Disclaimer: All things 'Twilight' belong to SM.

Pre-read by the fabulous TeamAllTwlight.

Chapter-36

As soon as Edward and Emmett disappeared into the house, Rose and I broke into giggles we had been suppressing with difficulty. For a few minutes we just gave way to our silly, girly self and laughed until we had tears in our eyes.

'So Bella," she managed to utter in between a snort and a titter, "no sit-ups on Edward's part last night? Did you do it standing up, then?"

"Rose," I was scandalized at her question. "He is your brother! You should not be asking such things about him!"

She sobered up a little. "I am not asking for any details, Bella. But come on—you know Em and I are waiting until we get married. Give me something to sigh about, at least. Did you really go all the way last night? And did that book help you in any way?"

Her request wasn't unreasonable, I thought. And had not Edward just said people should be more mature while discussing sex. I decided to give her some answers, but only within my comfort zone.

"We did," I said, smiling at the memory. "And yes, that book helped a lot. You can borrow it for your wedding-night, if you like." I cocked an eyebrow at her and felt smug at the sight of her flaming cheeks.

"But Bella," she whispered as if there were spies lurking behind the elderberry bushes, listening to every word she uttered. "Is it really worth all the pain and discomfort? I mean, there has to be pain the first time, right? Maybe even later on." She looked so scared that I began to feel pity for her.

"Seems you have heard too many horror stories of the first time, Rose," I took her hand in mine and pressed it comfortingly. "Really, it's not that bad. Of course, it's possible that I was lucky that way, but one thing is for sure—it depends a lot upon how ready the girl is, and how much the boy cares for her. That is why it is necessary to take it slow, and have as much foreplay as possible. And oh, communication is absolutely necessary. I would agree with the statement that if you can't talk about it, you are not ready to do it."

She took a deep breath. "I trust Emmett, though. He will be careful with me, right?"

"Of course he will," I assured her. "But Rose, Emmett is not a mind-reader, you know? You will have to help him out so that it is good for both of you. I am sure he will feel guilty as hell if you didn't enjoy it at least a little. Just talk with him, okay?"

She thanked me shyly. After a while I thought it was an acceptable time to call my parents. Even if they had a long and probably painful heart-to-heart last night, they must be up by now. But when I dialed Charlie's number, it was Sue who answered.

"Bella, how are you sweetie?"

"I'm good, Sue. I was hoping to speak with either mom or dad, or maybe both. Are they busy?"

"Oh no sweetie, but they were up talking, talking all through the night, and crying too. I woke up twice during the night and asked them to go to sleep, exhausted as they were. But those two were behaving like little kids—like there wouldn't be another day to do what they wanted to. I think they got out all the confessions and tears and longings at one go. Finally I fed them some breakfast in the morning and marched them to their rooms. I locked them from outside and told them I will open them only when they have slept for six hours at least."

I had to laugh at her tone—she sounded so proud of herself. "Okay, so should I call in the evening then? Not that I don't want them to have time together—"

"Oh, of course sweetheart, they would love to hear from you. And they would probably have a family meeting too, with you and maybe Edward present as well. But Bella," her voice got a little choked, "I have not seen Charlie as alive as he looked this morning, even though his eyes were bloodshot and barely open. As for your mom, I can only imagine how painful it must have been for her to be apart from her family, for all these years. But she was smiling so wide—"

I swallowed a sob as I listened to hers on the other end. "I-it's all right Sue, they will be all right. I will call them in the evening, okay?"

I disconnected the call and hid my face in my hands, trying to hide my tears. I had made the call from the sitting-room, hoping to give the news of a quick visit to Rose and Esme. But Sue's words made me understand how deep-rooted the problem was. It would take my parents days, perhaps months to put their life together, even if they were on to a spectacular start. It would be futile to wish that they get together and become a normal couple in a day or even a week. Even when I would meet them, I would have to keep my cool and not hassle them in any way.

"Hey." I was so busy thinking that I hadn't even noticed Edward entering the room. He sat beside me, took a look at my woebegone face and wrapped his arms around me. I put my head on his chest, inhaling the combination of soap and Edward, and felt better instantly. He stroked my hair affectionately.

"Is everything all right with your parents?" Of course he had guessed it was to do with them. He knew me so well. I raised my head and smiled weakly.

"Yes. Sue just told me how they had spent the night talking and crying, until she forced them to go to bed." I sniffled once and continued while he nodded sympathetically. "I—I had never thought how difficult it would be for them to reconcile, were they to find each-other somehow. Not that I had imagined it to be like in the movies, but—"

"I get it—it's really hard to see them like this, isn't it?" He wiped the dampness on my cheeks. "And you have such a soft heart, Bella."

We sat there for a few minutes, quiet but not uncomfortable. Then Edward reminded me of the graphic novel he had been writing lately, with me as the hero.

"I am at a place where the story could go in two perfectly rational directions," he explained, scratching his chin with his index finger. "I need your help to decide which one would be better, Bella. Will you come and take a look at it?"

"Of course." I felt like he had bestowed an honor upon me. "I just want to let Esme know first that I will call my parents in the evening, okay?"

I found Esme in the sun-room, engrossed in the pages of a décor magazine. Was she thinking of redecorating the house? It was perfect as it was, in my humble opinion.

She glanced up quickly and shut the magazine with a slightly guilty air. "Yes dear, what can I do for you?" The guilty look was replaced in a second with a warm smile.

I informed her of the developments and went upstairs with Edward, trying to imagine what could have been in that magazine. Maybe she had a porn mag inside it? I shook my head at the thought. I didn't want to be that open-minded.

We spent some time pouring over the pages of Edward's book. I could not get over how talented he was, and how his pictures seemed to speak to the reader. I wasn't bad at art, but I was never inspired by it either. Simply put, I could not visualize myself as an artist or as an art teacher. However, discussing the situation in Edward's story was something I could do. Even better, he liked my suggestions! After he had made a few notes, I asked him what he wanted for lunch. To my immense surprise, he replied that he wasn't that hungry.

"This must be the first time in all these days that you have refused an offer for food, Edward," I laughed, and he gave me a shy smile.

"Well, maybe later. Right now I want something else."

With his angelic face and sweet expression, Edward could never look dangerous, but something in his eyes made me feel he was up to no good. I cocked my head towards him as I got up from the sofa and stretched. "And what is that, may I ask?"

"This." He wrapped his arms around my waist and stood up, making my feet leave the floor. I screamed and clutched at his neck so I didn't fall. He carried me to the bed and laid me down carefully, and then climbed over me and blew raspberries on my tummy. I squirmed, laughing helplessly and pulling at his hair until he moved up and looked into my eyes, having raised himself on both his elbows. The warmth and weight of his lower body made me squirm in an entirely different way. My breath came quickly, and I could feel my face warming up.

"Bella." His voice seemed different, deeper somehow. I could feel his breath on my lips through his open ones, and then his eyes came closer and mine fluttered shut, and I drowned in the wonder of Edward's open-mouthed kisses. His mouth tasted fresh and cool as if he had been chewing on a mint. Had he been planning to kiss me? His hands wandered along the sides of my waist, and even through the fabric of my dress I could feel their heat. From my mouth he moved to my neck and then shoulder, and I recalled what had happened the last time.

"Edward, please don't leave a hickey there—everyone can see it."

His eyes seemed a bit glazed when he lifted his head. "Bella, you look so yummy in this dress—" He shook his head and blinked. "Oh right, the hickey—how did that happen?"

"That happened when you sucked on my skin here," I explained. "You were going to do that again, weren't you?"

"Well, you do look very fruit-fresh, so…" he rolled away suddenly, clutching me with him so that I was on the top. "Give me one then—just like yours."

I had to laugh. He made it sound like a child wanted the same toy as his friend. "Do you want everyone to see it?"

"Sure. Why? Do people disapprove of that?"

"Well, not disapprove exactly," I said, feeling rather lost, "but it's not considered polite to give your lover a hickey that is easily visible. Too much like flaunting your sex life in other people's face, maybe?"

"Oh," he nodded soberly, "I see. Okay then, give me one—" He sat up and whipped off his shirt, and then pointed to a spot above his heart. "—right here. And while we are upright, let's take off this pretty dress as well. I really like it when we have nothing in between."

I rolled my eyes at this very guy-like statement. Of course I liked it too, so I lifted my hips a bit and let Edward pull it up and over my head. The way his eyes alighted on my strapless bra made me laugh, but when he took it off after some fumbling and wrapped his lips around my nipple, all I could do was gasp with pleasure. After bestowing the same attention on the other one, he lay back and indicated that he was ready for my 'gift'.

I kissed the spot and then sucked upon it. I wasn't sure if it would have the required effect, so I was glad to see a beautiful oval-shaped mark there when I finished. Edward stared at it eagerly and proclaimed that it was the most perfect hickey in the world.

"Bella," he said, looking slightly nervous but also excited, "I want to try something new—I found it on the net, in a magazine called Men's Health."

"Okay," I said encouragingly. To be honest, I was more than a little curious. I had never laid my eyes on this magazine, so I had no idea what it might contain. If it was a new tip on fitness, why was he nervous?

'Well, we read about foreplay last evening, didn't we? And that it is very important for the woman to climax first?"

Of course it reminded me of his fingers pleasuring me and bringing me to orgasm. My face heated up instantly. Edward however remained oblivious to the direction my thoughts were running in. Or perhaps he was too busy with his own to notice.

"So, I read something very interesting—it's supposed to be a sure-fire way to make a woman feel good. If you just lie back and take off your panties, I will do the rest."

Coming from any other guy, the last sentence would have resulted in a raised eyebrow on the part of the girl, with an I'm-sure-you-will, you-wily-devil thrown in. But Edward was unique, of course—he said exactly what he meant, with no hidden intentions. Even though I had been naked in front of him, it still felt odd, but I did as he had requested and laid back, raising myself a little on my elbows to see what he was going to do.

He smiled and ran his hands up and down on my bare, smooth legs, before bending at the waist and kissing my toes one by one. It caused a tickling sensation and I tried to curl them in, but Edward held my ankles and then sucked on my big toe. It was unexpectedly erotic. I am sure I would have kicked him in surprise if he had not been holding me firmly. He did the same with the other foot, then kissed his way up each leg, making me squirm and giggle. However, when he reached my inner thighs, the giggles readily turned into moans, and I knew I was getting wet right there. It was definitely great foreplay. Just when I thought he must be ready to fish a condom from 'The Box', I saw him kiss my kitty, and then his tongue darted out and licked right across the k-opening. I gave a surprised scream and sat up hastily, almost squashing poor Edward's head between my thighs.

"Sorry, sorry," I relaxed so that he could sit back on his knees. His expression was crestfallen.

"You didn't like it—maybe I didn't do it right—"

"No, no," I assured him quickly, "that's not it—I was surprised, that's all. I didn't expect you to do that."

"So you did like it?" he asked hopefully.

"Um, I guess I did—I don't really know; it was so quick—"

"Let me try again, then." He pushed me gently, but I still had a doubt.

"But you said you didn't like the idea of a girl putting a cock in her mouth—"

He looked at me as if I was speaking Greek. "But this is different, Bella. Come on, let us see if you like it or not this time—and please, no sudden movements!"

I lay back and watched him as he held my thighs apart. And then his tongue got busy licking me—long and slow, at different angles—making me crazy with want. He observed my reactions carefully and sometimes added his fingers, until I screamed his name and came, my hands clutching the bed sheet desperately because I dared not grip his hair just in case I hurt him. When I came down from my high and opened my eyes, I found him smiling proudly.

"It seems I followed the instructions correctly, Bella," he declared from above me, then swooped down and gave me a quick kiss. "You reacted exactly as it was written in that article. But they forgot to mention one thing."

Trying to process how I felt at the strange taste on his lips, I nevertheless managed to ask him what that was. After the way he had made me feel, I doubted there was anything else required to be done. However, his answer was nothing I had expected.

"They didn't tell the readers that giving oral to the woman makes the man come too. I would have at least taken my jeans off!"

End Note: So Rose and Bella share a few things. Do you think Rose will be as lucky as Bella? What do you think of Edward's oral skills? ;)