DISCLAIMER: The characters do not belong to me…they are all the creation of the wonderful Stephenie Meyer.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Edward thanks Bella for his birthday gift. (Lemon – of course … it is his birthday after all) - And a quick side note ... If you don't care for a Lemon, don't read it ... This story is written for adults, after all. I try not to put anything of great importance in a lemon chapter, but sometimes it happens. Just wanted to throw that warning out there. Bella and Edward are married and will be doing what married couples do ...

Thank You

I sighed as I handed the car keys over to the valet. Bella giggled at me, standing patiently near the hotel doors, waiting for me to join her. I walked over to her and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her into the hotel with me. I leaned down and kissed her neck.

"You are so cute, Edward! You looked like you wanted to bring the car inside with us."

"You're not too far off," I laughed.

"Should I be concerned that the car has stolen my place in your heart?" she grinned, looking up at me through her thick lashes.

"There is nothing in this world that could ever do that, Bella," I said sincerely, tightening my grip on her waist.

"We could have just gone home."

"No," I chuckled. "I'm not ready to let them drive it and I know you will convince me to let them."

"They all helped. It's only fair."

I rolled my eyes at her and grinned as we approached the counter. "I would like your best room, please," I said to the woman behind the counter.

'Oh, wow! He is gorgeous. And she is very pretty. I bet they're married.' The woman shook her head slightly before speaking. "We have a lovely room overlooking Lake Champlain." 'Not that I'd be paying much attention to the lake if I had him for a husband.'

"That sounds perfect," I replied, staring down at Bella.

She hugged my waist, resting one hand on my chest. I smiled when I noticed it was her ring hand. She seemed to know what the woman was thinking.

'There's the ring! Married! All the good ones are always taken.' "Do you need anyone to bring your bags up?" the woman asked.

"No, thank you," I said. "We hadn't originally planned to stay the night, but the scenery here is breathtaking and we lost track of time."

"It certainly is, especially at this time of year. Here is your key. The elevators are right around the corner there," the woman said while pointing to our left.

"Thank you," I told her.

"You didn't seem very aggravated with her," Bella commented, as we walked to the elevator.

"She actually had fairly nice thoughts. She worries that all the good men are taken," I said, stepping into the elevator.

"So no x-rated thoughts of you and her together?" Bella smirked.

"None."

"Shocking!"

"Why is that shocking?"

"Who could resist having naughty thoughts about a man as gorgeous as you?"

"Bella, are you implying that you have naughty thoughts about me?" I asked with pretend shock.

"As if you didn't know! You're the one always saying you can read it in my eyes."

I opened the door and pulled Bella into the room with me. We left the lights off as we walked over to the large windows and looked out at the lake. The moon was high and full, casting shadows across the water.

"It's so beautiful," Bella whispered, leaning her body against mine. "You picked the perfect room, Edward."

"This is only the beginning, Bella. When I take you to Europe and we stay in some of the castles there, you will truly see how beautiful this world can be."

"Do you think that will still happen?"

I didn't think she meant for me to hear her say that, but it was too late; I had. I turned her around to face me. "What did you mean by that?"

"I'm just wondering how you can make plans for our future when we can only be certain of the next nine and a half months. After that, we go to Italy with no idea of what will happen."

"I can guarantee you that I have an idea," I said. I tried to stop the growl rumbling through me, but my temper got the better of me. I lifted her chin until her eyes met mine, wanting her to see my conviction. "We will go to Italy. We will humor Aro, Marcus and Caius and then we will leave. I will take you to Rome to show you the history there. Then we will go onto England, where I will show you all the castles that are still standing, as well as a few that aren't."

"Edward …" she said, shaking her head.

"Bella, do you trust me?"

"Do you have any idea how silly that question is?"

"Do you trust me?" I repeated, holding her gaze.

"With my life, my heart, my soul."

"Then trust that I will never be parted from you. Trust in our family, inCarlisle, to get us home safely. Please have some trust and try not to worry, love."

"I'll try, Edward."

I rested my forehead against hers. "Do you have any idea how much it hurts me to see that fear in your eyes? Knowing that fear is for our family and me, and not for yourself … it scares me, Bella. That look has always been the sign of you getting ready to do something very foolish and extremely unnecessary."

"I swear to you I'm not planning to do anything or go anywhere, Edward. And part of that fear is for me, for the nothing I will become if you're taken from me. Besides, you know if I had decided anything at all, Alice would be on the phone with you right this second, screaming loud enough for the entire hotel to hear."

"Isabella," I sighed, pulling her close and pressing her head to my chest. "How did we get from looking out at the beautiful night to talking about monsters and fears?"

"I'm not sure."

"Do you think it would be possible for us to go back to focusing on this night?"

"Remind me again. What's special about this night?" she asked, smiling up at me.

"You are what's special about this night. You gave me a birthday party in place of the one I wanted you to have. You gave me a car I absolutely love." I moved a strand of hair behind her delicate ear. "You gave me a valid reason to steal you away from the family for the night," I said, grinning at her.

"You had me for an entire week just last month," Bella replied with her own grin.

"And you actually thought that was long enough?" I chuckled, kissing up and down her neck.

"No, not really. But you are the one who wanted me to go to college so soon."

"I would like to note, for the record, that you are a model student so far."

"That is the wordiest 'I told you so' I've ever heard, Edward Cullen."

I laughed as I hugged her tighter. "I told you so, Bella."

"I thought we came here for you to thank me. So far, you're only making fun of me."

"Just how would you like to be thanked, Mrs. Cullen?" I asked, giving her the grin I knew she loved best.

"I think something involving us in various stages of undress would work."

"Stages, love?" I asked, as I kissed the hollow behind her ear.

"Or we could go straight to wearing nothing at all. Either way works for me."

I chuckled against her neck. "Bella, you never cease to amaze me."

"Edward, you never cease to tell me that," she remarked. "And you better not."

"I wouldn't dream of it, love."

"Whatwould you dream of?"

"You and only you, Isabella." I cupped her face in my hands and kissed her tenderly. "You are mine forever."

I watched as her golden eyes darkened with desire. This had always been her reaction to that statement and I prayed it always would be. The smell of her arousal was nearly as strong as the freesia smell that clung to every inch of her.

The electrical charge that always came with touching Bella started to build up between us as we stared at each other, standing perfectly still. We'd finally managed to get up the courage to ask Carlisle about what had happened after Bella returned from visiting her mom. He had explained that all vampires have a sort of energy within them. That's what made it possible for Bella to draw strength from me for her power. Carlisle explained that mates often share their energy during intimate moments.

Bella and I had always been aware of the electrical feeling between us, ever since the movie in biology class all those years ago. But because we had never gone very long without being together, we had never allowed it to build up. When she came back from her trip, it had been nearly three weeks since we'd been together. The moment we were joined, it had felt like we'd been caught up in an explosion.

Now that we knew what it was and how it worked, we could control it and enhance our time together. It was never as powerful as that first time, though. Of course, neither of us could manage to keep our hands to ourselves these days. If these were the last nine and a half months of our life together, we would make every second count.

I closed my eyes, willing those thoughts away from myself. I promised Bella our life would be longer than that. I guaranteed her there would be a future beyond the visit that loomed before us. If I couldn't believe it, how could I expect her to?

"Edward, what are you thinking about?" Bella whispered, as her fingers worked to smooth the creases in my brow. "Why are you so upset?"

I opened my eyes and took her hands into mine. I kissed her fingertips and smiled for her. "I was just letting my mind wander. I'm not upset."

"Then why did all of your old worry lines come out on your forehead?"

"Worry lines?"

Bella nodded her head. "The little lines that pop out whenever you get worried about something happening to me. You're thinking about this summer, aren't you? It's really not fair for you to tell me not to worry and then you go right ahead and do it yourself."

"Nowthat is what I was thinking," I replied. "We both need to stop worrying."

"I think we need a distraction," Bella said with a wicked grin. "What do you think?"

"I'm sure I can find some way to distract your beautiful mind." I kissed the hollow behind her ear. "Any ideas on how you'll distract me?"

"A few," Bella whispered before nibbling at my ear.

I closed my eyes, trying not to let her know she was getting to me. This was our little game. We pretended for as long as possible that we could easily resist the other. Bella was getting much better at this, which meant I was loosing a lot more. Not that it was a bad thing. Bella made it a very good thing.

"I was thinking," Bella whispered, as she moved her lips down and nipped at my neck. "That a few well placed kisses –" she playfully bit me right where my neck and shoulder met, causing me to purr and lose for the night "–would distract you thoroughly."

"I am distracted, love. Beyond all hope of ever finding focus again."

"I really hope that's not true. I need you to spare a little focus and help me out of these clothes," Bella purred into my ear.

Her purr caused me to shiver and aroused every nerve in my body. It was a sound that I had no choice but to react to, not that I would want it any other way. I used my vampire speed to undress us both, making Bella giggle at me.

I smiled at her, loving the way her face looked when she was happy. I wrapped an arm around her waist and quickly swung her onto the bed, making sure she was beneath me. I kissed her forehead, her cheeks, her nose, and then her soft lips. "Do you have any idea how much I love you?"

"Some," Bella said as she brushed her lips against mine. "But I can always be reminded of just how much."

I wrapped my arms under her back, cradling her head in my hands. I pressed her chest against mine. I covered her face in butterfly kisses while whispering to her. "I love you, Bella Cullen. You are so perfect and beautiful in every way. Your smile is bright enough to outshine the sun. Your eyes are deep pools of feeling that I perpetually drown and delight in. Your face puts to shame every work of art created by human hands. I love you more than you could ever know."

"It amazes me you can do that without repeating yourself."

"Give me a few decades, love. I'm sure I'll start repeating myself by then. But it won't matter because it doesn't change the fact that I mean every single word."

She touched her lips to mine, checking to see if I was finished with my praise of her for the moment. I smiled against her lips and I felt hers follow.

"Quit teasing, Edward. Please!" She wiggled her hips, letting out a low moan when she brushed herself against me. "Please!"

I once again found myself unable to deny her when she spoke that one word to me. It always pulled at my heart and made me want to give her anything she desired. She was aware of it, too. She had been since the first night she used it against me, when she was looking to get her compromise for her human experience. She never asked me for much, just to love her and to be with her always, and for the occasional opportunity to drive the Volvo. It was one of the reasons I found it so hard to deny her when she did ask for something.

I gave her a true kiss, one filled with my passion for her, my longing to be one with her. Our tongues danced together while our hands roamed across each other's bodies. She lifted her hips and I entered her smoothly. We had done this enough times to know how the puzzle pieces fit together best. But no matter how many times we made love, each time would be special in its own way.

She pulled her lips away from mine, gasping for the air she didn't need. Her arms snaked around my back while her legs pulled me deeper.

"I love you, Edward."

Small breaths blew across my cheek and were only heard because of what we were. We were vampires, but not monsters. Bella had shown me that there was a difference. I would be thankful for her and to her for the rest of my existence.

"I love you more, Bella."

I showed my wife my love for her all through the night and well into the morning. I thanked her for her love, her patience, her heart, and every gift she had ever given me in our time together. I'm sure we would have continued until the moon returned once more, but we were interrupted by the ringing of Bella's cell phone. Our family only called her phone if it was something very important.