Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. I do own my OCs, this storyline, and a lifetime supply of Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs, which should last me about a week.
A/N: Okay, I've got a few things this time. Sorry! First, readingtime=beta=love.
Theme song for this chapter is Tangled Up In You by Staind. Download it. It's awesome. Thanks to Julie and Mari and everyone else who sends me song selections. You are love.
A Lesson in Release has been nominated for "Best Non-Canon Couple" in the Twi-Fi awards! The link to vote is on my profile. DefinitelyStaying is nominated for Best AU-Human Incomplete for The Forbidden Room and Best Crossover for Dark Chambers of the Heart and Bella's Notebook. I'd love to see her win in both those categories. Link to vote is on my profile. DefinitelyStaying is on my favorite author's list.
I need to acknowledge a story on that other FF site you see me on. It is called Let Me Ease You. I had never heard of that website until I was halfway through A Lesson in Release and GiveUsAKiss413 talked me into posting my story there so she could start a forum for me, for which I will be forever grateful. I don't read many stories on that site (you know how I feel about that white type), but this story was brought to my attention because it was actually posted a month before I started A Lesson in Release and has a similar premise in that Jasper is sent to ease Bella's frustration, this time by Edward, only he's not touching her physically, he is using his power against her in a really unique way. I don't feel right calling it a story recommendation as there are only four chapters posted in six months, but it is an interesting story and I love how she altered Jasper's ability. However, I felt it was only right to publically acknowledge the similarities, even if they are coincidental. I imagine that I will get emails saying "I never would have made the connection" like I did with Hiding in Plain Sight, but I always feel more comfortable erring on the side of caution.
My story recommendation for this week is Twice As Long As Yesterday by hopeful wager. I don't read many period pieces on FF because I'm afraid of people messing them up and making me feel like I'm waiting for Bella and Edward to pull out their i-Phone in the town square, but this one is so well done. Peasant Isabella goes to Lord Cullen to beg him not to evict her and her father, who is too ill to work. They make an arrangement where she will give herself to him each evening, for twice as long as the night before, starting with only a few seconds. It is sexy and romantic and very well done. I can't wait for the next chapter! It is on my favorites list. Oh, and two of my previous recommendations, Hello Stranger and Abbracciare il Cantante, have both gone over 1,000 reviews thanks to you! You guys make me feel like Oprah! On to the story - Enjoy!
Edward's POV
Their thoughts surprised me.
Oh, Edward. Please don't make us do this, Heidi lamented.
If he's afraid to do it, maybe I could do it for him. Caius would be angry with me, but Marcus and Aro would come to my defense, I'm sure. Bella is too magnificent a creature to die over something so silly as being changed, Felix mused. I would love to do it. I would make sure she'd enjoy it, although she might not want to go back to Edward when I was done with her. He envisioned a cliché seduction scene complete with hundreds of candles and red satin sheets, with him kissing her neck, starting behind her ear and slowly working his way down her throat while his hands explored her body. Bella was naked below him, writhing in passion as he worked her into such a frenzy that she was barely aware of him breaking the delicate skin over her jugular with his teeth. The possessive side of me fumed. I never wanted another man touching Bella that way again except me. Not only that, but if anyone's venom was going to be running through Bella's veins, I wanted it to be mine. I growled lowly at him and he shrugged apologetically.
I opened the front door and bade them enter, closing the door quietly behind them. "Allow me to explain. I wanted to allow Bella as many human experiences as I could before her transformation, and there were a few things she wanted. One was to have a year of college as a human. Another was to get married as a human, so that her family and friends could be there and her father could walk her down the aisle. The plan is to get married the third weekend in June, which would be right after school lets out, and then change her immediately following the honeymoon." I was fairly certain that my lie was delivered convincingly.
"Edward, you understand, of course, that our masters were under the impression that Bella would have been changed by now. I am going to have to call them and let them know of your plans. Pray they are in a good mood," Heidi said. I'll call Aro. We'll have a better chance of this ending peacefully if I go through him. She excused herself and stepped outside, closing the door quietly before running out of hearing range to call Aro.
I heard Bella wake up, and her heart started racing the moment she read my note. I considered going into the bedroom to calm her, but was afraid that in her panic, she might say something she shouldn't, forgetting that they could hear her. No, it was better for me to wait for her to pull herself together and join us in the living room. I went into the kitchen and got her coffee started for her. I heard Bella drop her toothbrush several times in her nervousness. It would have been humorous if I wasn't waiting for Heidi to return to tell us what judgment had been passed against us by the Volturi.
Bella walked out a moment later, biting her lower lip. I sped over to her and put my hands on her shoulders, kissing her lightly. "Good morning, beautiful." Bella's heart slowed down just a little and she smiled hesitantly at me. I took her by the hand and led her back to the living room. "Bella, love, you remember Felix, don't you?"
Felix jumped up off the couch to kiss Bella on both cheeks. She flinched and then blushed when she realized he wasn't attacking her. "Buongiorno, Bella! You are even more beautiful than when I saw you last. Speaking of which, you must forgive my rudeness back in Italy. I was quite famished the day we first met, and much like humans, I tend to get a bit crabby when I'm hungry." And you smelled so delicious, he added in his head. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.
Bella squeezed my hand as she smiled demurely at Felix. "Hello, Felix. Not to worry, I didn't take it personally, I assure you. To what do we owe the honor of your visit?" Bella and I made our way to the island, and I noticed she was still shaking a little as she sat one of the barstools. I kissed her forehead before going around to make her a cup of coffee. Felix sat down on the stool next to her.
"Our masters were anxious to hear news of your transformation, which Aro is quite certain will be extraordinary, so they sent Heidi and I for a friendly visit. I understand you wish to wait until after your wedding. When will that be?" He was the picture of politeness as he tested her to make sure her answers matched mine.
"The third Saturday in June. Please let them know that they will, of course, receive an invitation once the date is closer. You are more than welcome to attend as well."
"Speaking of which," Alice said as she and Jasper barged in without knocking, "did you get a chance to look at those dresses yet?" Alice flitted over to me and got on her tiptoes to give me a kiss on the cheek. Aro agreed to give Bella until after the honeymoon. But Caius insisted on them staying with us until after the change to make sure we don't run, Alice let me know in her thoughts. I kissed her back in thanks. "Oh. Hi Felix," Alice said offhandedly before returning her attention to Bella.
Jasper stood just inside the doorway and stared at Felix, trying to ascertain his emotions and at the same time give nothing away. He kept repeating to himself Don't look at Bella. It got more difficult for him, however, when he realized that Felix had a lustful crush on Bella. I was angry at myself for failing to mention that to Jasper before. Felix, despite being 'crabby' in Italy, was immediately taken with Bella. He even tried to instigate a fight with me in an effort to win her for himself.
Bella was doing a good job of looking relaxed, even if her heart rate was giving her away to everyone in the room. "Yes, Alice, I did, actually." She grabbed the bridal magazines from the coffee table and gave them back to Alice. They now had significantly fewer tabbed pages then when Alice gave them to her. "The ones I left tabbed are the ones that I liked." Alice nodded and put them under her purse on the counter for inspection later.
"What about the cakes? Have you decided on a color scheme yet? That'll help us narrow down the cakes quite a bit."
"How about pink?" Jasper spoke up. "You've always liked pink." He was thinking of Bella in her room at Charlie's house, lying on her bed in the same pink pajamas that she had rejected two nights ago when I handed them to her. Now I knew why. I wasn't sure whether to feel jealous at the images I was being subjected to or thrilled that she chose the blue ones over the pink ones. I made a mental note to offer to dispose of the pink pajamas for her if she wished.
"Ugh!" Alice groaned. "Pink looks horrid with my skin tone. Besides, this is not going to be a Steel Magnolias wedding. No armadillo cakes and NO PINK." Alice pictured herself in an ugly hot pink dress with a ridiculous poufy bow and satin shoes dyed to match and shuddered from the thought.
"Why not blue?" I suggested, smirking just a little. It earned me a dirty look from Bella, Alice, and of course Jasper. Luckily, Felix didn't detect anything out of the ordinary.
"Actually," Bella said, turning back to Alice, "I was thinking…green. Emerald green. With brown as the accent color." Alice squealed in approval and immediately began flipping pages searching for something. She paused on a picture of a cake. "It's called a Lily of the Valley cake. Now the flowers on this one are quite bright, but I'm sure we could get more natural looking flowers on it if you want." It was actually a very pretty cake, although it looked like it would feed 300 people, and considering that more than half the wedding party would be vampires, and that's if there even was a wedding, it seemed a bit much. Bella seemed to like it, although I couldn't be sure if she was just placating Alice or perhaps just being agreeable for Felix's benefit.
Heidi knocked just then and Jasper turned to open the door for her. He was mesmerized by her beauty, although he thought she was trying too hard. She smells wonderful, he thought, like sunshine and wildflowers. I've never met a vampire with such an amazing scent before. I agreed with Jasper in that Heidi would be much prettier if she were to take it down a notch or five, but her attire was requisite to her position as 'fisher' for the Volturi, I was quite certain. I hadn't really noticed her scent as being anything unusual, though. Huh.
Heidi appraised Jasper as she breezed by him to take a seat on the couch. Praise the goddesses; he is one fine looking vampire. Alice is a lucky lady. "Edward, I have spoken with Aro. He and his brothers have agreed to your timeframe for Bella's transformation, under one condition. Felix and I are to join you for the remainder of the school year to ensure that everything goes as planned." Jasper immediately began a mental slew of curse words, while Alice seemed satisfied that they were not ordered to kill us on sight. She was still having visions of them attending classes with us, which made her happy, not only because it gave us more time, but because the very fact that she was having visions at all meant that Adrian was flying safely under their radar.
Surprisingly, both Heidi and Felix were thrilled with this new development. They were both looking forward to a break from the monotony of life in Volterra. Heidi was even hoping to see if she could adapt to our vegetarian lifestyle.
"We will need to secure a residence, preferably closer to downtown where the fishing is easier and less conspicuous," Felix began, "and since you are all attending classes, it would make sense for us to do the same. Would you agree, Heidi?"
"Yes, with everything except the fishing part. If we are going to be staying here long term, I think it would best serve everyone's interests to at least attempt to abstain from humans while we are here."
Felix was not pleased, but acquiesced. "We can try it, if you insist, but we will need to make sure that our eyes are red again by the time we return to Italy. I do not think our masters would approve of our change in diet. Still, with circumstances being what they are, it is probably the most prudent course of action for the time being. That being the case, we can find a place near here instead."
Alice volunteered to help them get set up with a place to stay and she and Heidi made plans to go shopping for everything else they would need. Jasper offered to take them hunting after they got settled. With a deep sense of relief, I waved goodbye to the four of them as they headed for Alice and Jasper's house. I knew from Alice's thoughts that they would be gone until nightfall and that it was the last time that Bella and I would be truly alone for quite a while.
I found Bella in the kitchen, dumping the last of her coffee into the sink. I wrapped my arms around her waist and kissed her cheek as I hugged her to me. Bella leaned back into me and sighed. "That went well, don't you think?" I asked.
"Are they listening?" she whispered.
"Not right now. Alice said they would be occupied until nightfall, but then they will start surveillance shifts. But just so you know, when they do show up," I dropped my voice as low as hers was, "they'll be able to hear you whispering."
"Ugh! Do you realize how humiliating this is going to be for me? To know that they're going to hear everything?! The idea of Felix lurking in the woods somewhere listening while I sleep, or shower, or go to the bathroom; it's creepy and embarrassing." I turned her around and put my hands on her hips, pressing her into the kitchen counter before nuzzling her jaw with my nose.
"They're not here now," I spoke softly into her ear. "We should take advantage of our privacy while it lasts, don't you think?" I took her earlobe between my lips and gently sucked on it. Bella shivered in pleasure before pulling away from me.
"Edward, we should talk about the other night while we've got the chance. It was wonderful, and I don't regret a moment of it, but I don't want to give you the wrong idea. I'm not ready to commit to anyone right now. I meant what I said before, I need to figure some things out, get my head screwed on straight. As it is now, I can't give anyone my whole heart and know that it belongs to them and them alone."
I took a deep breath before responding. "I can appreciate that, Bella. If we were to get back together right now, I couldn't honestly say I would never doubt you. But on the other hand, I don't want to close ourselves completely off from one another while you are taking time for yourself, either. I love being able to be close to you like this." I caressed her ribcage with my thumbs and pressed my hips into hers for emphasis. Bella gasped at my brazen gesture. "Bella, I didn't think about the bloodlust at all, not once. That's amazing to me. And while I was afraid of losing control and hurting you, I didn't. You made me feel so good, better than I've ever felt before in my life. If you can handle it, I would really like to try to return the favor, now while we've got the chance. I know it doesn't mean forever, but a part of me needs to know that if we do get back together, we can have that level of intimacy. You deserve to know ahead of time whether or not you'd be giving that up to be with me." Bella bit her lower lip and thought for a moment. I could tell she wanted to; she just didn't know if she should. I bent down and kissed the shell of her ear. "Please, Bella?" I breathed. "I need you."
Bella's fingers made their way into my hair and she turned her face towards mine to kiss me. Her lips brushed against mine as she spoke. "Do you know how long I have waited to hear you say those words to me?" I bent down and picked her up bridal style, placing soft kisses on her face as I carried her to our bedroom. Our bedroom. In Our Home. I pulled back the comforter and sheets with one hand and then gently laid her down. I stood back and took a moment to admire her.
Her hair swirled around her head in soft curls on the pillow around her. Her long, elegant neck flexed as she swallowed a little nervously. Her blood pulsed through her jugular, the sweet scent of her humanity wafting from it in waves. It did not demand attention, instead merely making me aware of its presence. Her chest rose and fell in deep breaths, the gentle curves of her breasts calling to me from under her blouse, much louder than her blood. Her blouse rode up slightly, allowing me to see an inch or so of her soft, creamy stomach, her belly button that was quickly becoming a new object of my fascination, begging for me to plunder and explore it. Her hips, which I firmly believed were made for my hands, led sinuously to her long, beautiful legs. Even her ankles and her feet were beautiful and begged to be worshipped.
Bella scooted into the middle of the bed to make room for me to join her. The confident cockiness I had just exuded moments before in the kitchen evaporated as I laid down next to her. How could I compare to someone with hundreds of years of experience, to someone who had no worries about Bella's blood singing to him, to someone who has never had to worry about hurting her when he touched her, to someone who has never hurt her the way I have. I suddenly felt like a scared teenage boy instead of a century old vampire. Bella must have seen the fear in my eyes. She put her hand to my cheek and I leaned into it. "Talk to me," she said.
"Back in Buffalo, I hurt you, in more ways than one. I don't ever want to hurt you again, my Bella." I looked down in shame, but Bella was having none of it, putting her fingers under my chin and lifting my gaze to meet hers.
"Edward, I've forgiven you long ago for what happened in Buffalo. It was both our faults. I put you in a position where you felt it was a competition. It's not. Be with me now because you want to be. Be with me now because I want you to be. Forget yesterday. Forget tomorrow. Right here, right now, there is just you and me, and we don't have to do anything you don't want to do."
I bent down and kissed her softly. "I just want to please you, Bella," my voice was thick with emotions and cracked as I spoke.
She pulled me down to her and kissed me back. Harder. "You will." I returned her kiss in kind, her tongue caressing my lip and I opened my mouth to her. Trusting her. Loving her. She moaned into my mouth as our tongues made love, slowly, sensuously.
I pulled back so she could breathe and kissed her chin before placing soft, open mouthed kisses up her jaw and down her collarbone, my tongue darting out to taste and caress her skin. "Bella," I mumbled between kisses, "You have to"…kiss… "tell me"…kiss… "if I hurt you" …kiss… "in any way, okay?"...kiss… "Promise me, please."
"Mmmm…I promise, Edward," she hummed against my lips as my tongue swirled around the hollow of her throat, the vibrations shaking me to my core. One hand twirled a strand of her hair between my fingers, while my other hand slowly slid down her side to just under the hem of her blouse. I recaptured her mouth in a searing kiss while painstakingly unbuttoning each button, starting from the bottom and working my way up. My fingertips were on fire as they skated across her smooth stomach. Our legs became tangled and when I felt my erection meet her thigh, I couldn't help but rub myself against her, desperate for the heat and friction I found. I was afraid it would bother Bella, but instead she lifted her leg slightly and pressed into me, allowing me a better angle.
My fingers ghosted, rib by rib, until they arrived at her breast. Bella arched her back and I quickly reached behind her and unclasped her bra. I pulled her up so that I could push her blouse over her shoulders and kissed along the crest of her shoulder as I removed her top, then lowered the loose straps of her bra down her arms, finally tossing the unneeded garments aside.
I wasted no time in taking her beautiful breasts in my hands as she laid back down. They filled my palms perfectly. I must have had a goofy grin on my face as I played with them, giggling them like so much jell-o, running my thumbs along the outer rings of her nipples, tweaking her peaks between my fingers. I pushed them together and bent down to kiss the cleavage between them and moaned at the delight I took in it. Bella giggled at me and I looked up, laying my chin on them and continuing to play as I looked at her inquisitively. "Find something you like?" she teased.
I responded by attacking one of her nipples with my mouth like a starving man attacking a sandwich, moaning against her as I felt her pink flesh lengthen and harden against my tongue. "You are exquisite, love. I don't know how I resisted you for so long. Why did I ever want to deny myself the wonder that is you?" I turned my attention to her other side and laved attention upon it as well. Bella ran her fingers through my hair and pressed her chest firmly against my mouth. It was divine.
I unhurriedly explored that particular section of her body, but Bella never got bored of my fascination. Eventually I moved lower, continuing to fondle her as my kisses ventured to her belly button, swirling around it and darting inside. The taste of her skin was concentrated there and I couldn't get enough of it. I trailed kisses along her stomach and sides in swirling patterns until I had made certain not one single exposed cell had been forgotten or ignored.
When I reached the waistband of her jeans, I paused and looked up at her once again for approval. Her hooded eyes and soft smile gave me courage as I slowly unbuttoned her jeans and slid the zipper down, revealing a small peek at her ivory lace underwear. Bella lifted her hips and I linked my fingers into her front pockets, slowly pulling them down her legs before they, too, found their home on the floor.
I placed a soft kiss on the arch of her foot and then more tiny kisses on the tips of each of her toes, followed by the smooth skin of her ankles. I massaged the muscles on her calf as I kissed my way slowly up her leg, paying special attention to the sensitive flesh on the back of her knee before blowing a cool breath over the damp skin. I was rewarded with goosebumps all along the back of her thighs leading up to her…oh God. The flimsy lace undergarments left little to the imagination as they clung, soaked, against her sex. The intoxicating scent of her arousal hit me like a Mack truck and I was frozen, staring. For the second time today, I was petrified. I may have been forgiven for past mistakes, but that didn't mean that I wouldn't repeat them. Bella sensed my hesitation and took a hold of my forearms just below my shoulders and pulled me back up her body next to her, kissing me again. It was both patient and urgent, both passionate and romantic. It was perfection.
My hand ran up and down her spine as our kisses become more intense, and I finally found the courage to go lower, grabbing her butt cheek and pulling her closer against me. I found I enjoyed kneading the pliable flesh there almost as much as her breasts, and Bella seemed to like it as well, which pleased me. When she tilted herself away from me to lay flat on the mattress again, I traced the waistband of her panties back to the middle of her abdomen, my finger running just under the edge of the fabric. Bella lifted her hips, urging my hand lower. At a snail's pace, I ran my hand down the outside of her panties, between her legs, finally palming her. I groaned into her neck at the heat and moisture there.
"Oh my sweet Bella…" She curled her pelvis upward into my hand so that my fingers grazed her folds over the wet lace. My body was telling me to rip them from her body and plunge my fingers deep inside her, but I would not hurt her again. I simply wanted to pleasure her as she had me. I wanted to show her how much I loved her, wanted her, needed her. I closed my eyes and pictured myself at the piano, completely in control. I focused on the way that my fingers fluttered delicately over the keys. Not since my newborn days had I ever lacked the control necessary to not damage the instrument, regardless of how overcome by the music I was. I began flitting my fingers gracefully to the music in my mind, building from adagio to allegro and back as I played my new instrument. Bella's soft moans of pleasure were music to my ears. I repeated the notes that seemed to earn the most response, teasing and caressing as I learned the keys.
"Please…" Bella whimpered, lifting her hips so I could slide her panties off. My fingers floated like butterflies wings over my instrument. The crescendo was building and Bella began writhing, her head flinging back and forth, her panted breaths serving as my metronome, her racing heartbeat my percussion. I slid my middle finger inside her soft, warm depths and found new keys to play while I gently caressed her lower lips, her bundle of nerves slick with her arousal as our composition became an operetta. "Yes, Edward…right there, baby…so good…don't stop…" I smiled in satisfaction as I saw the bliss on her face, her eyes sealed shut as she absorbed the feelings I was producing in her. The masterpiece took on a triumphant conclusion as Bella bucked into my hand, her muscles clamping down on me as she orgasmed. I held my fingers still over the keys until the last note had faded, leaving only heavenly victory in its wake.
Bella turned and began kissing me again and I was so caught up in it that I almost didn't notice when she began unbuttoning my shirt. As soon as she freed the last button, I broke our kiss long enough to remove the shirt and toss it to the floor before returning to Bella. Her hands roamed up and down my chest, my arms, my back, everything they could touch before embedding themselves once again in my hair. She pulled me to her and I moaned again when I felt her breasts pressed into my chest, our nipples rubbing against each others. My legs straddled one of hers and her thigh was pressed against my painful erection. Bella needed air, and I almost felt as if I did too as I went back to kissing and nuzzling her neck. I pushed her into the mattress and crawled on top of her, nestled between her legs. Bella slid her hands down the back of my jeans, under my boxers to grab and squeeze my bum. I couldn't believe the passion that gesture ignited in me, and I ground my erection into her core in response. Bella pulled her hands back out and ran them around my waist to the button of my jeans, fiddling with it for a moment until I realized that she was trying to unbutton them, but I wasn't giving her the space between us to do so. I sat up onto my knees and undid the fasteners myself. Bella's eyes, dark and clouded with desire, were fixated on my groin as I removed my jeans and boxers in one swift motion before laying on top of her once more, careful to not put too much weight on her.
The feeling of Bella's naked body aligned with mine was mind altering. My emotions overtook me. I ran my fingers up and down her side with one hand as I went back to kissing her neck, the tip of my member brushing against her folds with every slight movement we made. "I love you, I love you, I love you," I whispered to her before drawing up to look in her eyes. Bella held me tight as I caressed her cheekbone with my thumb.
"I love you, too, Edward." There was such love in her eyes, and lust as well, but there was also hesitation. "But…"
I stopped her with a kiss, grateful when she returned it. "No buts, love. It's just you and me and this moment. We can talk about the future later. Right now, I want nothing more than to make love to you. I'll understand if you say no, but please, Bella. Say you'll be my first. Say you want me as much as I want you. It doesn't have to mean forever if you don't want it to."
Bella answered me by crashing her lips into mine. She drew her legs up so her feet were near my hips and reached between us, grabbing a hold of me and guiding me to her entrance. She released me and wrapped her arms around my neck. Slowly, unsure of myself and terrified yet again, I pivoted my hips and pushed upwards and inward. I was completely unprepared for the intensity of the sensation of being inside my Bella. The heat, the silky softness, the tight grip around me as her body adjusted. "Oh, baby…" I cried between kisses when I was fully seated inside of her. Bella wrapped her legs around my waist, pulling me in even deeper. I peppered Bella's face with kisses, basking in the ecstasy of it all. "Bella, I love you so much. This feels so good. Do you realize that right now, we are truly one? In every way?" Bella nodded and smiled. "God, you have never been more beautiful than you are right now." I buried my head in her neck and just breathed it all in. I wanted to stay that way forever.
"Edward…you can…um…move now if you want to…" Bella whispered in my ear.
I was suddenly mortified. I was so caught up in just being inside of Bella, that it completely slipped my mind that there was more to it, that I was supposed to be doing something. I groaned in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, Bella, I just…" It was Bella's turn to cut me off with a kiss.
"It's alright, Edward. It feels wonderful to me, too, just being here like this. But you want to move. Trust me. It'll feel even better." She kissed me again and put her hands on my hips, pushing slightly to show me she wanted me to pull back. I moaned from the delicious friction I felt. When all but my tip had been removed from her, Bella pulled on my hips and following her lead, I thrust back inside of her. My head flung back and I grunted in pleasure. A few more strokes and Bella released my hips, her hands finding a resting spot on the back of my shoulder blades. I built a slow and steady rhythm, carefully gauging Bella's reaction to each movement I made. I wanted to go harder, faster, but I couldn't chance it. As if her body were perfectly in tune with mine, Bella begged me for the very thing I needed most.
"More, baby, please. Harder…" I complied and the building pressure in my abdomen increased immediately.
"Bella, I'm not going to last long," I warned her, afraid she would be disappointed, but there was no way I could hold it in much longer. I felt as though my entire body were going to explode like a supernova.
"Me either…come with me," Bella begged as her muscles tightened and throbbed around me from her orgasm. My hips thrust into her once more, hard, as I came, grunting her name. Exhausted for the first time in my vampiric life, I collapsed next to her and pulled her flush to me, sighing in contentment as she kissed my shoulder, neck, and chest with tiny kisses. I looked down at her hand on my chest, my mother's wedding ring shimmering in the light, and felt the irresistible urge to pick her hand up and kiss the ring and the finger it rested upon. She had my mother's ring, she had my heart, and I had just willingly given her my virginity. I had never been happier. Surely God would forgive me for relinquishing my virtue to Bella out of wedlock, but even if the day came when I would burn in hell for it, I would look the devil in the eye and say it was worth it.
Bella looked up at me with victorious pride. "You did it!" I thought about what just happened. I made love to Bella, and it was everything I thought it would be and more.
"I did, didn't I?" I shook my head, not fully believing that it was real. I chuckled and kissed her. "Thank you, love, for letting me share that with you, for giving me that gift. It was a moment that I will cherish forever."
"As will I," Bella replied with a smile. "It was you who gave me a gift, one that I'm sorry I could not return." Bella's eyes turned down, sadness overtaking the joy from a moment before.
"None of that, angel. In an odd way, it probably was a good thing that I wasn't your first. I was able to put my trust in you and your experience. Your confidence gave me courage that I don't think I would have had otherwise." Bella's smile returned and she stretched to kiss me, her naked body rubbing against me as she did. Instantaneously, I needed her. Again. I was quite certain I would need her forever.
"Think we have time to do it again?" I asked as my hand snaked its way around to fondle her breast once more.
A/N: NCBs are heading for South Africa! Wonder where the Cullendales will go on that side of the pond? It's up to you! Oh, and please, don't send me 'Bella is a whore' reviews. I appreciate that she is a flawed character. She's supposed to be. She's made mistakes, but she's not a slut. Really. Hey, think we can hit 5k this chapter? After all, no-longer-Virginward deserves a little something-something, right? Love you guys!!!