Author's Note: I only wrote half of this story! Jenna, aka DragonGirl323, is the author of the chapters from Edward's POV; she contributed all of Edward's dialogue; & she gets beta credit for this as well.

I stared up into his eyes, searching, trying to read him. I knew that he had caught the undercurrent of my thoughts. I was examining his features carefully; he may act like Carlisle at times, but they looked nothing alike. Noting that his hair was awry as usual, I reached up and toyed with it. It was untamable.

"Was your hair always this unruly, even when you were human?" I asked softly, trying to imagine what he had been like when he was alive.

Edward lifted his hand and ran it through his hair. Our fingers barely missed, but it made my fingertips tingle anyway. "Not if my mother could help it," he replied. "She could never understand why I liked it this way."

I smiled, pulling my fingers up the length of his hair, tugging on it gently. I was struck by the sudden vision that flashed in my mind—of gripping a handful and pulling on it roughly, jerking his head back, and his mouth dropping open. "I like it," I said, talking in hopes of smothering my thoughts, for both our sake's. "I think it suits your personality."

He leaned forward slightly and I felt myself drawn toward him. "I like it much better than combing it over, that's for sure," he said.

I let my hand drift to the side of his face, pressing my palm to his cheek. "You are very handsome, no matter what."

His golden eyes were locked on mine as he leaned even closer to me. "And I've always thought you were very beautiful," he said, his voice lowering. I felt a shudder pass through me.

My hand traveled down, resting over the silent cavity of his heart as I closed the space between us. We were just short of being pressed against one another fully. "Really?" I questioned with surprise. "I never imagined you would think of me that way."

In fact, I never thought that anyone thought of me that way except Carlisle. It's not that it wasn't enough, but what girl doesn't like to feel pretty? I always heard about how beautiful everyone else was. Women practically fainted at the sight of Carlisle—not that I blamed them. I probably only didn't as well because vampires don't faint. Everyone always complimented me on what an uncommonly beautiful family I have, but no one ever just said that I am pretty. It wasn't that I was jealous or was desperate for attention. I'm not sure that it mattered that much until Edward called me beautiful, actually. It sort of struck me then that even if no one else had been looking, he had been.

Edward nodded once slowly. He seemed slightly nervous, his eyes averted for a second. "Yes. Just a . . . casual observation." A smile tugged at his lips as he spoke.

I watched his lips curl and allowed myself to react instantly with my thoughts. Taking Edward by surprise wasn't easy. You couldn't think before you spoke or acted. I made only the decision to let myself react and respond to that honestly before I reached over, gripping a handful of his shirt and pulling him against me, my lips brushing his ear as I whispered to him.

"Casually checking out your mother?" I asked with a smile. "How wicked of you, Edward. That could get you into terrible trouble, you realize."

He let out a slight chuckle. I couldn't tell if he was nervous or intrigued or both. But then his hand slipped around my waist as he pressed his cheek to mine, his lips against my ear now, making me shiver. "Yes, well, can you blame me?"

I grinned, sliding one leg across his thighs, still doing, not thinking, just feeling. I nibbled his earlobe lightly, whispering against his ear. "I don't see how you could resist, actually," I answered seriously.

Edward inhaled sharply through his nose, his fingers trailing up my thigh, pushing my dress farther up my leg. "It wasn't without difficulty," he confessed.

I placed my hands on his shoulders, shifting so that I was straddling his lap. I felt his hands curl around my hips and I leaned forward, pressing my body against his.

"I do like a man who can resist temptation," I said. I gripped his chin firmly in my hand, squeezing it between my thumb and forefinger, tilting his head so that he was looking up at me. "It's such a challenge."