Disclaimer: You know this by now, but I can't afford to be sued or anything like that. So, again, I humbly submit that I am immensely grateful for being allowed to use Stephenie Meyer's superb characters.

A/N: I couldn't resist. More fluff. Very sweet fluff, the sort that even I like.And so sappy. But still sticking to my standard of "no bad stuff," so no fear! I'll let you get to reading now!

I stretched in his arms, trying to make my mind concentrate on anything but him. It was a desperate effort, when I could see his brilliant eyes shining with mirth, every perfect muscle, that wonderfully crooked smile… and behind all that, the mind, the soul that I was in love with. He was right, though, he would find out sooner or later, most likely when I was asleep and betrayed all my secrets to any who could hear.

I didn't really mind. Not telling him was just… a little manipulative of me. For once, I wanted to give as good as I got, and a little mind game wouldn't harm him.

His arms loosened their grasp, and I sat up, groaning a little. He looked at me curiously. "I'm a little sore is all," I said, in response to the unasked question, "It's probably just from being so tense." He watched me carefully, despite the assurance, as I looked my limbs over. I expected a few bruises at the least from making contact with his stone-hard arms, but found none. That made me smile. His gaze took on a slightly confused and wary aspect.

"You're thinking that something's wrong with my head, aren't you?"

"Something along those lines."

"Pessimist."

"Klutz."

"You know that's playing dirty," I said, frowning as I leaned in towards his face, barely moving so as not to startle him.

"It's the truth, and you know it." His face was so close to mine that I could feel the chill of his flesh, and I was sure that he felt the warmth of mine.

"It's still not fair," I whispered, breathless.

He kissed the hollow between my collarbones lightly, and I felt my own skin flush red under the touch of his lips as he trailed kisses up my neck to the hollow under my ear. "Hasn't anyone ever told you? Life isn't fair." His voice throbbed with a laugh deep down in his lungs.

"I believe I have heard that somewhere before," I said, trembling uncontrollably at the feel of his breath against my bare neck. I pulled back away from him slowly, watching his face as I slid one hand up from its resting place on his chest, over his alabaster throat, and up under his chin. I held it there for a moment as one of his hands slid up my back, caressing my spine and coming to rest against the back of my neck while I lost myself in the loving expression of his eyes. I pulled his face closer to mine carefully, while giving into the slight pressure on the back of my neck that drew me even nearer to him.

I cannot say whether my lips met his first or his met mine, but in the instant that they were joined, a mind-numbing wave of pleasure swept through me, obliterating the shadows that stalked the edges of my mind with purest light. I felt all of my doubts falter under this testimony of his unfaltering love and my heart swell and throb until I was sure it should break through the cage of my ribs.

My fingers trembled against the skin at the corner of his jaw as he drew his mouth back from mine. My breath swept into my lungs with a sudden gasp as let my head fall back into his hand. To my surprise, a slight tremor passed through his body: surely I didn't affect him they way that he affected me? His breathing held just a slightly ragged edge, and his face was soft, loving. Once upon a time, he had looked out of those very same eyes wildly desperate, fighting with only love and faith against instinct. No trace of a predator lingered there now.

I laid my head against his chest, every pore of my skin tingling. I felt Edward's arms slowly caress me as they wrapped around me again, holding me tightly to his body with his immense strength as I melted under his touch.