BPOV

I was never great at the whole sleeping thing. My mind was always too busy worrying about something to ever turn off quickly, and I tended to wake up after a few hours with something new to stress about. When I was younger I didn't sleep because I cried a lot at night, it was the only time I knew my parents or siblings wouldn't walk in on me and tell me I was overreacting. Then, in college, it was school work or working at the library or finally spilling my guts to Rosalie that kept me from sleeping. Whatever it was, during whatever phase of my life, I never got much sleep.

This morning, though, my body woke up slowly. I stretched out on the impossibly comfortable bed, burying my head in the soft pillows with a sigh. A shower ran in the distance, the sound like rain lulling me into a half-sleep again. I was comfortable and content and when I remembered why I was so happy the feeling quickly vanished.

My head spun for a moment after sitting up too fast. My eyes fell to the clock on the bedside table that read ten to eleven. I wasn't sure I had ever slept until eleven, but now was hardly the time to congratulate myself for it.

I was clutching the soft comforter to my chest when the door to the right, the bathroom, probably, opened. Edward walked out, towel around his waist and a soft smile on his lips. His hair was wet, which made it look more brown than bronze. And he was more beautiful than I remembered, which was entirely unfair.

"Um, hi," I stuttered, tucking my messy hair behind my ear. I kept my eyes on the bed in an attempt to not stare at him, but that just made memories of him in the bed with me last night float through my head.

"Hi," he greeted, his voice sounding delightfully smooth and familiar. I heard soft footsteps come over to my side of the bed. A warm hand lifted my chin so I was looking up at him.

Edward's eyes softened, turning almost sad. "You don't have to look so scared."

"I'm not scared," I said defensively. "I'm stupid. And unprofessional. And stupid again. And – "

"No, you're not," Edward interrupted, his voice stern. He sighed heavily and ran a hand roughly through his hair. After a moment he sat carefully at the foot of the bed across from me.

"Do you regret it?" he asked quietly. "Looking past the fact that you're my publicist and that, on paper, I'm married. Do you regret it?"

"That's a lot to look past," I mumbled.

"I know," he sighed. "But, try."

My answer was immediate. "No."

After all of the butterflies and odd glances and tears shed over him, I couldn't regret it. I should have, I knew that, but I didn't.

My new favorite crooked smile graced his face. "I don't, either."

I sighed, happiness starting to seep through my confusion and clutched the comforter closer to myself. "There's still so many…"

"When was the last time you were able to enjoy yourself, Bella? Not worry about… those people or school or work and just be yourself?"

His questions took me aback and I frowned at him.

"I don't mean it as an insult," he added quickly. "I do the same thing. Focus on making everyone else happy instead of myself. Get too wrapped up in other things to even act like myself."

I was still confused. "What does that have to do with this?"

"I enjoy you," Edward admitted with a soft smile. "And I think you enjoy me."

I very nearly snorted at that. He had no idea. About my butterflies or hopeless pining basically since the moment I met him. Thankfully, instead of a snort, I managed a small nod.

"And you're not just saying that because you think you're out of a job if you don't, right? Because you know I wouldn't – "

"I know," I assured him quickly. There wasn't a manipulative bone in Edward's body. I knew this whole thing wasn't some power play or threat.

It was stupid. So, so stupid I couldn't believe I had let it happen. It was a great way to lose my job and ruin any future of a career I might have. But, Edward was right. Nothing I ever did was for my own enjoyment, nothing big at least. I didn't go on vacations or take time off to relax. I worked until I forgot my own problems.

Maybe it was time for me to enjoy myself for once. Be selfish and irresponsible. Because as much as I hated my butterflies the last few weeks, sometimes they were the only good part of my days.

Here, the source of my butterflies was offering himself up on a silver platter. A stupid, going-to-blow-up-in-our-faces-eventually platter. But, I had no choice but to smile at him.

"Already you seem to be thinking too much," he said with a playful smirk, he words bringing back a very vivid memory of hours earlier.

"No more thinking," he said, pressing a kiss to my cheek. "No more worrying." Another kiss to my other cheek. "I've got you. Okay?" Another kiss to my nose.

If not thinking too much led to any amount of time with Edward Cullen, it was worth it.

I leaned toward him, quickly pressing my lips softly to his. Because, with this odd arrangement we seemed to be making, I could.

As soon as my lips were on his, Edward knotted his fingers in my hair to keep me in place. Making the kiss much more exciting than I intended it to be. Maybe it was naïve of me, but I always thought it would be kind of weird to have someone else's tongue in my mouth. I was sorely mistaken about that.

I ended up on my back, a slightly damp Edward on top of me. My hands knotted in his wet hair and my mind quickly turning to mush.

Vibrating from the bedside table caught our attention.

"Fuckers," Edward mumbled, getting up and touching his phone until it stopped. "I've tried to cancel this lunch four times and no one seems to want to let me."

"Oh, don't cancel because of me," I said quickly. I didn't want to ruin his plans. "I should get out of your way. I have some work to do and I…"

My hesitation made Edward frown. It would be a lot easier to talk if he wasn't standing in front of me in a towel that did little to hide his arousal.

"I'm just a little, uh, sore," I mumbled, squirming under his bright eyes and cocky smirk.

He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to my forehead. Before he turned around, he tapped the table beside me lightly.

My eyes dropped and sitting beside me were two Tylenol and a glass of water. The gesture, the fact that he had thought ahead and put them there for me just in case, made my butterflies swirl around for a moment.

I swallowed them quickly, averting my eyes as Edward dropped his towel as he stood in front of the closet. My eyes searched the room for any hint of where my own clothing might be.

"I hung your dress in the bathroom," Edward told me, smirking over at me as he buttoned up a pair of jeans.

"Oh, thank you."

I frowned at the space between myself and the bathroom. I pulled the large king-sized sheet with me, careful to keep it wrapped securely around me.

"What are you doing?" Edward chuckled from the closet.

I turned to face him, only slightly disappointed that his chest was now covered by a crisp, white button down.

"Going to get dressed," I answered matter-of-factly.

"And you're going to take the bed with you?"

"I'm naked."

"Oh, I know," he smirked. This one was different though. More menacing as his eyes looked me up and down.

I huffed softly, tugging my sheet along behind me to the bathroom. My dress was, thankfully, hanging on the back of the door. I slid into it quickly, forcing myself not to get distracted by memories of it getting taken off the night before. I actively ignored the giant mirror, knowing I would look more than a little rough.

My shoes were on the floor beneath my dress and I slid them on quickly before grabbing the sheet and walking out. Edward wasn't in the bedroom, but I dropped the sheet on the bed and wandered out to the main living area.

Edward was standing by the door, pocketing his wallet when I walked in. His suite was at least double the size of mine. In order to even get to the entryway, I had to walk through a spacious living room and a small office.

I frowned, looking around. "I had a clutch."

Edward smirked, pulling my bag off of the table behind him. "It ended up under the coffee table."

I felt my cheeks heat immediately and quickly snatched it out of his hands. "Thank you."

"Your underwear is also still in the pocket of my slacks from last night."

I looked up at him with wide, exasperated eyes. He smiled back at me. I was pretty sure I had never seen him smile as much as I had in the last twenty-four hours.

"You're cute when you're flustered," he admitted. Edward leaned and pressed a kiss right below my ear. "I hope you feel better soon," he whispered, one of his hands sliding down my waist.

I cleared my throat. "I should, uh, go."

Edward nodded with a chuckle. "Me too. I'll see you this afternoon?"

I nodded and left quickly after a peek down the hall.

-B-

I sat in the tiny living room of my suite for about an hour once I got back. Thinking. Remembering. Wondering how it was I ended up in some odd employee-with-benefits relationship with Edward.

No more thinking. No more worrying. I've got you.

It was easier said than done. But, somehow, even with this odd arrangement, a constant flow of happiness coursed through my veins. Sure, it probably made me naïve and stupid, but I was. Happy. And confused, but mostly happy.

So, I was going to do what Edward suggested and enjoy myself for once. Hell, even Rosalie suggested it a few weeks ago.

"No more thinking," I mumbled to myself, standing from the couch and heading into the bedroom. "No more worrying."

I changed into a matching navy-blue legging and sports bra set. After catching sight of myself in the mirror I washed my face thoroughly and pulled my hair back in a pony tail.

There was a gym in the basement of the hotel, though basement implied it to be dark and dreary when in reality it rivaled Emmett's gym back in Los Angeles.

I needed a clear head before I could get any work done. As it was, my mind was currently full of very distracting memories. And the soreness between my legs had started to fade, so a run sounded like a great distraction.

"You're so fucking beautiful it hurts."

"Oh, baby. You have no idea… no idea how good I can make you feel."

"God, your skin tastes good."

A sudden wave of self-doubt washed over me. This man was fun and delightfully witty and unbearably sexy. I was awkward and inexperienced and not worth his time.

But, I wanted him. With every fiber of my being I wanted to be the one who got his smirks and smiles and kisses and whatever else he would give me. I had tried a lot of things to get over the want for those things, for him, and none of them worked.

I knew this arrangement was likely to end in getting myself hurt, but maybe it was the only option I had. Maybe there was a small chance that it would get him out of my system. After enough time with him being tentatively mine, maybe the butterflies would flutter away for good.

The thought made me frown, because I had grown to like the little buggers. They were comforting and frustrating but made me feel excited and alive. Maybe I would get them again someday, once I was over Edward, with someone else.

For now, I didn't really have a choice but to give them what they wanted. Because I wanted it too. And I could so easily have it, even if it was a stupid choice.

Edward made it so simple this morning. I enjoy you. You enjoy me. And I trusted him enough to know he would never hold this odd relationship over my head or blackmail me or anything like that.

He had hit the nail on the head when he said I never really did anything for myself. Rosalie's words from the night I told her about my butterflies floated through my mind. You're twenty-two. You have a body girls would kill for. Have some fun instead of working twenty-four-seven, Bella.

Maybe I just needed to… get over myself and enjoy things for once. I had a gorgeous man offering himself up to me and I couldn't even enjoy it.

After a four-mile run I had decided to officially live by Edward's words to me earlier. No more thinking. No more worrying. Sort of. I picked up my room key and phone, grabbing a water bottle from the small fridge provided before leaving the gym.

Looking at my phone I groaned, not quite sure how it was already almost three in the afternoon.

What are you doing?

The text from Edward made my slowing heartrate pick back up. I got in the elevator, hitting the button for the twenty-first floor and stared down at my phone. My inexperience was frustrating to myself, because my mind suddenly had no idea how to respond.

The doors opened, entirely too soon for it to be the twenty-first floor. I looked up from my phone to see Edward standing in the lobby, smirking into the elevator.

So much for clearing my head, I thought, watching as he stepped in the elevator holding a plastic drug store bag.

"Hi," I sighed through the appearance of a kaleidoscope of butterflies.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, eyes not bothering to hide the way they looked me up and down in the mirrored elevator doors once they closed.

"Better, thank you."

Edward hummed his response.

I opened my water bottle, simply for something to do. Ever since I had met him, I had never felt quite so awkward and tense around Edward. Now, he was staring at me and I was staring at him wanting… something but not really knowing what it was or what to say or what to do.

"What did you get?" I asked, nodding at the bag and taking a gulp of water.

Edward shrugged. "Condoms."

My water nearly came out of my nose as I choked it down. I coughed out an incredulous laugh.

"And this, for you. To keep your energy up," he added with a smirk, tossing a bottle of dark blue Gatorade at me.

I caught it quickly, pushing down another wave of self-doubt. I could convince myself to go along with this arrangement all day, but it still didn't answer the question of why Edward wanted me in the first place.

"You're a funny, funny man," I sighed, smiling over at him.

"I try. The condoms weren't a joke, though," he added with a shrug.

My cheeks burned and I stared at the little screen at the top of the elevator, the number of floors going up slowly. Eight more to go.

It constantly confused me, how I could so easily talk to Edward when I couldn't think of a single thing to say to most people. Right now, though, the elevator was quiet and tense and uncomfortable.

Then I saw Edward attempt to subtly adjust himself in his jeans and realized how stupid I really was. Sexual tension. Not uncomfortable tension.

The thought brought a bright smile to my face. No one had ever wanted me before and this whole thing was as exciting as it was stupid.

"Is my discomfort amusing to you?" Edward asked, though his tone was light.

The doors opened and I shrugged, smirking over at him as I took a step out. "Kind of."

I walked a few paces in front of him down the hall, making sure to swing my hips more than usual as I went. Once Edward stopped at his door I turned and smiled, holding up the drink he tossed at me earlier.

"Thanks for the Gatorade."

-B-

After a quick shower I ended up in my now-coveted Tonight Show with Edward Cullen t-shirt and a pair of leggings. I had settled myself on the comfortable couch in the living room to get some work done. It was Sunday so there really wasn't all that much for me to do besides some damage control on my inbox. I had other plans in the works, but I knew I was too distracted to give those any thought right now.

I smiled to myself as I took my last sip of the drink Edward got me and quickly texted him a picture of the empty bottle. My phone rang immediately after, Rosalie's picture popping up on the screen.

Seeing her picture made me suddenly desperate to talk to her. About everything that I couldn't.

"Hey," I sighed, answering quickly.

"I was told I have to apologize for drunk dialing you last night," Rosalie sighed, bypassing a greeting all together.

"You don't have to apologize," I chuckled. "It'll be enough torture for you to know that right after I hung up, Bryan Drake came up to talk to me."

"No!" Rose gasped dramatically.

"His hair is extra swooshy in person."

"This is why you become a publicist."

"Trust me, that guy is not your type." Just because I never dated, didn't mean I wasn't an expert in Rosalie's history. I always told her I was the least qualified person to ever give her relationship advice, but she countered that I was the best because I wasn't aware of all the mind games that went into dating. I had an unbiased opinion on what exactly a winky face in a text message meant, apparently.

"Besides, you seem kind of blissfully happy with Emmett."

"I am," she sighed dreamily. "Too happy, I think."

"Too happy? I don't know if that's a thing."

"The other shoe has to drop, right? He's too perfect."

"No relationship is perfect all of the time. But if he's perfect for you the not-perfect times are worth it."

There was a knock at my door and my heartrate picked up.

"Rose I have to go. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Okay. Thanks, Bella," she sighed, though she seemed better than a minute ago.

I opened the door without bothering to look through the peephole. My smile was instant when I saw Edward standing there, arms full of bags and a bottle of wine. I grabbed the bottle from him to lighten his load and stood back so he could come in quickly.

I was about to say… something. A greeting or question what was in all of his bags, something along those lines. Then I looked up at him and his darkening expression as he took in my outfit.

"Nice shirt," he mused, eyes ending up on mine.

"Thank you," I mumbled, feeling the same tension from the elevator invade the room. "What is all of this?" I asked for a distraction.

Edward smiled over at me. "Dinner."

It was much more than dinner. Once we had all of the contents of his bags spread out on the coffee table in the living room, it was enough to feed at least ten people. There was probably one of everything off of a Chinese takeout menu. Then the entire contents of a junk food aisle at a grocery store. Everything from cookies to marshmallows to every kind of candy imaginable.

We ended up on the couch, sitting cross legged on either side facing each other. I twirled my plastic fork through my lo mein and watched as Edward did the same.

"How long have you had the shirt?" he asked out of the blue.

I smiled across the couch at him. "My roommate got it for me as a joke right when I got assigned to you."

"Your roommate…"

"Rosalie."

When I put on my Tonight Show with Edward Cullen t-shirt this afternoon, I didn't realize it would eventually lead to twenty questions with the man himself. He asked me everything from my favorite classes in college to my favorite color. My blush had to have given me away when I answered the latter as green, but Edward didn't say anything about it.

Edward was spread along the couch, legs propped up on the coffee table as he pestered me about college. He had my phone in his hands, because he decided my taste in music needed expanding. His questioning didn't stop as he worked on a playlist, though.

"Were you in a sorority?"

I scoffed, tossing a marshmallow at him. "Do I seem like a sorority kind of girl?"

"No, I suppose not," he relented, tossing the marshmallow back at me before looking back at my phone. He slid it across the table back to me when he was done.

The night had been full of odd, random questions like that. I got some new information myself, too. I found out he went to lunch with some friends from high school who lived in the city now. There was Sam who was currently performing on Broadway and Seth who was a painter. Not the struggling-to-make-ends-meet kind of painter, either. The one who could draw a black line on a canvas and make more money than I had ever had in my account in a minute.

His entire face lit up when I asked about Masen and Lucy. It always did, and it was possibly one of my favorite things about him. He told me stories of terrible two's with twins and dreaded teenage years.

"I had to tell my son he couldn't ask you out after the first time you came to the house," Edward admitted.

I cringed and a mumbled "Ew," escaped out of my mouth.

Edward's eyes fell to me, suddenly serious. "He's closer to your age than I am."

"Yeah, but he's also underage. When he and Lucy accosted me at my gym I was worried I was going to get arrested for kidnapping."

Edward tossed his head back with a laugh. This wasn't at all how I thought the day would go. Things could have been awkward and tense. Or he could have come over and taken me straight to bed and I would have gone all too willingly.

Instead, he came over with food and snacks and asked me every possible question he could about myself. He was probably just being polite, easing me into things.

As they had all day, the slightest thought about last night sent flashes of it through my head. Images of a copper head of hair between my thighs and hands on my breasts distracted me. My butterflies swarmed my chest when I looked over at Edward and I realized, for the first time, I could give them what they wanted immediately.

I didn't have to sit here and feel them fly about all frustrated and needy. They had a new desire now, something they didn't even know they were missing out on until today.

Before I could lose my bravery, I threw myself across the couch, crashing into Edward's chest and burying my hands in his hair. His response was immediate, tugging me by my waist until I was situated and straddling his lap.

I might have initiated things, but as soon as Edward recovered from his shock he was the one in control. Firm hands on my hips and his teeth biting at my lips.

"Finally," he sighed, tugging my hair out of my pony tail.

I pulled away, panting with a frown.

"I wanted to make sure you wanted it as much as I did," he explained, grabbing my hips and pulling me sharply against his hard length.

"Oh," I mumbled, distracted by the way he kissed along my jaw. I buried my face in his neck, tentatively rolling my hips against him. The action sent a shot of pleasure through my veins, and gave me a rewarding groan from Edward beneath me.

I tugged on the first few buttons of his white button down, my hands burning into the newly exposed skin. I pulled away from him, unbuttoning the rest of his shirt. "Is it my turn now?"

I got a confused frown in response. "You said I would get a turn. To explore."

The moment was engrained in my mind. The whole night, really. Especially promises that I would get my chance to explore every inch of him.

Realization dawned in his eyes, a devious smirk spreading across his face. Edward quickly shrugged out of his shirt before rearranging us so he was lying on the couch beneath me.

"Your turn," he said smoothly, eyes burning up into me and making me blush. I didn't want to be distracted, though, so I kept my eyes away from his and on the sight in front of me.

The sun was just starting to set outside, and with the few lights still on in the room I had a much better view than last night in nearly complete darkness. I swallowed thickly as I scooted back on his lap, not wanting to obstruct any part of my view. Of course, that meant I was now perfectly situated on the hard length that intimidated the hell out of me.

My hands pressed gently into his abdomen, running up over his pecs to his shoulders and not stopping until I ended up squeezing his biceps. He was kind of perfectly made. Not too bulky but not at all scrawny.

Shirtless men were around every corner in Los Angeles whether they were fit or… not so fit. They never had an effect on me, though, other than earning an eye roll. Edward, though, he made my fingers itch to touch him.

My hands followed the same path they had just made, back to the spot where his jeans rested around his waist. I leaned down and pressed my lips softly to the skin below his navel. I didn't expect a new, primal desire to course through my veins at the contact.

Without over thinking every movement, my hands and lips and tongue traced patterns along his abdomen. Across the well-defined muscles and up even farther. When I ran my tongue lightly over his deep pink nipple he grunted out a curse. It made me smile against his warm skin.

I took my time exploring. Partly because I was genuinely curious and partly because I liked watching and hearing his reactions. I got mumbled curses whenever I ran my tongue along his nipples. Deep groans when my hands traced the space right below his navel. Gentle sighs whenever I traced patterns with my fingers over the center of his chest.

His patience was wearing thin. Especially when I kissed my way up his neck, eager for another kiss. His hands had been fairly complacent on my hips, keeping me steady and letting me have my fun.

As soon as I pressed a kiss to his lips, they slid up my hips, underneath my t-shirt, making their way quickly to my breasts. I swallowed his grunted curse when he was met with skin instead of fabric.

I whimpered against his lips at the sharp pinch against my nipples. It was entirely too distracting, and I wanted to take advantage of the moment.

"I'm not done," I whispered, sitting up and gently pulling his arms out from underneath my shirt. I got a raised brow from Edward and took a chance and wiggled my hips from side to side on top of him.

"Bella," he groaned, almost in warning.

I smirked down at him, letting my hands make one more pass down his chest before I slid back on his thighs. I could feel his eyes on me, but I knew I couldn't look up without getting distracted by them. Instead I focused on the task at hand and undid his belt and jeans.

They were already riding low on his hips, so I only had to pull them down a few inches before I had the complete view of it. Him. I had been hoping I had overreacted last night, that he wasn't as intimidatingly big as I had thought.

Apparently, I hadn't overreacted. I bit my bottom lip, head cocked to the side as I stared at him and tried to figure out how it fit inside me in the first place.

Before I could stop myself I wrapped my hand carefully around him, my fingers just barely touching. He was heavy and hard and I suddenly had no idea what I was doing.

Edward took pity on me, his hand joining mine. He wrapped his hand around mine, squeezing harder than I ever would have done on my own.

My eyes stayed on our hands, moving up and down over him, but I could feel Edward's eyes on me. I leaned forward, only a bit, when Edward pulled my hand off of him and sat up.

"As many times as I've thought about your lips wrapped around my cock… not tonight," he groaned, teeth nipping at my neck.

"You… you've thought about that?" I asked, gasping when he found an especially sensitive spot right behind my ear.

"Oh, baby. I've thought about everything."

Edward took advantage of my shock, standing quickly and taking me with him. It only took him a few long strides to make it to the bedroom. He deposited me on the bed, immediately covering my body with his.

With no hesitation, one of his hands snuck into my leggings and we both let out matching groans. My hips thrust up against his hand on their own accord and I felt Edward smile against my neck at the action.

"Love how responsive you are," he groaned into my neck.

He kissed his way down my chest, over my t-shirt, simultaneously sliding two fingers inside of me. I could focus more this time; think about the pleasure instead of the unknowns. It made everything more.

I gasped when he bit playfully at my nipples through the thin material on his way down my body. Edward pulled my leggings down my legs quickly, taking the cotton panties I was wearing with them.

He stood at the foot of the bed, his jeans hanging off of his hips, and stared down at me. My only clothing left was my t-shirt, but he seemed to enjoy it. I watched his every move; from his hand digging a condom out of his pocket to him roughly discarding his last traces of clothing.

Edward knelt on the bed beside me, his hand immediately pushing my legs apart. Two fingers slid inside me easily, his thumb rubbing firm circles into my clit.

I gasped beneath him, staring up at him beside me. He suddenly seemed much more menacing than I knew him to be, hovering over me with dark, greedy eyes.

"I want you to come on my cock this time," he grunted, his fingers starting a harsh rhythm. "So, I need you nice and ready for me."

I moaned, at the feel of his rough hand and his words. I whimpered his name over and over, my toes curling.

"Open this," he demanded, handing a gold foil packet to me. His eyes were still on his hand, the one torturing me.

My hand shook and I repeatedly got distracted from what I was supposed to be doing until I finally ripped the packet with my teeth. My breathing got loud and mixed with a constant stream of moans.

"Put it on," he growled.

His fingers slowed down enough for me to focus on what he asked and remember the embarrassing sex ed class I took in high school. As soon as I was done, though, he sped up again.

"Edward," I whimpered.

"I know, baby," he sighed, his fingers disappearing.

I kept my eyes on him, watching the way the muscles in his arms tensed as he maneuvered my legs and how his eyes, nearly black now, seemed glued to the spot where his fingers just disappeared from.

Edward knelt between my legs, lifting me and my torso up to discard my shirt. The way he looked at me should have made me uncomfortable and blush, but my needs suddenly made me very unconcerned with that kind of thing.

The moment the head of his cock brushed against me my entire body tensed, though.

"It's okay," he sighed, his breathing uneven. "Relax."

Edward leaned over me, intertwining our fingers beside my head. I squeezed his hands tighter with every new inch of him inside me.

It was an entirely different experience from last night. There was a slight sting of soreness, but it was easy to overlook. There were so many different things I wanted to focus on and enjoy. The sound of Edward's breath coming out in pants with every slow, deep thrust inside me. The way his hands squeezed mine, too, like some kind of silent way of communicating. His kiss, lazy and sloppy and swallowing every moan that escaped me.

One of his hands disentangled itself from mine, hitching my leg up higher around his waist and ending up gripping my waist. His touch, so close to the home of my butterflies, made them swarm around in greeting.

"Yes," he groaned into my neck, his movements becoming harder, faster.

My fingers dug into his hair, pulling his lips to mine with a whimper.

"You're so close, baby," he moaned against my lips. "Let me feel you."

His words set me off, the tension he had been building up for so long finally snapping. I had no control over the sounds that escaped me or the tight hold I had on his hair. I was barely conscious enough to comprehend the chant of my name in my ear and the final few, hard thrusts before he collapsed on top of me.

It took us both a while to slow our breathing back down. Edward recovered first, leaning up and brushing a few loose strands of hair out of my face.

"You okay?" he asked, his voice gruff but his eyes blissfully sweet.

I nodded and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. My hands roamed up his arms and over his shoulders as his tongue tangled with mine.

After a few minutes he begrudgingly disentangled himself from me heading to the adjoined bathroom with a wink in my direction.

Once he was gone I sat up, pleased to find there was no uncomfortable soreness like there had been last night. I pulled a blanket from the bottom of the bed, tugging it up to keep myself mostly covered.

I heard the shower start to run and relaxed back into the pillows with a smile. Somehow, even from the beginning, everything with Edward felt easy. There was never a time when I felt my inner awkwardness come out around him or when I felt like he was brushing me off. He was easy to talk to and very easy to fall into bed with.

The bathroom door opened, shower still running. Edward stood there, stark naked, and smirked at me. "Aren't you coming?"

I blinked at him, more than a little distracted by his state of undress. "Oh, I…"

He walked over, smirking as he came, and gently pried the blanket out of my hands. "No sheets or blankets this time."

I slid out of the bed quickly and my limbs didn't appreciate it. Edward kept me upright, a smirk on his face and hands on my hips. I followed him to the shower, blushing the entire way.

The shower was spacious; made out of creamy marble and glass doors. The head rained warm water down on us, the sound as comforting as a nighttime storm.

I stood under the spray, most likely looking like a drowned rat, as Edward pushed my hair out of my face. His hands cupped my cheeks, fingers sliding gently down the bridge of my nose and across my lips.

His eyes were on me, bright and sated and… contemplative. "You're so… fucking pretty."

I smiled up at him, knowing he had to be lying but appreciating the comment anyway. We were both quiet after that. Edward worked diligently, washing my hair entirely too thoroughly. His hands were on their best behavior as he ran a washcloth along my body, kisses peppered along every newly cleaned inch of skin.

Once I was as clean as could be we switched places, Edward standing under the spray, but I was at a complete disadvantage.

"You're too tall," I grumbled.

"You're too short," he countered with a smile.

Our size difference was prominent; where Edward was tall and muscular, I was petite and slim. I wasn't a stick, I had some muscle on me from working out as much as I did, but it wasn't like I was built or boney. And I had always been on the smaller, shorter side at five-three.

My research had earned me the knowledge that Edward was exactly six feet tall. My last two nights had earned me the knowledge that everything about him was much bigger than me.

Standing here, naked in the shower, our size difference was blatantly obvious.

I let out a squeak when Edward picked me up, hands on the backs of my thighs. My legs wrapped around his waist and I stared down at him with wide eyes.

"Better?"

I laughed the whole time I washed his hair. Took extra care to make sure all the shampoo was washed out, just because I liked the way he smiled up at me as I did so.

It was surprisingly natural to crawl into bed beside him. There was no awkwardness when I laid my head on his chest or when his arms wrapped around me.

"Can I ask you a question?" I asked sleepily. I was exhausted, but there had been one thing on my mind that I wanted to get out of the way.

"Hmm?"

"Um, I mean, I know you've… you know. And you made sure I… you know. But I don't really have a frame of reference for these things and I wanted to make sure it was… you know." I cringed at myself. It made absolutely no sense, even to me.

"Are you asking me if you're good in bed, Bella?"

My eyes widened in horror. "No. I was asking if it was… enjoyable for you. Even though I don't really know what I'm doing."

Edward tilted my chin up to look at him. "It's… fucking fantastic, Bella. You're fantastic."

"Oh," I said with a deep blush creeping up my cheeks. "Um, okay. Good."

Edward pressed a quick kiss to my lips with a smile and I relaxed against him, finally letting my eyes drift shut.

A/N: Hope you're all still enjoying this one! Thanks for the continued support. You have no idea how motivated every review makes me.

Also, a few stories from the Hopeless Series are nominated over at the TwiFic Fandom Awards! Dark Paradise and reputation are up for Favorite All-Time Fic, reputation is up for Empire Records, and Hopeless Kingdom is up for Undiscovered Gem! I'd love a vote or two if you can spare the time – you can vote once every twenty-four hours on their site!

See you Friday!