Author's Note: So here is a little citrus for you. This is the first time I have written anything remotely like this. I haven't written an orange or a grapefruit, never mind a lemon.

This is coming to a close, by the way. The story ends on New Year's Day, and it's already the evening of the 28th. Probably only 2 or 3 more chapters, plus an epilogue.

If you want, follow me on twitter. My name is chicabonita519 . It's just random crap I post by the way. Nothing exciting. Just a warning ahead of time: I can go on political rants at times, so if you can't stand what far right conservatives believe, then my twitter is not for you.

As usual, I own nothing.

Chapter 9: The Burning Embers

"I don't know if I can do this, Edward."

It was just ten minutes until midnight, and the two young actors were sitting against the headboard of the huge king sized bed. They were waiting for the knock from Rosalie that would indicate the proximity of Alice. That knock would be the signal for Bella and Edward to begin pretending as if they were having sex.

Shortly after Rose declared her plan, she also informed the couple that she wanted them to pretend that they still disliked each other. Rose wanted Alice to believe that Bella and Edward were having make-up sex when Alice walked down the hall to her room. What the new couple did not realize was how difficult it truly was to pretend that they disliked each other. After the shared kiss in the pool (in which both parties silently thought was the best kiss of their lives), they both felt an even stronger pull towards the other. It took much energy just to not join hands while sitting or walking.

"What your problem is," Edward began as he moved closer to Bella on the bed, "is that you are taking this too seriously."

"Too seriously?" Bella repeated, as a question.

He took her hand that sat between them and squeezed it. "Yes. Just make it fun. And channel your inner Sally."

His partner-in-crime laughed. "I guess you're right."

"Besides," Edward smirked, "don't think that I'm scared of sounding like a dumbass too."

Without a second thought, Bella reached up to chastely kiss Edward on his lips, making him grin widely. "Hey now. Don't get worked up too soon," he teased.

"I'll try not to," she grinned. Just Edward's advice to make the night fun, as well as his confession that he was a little nervous at sounding like a "dumbass" put Bella more at ease.

But in the back of her mind, she wished that they weren't just pretending.

Unbeknownst to her, Edward's cool demeanor was slightly a façade. As comical as he believed the situation to be, he could not help but want to make Bella moan himself. And the tiny tank top that showed a sliver of skin between it and her sleep pants did not help matters either.

All too soon, there was a knock on the door. Edward squeezed Bella's hand and whispered, "Ready?"

At Bella's nod of approval, Edward began, hoping to break the ice so that Bella would get into it without being embarrassed. He started with a low moan, followed by saying his companion's name.

As Edward apparently was getting used to the game, Bella began making her own sounds, starting with a "Mmm." At the sound, Edward turned his face towards her to see her eyes close and a small smirk on her face. He suddenly realized that he probably shouldn't have looked at her. Just the sight of her with her eyes closed while moaning was affecting him. He shifted, trying to become more comfortable while hoping that if Bella opened her eyes his problem wouldn't be so obvious to her.

However, it was the next thing he heard that sent him over the edge.

"Edward," she groaned, still with the smile on her face.

Suddenly, the sliver of skin that was visible between her top and shorts called for his attention. Hesitantly, he reached out with his free hand to stroke her lower abdomen. His touch caused Bella's eyes to open suddenly and she gasped when she caught Edward's eyes. His pupils were so dilated, they almost seemed black.

"Edward?" she whispered.

"Bella," he responded before leaning down to take her lips in a kiss. It started off gentle enough, but it was Bella that deepened the kiss as she let her tongue wander into Edward's willing mouth. "Bella," he whispered again against her mouth before meeting her lips again.

At the sound of her name leaving his lips, Bella could not help but to reach around Edward's neck to tangle her fingers in his hair while Edward wrapped both of his arms tightly around her, pulling her body flush to his. This time, the simultaneous moans were not part of an act. His lips left hers only to find their way to her jaw and then to her neck. There, he nipped and licked his way down to Bella's shoulders, causing her to squirm in his arms. His response was to pull her closer, pressing his arousal against her thigh.

"Edward," she gasped, pulling his hair so that he looked up at her.

"Hmm?" he asked as his lips found their way back to her jaw and his hands moved to stroke her sides.

But Bella couldn't remember what she was going to say as Edward's hands stroked the sides of her breasts through her tank top. In fact, she doubted she even remembered her own name. All of a sudden, Edward's lips left her jaw and found purpose on her chest, directly above the swell of her breasts. Slowly he licked her skin along the low-cut edge of her shirt, eliciting the loudest moan yet from Bella.

Edward considered Bella's moan as permission to continue his exploration by taking her right breast into his mouth, flicking her nipple through the shirt with his tongue. Even though she only felt the sensation of his mouth through the thin cotton, it was enough for her to arch her back off the bed and closer to the man that was eliciting not only such pleasure, but deep feelings from within her.

Edward quickly resituated them so that he was now lying directly over her. As if it were a reflex, Bella opened her legs to permit him to settle against her, pressing his hardness against her core. They both let out simultaneous moans, saying each other's name.

With a hint of desperation, Bella found herself grabbing the hem of Edward's shirt, pulling upwards. He raised himself just enough to allow Bella to pull the shirt off completely before attacking her lips again. Her hands, meanwhile, immediately found themselves stroking his chest, causing him thrust against her. Bella met his thrust while crying out.

Suddenly, Edward's hands worked themselves under Bella's tank top. Breaking from Bella's lips, he whispered, "Can I?" Her response was to nod and in an instant, her top was pulled off and his lips found her nipple, while one hand palmed the other breast.

Once again, her back arched off the bed. "Uhh… Edward."

"You're so beautiful," he murmured against her breast.

As the pleasure mounted, both found themselves thrusting against each other, him hitting her exactly where she needed. Bella knew that it would not be long before the spring inside or her was compressed completely and expanded in pleasure.

It only took three more thrusts before her body tensed as the pleasure spread from her toes to her head. "Edward!" she cried out, pulling on his hair, which made Edward's orgasm follow.

"Fuck! Bella!" he shouted as he pushed against her one more time.

As they both came down from their high, Edward wrapped his arms around Bella, pulling her close once again, as their naked chests pressed against each other. Silently, they caressed each other, pressing their lips together or against the other's neck.

After a moment, Edward repositioned them so that he wasn't fully on top of Bella, without releasing his hold on her. Smiling against her hair, he asked, "So do you think we were realistic enough?"

He felt, rather than heard, Bella laugh against his chest. "I don't think there's any doubt," she smirked, looking up at him. When she met his eyes, she nearly gasped again at the feelings she saw in his eyes. She didn't see just lust, but an emotion that she could not put a name to. What she didn't know, though, was that Edward saw the same emotion in her eyes.

Suddenly, his face scrunched up in disgust, but before Bella could think it was anything she did, he commented, "I need to clean up. Don't go anywhere."

Bella watched as Edward grabbed a clean pair of boxers and made his way to the bathroom, but not before he shot his signature smirk at her. Once he was behind closed doors, she looked around for her tank top, but all she could find was Edward's t-shirt. Pulling the shirt over head, she could not help but think about what they had just done. It wasn't something she usually did after knowing somebody barely a week. She really only considered them getting to "second base," with the added benefit of getting off, but she still never went that far so soon.

But she couldn't regret what she did. She never felt so comfortable in the arms of another, nor had she felt so cared for.

Grinning, she snuggled herself into the pillow until she heard the bathroom door opening. Looking up, she saw Edward walking back towards the bed in nothing but a pair of boxer shorts. Bella couldn't help but bite her lower lip as she wondered silently, When can we do that again?

But her grin faded when she saw Edward's frown.

"What's wrong?"

As he climbed into bed, he immediately went to grab his shirt that was now covering Bella's body. "As much as I enjoy seeing you wear my shirt," he commented, "I'd much rather see you without it on." Before she knew it, Bella was back to being naked from the waist up. Reflexively, she went to cover herself with her arms, but Edward pulled her arms back to her sides before running a finger down her sternum, between her breasts. "You even blush all the way down here," he smiled, gazing down at her with a tender look in his eyes.

Bella rolled her eyes. "Don't remind me."

"Hmm," he murmured, reaching over to turn of the lamp beside the bed. "I think I will remind you anytime I want."

Wrapped up together, both fell into a restful sleep.