smiling and waving cheerily.

"You're looking mighty cheerful," I said, unlocking the door and leading her through the lobby.

"Well, it's a good day. What are your plans for Thursday? Do you need me to bring anything?"

I laughed a little as we made our way into my apartment. "That's a lot of questions. One step at a time, please? How exactly does one baby-proof?"

She laughed and launched into a flurry of activity, straightening, picking things up, and sticking little plastic plugs into all of my outlets. I still wasn't sure why we needed to do so much "proofing" for a child who would probably be contained inside a pack 'n play the entire night, but she was enthusiastic and bubbly and I let her sweep me up with her energy. It was something I had almost forgotten I loved about her.

Once we had finished essentially tidying up my apartment, I cooked us dinner and Alice told me more about her promotion. I was putting chicken and vegetables onto plates when she finally brought Edward up.

"He called me yesterday. Did you... was it because of you?"

"Nope." I slid the plate across the table. "Everything okay?"

"We talked, he didn't seem as completely furious anymore. He said he'd come on Thursday. It wasn't like old times or anything... but we talked."

"I told you to give him some time," I said with a grin.

"Yeah, yeah," she grumbled. "All of you are very clever. I don't suppose you could tell me how to get him to forgive me and start actually talking to me again?"

"Keep giving him time," I laughed. "Let it happen. Let him be mad for as long as he needs to be and let your relationship get back on track naturally. Stop pushing all the time. Relax."

She sighed loudly and toyed with her fork. "I know. You're right. I hate it when you're right."

"Gee, thanks."

"You know what I mean." Her mouth twisted a little. "I'm really trying here. I don't want to badger anybody. It's hard for me."

"Well all you can do is try," I said. "And keep trying. Just...love your brother."

"Do you love my brother?"

"Subtle. And none of your business."

"I know, I know." She waved her hands a little and pushed her plate away. "You know he loves you, right?"

"Alice!"

"Okay, okay. I'm shutting up."

"Thank you. Now, let's figure out what to do on Thursday. Help me plan."

The opportunity to plan something seemed to distract her. We decided to make sushi; Alice and Rose had taken a class together a couple years back and one of my roommates in college taught me how to make rolls, so between the three of us we figured we'd be able coach the guys through the process.

Rosalie and Emmett arrived first on Thursday, followed shortly by Edward. While Emmett wrestled with the pack 'n play, Rosalie and Edward and I started to cut up ingredients. I had called everyone to bring their favorite ingredients, and I had gotten plenty of nori and cooked up the sticky rice before they arrived.

"I don't know that Emmett should be allowed anywhere near the sticky rice," Rosalie joked, slicing a cucumber. "Especially with Edward around. They'll coat the walls in no time."

"Please, we're way past the food fight phase," Edward scoffed. He tossed a small piece of avocado across the counter, which she caught.

"Yes, I see that," she replied.

"Yoohoooo!" Alice called from the front room. "I come bearing tuna! And green tea ice cream."

"I love that stuff," Emmett said, throwing an arm around his sister.

"I brought sake," Jasper said, kicking the door shut behind him. "You got any beer? Sake bombs?"

I wrinkled my nose and looked over at Edward, who was trying to spread sticky rice over a sheet of nori and failing miserably. The wooden paddle was stuck to the nori, and the rice wouldn't spread. I giggled and he looked up at me and glared.

"Are you laughing at me? You're supposed to be helping me, you better not be laughing at me."

"I'm sorry, baby," I teased. I walked over to help him and then turned back to back to Jasper. "Beer is in the fridge, shot glasses on top."

"Isn't finger food supposed to be some kind of a turn on?" Emmett asked, reaching out for a piece of crab meat.

Rosalie laughed and swatted his hands away. "It's raw fish, Em, not chocolate covered strawberries."

"No, I think that's right," Alice said. She wrung her hands around a sushi mat, pressing her roll together. "Eating with your hands is sexual."

"Give me that," I sighed, pushing Edward's hands away. "You're making a mess. What kind do you want?"

He laughed and kissed my cheek. "Whatever you're having. I'm not picky. But I may want to use that rain check." He leaned down and whispered in my ear, "Between Jasper's sake and the finger food, I don't know that I should leave tonight."

I felt my cheeks flush and let out a shaky breath. "That would be okay."

He winked and kissed right below my ear before snagging Jasper and heading back into the living room with their drinks. I heard the TV turn on and the sounds of college basketball filtering through. Emmett stayed with us in the kitchen until Rosalie kicked him out for craning his head around the corner too frequently to see the game.

"So, things look pretty good between you two," Rosalie said. She started to arrange pieces of nigiri on a plate that already had rolls on it. "You look... happy."

"I am happy." I started to set the table and grabbed some chopsticks from my silverware drawer. "Things are going well, I think."

Alice hummed a little and I laughed. "What?"

"Nothing, nothing." She smirked. "I just hope you have some kind of protection in this apartment or you're going to be making a late night run to the 7-Eleven."

"Alice!" I gasped. Rosalie snorted.

"Please, Bella. We've been watching the sexual tension between the two of you escalate for months. You're together, you're working things out." She shrugged. "Sometimes a roll in the hay helps clear the air."

"You can't fix everything with sex, Rose," I mumbled.

"I'm not saying it's a fix," she said. "I'm saying it would be good for you. For both of you."

"It's not like you don't want to," Alice smirked. "Wait, you do want to, right?"

"Of course I want to!"

"Want to what?" Edward walked into the kitchen, followed by Jasper and Emmett, carrying Avery.

"Uh..."

"Start dinner," Rosalie said briskly. "So it's good you guys are here."

She took Avery from Emmett and left to feed him while the rest of us started dinner. Things were a little strained; Edward and Alice still weren't really directly interacting, but they were polite, and dinner was fun. I felt plugged in, like I was part of the family. Edward held my hand under the table the entire time, occasionally running our joined hands over my thigh or his.

When he let go and started to run his fingers up and down the curve of my hip and touching the inside of my arms, I started to squirm. Rosalie noticed, of course, and made a big show of yawning and stretching.

"Come on, Em, I'm exhausted. And you know how Avery gets fussy when we don't put him to bed on time."

Alice took the hint and started pulling at Jasper too, grabbing his keys and prodding him toward the door. Edward looked like he was having a hard time holding in his laughter, but he waited until everyone had said goodbye and left.

Once I had the door shut and locked, I turned to where he stood in the middle of the room. He smiled and reached out a hand. Once I took it, he pulled me into his chest.

"They seemed awfully anxious to leave us alone, don't you think?"

"I'm sure I don't know why," I laughed.

"Hmmmm." He hummed into my neck and kissed lightly on my pulse point. I shivered. "I'd love to show you."

I pulled away and looked up at him. He was smiling gently and staring straight into my eyes. Reaching my hands up to cradle his face, I nodded slightly and pulled him backwards until the backs of my knees hit the couch.

"Okay," I breathed. My knees wobbled a little when his hands circled my waist, pushing up my shirt.

"Don't sound so enthusiastic," he teased. Before I could answer him, he kissed me, pushing his hands up my back and pushing me back on the couch.

His lips were soft and urgent, and the lighthearted atmosphere vanished. I could feel his hands tracing my spine and stopping at the clasp of my bra.

He pulled away slightly. "Bella? Are you—"

I pushed up and kissed him back, letting my hands do a little wandering of their own. I tugged on the bottom of his t-shirt and he half sat up, letting me pull it up over his head. I got a quick glimpse of pale skin and slightly defined muscles before his hands pushed back under my shirt, the front this time.

His thumbs teased my nipples through my bra, and I gasped, my eyes flying open.

He kissed me gently, once on my lips and then on each cheek. "You're beautiful," he whispered, dropping his forehead down to meet mine. I exhaled shakily and he pulled my shirt off, tossing it over his shoulder where it landed near his own shirt.

"You're beautiful, too," I answered. He laughed and kissed down my neck, dragging his lips down the curve of my breast. He reached around for the clasp of my bra, and I arched my back, grinding into him a little on reflex.

He groaned then laughed. With my eyes still closed, I clutched at his upper arms and said, "I don't see anything funny about this."

"Come on," he said, kissing my stomach this time. My skin broke out in goose bumps. "This doesn't seem a little funny to you? First we dry hump on your couch and you give me the best five second hand job of my life." He paused to bite down gently on my hipbone and then kissed the spot. "Now we're making out topless on the same couch. I feel like one of our parents could walk in at any minute."

He kissed along the edge of my waistband and fumbled with the button for a second, pulling down the zipper slowly.

"I promise, the Chief works the nightshift," I whispered, twisting my fingers in his hair and tugging slightly.

"Bella," he breathed. "Look at me. Please."

I opened my eyes and found him staring at me again. Once I met his gaze, he slowly, deliberately, pulled each leg of my jeans down. Once they were off, he kissed my knees, then lifted one of my legs over his shoulder, making his way up the inside of my thigh with his lips and his tongue. I gasped when he stopped inches from the top, looking up at me with a devilish smirk.

"Well if you're sure the Chief won't be home, I don't see any harm in moving this to the bedroom."

I shook my head silently, and before I could process the movement, he was standing up, scooping me into his arms and walking toward my bedroom. He kissed me again, and this time I reached up for his hair and locked him in place as our tongues tangled.

He dropped me down on the bed and reached for his belt buckle.

"Stop," I said. He looked up at me uncertainly.

"We don't have to do this," he said. "We could just... I don't know, hang out."

"Shhhh." I sat up and reached for him. "Stop talking. Come here."

He fell to his knees on the edge of the bed and I crawled toward him, kneeling in front of him. I let my hands trace his chest and stomach muscles and he swallowed hard.

I loosened his belt slowly, and tugged his pants down to his knees, leaving the two of us in our underwear.

"I've been thinking about this for weeks," he whispered, falling forward on his hands. He crawled forward as I scooted back, settling himself between my legs with his weight resting softly on me. "The way you smell, the way you sound, the feel of your skin." He let his hands skate up my ribcage and squeezed my breasts slightly, then circled his fingertips around my nipples again.

"I've been thinking about it too," I admitted.

His lips closed on my earlobe, and I whimpered. "Thinking about my hands here?" he asked, pinching my right nipple. "Or here?" He ran his other hand up my leg and rubbed the outside of my panties.

"Yes," I gasped. My voice sounded breathy and high pitched, and I thought I saw him smirk a little.

"Yes?" His thumb circled the front of my panties and then pressed down on my most sensitive spot. I arched my back again, this time reaching down toward his boxer briefs. As his fingers made a second pass, I stroked upwards against his erection.

"Please, Edward," I whispered. I rotated my hips and he scooted up again, bringing his lips back to mine. "Please."

"Do you have—"

"Side drawer."

He reached over to my table and I pushed down my underwear, too lost in the heat to worry about modesty or shyness. Once I toed them off, I reached for Edward's, but he beat me to it. I watched breathlessly as he rolled the condom on and settled himself on top of me.

"Bella, I—"

I reached up and laced my fingers through his hair, kissing down his jaw to his lips.

"Please." I could barely hear myself, but he heard. Slowly, carefully, he pushed against me, filling me and making both of us moan.

"Look at me," he begged. "Don't hide from me."

He stroked my cheek lightly and started moving. The sensation alone made my eyes fly open, and once again I found myself surrounded by green. Under my hands, the muscles of his back rippled and flexed, while the movement of his hips stoked the fire in my veins.

"So green," I murmured, trailing my pointer finger over his eyebrow. I had always admired the color of his eyes, but now, up close, pupils dilated with passion, I could see every fleck, every discoloration. They weren't the pure emerald green that they appeared to be. Instead they were an amalgamation of gold and greens, at least three shades that I could see. Around his pupils, an ultra thin ring of blue added depth to the color, making them impossibly more soulful. You wouldn't ever see the blue unless you were this close, nose to nose with him and looking carefully. It made me feel like I was seeing right into the core of him, seeing things that he didn't let anyone else see.

A flutter of pleasure danced through me as Edward propped himself up, changing our position and allowing himself to go deeper and harder than before. The change pulled him away from me, but it was worth it, as the flutter changed to a wave, crashing against me and making me writhe and moan.

"Come here," he demanded, his voice rough and commanding through his need. "Sit up."

I reached my arms up and allowed him to lift me, still connected to him, into his lap.

"You were too far away." He wrapped my long hair around one hand while the other supported my back, giving me leverage to push against him and increase our pace.

"Keep going," I gasped, pumping my hips and letting my knees pick me up and slam me back down. "Edward, God, so close. Please."

"You say please an awful lot," he laughed, doing it nevertheless. The change in speed and position was too much. The wave became a battering ram, and I was shuddering and crashing down into his chest, all the strength sapped from my body in the aftermath. He let me fall limply to the bed, shifting again so that he hovered over me, never pulling away, never disconnecting our bond.

"Stay with me," he begged, now pounding into my body with an edge of desperation.

"I'm here," I whimpered, holding onto his forearms and arching my back as another orgasm surged through me.

He started making incoherent sounds, babbling nonsense words interspersed with throaty moans and my name. He sped up, impossibly, and then his face was twisting into an expression of bliss and relief, and he collapsed on top of me, breathing heavily.

The sweat on our bodies fused us together, and neither one of us moved as our heartbeats slowed.

Slowly, carefully, Edward rolled off of me. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and got up to get rid of the condom, coming back immediately to wrap me in his arms and press sweet kisses to my forehead.

"Was that okay for you?"

I laughed. "Did you really just ask me that?"

His chest shook a little and he shifted me a little so he could look into my face. "Too cliché?"

I shrugged, or attempted to shrug despite the death grip Edward had on my upper body. "It was more than okay. I don't know that they've made a word for it yet."

He let out a gust of air and rolled onto his side, kissing me deeply while caressing my side. The pads of his fingers were rough, but soft somehow, like velvet.

"I don't want you to regret anything. I care about you, Bella."

I looked up at him and saw the words he was holding back. Alice's question surged back into my mind. Do you love my brother?

Did I? He had exposed himself, shown me the ugliest parts of himself and then told me he loved me. When I couldn't decide what I wanted, he backed off, respecting my wishes. He treated me like something precious, something rare. His feelings were there in every touch and every word since our fight, and if I was being honest, before then. I was holding him back, forcing him to hold in his love until I made up my mind. The thing was, though, my mind was already made up.

I loved him. I knew it was true—without a doubt. But when I opened my mouth, the words got stuck in my throat. I was still unsure, and I knew I needed more time. So I settled for kissing him, not passionately, but lovingly. A simple kiss and a heartfelt smile, and the best words I could offer him in that moment.

"Me too."

A/N: Why hello! I'm back! I have a few things to say...humor me.

First of all, a big thank you from the bottom of my heart. You guys have been phenomenal...the good luck wishes for me on my finals (huzzah, they're over!), and your patience for over a month while I focused on other things and then got this update together--I couldn't ask for a better audience. Thank you for your patience, for your support, and for being generally fantastic.

Second, thank you for all the feedback. I know I don't generally go on and on about it, but this story has gotten more reviews than I ever would have thought, and I get excited whenever another one comes in. I truly appreciate that most of you make thoughtful, constructive comments. You give me insight into the way I write and portray things, and I appreciate the feedback.

Anyway, thanks for the love. I'm back in the saddle, and hope to be updating fairly regularly until we get this story all wrapped up. The thread hasn't seen much action lately, but as always, we're there with some cocktails and general mayhem (you know who you are.) http://www(dot)twilighted(dot)net/forum/viewtopic(dot)php?f=44&t=4670 If you'd like, leave me a review.