He squeezed me in response, turning to face me. "I never got to give you your Christmas present."

I looked around the living room, stunned with the way it looked. The lights on the Christmas tree had been plugged in, casting a white glow through the room, which had been accentuated with the fire that he had lit in the fireplace. The room was warm and inviting, and I was impressed with his thoughtfulness.

Nothing looked out of place, however. There wasn't anything special about the room, nothing that I could believe might be my Christmas present. I half expected to find a new couch or a huge grandfather clock waiting for me.

Edward came behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and resting his chin on my shoulder. I leaned back into his embrace, content to just be near him. It was late and I was tired, but I was reluctant to move. I didn't want to break the quietness of the surreal moment.

I'm not sure how long we stood there, his arms around me. It could have been a minute or it could have been forever. It didn't matter to me. It was like you could feel the closeness between us, and my heart grew for how lucky I was.

Eventually, Edward tuned me so that I was facing him. "Your present?" he murmured in a low voice.

I drew myself closer to him and shook my head before placing it on his warm chest. "I just want to be with you," the words came out slightly muffled.

He pressed a kiss into my hair before drawing back, breaking the embrace, grabbing onto my hand. "Always," he pledged, drawing me over to the piano in the corner of the room and settling me onto the bench, moving to sit behind me, placing his hands around me on the keyboard. His warmness enveloped me once again, and I settled back into his body.

"Bella," he began. I turned my head slightly, pressing my cheek more firmly against his as his head rested on my shoulder. "I know that I tell you all the time that I love you," he continued. I could feel his jaw move against mine as he spoke. "And I don't know that it's enough. Everyday I count myself the luckiest man on Earth because I have you here, with me, and I don't know what I did to deserve it. I love you with my entire being, and tonight, I want you to know that. I need you to know that," his voice broke slightly with the emotion behind his words.

I was so moved that I didn't know what to do. His declaration wasn't really anything I didn't already know, because I felt the same way. He was a wonderful, special, amazing man, in every way possible, and he wanted me. I didn't understand it, but I accepted it unconditionally and tried my best to show him that I felt the same and I wasn't sure if I ever could show him how much he meant to me.

He composed himself and moved his hands over the keys of the piano lightly. "And so, I wrote you something. I hope it's something as enduring as my feelings."

He flexed his fingers once more before bringing them back to the piano keys. The notes that flowed from the instrument were clear and pure and when strung together created the most beautiful sound I had ever heard. I could feel the emotion pouring from the notes and the way he played them and I was completely stunned that he composed something for me. I wondered when he had the time, without me knowing.

When the last note had fallen silent, Edward moved his hand from the keys to rest on my lap, turning his face into my neck, not breaking the moment. I coved his hands with my own and rubbed gently until he pulled his head back slightly to look at me. I turned my face to his, resting my forehead against his, gazing into his eyes.

"That was beautiful," I told him earnestly, completely touched. The pressure of his hands on my thighs increased slightly, and I leaned in and kissed him softly, savoring the closeness and the quietness. Neither of us made any move to deepen the kiss. This kiss wasn't about passion; this kiss was about love and we were content to let our mouths move together in such a slow, familiar way. Eventually, we broke apart, slightly breathless. He made no move to draw back, again resting his forehead against mine.

"That was the best Christmas present I've ever gotten," I whispered.

At that, he drew back. "I have something else for you," he confessed.

He untangled himself from around me, leaving the room and walking toward the kitchen. I stood and faced the way he had gone, not sure what he was doing.

He was back within seconds, this time carrying a small box. When he got closer, I could distinguish the iconic light blue and white box. I gasped slightly as he came to stand in front of me, the piano bench separating us.

"I know you hate people spending money on you, and that you believe that there's a better use for that money. But," he handed the box to me before continuing, "it's not about the money. I like to give you things. And I want to spend the rest of my life searching for things to give you that equal you in beauty."

I looked down at the box in my hands, then back up at Edward. The firelight flickered over his face, and he looked half afraid that I wasn't going to accept it.

"I love it."

I wanted to assure him that even though I didn't necessarily want him to give me gifts, it wasn't like I wasn't going to accept them. Especially when they came from him. No, because they came from him. Because he always put so much thought and emotion behind his gifts.

"Open it," he urged.

I tugged at the white bow and it fell away easily. I lifted the lid to reveal the most gorgeous diamond pendant I had ever seen. It hung on a delicate silver chain, the diamond resting against a pillow of satin. It was simple and classic and beautiful, and I loved it.

Edward took the necklace out of the box, then took the box from me and sat it on the piano bench. I turned and lifted my hair and he clasped the chain around my neck. I felt him press a light kiss against my neck where the clasp fell before he turned me to face him again.

"Beautiful," his eyes were heavy as he brought his face to meet mine, continuing the soft kiss that we had started after he had finished playing for me. We kissed, slow and lazy, until our breathing got heavy. He kicked the piano bench out of the way and pulled me to him, running his hands slowly down my body before picking me up.

He lifted me up and placed me so that I was sitting on the top of the piano. Chord-less notes broke the silence of the room as my legs hit the keys, and then again as my legs shifted as Edward came to stand between them. He kissed me again, more insistent that before, but still gently. Before long, he was splitting his time between my mouth and my neck, and he had me panting in anticipation. His hands were all over my body, touching every bit of exposed skin before eventually coming to rest on my shoulders, pushing his still-unbuttoned shirt off me. It fell to rest on the piano, but I didn't even notice until my hands were free to grasp his head and hold him to me.

He worked his way down my body, licking and sucking and nipping at my breasts and making me whimper. My panting was the only sound in the room, breaking the quiet atmosphere. I kept my hands twisted in his hair, not willing to have him draw back and have the pleasure stop.

Satisfied that he had lavished enough attention on my breasts he moved further down my body. My whimpers intensified at the loss of contact but turned to moans when he reached by stomach, kissing first around my bellybutton and then moving lower, kissing around the top of my sex.

He nudged my legs open wider and mismatched notes once again came out of the piano. I felt him kiss the inside of my thighs, coming as close as he dared to my dripping center before moving his kisses further down my thigh. My panting was interspersed with groans at his teasing. I wanted nothing more than for him to release the tension that he was slowly building.

As much as I wanted it, I wasn't prepared for when he finally moved his mouth to my core, dragging his tongue from bottom to top, flicking lightly over the bundle of nerves at the top. I moaned loudly, too far gone to be embarrassed with myself. He threw one leg over his shoulder and I rolled my hips into his face as he went to work, licking the moisture from me before probing with his tongue for more. I concentrated on the feeling of his tongue on me, not ever wanting the sensations running through my body to stop.

I raised my head slightly, opening my eyes to glance down at him. The sight of him, his head between my legs, his tongue moving all around my sex, was too much for me to take. I pushed my hips up one last time, surrendering to the sensations that exploded throughout my body. My moans echoed through the room, the loudest that I had uttered all night. He held onto me, not relenting with his licking as wave after wave of pleasure coursed through me.

When my body relaxed and my moans had stopped, he stood up, the piano making noise yet again as my legs came to rest on the keyboard. He stood over me before covering my body with his own, kissing me deeply. I could taste myself on his lips, but it didn't stop me from responding to his warm, caressing mouth.

"Love you," I murmured lazily.

"I love you too, my Bella."

He pulled back and laid his head on my chest. My arms came to wind around his shoulders, but I could feel the effects of the hour and my orgasm starting to hit me. My eyes grew heavy, and I was so warm and content. I lost the battle with myself to keep them open.

Edward must have felt my breathing even out, because the next thing I knew I was in his arms, a gentle movement jarring me awake. He was carrying me somewhere.

"Edward …" I sighed as I curled myself into him.

I could feel him begin to climb the stairs. "Shh… let's get you to bed."

I shook my head slightly into his chest. "I want to spend Christmas Eve with you."

He entered our room, placing me gently on our bed before pulling the covers up around me. "Christmas Eve is over," he told me, gently stroking my face.

"Christmas, then." I was defiant. Tonight had been amazing and I wasn't ready to sacrifice it for sleep.

He laughed softly. "Christmas will still be here when you wake up. Sleep now."I could feel myself succumbing to sleep yet again and couldn't fight it, despite my best efforts. I pulled on his hand, forcing him down onto the bed with me.

"Stay with me." The request was completely stupid. This was his room too; this was his bed. Where else was he going to go? But it didn't matter that it didn't make sense. I wanted him next to me at that moment.

His soft laughter returned as he moved himself behind me, covering himself with the comforter. I could feel him draw me close, wrapping an arm around my waist. The last thing I remember before sleep overtook me was a soft kiss to my hair and his soft voice.

"Sleep well, my lovely Bella."


Author's Note: I'm sorry this is so long! Okay, so it's even shorter (but only slightly!) than the last two chapters, and for that I'm sorry. I had other visions for this chapter, but I had trouble connecting what ended up happening in this chapter to what I had envisioned. That just means that there will have to be another chapter. (This one-shot writing exercise turned into a fairly sizable project!) People seemed to like a more assertive Bella, and I wanted to play with that idea, but mushy, romantic Edward got in the way. Assertive Bella will return - I promise.

Part of the reason I couldn't do what I wanted with this chapter was because Bella and Edward have been going at it a lot, and it's only been one night in the timeline of the story. I know Edward's good, but I didn't want to over-exaggerate his stamina. After all, he's only human (in this story, anyway).

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and favorite'd and alert'd this story. I've tried my best to respond to signed reviews, because they really do make me happy. I figure if you take the time to leave me a note, I want to return the favor. This story remains unbeta'd, so all mistakes are mine. And the idea for the sex on the piano was partly inspired by the one scene in "Pretty Woman", and because I think it would be hot.

So have no fear - chapter 4 is already started. It's being adapted to be what I had sort of originally planned for this chapter.