A/N: First off, a tutorial in Victorian unmentionables (underthings, lol) Drawers, or bloomers as they were later on called, were the undergarments for women in those times. AND they were crotchless, please remember that they were crotchless. Thank you…

Now, due your love and affection, my dear readers, Monster's Serenade has reached the final round of the Indie Twific Awards. So if you want this fic to win the best AU WIP award, please vote for it.

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Voting closes on 29th July, 11:59AM, EST.

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Naah kidding, enjoy the chapter :-)

Isabella paced nervously in her room, her fingers twisting around a lock of her hair. Her wedding night was giving her a living nightmare, and she wanted it to pass as soon as possible.

The constant pacing exhausted her quickly, and she slumped on the bed. Resting her head gingerly on the soft pillows, she wished to be in her room, at her home, with Charles.

A loud thud from the other side of the wall caught her attention, and she nearly jumped out of her bed in fear.

Isabella didn't like hearing this sound; it meant that Edward was still awake. It had been deathly quiet for almost two hours, so she had assumed that he was already asleep. The noise brought back the dread, and Isabella shrank back into the bed.

She trained her ears for more sounds, particularly from the room adjoining hers. No further thuds or bangs followed afterwards. It was back to the deathly silence.

Isabella remained glued to her bed, like a frightened child who had awoken from a nightmare. Edward's harsh expression loomed in her memory, and she wondered what she had done to invite such wrath.

Her throat felt dry and itchy, and she realized how thirsty she was. She looked around frantically, hoping to find a glass of water, but there was none.

Slinging her legs off the bed, she stood up at once, forced out of her current safe haven by her thirst. She padded across the room to the door.

Isabella felt loathe to leave her room, for she didn't want to face Edward again. She creaked the door open slightly, half-expecting to see Edward marching about like an angry giant. To her relief, no one was haunting the corridor.

She tiptoed out of the room, trying her best to be as silent as possible. Creeping down the colossal stairs, she went straight to the kitchen. Although she could see that no one was there, a strange feeling kept nagging at her, as if someone was observing her every move. She shivered at the thought.

The kitchen was dark, and Isabella found it hard to navigate around the unfamiliar forms. She bumped into unknown things, and it annoyed her immensely.

"At the very least they could keep a candle in here," she muttered to herself, frustrated and thirstier than before. Her vision got better as the minutes passed, but only marginally.

Her hands traced the flat wall on one side of the kitchen but found nothing. As she removed herself from the wall, she bumped into something again, something that wasn't there before. The coldness and the hardness of it wasn't the same as the kitchen counter.

Instantly, goose pimples rose on Isabella's back. She turned around in haste and lost her balance in the dark. Cold hands steadied her against the wall, gripping her waist. A low gasp escaped her lips as Edward's smouldering eyes met hers. They seemed to be glowing in the dark.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, a hint of irritation in his tone.

"I-I was thirsty," she answered in a wavering voice.

He glared at her, as though she had offended him somehow. This puzzled her. What did I ever do to make him behave like this? she thought resentfully.

Ever so slightly, his hands tightened around her petite frame, his fingers sliding against the soft fabric of her nightgown. It felt as though he was feeling her skin through her gown, tracing the curve of her waist. Isabella gulped loudly, her throat feeling dryer than before. Her knees suddenly felt weak.

Edward's eyes flickered to his hands and then back to Isabella's face. He was lost in the softness of her body, feeling it through her clothes. She was so warm and pliant; he was struggling to keep his focus. Then, as if to taunt him further, she started gnawing her lower lip.

He stared at her lips like a starved man, while his thumbs began to move in small circles around her ribs. He closed his eyes momentarily to regain some of his lost control. It was all he could do not to haul her over his shoulder and take her like a savage.

I'm sure you will find your next victim without much trouble… if this arrangement doesn't work.

Rosalie's spiteful words suddenly echoed inside his head, and that promptly halted his salacious thoughts. He wanted to have Isabella, but he also wanted to prove Rosalie wrong. Her words had planted only an ounce of doubt in his brain, but this doubt was enough to make him hesitant. He wanted to be completely sure of himself.

While he weighed his options, Isabella squirmed in his grasp, like an apt prey, trapped in its predator's clutches.

"I-I just wanted w-water," she stuttered, looking apprehensive. Her heart thumped loudly in her chest, while beads of perspiration started forming on her forehead.

Her sheer vulnerability endeared her to him, and thus, he softened his stance.

"You could have hurt yourself, rummaging in the dark," he scolded her while trying to avoid thinking about the consequences of such an occurrence. He would definitely be the last person who could help Isabella if she hurt herself and spilt even a tiny bit of blood. "Why didn't you come to me?"

Isabella lowered her gaze but remained silent.

He drew closer, and she shrunk back into the wall, her reluctant gaze back on his face.

"Bella, answer me," he whispered anxiously.

Her eyes widened a little, and he heard her heart stutter a beat. "I… didn't want to disturb you," she said rather breathlessly.

Edward released her waist and grasped her hands instead. Swiftly, he pulled her out of the kitchen and brought her to the grand hall. Without a word, he went back into the kitchen and returned with a jug full of water.

Isabella eagerly took it from him; her dainty hands clutching it like a long awaited present. She then looked at his empty hands expectantly.

"Glass?"

Edward stared at her, bemused. "Pardon?" he asked, feeling as though one of his senses had been snatched from him. Being with Isabella made him feel slightly incompetent sometimes, slightly… human.

Isabella pursed her lips, looking frustrated at his inability to understand her. "That's fine; I'll take the jug with me. Thank you," she said quickly and then turned around towards the stairs.

Edward grabbed her elbow as she started for the stairs and pulled her back. He didn't want her to leave, not so soon. "What were you trying to convey earlier?" he asked with an edge to his voice.

"That I needed a glass or a goblet, to pour water from this jug," she replied softly, her voice losing its strength.

Edward blinked and then understood. He had made a minor blunder. It was a very normal human requirement, a glass of water, and he gave her a whole jug. He was unable to comprehend these minor human nuances of Isabella. His mind-reading helped in overcoming this difficulty with others but not with her.

"Do you… drink straight from a pitcher?" Isabella asked meekly. She moved her arm surreptitiously, and he felt her slipping from his soft grasp. He tightened his hold on her, and that stopped her attempts to pull herself free.

"No," he answered and continued in his thoughts, I drink straight from the jugular.

"I do need a glass." She looked at him with pleading eyes.

"I'll bring a glass." He let go of her arm and then went back into the kitchen.

Isabella stared after him, feeling every bit as uneasy as on their first meeting, perhaps even more so. She wanted to be back in her room as soon as possible. Edward's presence threatened her in unknown ways.

He returned quickly with a glass in his hands. She took it from him without any delay.

"Thank you," she mouthed hoarsely and then hurried up the stairs. She didn't look back to see his expression she was much too scared to do it.

Once back in her room, Isabella exhaled slowly, trembling with opposing emotions. A part of her wanted to cringe away from Edward, but a strange and unwise part of her wanted to seek him out.

Edward baffled her. His mercurial moods frightened her, yet there was an allure to him that she found hard to resist. It made her feel uneasy, very similar to the feeling of the unknown.

She shook her head, trying to shake his effect off that even fear wasn't able to drown.

Carefully, she closed her bedroom door and hopped over to the bedside to quench her thirst. She poured herself a glass of water and sipped slowly, instead of chugging it down her throat in large gulps.

When she finished her second glass of water, she heard the lilting notes of a piano from somewhere around the manor. The sound was muffled by the walls of her room but not enough to diminish its beauty.

She listened carefully; the music felt pleasant to her ears, and she wanted to hear more. She moved out of her room once again, with curiosity driving her to find the source of the beautiful sound.

As Isabella walked towards the room at the end of the corridor, the sound got stronger and stronger. She realized that she had been there before when Edward had shown his art collection to her. The piano had been there at that time as well, but Isabella hadn't paid much attention to it.

As she approached the piano room, the music stopped abruptly. With the music, the magical pull was also gone, and Isabella found herself in the grip of fear and uncertainty again.

Of course, it is Mr. Masen, she thought. Who else would be playing the piano here, at this hour?

As she contemplated bolting back to her room, the music began again, picking up where it had left. Isabella couldn't leave.

She peeped inside the room, more curious than ever. There, she saw Edward, running his long fingers deftly across the piano keys, a deep concentration on his face. As she observed him play, his lips seemed to twitch infinitesimally.

The unfamiliar melody was coming to an end, yet Isabella couldn't help but stand there in the doorway. Edward brushed his fingers over the keys one last time and then sighed.

"Are you just going to stand there and stare at me?" he asked suddenly, jolting her up.

Edward turned towards Isabella and gave her a wicked smirk. "I can catch the ones who lurk."

Isabella stood very still at the door, not sure of what she should say. He stood up and walked up to her, then guided her inside the room by holding her waist. She could feel the chill of his hands through her nightdress.

He brought her to a chaise lounge and gestured for her to sit down.

Moving back to the piano, he looked at her with yearning in his eyes. "Do you want me to play some more?"

She nodded, but kept quiet.

When Edward started playing again, it was a different melody, sweeter than the previous one. It was soft and alluring, and she felt like closing her eyes as the notes filled her ears. The music eased her frazzled nerves and lessened her inhibitions.

"Who wrote this?" she spoke finally, moving herself back to lie down against the lounge. "I haven't heard it before."

"I'm sure you haven't. I wrote it."

"Hmm, it is beautiful…" she sighed blissfully.

"Thank you…"

The music continued, like an endless string of beautiful notes, and Isabella found herself relaxing to its sweet cadences.

When she finally opened her eyes, she found herself back on her bed with the quilts wrapped around her. Feeling out of sorts, she heaved herself on her elbow and looked around.

The deep grey, stormy sky greeted her as she peered out of the window. To her surprise, it was morning already.

Isabella slumped back into her bed and thought about last night, for she couldn't remember how she got into her bed. She turned around on her side, feeling restless, and then her eyes widened.

She had woken up in her bed in the morning, and she could smell it on her pillows and quilts… they were filled with Edward's scent.

The music, the piano, and Edward; all the memories of last night came back to her, except how she got into her bed with Edward.

Edward studied the blanket of grey clouds from his study window. They swirled around and changed forms, but they remained hanging in the sky like a restive beast.

The air seemed oppressive, as though the beast had reached its limit and couldn't wait anymore. Soon, the clouds would burst open with pouring rain. The beast would get its release, but not Edward. His release seemed elusive and difficult to reach.

Only he knew the extent to which he desired Isabella. She slept soundly through the night, right there in his arms. She was warm and supple, too tempting to be left untouched, yet he didn't take her. Edward didn't want to do it while she was unaware. He wanted her as a willing participant; he wanted to hear her approval, her want for him.

The only thing he didn't want was her death… at his hands.

"I'll prove Rosalie wrong; I sure as hell will prove that bloody harpy wrong," he muttered to himself.

As he verbally abused Rosalie, he heard someone approach his study. By reading the muted thoughts from the other side, he knew who it was.

"Yes?" he asked impatiently when he heard a knock at his door.

The door cracked open, and Charles's anxious face popped in.

"Charles?" Edward tried to sound surprised as he gestured for Charles to come in.

"Good morning," Charles hesitated and then completed his sentence with a hint of spite, "Sir."

"Ah, good morning." Edward smiled broadly at Charles and put both his hands behind his head in a relaxed manner. "You're here early," he said mockingly, "is there something important that needs your attention here?"

"I—well…" Charles studied Edward's mannerisms; as Edward had thought, he was worried about his niece's wedding night.

"Is there anything I can do for you? Or are you here to work with Mr. Langley?" Edward asked impatiently.

"Well, actually Sir—"

Edward cut Charles's words off with a languid yawn.

"It was a long night, and I hardly got to sleep," Edward admitted with a lazy sigh.

Charles stiffened, and his face turned bright red with anger and contempt.

Edward's smile grew, turning into a wicked grin. "Yes, you were saying?"

"I wanted to see Isabella," Charles spoke though gritted teeth, struggling to control his anger.

"Ah! Bella," Edward sighed again and gave Charles a look of pure bliss. "I'm afraid, Charles, she is still sleeping. I believe she's very tired… after the events of last night—I mean, last evening."

Charles's face reddened further as Edward's suggestive words elicited more fury inside him.

Edward felt thoroughly entertained by Charles's reaction. It was exactly as he had hoped. Even though his wedding night went barren and eventless, he was determined to get his ounce of amusement from it.

Charles gripped his chair's arms in an attempt to keep himself from lunging at Edward's throat, and this only amused Edward further.

Edward then stood up abruptly, as he heard Isabella leaving her room. "Let us go sit inside the grand hall," he suggested, "and wait for Bella to come downstairs."

Charles mutely followed him out of the study and into the hall.

Edward didn't want to miss another opportunity to irritate him, so he moved as quickly as humanly possible to meet Isabella at the stairs before she would see Charles.

"Bella!" he exclaimed as he saw her stepping down the stairs. He ascended swiftly and met her half way through the spiral staircase. Positioning himself in front of her, he purposefully blocked her view of Charles.

"Bella, love, you're awake!"

"Umm, yes?" Isabella stared at him, looking bewildered by his sudden approach.

He took hold of her face and planted a string of kisses on her cheeks and lips. "Bella, sweet Bella…" he sighed on her lips and deepened the kiss.

Isabella gasped in his mouth, and her sweet breath burned his throat, but it wasn't enough to keep him away from her. His tongue demanded entry, and Isabella complied. Her warm mouth opened itself to his explorations, and he claimed it enthusiastically.

For a moment, Charles was completely forgotten, and Edward concentrated wholly on Isabella. His hands slid to her waist and pulled her lush, warm body to his cold hard one. Her chest pressed against his own, and the heat surged through his body.

Downstairs, Charles looked on, angry and helpless to protest. After a while, his thoughts became so loud that Edward had to end his intimate embrace with Isabella. He pulled away slowly but still kept holding her, for she appeared wobbly and out of breath.

"If you're wondering how you reached your bed last night, well, you fell asleep on the lounge, and I carried you to your room," he told her with a wicked glint in his eyes.

"I… see," she responded slowly, looking dazed.

"By the way, your uncle is here," he whispered in her ear and then moved back a step to smirk at her.

As he expected, her face flushed the prettiest colour of pink once she saw Charles standing at the bottom of the stairs.

"Oh, Uncle!" she rushed to Charles, leaving Edward behind.

A sudden wave of anger hit Edward as he saw how easily she left his side. It was very infantile on his part to feel jealous of Charles, but he couldn't help himself.

"I'll be in my study," Edward muttered to both Charles and Isabella as he brushed past them and exited the hall.

I suppose the entertainment is over, he thought bitterly, banging the study door behind him.

There in his study, he saw a stack of invitations at his table and groaned to himself. They were the post-wedding invitations, for lunch, or dinner, or any other meal he didn't want to attend.

Edward…

His head snapped up from his prey, and all the muscles in his body became taut with raw rage.

It wasn't the time first that it had happened; it seemed as though Rosalie was determined to pester him time and again.

"Rosalie!" he hissed, pushing the dead animal aside, "don't you dare!" The threat was open and very real, but Rosalie continued nonetheless.

This time, I am here to actually apologise, Edward…

"No, Rose, you are here to annoy me, nothing else!" he snarled in absolute rage.

You can see it in my mind, I'm not here to spar with you or argue with you. I just want to have an honest conversation… The sound of her thoughts was weak; she was keeping a safe distance from him.

"And I know you have brought your perpetual guard dog with you." He could hear Emmett's thoughts as well, about the same distance as Rosalie's.

Well, what can I say… you are very lethal when you're angry. I had to have some protection, for I've been the cause of this rage.

"Say what you want to say, and then go away!" Edward had made this hunting trip a long one in hopes that he'd be able to avoid all the annoying post wedding brunches and dinners. He never comprehended, however, that this trip would turn sour at the very end.

I'm sorry for ruining your wedding. I couldn't help it… Rosalie continued her with her apologies.

"Why?" he asked curtly, letting his rage flow into his voice.

She gave him a vision of her human past, the ugly part where her human life came to a gory end. She repeated the painful memories in her head of when she was assaulted by her own fiancé and left to die on the streets of London.

Edward cringed at the mental images. "Why are you showing all that to me?"

You know how weddings irk me...

"So you went on and ruined mine, because someone else ruined your human life. How very justifiable." Edward's rage was now replaced by a feeling of disgust.

You were going to force her, and it reminded me of… that time.

"I know that we both aren't fond of each other, Rose, but I'm so glad to know how highly you think of me."

Well, you have been… frustrated for so long, so…

Edward growled aloud. The last thing he wanted to discuss with her was his personal life. "I never heard you think very fondly of Bella either. What brought on the change of heart? Why are you so worried for her suddenly?" he asked, changing the subject of their conversation.

I never said that I liked her. I'm indifferent towards her…

"What motivated you to offer me that wager on Bella's life?"

I wasn't, and am still not pleased that you've married a human. You're risking our secrecy. And then, I saw a glimpse of my own past… when I contemplated how you forced her to marry you.

"She wouldn't have agreed to marry me otherwise," he admitted candidly, and changed the course of their conversation again. "Nevertheless, why weren't you forthright with me? I would have appreciated that better than your scathing words on my wedding day."

You weren't very keen on talking to me…

"Like your behaviour was very civil with me," he said sarcastically. "So you staged that wager just to—"

Put doubt in your mind; I wanted you to leave her alone. I knew that I would get to you if I challenged you enough…

Edward sighed in annoyance and frustration. "Am I that predictable?"

I've known you for long time, Edward… that should count in some way. Besides, you're a man, and men can be brought down by a fair challenge.

He nodded silently, irritated with himself. "You're thoroughly infuriating, Rose, but you're right. I did want to prove you wrong."

See? She laughed and then returned to the topic of Isabella. So… Bella is immune to your gift, it must be very frustrating for you.

"Yes, she's difficult to read without the help of my gift," he sighed longingly.

I'll tell you something, Edward, something that you might not have realized about womenfolk, since it's not a conscious thought.

"What?"

Treat a woman like a goddess, and she will give you what you want…

He considered that for a moment. "I am trying," he admitted, and then decided to call it peace. "Rose?"

Hmm?

"Let's not bicker again, ever."

I cannot promise you that… eternity is long time, she thought with a giggle.

"Thank you…" he said fervently, "for talking to me with absolute candour."

Yes, yes, you're welcome all the same.

"You're welcome too" He smiled then and added, "You're not banished for a century."

I'll remember that. She paused for a second, thinking of Isabella's face. Oh, on a parting note, give her brandy, or wine… to keep her from getting cold.

Edward's jaw almost dropped in surprise upon hearing Rosalie's thoughts.

Now, I'll take my leave. I wish you good luck, Edward. Just remember one thing,she hesitated, it's not the first time that a vampire is finding intimacy in a human's arms.

Although she didn't mention it overtly, her mind flitted to the Denali coven. She deliberately refrained from mentioning Tanya, knowing full well how it would irk Edward.

"I do remember that, Rosalie, very distinctly," he said in an even voice to hide his bitterness. "Take care. You too, Emmett."

He heard a hearty laugh from Emmett. "Yes, brother, take care," he responded, as he and Rosalie drifted away.

"Ma'am, let me." An attendant came to her and helped her take her coat off.

"Thank you," Isabella responded to which the attendant smiled softly. She then took the coat away to hang.

It felt weird to Isabella to have someone else do all the work for her.

She sighed and trudged towards her room. It had been a long day, and she didn't want to mull over the strangeness of her new lifestyle. The Stanleys had hosted a post-wedding lunch in her and Edward's honour, but she had to go alone, for Edward wasn't available. He was out on one of his surveyor trips across his logging properties. It had been an embarrassment, for the new couple was supposed to go together, and she had gone alone.

"Couldn't he postpone this trip? What was the hurry?" she muttered, feeling irritated at her husband. "He left just a day after the wedding… left me here to suffer all the questioning glances."

She changed her clothes quickly and went to eat dinner, not caring to wait for Edward. He didn't eat with me the last two times, why should I care? she thought bitterly, and God only knows when he'll return.

Isabella finished her dinner without tasting it and then went to hide in her room again, for she was sick of seeing all the house servants stare at her in a strange way.

Once inside the sanctuary of her room, she busied herself by rearranging her closet and jewelry boxes.

Then, after a few hours of her fussing over the accessories, she heard a knock on her door. It was Edward, and she knew it by his silent approach. She got up and straightened herself immediately.

She opened the door quickly and greeted him in a civil manner. "How was your trip?" she asked coolly.

Edward captured her in his arms and nuzzled the crook of her neck, inhaling slowly. Isabella gasped in his arms, shocked at his unexpected move, all the bitterness forgotten.

"I apologise for being so late," he murmured into her neck, then lifted his face to meet her eyes, "I hope you had your dinner and didn't wait for me?"

"You can have supper with me," she offered timidly as she saw him close in for a kiss. His lips were cold as usual but ardent in their approach. All her resentment fell apart, and she surrendered into his embrace.

He pulled away suddenly and looked confusedly at her. "I'm not hungry, are you?"

"No…" she answered breathlessly as he moved away from her.

Edward tilted his head slightly and gave her a languorous smile. "Care to join me downstairs? I have kindled a fresh fire," he offered.

She gave him a slight nod. "I need to change for the night first."

"Ah, yes, of course." He gave her an appraising look from head to toe. "I'll be waiting."

He vacated the room promptly, leaving Isabella behind to calm her edgy nerves. His scorching gaze was enough to make her breathing uneven.

Isabella quickly changed into a white cotton nightgown. Her mind was racing. It was strange for Edward to request her company like this.

She descended down to the grand hall, her eyes locked on Edward, who looked occupied with something in his hands.

He turned towards her and gave her a breathtaking smile. "Bella!" He pulled her towards a settee and made her sit. "Have you ever tried cognac?" he asked, waving at the centre table, where a crystal decanter was placed, along with two cut-glass goblets.

Isabella shook her head. "Well, this is different," she muttered under her breath, feeling a little wary.

Edward laughed at her comment and then poured the golden-brown liquid from the decanter into a goblet. He offered it her.

Hesitantly, she took it from him and observed the liquid. Its colour reminded her of Edward's eyes, the only difference being his eye colour never stayed constant.

"Cognac…" she repeated the name, "a kind of brandy."

"Better than a mere brandy," he countered, "Take a sip, and you'll know the difference."

"I do know the difference," she said assertively and took a swig from the goblet. The rich taste of the liquid lingered on her tongue even after she had gulped it down. She could taste many flavours in it, some woody, some floral, a bit of vanilla, a tinge of cinnamon… a bit like Edward.

"It's a little stormy tonight; it might get cold afterwards. I thought I should acquaint you with the cognac," he said casually.

"Hmm, it's very…," she struggled to find the right word for it, "rich."

"Yes, it's exquisite." A shadow of a frown fell on Edward's handsome face, but then he changed his expression and locked eyes with her. "I hope you like it?" he asked with a smirk.

"Yes," she admitted, and Edward poured some more. Her eyes drifted to the other empty goblet on the table. "Why aren't you taking it? You're always cold; it may help you with that."

She watched him closely as his eyes shifted a little, and his cheerful expression faltered a little.

"I'll do that," his voice sounded a little cold suddenly, "but you can have yours without waiting for me to join."

Isabella didn't respond; she sipped the golden-amber liquid slowly, while observing Edward's moves as he poured himself a fix from the decanter.

He then moved along the lounge and sat close to her.

The cognac was slowly taking its effect on Isabella. She tilted her head towards Edward and noted that his goblet was already gone from his hands. "I do feel warmer now," she said, "how about you?"

Edward quirked an eyebrow at her and then cupped her cheek in his cold hand. She shivered at the contrasting temperatures. "I don't think that it has warmed me enough," he said in a seductive voice, "would you like to help a little?"

Isabella knotted her brows together. "How could I be of any help?"

"Let me show you," he offered and then hauled her over his lap.

A small giggle escaped her lips while her heart fluttered in her chest. "I'm not sure," she countered as her empty hand trailed to his neck.

"I am…" Edward pulled her in for a kiss, gently sucking on her lower lip while his hand coursed through her mahogany tresses.

The usual restrain slipped from her, and Isabella kissed him back, parting her lips to give him access to her mouth. Edward removed the now empty goblet from her other hand and placed it on the table. She busied her free hand then by gripping at his wild mane.

After a while, their lip lock rendered her breathless, and she pulled back a little. "Mr. Masen…" she panted.

"Call me Edward, please," he sighed, licking his lips as he met her gaze.

"E-Edward," she stuttered his name as his hands snaked around her waist. "Edward…"

It felt strange to her to utter his name finally. She had been very used to his last name. She never considered calling him by his christened name, yet it felt oddly pleasurable on her lips.

Edward, on the other hand, was mesmerized by the sound of his name as she repeated it twice. He wanted to hear it again, and then some more. As her lips moved around the syllables of his name, a strange tingle shot through his body, filling him with deep satisfaction.

"Bella, say it again, say my name again," he urged her.

She giggled at his request, and even this sound sent a thrill down his spine. "Edward… Edward," she obliged him again and again.

He lifted her off his lap momentarily and then brought her down again in a swift move, placing her legs on either side of him.

Her giggles stopped abruptly as she grasped the change in her position. "Edward?" she repeated his name, this time as a question.

He didn't provide her with an answer; instead, he captured her lips again. She sighed in his mouth and wriggled her body to adjust to his frame. The motion caught him off guard as her hips connected with his, sending her heat straight to his manhood.

Edward hissed against her lips as her heated body warmed his cold one. His long suppressed desires suddenly broke free as he uttered a low groan of pleasure.

Isabella broke the kiss again as a familiar sensation filled her lower half with pleasure. Edward didn't stop; his lips moved lower and traced her jaw. She felt a strange mixture of fear and pleasure as he kissed her throat. The fear was instant, and it didn't make sense for her to be afraid of him suddenly, but she was.

His hands travelled along her sides and lifted her gown up slowly. She panicked at first, but then he grabbed her calves and dragged her closer still, and her mind faltered. Her body wanted to cave in to the pleasurable feelings he was invoking in her, but her mind remained rigid.

She felt his lips move further down, and as she followed him with her eyes, she realised that her gown was no longer covering her. She shivered and tensed in his arms for a brief moment, and he stilled.

Isabella felt uncertain with a distant alarm still ringing in the back of her mind.

Edward withdrew himself, and she looked back at him with half-lidded eyes. Keeping eye contact with her, he brought his hands to the heaving swells of her breasts. Her breathing stopped briefly as his hands caressed her through the sheer fabric of her camisole. A primal urge took over then, an urge to get closer to him, to join their bodies.

Isabella closed her eyes and gasped from the shocking pleasure that rippled through her body at his touch.

He moved back to her chest while his hands slipped to her sides. "Bella, oh Bella, what you do to me…" His voice sounded strained yet reverent.

"Edward… mmhhh!" she moaned softly as his mouth closed around her pebbled peak through her camisole. In an involuntary motion, her hips ground into him, and she gasped at the sensation it caused.

Edward removed his mouth from her bosom and cried out her name again. "Uh Bella!"

Isabella felt him shudder from head to toe, and it pleased her for some odd reason. She was about to repeat her action when she felt his fingers brush across her nether region. That froze her in place.

He stroked her womanly folds slowly and tenderly, and then she felt something slipping inside her—his finger. It brought with itself a pleasure unknown to her, a pleasure so extreme that her head fell back in ecstasy.

Isabella became completely incoherent as Edward's finger began to move inside her. She uttered strange sounds she didn't even realise she could with her mind focused entirely on one thing, the bliss induced by his touch.

Edward removed himself from her breasts, and she gazed back at him with shocked eyes. His dark, sizzling eyes brought more heat to her body than a glass full of cognac. They looked predatory, and a part of her felt afraid, yet it induced even more pleasure to her addled brain.

"Bella, so hot, so slick… for me?" he growled, sending the vibrations straight to her pleasure point.

"Mmhh Mr. Maassen—oh—Ed-Edward…" she moaned loudly and jerked against his hand. Her eyes closed on their own, and her mouth hung open.

She felt his finger move more quickly than before, and she moved her body in time with it. Edward grabbed her waist to pulled her closer while his mouth began sucking on her bosom again.

Everything suddenly felt hazy and slow to her as her body stiffened, and she felt as though she would explode with pleasure. The strange jolts of ecstasy rippled across her frame, jolting her from head to toe.

She could hear Edward's voice, but she couldn't make out what he was saying. Her brain was too numb to comprehend anything, anything other than pleasure that coursed through her…

So all lurkers, please come out of your lurkdom and let me know how this chaper was, or else, Edward will catch you, because he can sense ze lurkerz. :P

Come to the story thread for MS on the AU forum - http://www [dot] twilighted [dot] net/forum/viewtopic [dot] php?f=33&t=5128

We have teasers... no cookies, cause Monsterward hates human food!