I'M SO EXCITED!!!! I made it way past 100 reviews—thanks so much, you guys! I wanted to finish and publish this yesterday to reward your awesomeness, but somehow I've just been having trouble with it. Probably cuz I'm sick. I really want to go to sleep, but I stayed up till I finished it, just for you!

Some people wanted Edward's POV, some didn't, so I decided to write a companion story. It's called "Edward Gives In" (I'm not terribly original when it comes to names) and it basically just follows all the chapters of Explorations from Edward's perspective.

Anyways, I'm sorry this chapter is short, but I personally really like it. Hope you do, too.

I didn't want to wake up. I was having the most wonderful dream. Edward was caressing my breast in one hand while the other stroked up and down my stomach. I could tell it was still dark out in my half-asleep state and fought not to leave my dream. His thumb touched my nipple, and his other hand trailed down, slipping under my pants and lightly brushing me there with his cold, hard fingers before sliding one inside.

The shock of that sensation made my eyes pop open and the first thing I saw were Edward's beautiful topaz eyes. He was gazing at me with an intensity that made my already accelerated heart quicken further. "What time is it?" I breathed, proud that I could from a complete sentence with his hands doing what they were.

Edward looked a little embarrassed. "It's 3:00. You were dreaming, and the sounds you were making . . . I just couldn't resist. I'm sorry." He began to withdraw his hands.

I grabbed his wrists and held them still. "No, it's okay. I'd much rather do this than sleep any day. Please don't stop."

He smiled and teased, "I don't want to keep you from getting your full eight hours."

"Edward Cullen, if you don't keep going right this minute you can forget about buying me a new car, ever," I threatened.

He pretended to wince. "Very well, Bella," he said dramatically. "It appears I have no choice but to pleasure you until you forget that idea."

I blushed but said "Darn right." Then he kissed me and returned his fingers to my body and I lost myself. Edward covered my right breast and kneaded while his other hand traced patterns all over my skin. I parted my lips invitingly and he thrust his tongue inside, passionately claiming my mouth. I groaned and clung to him as tightly as I could, and Edward's hand moved to my back, stroking up and down. I pressed against him and rocked my hips into his; I couldn't help myself. Edward groaned and pulled back. "Bella . . ." he whispered against my lips.

"Sorry," I breathed, but I couldn't pull my hands away. They refused to leave his skin, rubbing instead against his back.

He disentangled himself and pulled my arms down to my sides. I protested and tried to free myself so I could touch him, but he held my wrists down firmly and just gazed at me with a slightly amused expression. It was then that I realized his near-naked body was hovering over mine, and my eyes widened. I lifted my head to kiss him but he drew away and began to trail his lips down my body.

My breath was coming in ragged, uneven gulps and he smirked against my skin just before his tongue flickered out to lick a drop of sweat off my chest. It might have grossed me out but instead it was just incredibly erotic. An embarrassingly loud moan escaped my lips and Edward groaned softly against my skin. He moved down between my breasts but didn't pause in his journey. By the time he reached my naval I was nearly hyperventilating, but he just kept trailing his lips down until he reached the top of my curls. There he paused for a moment, probably listening to my irregular gasps and racing heartbeat. Then, ever so leisurely, so slowly that I almost had an aneurism, he moved his lips down to my center, parting the folds of my sex with his nose. He drew in a long, deep breath, inhaling my scent, and it was too much for me.

My hips started squirming, but he just wrapped an arm across my stomach to hold me in place as his other hand dipped into the moisture I'd created. He pulled back for just a minute and my eyes snapped open in protest, but the sight of him stopped me. Edward was licking my arousal off my finger as he stared into my face. A strangled gurgle burst from my mouth and I clung to consciousness by a thread. I would not pass out. I would not miss this.

Edward's eyes were burning into mine and his cool breath ran across my folds as he whispered, "God, Bella. I thought your blood was the best thing I'd ever taste, but this . . ." He groaned and lowered his face again. His tongue flicked out and licked from the bottom of my sex to the sensitive nub at the top. I cried out and my back arched; only his arm held me to the bed. Edward lapped up most of the moisture that was leaking from my sex before sucking me into his mouth. His tongue was tracing my folds, his finger was drawing circles against my clit, and my climax was building inside of me, greater than anything I'd felt before. The intensity of it almost scared me and I tried to fight the overwhelming sensation. I started moaning his name frantically, over and over. Edward pressed firmly against my clit as his tongue thrust inside of me and I writhed on the bed, clutching his hair, the blankets, anything I could get a grip on and screaming, "Edward!"

The waves crashed over me and I drowned in pleasure forever. He kept stroking my heat with his cold tongue and I kept convulsing against him, screaming and moaning. I came back to myself very gradually. When I opened my eyes, I was still unable to move or speak, but it didn't matter. I told Edward all I felt with my eyes, and he kissed me gently before taking me in his arms again. I fell asleep once more in his embrace.