Prompt(s): Threat, sweat, whet

Edward's fingers dip lower, and then slowly, slowly he slides them back out, moves his other hand to my stomach. I adjust my shirt and he whispers my name, he doesn't need to, but he does.

"It's going to be so worth the wait," I say, turning to face him. "But I'm not above creativity."

He smiles.

"Can I tell you something?" Edward holds my face in his hands, and when he does this, brushing my cheeks with his thumbs, staring down at me with those bright green eyes of his that are so insanely warm, I melt. Like a silly girl who is in complete awe with something that is so much bigger than she, I melt, and—"I love you, Bella.

"I love you so damn much it hurts. I've always been in love with you, from the second you walked into that office every single piece of me was yours. A couple months are nothing compared to having a lifetime with you and even after that, if there is such a thing. So, I don't mind waiting because you're here, with me, and I love you."

Before I say anything, he kisses me. He's never said it before, but I knew; I've always known, really, but finally he said it and I am just a silly girl who is swept away with my heart beating out of my chest, kissing the only boy I will love for the rest of my life.

We're soft lips and tongues, tasting, nibbling, taking our time. No rushing because we do have forever. There's a subtle shift of light in the room, and my own personal sunset glows brighter on the wall.

Edward pulls back a little, grinning, eyes crinkled, "I can be pretty creative too, you know."

"I'm counting on it," I say and he drags his finger over my jaw, my throat, all the way down until he reaches the button of my jeans. "I love you."

"I know."

There are fireflies hovering around the oak in the corner of the backyard, some fluttering around Garrett's swing set that he never plays on anymore. Edward and I laze in the wooden chairs on my deck, our bare feet tangled and propped up on a little table, watching the fireflies flicker in a unsteady tempo.

Shelly's come out a couple of times, peeked over the fence less than surreptitiously, and I stifled a laugh when she gave a thumb's up before she finally went in for the night. I told him all about her, the talks we had and how she said to go for it; Edward said he's going to bring her donuts in the morning.

Edward drains the last of his beer and sets the empty bottle down between us. I still have a little left in mine and I play with the label, peeling the corners then pressing them back against the glass.

"What if he doesn't like me?" Edward says.

I don't need to ask. "Who?"

"Garrett. What if he hates the idea of you and me together?"

"He likes you. It's not as if you'd be some stranger showing up out of the blue. We'll give him time."

"He likes me as this guy his mom works with. It's different, a non-threat," he says, reaching over and gently pinching my elbow.

"I know, you're right...but he's yet to experience your full amazingness," I say, trying to show Edward that if I'm not crazy concerned about it then he shouldn't be either.

"What if, though, Bella? I've thought about this so much lately."

"So have I. I love that you're not taking this lightly; you have no idea what it means to me that, to you, he's not some accessory I happen to come along with. Please, trust me that it's going to be fine. If I thought for a second there'd be the slightest possibility it wouldn't work out, I couldn't do this…It wouldn't be fair to you, or him."

Edward nods, scratches the back of his neck for a second then heaves himself out of the chair. He points to my beer. "Want another one?"

"No, thanks."

"Okay," he says. He bends down, picks up his empty then presses his lips to the space in front of my ear. "I'm going to get a shower."

I looked.

He left the bathroom door open, my shower is enclosed in glass, so clearly it was an invitation.

Still, I've never seen Edward naked, obviously, and being the perverted person I apparently am, I took him up on that invitation and peeked (stared) while he was in the shower.

I am a lucky, lucky girl.

But I'm modest, rather less brave than he is, and I close the door when I take mine, even though I took one before he came over, I feel the need to do it again. Maybe I'm stalling.

I shaved my legs again, brushed my teeth, my hair, and second guessed the sleep shorts and t-shirt I picked out earlier. Too loose, too tight? Should I wear a bra to bed? Am I being a tease if I don't? Am I being a prude if I do?

I brush my teeth again. Rub lotion on my legs, my arms, everywhere. I blow-dry my hair, brush it out, put it in a ponytail, take it back down. I brush my hair again. I slip into the shorts and t-shirt: navy shirt, gray shorts, and they match well enough without making it seem like I don't care, but not enough to appear that I put too much thought into it.

My boobs, they look pretty good—I forgo the bra.

I open the bathroom door to find Edward sitting up in bed, leaning against the headboard with one knee raised, the other leg sprawled out as if he's sat in my bed a million times. His hair is still damp, and while he's wearing pajama pants, he's not wearing a shirt. I assumed he'd wear one to bed. I don't know why but I did, and now I'm glad the girls are flying free.

A slow smile creeps across his face, and it calms the butterflies dancing in my stomach.

"'Bout time," he says and flips down the blanket. He has the sunset turned on. "I like this thing," he says. "Much sexier at night."

"Think so?" I crawl up next to him as he slides down, wrapping both arms around me. "You smell really good," I tell him, laying my head on his chest, our legs intertwining.

"So do you." He kisses the top of my head. "Tired?"

"Wide awake."

"Me too."

"We should call in sick tomorrow."

"All right."

I lift my head. "Really?"

"Why not? We can work from here or anywhere else if we need to, right?"

"True."

We're quiet for a second and I lay my head back down, draw imaginary circles on Edward's stomach, play with the bit of hair on his chest while he runs his hand up and down my arm.

"You have a great ass," he says.

I push myself up. He's biting his lip. "With or without material covering it?"

He shrugs.

"Edward?"

"Did you know if you gently push at the bathroom door it opens? I can fix that."

"You spied on me."

"You didn't lock the door."

"Next time I will," I say, and he grabs the top of my thigh, hitches it all the way over his legs, and I scoot up, straddling the tops of his legs.

"No, you won't." He pulls at my shirt, tugging until we're nose to nose. "Like you weren't checking me out."

"You left the door open." I kiss him.

"Did I?"

"Mmhm. Or maybe since it's broken it just opened by itself." He kisses me. Sitting back, I tell him that he has a pretty nice ass, himself, and he smiles.

Edward's hands travel from my knees, to the insides of my thighs, to my hips. He lingers there, at my hips, watching his thumbs moving in and out underneath the hem of my shorts. He looks back up at me, and suddenly we're not joking around anymore.

"Move up," he says quietly, and I do, lowering myself so that he's right there.

He pushes up, I press down harder, and then we start a rhythm. It's slow, we're purposely slow, almost cautious.

Almost.

Edward watches me and I watch him, and I touch his lips, he sucks my finger and we continue to push against each other, up and down, back and forth. Over my shirt, he touches my nipple, circles, pinches but not too hard, it's just enough, and my eyes flutter shut.

"Look at me," he says.

My muscles are tight, every part of me sensitive, and he's breathing faster, we move faster, I'm breathing faster. I want him inside me. My heart beats faster. Both of his hands are on my hips and he's guiding me with him while I grip his wrists. For a second, I wonder if we've crossed the line.

He opens his mouth a little more, and I'm close. God, I'm so close, so I push down again, break our rhythm and he grunts, his hips jerk and he moans as he comes which I think is the sexiest sound I've ever heard, but he keeps moving, for me. Edward holds my eyes with his, smiling with them and bucks his hips up, again then again until finally, I let go.

I smile at him, I'm shaking and I lean over, and I'm smiling. I kiss his neck, tasting the sweat on his skin. "I love you," I whisper.

"I know," he says. "I love you."

a/n They are human, after all.

Thanks so much for reading and your comments or reviews or whatever FFn is calling them for now. You guys are pretty fantastic, and very funny. See you later today.