*Disclaimer - Sadly, I own nothing of Twilight with the exception of merchandise, bought and paid for. I do, however, own my love for borrowing the characters and playing with them however I choose to. I thank Stephenie Meyer for creating the TwiWorld and for allowing us to have our fun with it. She owns Twilight, the insanity it created in my mind is my own.

My support team is sshg316 and msj2779. Hugs to both of you.

Whatever Works

Starry Night Promises

Edward, playing the gentleman, apologized for his inability to wait long enough to set the proper romantic setting and set about correcting that. We moved to the upper level of the penthouse suite where we sipped our beer, from the bottles, in the whirlpool tub with the stars above us.

"This room is amazing, Edward. A glass ceiling?" I laid back against his chest as we relaxed under the night sky.

He chuckled, dipping his head to kiss my temple. "Like bathing outdoors. Only warmer. I figured, if we couldn't get to the pool back in LA, this was the next best thing."

"Better," I replied with a sigh. "This is totally private. Is the bedroom open like this too?"

"Yeah. We can close up the electric blinds later on so the sun – if there is any tomorrow – doesn't wake us. I don't want us to be rushed at all."

"You think we'll be doing any sleeping here tonight?" I flipped over to throw my arms around his neck and kiss him. He was snickering as he returned my kiss, and his lovely hands started roaming once more.

Sheer heaven.

"I don't want to think about how much this room costs."

"Then don't. It's not an issue." His hands got my mind off the money.

"You've stayed here before?"

"Mm-hmm. Once." His mouth worked at making me forget the room even had a price, although I couldn't help but feel jealous of the girl with him the other time. Had he held onto her butt the way he was holding mine? Did he coax her hips against his own as he was doing now? As if sensing my thoughts, he brought his hands up to my face, forcing me to look at his eyes. "I want us to have our own place somewhere – a place that's just you and me. Somewhere we can go for anniversaries and special occasions –"

"Or when we want to have sex all night," I quipped in an attempt to not let my jealousy out and spoil the moment. His use of the word 'anniversaries' did make my heart do a flip – he was planning for more time with me. I had no reason to be jealous of days in the past.

He smiled tenderly at me. "Your mind is on one track tonight! This isn't just about sex. You know that, right? Although, our little romp downstairs sort of dispels that truth…" His grin turned impish. "It was fun though."

"It was educational." I felt like I finally knew what a good fucking was. It was steamy and intuitive and nothing was held back – fucking. Really, really well.

"Educational?" Edward's laugh rang through the marble room. "Really?"

"You're forgetting how… inexperienced I am," I commented bashfully.

"I don't forget anything about you." His voice was soft and caressing. Very convincing. "Be truthful – was it too much? Getting it against a chair that way?"

I felt my skin redden as I pictured the scene in my mind. I appreciated that he had lightened his tone in jest with that last bit. "It wasn't too much – just different. Actually, I thought that sex with you would be more like that than it was the first time we were together."

"Did I let you down?" he asked solemnly. "Either time?"

Seriously? "Um… both were mind-blasting?" How could he even consider that I hadn't enjoyed either time with him?

My response pleased him, and his coy smile returned. "You don't mind mixing it up then? Like I said, I put a lot of effort into that first time, and it was so worth it for me – but sometimes I like it a little more spontaneous."

"I like your spontaneous. I like your effort, too. Honestly, I can't imagine not liking anything you come up with." I loved feeling like his queen that night, but I couldn't lie – his urgent desire tonight had just as much appeal to me. "There's something you should know – well, you kind of do already, really – my three times with my ex? Well, there was no variation. The second and third went exactly as the first. What you just did to me was completely new, and I'm not gonna lie, Edward. It was fantastic. Now I know what my girlfriends meant when they'd talk about sex. I've realized today, that not only had I never been made love to, but I'd never been fucked really well either. You've now done both. Thank you. Both are amazing."

Pink flooded into his cheeks as I blurted out the fucked thing. "Bella, I really want you to know that no matter how we go about it, it's not just sex."

It hit me that he had made that comment several times. At first, I thought he was being romantic but then I recalled an earlier conversation with him. "I may be newly fucked and romanced, but this is new for you as well, isn't it?"

"The emotional side to it, yeah. Completely new." His fingers ran down my cheek, along my jaw and throat, across my collarbone. "I really hope you'll stick with me while I figure out how to do this. I want you to be my everything, but at the same time, I want to keep you safe. Do you understand?"

I shuddered under his touch and closed my eyes. "It has to stay between us," I murmured my understanding.

"No, Bella. That's just it – you're the first person I want involved with my whole life. It's just that I want to keep it off camera. I don't want you being hounded. I don't want you reading speculations on how I feel about you. I want you to be with me and know that what I say to you, what I do to you… is the real shit. It's real, baby. You and me."

Gah! "That thing against my stomach feels pretty real," I wisecracked. If he kept this up, I knew I would blurt something stupid, like the L-word. "That remark just made me seem really depraved, didn't it? I'm not void of emotion, I just… I don't want to… I…"

Edward's lips peppering me with kisses cut off my words. "Just let it happen, Bella. Just be you, say whatever comes to you, and I'll do the same. I think I love you."

GAH! "I think I love you, too," I whispered. "And I know I want to continue your quest…"

"How many times you can get off in one night?" He was smiling ear to ear. "I have another one to add – how many new positions can Bella find pleasurable?"

I was already squirming against him as I took control of the kissing this time. My hands gripped his head as my fingers twirled in his hair and my tongue delved into his mouth. The friction I was creating with my movement below the water was doing wonderful things for him, as well, and that spurred me on. Between the throbbing hardness so near to where I ached for it to be and the dropping of the L-word – even though it wasn't a definite – I had a need for him to fill me completely. "I need you," I groaned against his mouth as I gripped him with one hand. In truth, I wanted to feel him inside me without a barrier between us. I thought I had a chance with that since our bag with the condoms in it was in the other room. He had told me he'd been tested – there was nothing to stop us.

Sucking in a breath, he held my hips firmly to stop me from moving any further. "We should get out." His voice sounded like raw sex. "I'm not doing you in a hot tub right after I banged you against a chair, Bella. Even I have standards." With a kiss on the tip of my nose, he lifted me off his lap swiftly and switched positions so he was leaning into me. He initiated a much softer kiss, palming one breast as his lips moved on mine. Then he was gone.

I groaned out my frustration. He laughed against my ear from outside the tub, a towel already wrapping his waist. "Come on, beautiful. Let's get you dried off."

A deep shiver ran straight through me as I stood. The air in the room was much cooler than the bath water. Edward whispered an apology as he wrapped me in a lush robe and his strong arms. Carrying me into the bedroom, he hit the switch for the gas fireplace as we passed it, and then he carefully set me down on the bed. With great care and precision, he dried every inch of my body – taking his time on my toes – before turning down the bed. He slid the robe down my shoulders, and I trembled again when he ran his fingers along the curve of my breast. At the sight of his sexy smirk, I quickly shed the robe and climbed under the feather duvet, urging him to follow.

"There's not one inch of you that I don't want to suck on," he murmured from under the duvet. He had started at the bottom again and was working his way up. "Confession – I'm completely in lust with your body." He paused to lick the underside of one breast before uttering, "Perfection… all of it. I'm rather fond of these little freckles on your shoulders too. And the way you smell…" His nose nuzzled behind my ear. "And you taste so fucking amazing. Everywhere. I could eat you."

My king was at it again – making me feel like no one else existed for him. The switch from the virile man who had taken me standing up downstairs to this passionate, tender lover I'd first known him to be had my emotions soaring. I wanted him like nothing else. Everything about him was perfection to me – the way he looked at me and his skillful hands on my body. His soft kisses, and his hungry kisses. His silky voice when he whispered sweet nothings, and the deep, soulful sound of his voice on the song he recorded for me. The fact that he talked to me and listened. I could see the changes he was making, moving towards the life he wanted, and he was becoming strong and secure. Not only did he involve me in that, but he credited me for it. He made me smile – constantly. And laugh. And he wasn't put off when I'd snort, or gag on pool water. I had wasted so much time mistrusting him. If only I had done as he asked and given him time to get us to this point the way he had wanted.

"Bella? Honey… you're crying."

Was I? Edward kissed my cheeks and then my lips very gently. He tasted salty. Yep, I was crying. Our big, romantic, sexy night that he had planned for us was going to be ruined by stupid tears. This was why I'd given up on crying: it was pointless, and… stupid. And apparently, uncontrollable.

"Talk to me, honey," he whispered. "What's wrong?"

"It's stupid…" I shook my head before I buried it in the crook of his neck. He hugged me closer.

"What is? Bella, did I do something to upset you? Please tell me."

"You're perfect."

He shook his head firmly. "I'm not."

"To me, you are," I vowed in a soft voice. "I'm sorry for not believing in you sooner – for making this difficult for you."

A low laugh rumbled through him. "Honey, my entire life is about me making everything more difficult than it has to be. This time came with a bright side – it made me see how much I really wanted this. It would have been easy to take it all for granted if you'd just gone along with everything. You're a strong woman, Bella. You stick to your guns, and I love that about you. You gave up so much to spend the last years of your father's life with him… I admire that devotion. Your compassion makes you strong and so beautiful." He paused to place his lips against my forehead. "You are so beautiful, and I thank God every day that you came into my life. I will never take you for granted, Bella, I promise."

I promise… A huge smile emerged under my tear-streaked cheeks. "I promise to believe in you. Always."

"Do you want to sleep? Should I close the blinds now?"

It was tempting. His soft caresses and warm embrace had soothed me, and I felt completely at ease nestled against him. Sleep would come so easily… but I had my own agenda for the night, and I was determined to at least discuss it. "I wanted to ask you about something first."

"Anything. I'll tell you anything you want to know."

"Birth control…"

"I'm for it!" he quipped. "I love Evan like nobody's business, but we weren't ready to have a baby together. I want my next child to be planned."

My uterus twanged at the mention of another child. Oh boy. With the absence of any male relationships for so long, I hadn't really contemplated babies, but with one comment, my mind was flooded with images of little Edwards. Evan was living proof that he had good baby-making stuff. The idea that I was even thinking about what it would be like to have a baby with Edward threw me off-track.

"I know the fact that I have a son that I didn't even know about would indicate otherwise, but I am staunch when it comes to using condoms. I swear I'm not bringing any diseases into this relationship. The only explanation I have for Evan's conception was that once we used an old one Maggie found in the bottom of her purse. I've learned my lesson. You don't have to worry about it, Bella. I'll take care of us."

And Edward got me back on course. "I was actually on a different path with that, but I guess you've answered my question. You're pretty set on protecting yourself."

"And you," he replied with a grin. "What was your question, anyway?"

"I just wondered if you'd trust me to take care of it."

"Trust? Not an issue. I wouldn't expect you to – that's what I meant by me taking care of us."

"I'm on the pill," I blurted.

I watched his face do its thing as he settled on an expression. It resembled boyish delight. "Yeah? Um… why?"

"I'm a closet control freak," I quipped. "That's the one thing I can have full control over – meaning, having my period arrive at the same time each month. I just wanted to let you know that I've got us covered too… and I'm also disease-free. What are you laughing about?" I gave him a pinch, and he tightened his grip on me. "Okay fine, keep buying condoms. Keep running around the room holding your junk while you search for one that hasn't expired." I couldn't resist teasing him over his antics downstairs earlier.

My teasing had the opposite effect. He stopped laughing and tipped my chin up to look at him. "Do you want us to not use them?"

Yes! That's what I want! I licked my lips nervously. "We could go without… if you wanted."

"Now?" The little boy was back, anxious to test new waters. He made me laugh, and I gave him a shy nod of approval. "Okay, but I have to warn you – this might be over before you even know I'm in. I've never gone bare before. It could take some time to get used to the new sensations."

"Practice makes perfect," I replied as I pressed my lips to his.

He added another new position, sliding himself into me as we laid on our sides, our eyes locked on each other. His eyes mirrored the pure bliss I felt, and he sucked in a deep breath, holding very still once he was in.

"Fuck, this really isn't going to take long. Sorry."

"How's your recovery time?" I asked teasingly.

"Amazing," he deadpanned.

"Go for it."

~ 0 ~

The room was completely dark when I woke up. At some point between romps, Edward must have closed up the ceiling. I had no idea what time it was, but I had never felt more rested. I had slept like the dead. My hair, which normally takes on a life of its own while I sleep, seemed remarkably tame. It wasn't in my face as it usually was. I soon realized that its saviour was Edward. He had swept it off my face and was currently stroking it.

"I love watching you sleep," he murmured when I smiled up at him. "You really are so pretty. And you look delicate – even though I know how strong you are, when you're sleeping, you look so vulnerable. It makes me want to wrap you up and keep you safe from everything."

I snuggled into my thoughtful boyfriend with my morning after-glow at an all-time high. "I can't believe our night is over already. I think we should run away somewhere and just spend all day, every day, just like this."

"A permanent honeymoon?" he asked, chuckling. "I could handle that. I could handle some food too. You?"

I mumbled an agreement, feeling the emptiness in my own stomach. "Is there anything in the kitchen I could make for us?"

"No!" he scoffed as he reached for the phone. "Room service, darling. My queen is not cooking. She is about to be pampered while we wait for our breakfast to arrive."

He sat on the edge of the deep tub, massaging my feet as I soaked. In bed, I had envisioned him in the bath with me, but I soon realized how sore I was when I tried to move. It was worth every bit, but I didn't think I could have another go with him right then no matter how much I wanted to. He seemed to sense my discomfort and didn't attempt anything other than the pampering he had promised. Switching from my feet, he lathered up my hair with his favorite shampoo. His fingers felt divine massaging my scalp, and he'd snicker at every moan I issued. When room service arrived, he kissed my forehead and left me to shower off the suds while he let them in with the food.

I rushed along, not only due to my grumbling tummy, but I didn't want to be away from Edward one second longer than necessary. We sat with our chairs pressed together while we ate, constantly exchanging smiles and soft kisses.

"I hope you don't think I'm bribing you with promises of luxury, but I do intend to make a habit of us running away like this from time to time. That said, has it impressed you enough to make you consider staying here – in London, I mean?"

A/N ~ Hmm. I'm normally opposed to an entire chapter devoted to citrus flavouring, but the muses insisted that their mutual need for reassurance and promises that this is real for both of them be shown. I hope it didn't disappoint.
Thanks for sticking with me. Reviews and well-wishes kept my chin up. Should be back to regular Monday updates now. :) XX ~ SR