Author's Note:

Well...isn't this awkward! Three years later and I finally finish this assignment! Better late than never, right? Anyways, I hope you enjoy it! As per my usual, it's rather lengthy, but I wanted to make sure that I got all the emotions and such just right. That's probably why it took me so long to finish it. That, and my RL has been nothing short of crazy with school, new jobs, and children, but I won't bore you with the details. I'll be working on the other assignments and hopefully it won't take another three years before I finish the next one!

Homework Assignment #3:

Like a Virgin

Sex.

Sex to a virgin was an awkward, almost taboo subject in one hand, but also something to eagerly anticipate in the other. Being a virgin in her first semester at a major university? Well, that only made the odd mix of awkwardness and anticipation even worse. The occasional erotic romance novel was as close as I'd come to actually doing the deed, and the smallest most secret part of myself that only came out while I was reading lusted after it.

But, in all honestly, I'd never given much thought to the intimate act of all intimate acts. The two boyfriends I'd had in high school hadn't exactly inspired any intense romantic feelings in me, but I supposed that was for the best anyway. Neither of them had been very romantic to begin with. No love lost, that's for sure.

No, I was perfectly content with flying solo and getting a couple years of college under my belt. That is, until I met my current boyfriend, Stefan Valerious.

Our connection had been magnetic from the beginning, and I still couldn't quite understand how such a gorgeous boy had chosen me out of the droves of beautiful girls on campus, especially considering that he was a Junior and had been here for two years already. Not to mention the fact that dropping a stack of encyclopedias on his head wasn't exactly the best of ice breakers. In short, we ended up hitting it off over our mutual love of books.

The fact that such a completely gorgeous boy – deep brown hair and pale green eyes included – had something in common with me was hard to believe at first. I mean, we were on opposite sides of the board appearance wise. His lean but muscular physique made me assume that he was on one of the sports teams, so you can imagine how tremendous my surprise was when I found out he was majoring in History. He just worked out religiously to stay in shape. He was smart and athletic, a rare combination, and it took me a couple weeks before I knew he wasn't taking me for a ride.

With how unbelievably charming he was, and armed with that silky-smooth Romanian accent, you can't really blame a girl for thinking it's too good to be true. Every time we saw each other I was sure that I'd find out about the charade he was keeping up or, even worse, that he'd lost a bet and lulling me into a false sense of security was his punishment.

But he was the real deal, much to my immense relief. Our first couple dates were wonderful, but terribly awkward on my part. I managed to spill my drink not once, but twice while we were out eating dinner, and when we went to see a movie he held the door open for me like a gentleman and I tripped on the way in, nearly sending the both of us sprawling. I was embarrassed enough about my clumsiness while I was on my own, but now that I had a boy to impress every step I took was a potential hazard.

The more time I spent with him and got to know him though, the more my nervousness went away, the more I was unafraid to be myself while we were together. I even got over my initial shyness of kissing him, something else that I was terribly awkward at. Saying I was thankful that he was more experienced than me in that certain area was an understatement.

It was about four months into our relationship when I started thinking more and more about…other things.

Bolder things.

And it wasn't until one of our late night final exam study sessions in his dorm room that those thoughts and desires became real.

There his mouth was, on my neck, again.

My eyelids fluttered as Stefan's tongue traced a slow, tantalizing trail along the junction of my neck and shoulder, the goose flesh that was lazily crawling down my back making me temporarily forget where I was and what I was doing. I snapped back to attention with a soft intake of breath just as my pencil began to slip from my grasp and opened my eyes, choosing to focus on the signed Victoria's Secret Angels poster he had hanging on his closet door in an attempt to keep myself from giving into him completely, even though that's exactly what I wanted to do.

"Stefan..." I whispered, my voice wavering traitorously. "I have finals to study for. You do too."

Was I really choosing to study while my ridiculously hot, Romanian boyfriend obviously wanted to do those 'other things'?

Yes, unfortunately, I was.

It wasn't that I didn't want to toss my books off his bed and let him kiss me until our mouths went numb. I did want that. Boy, did I ever. But I was basically apprehensive, and it was difficult for me to admit that to myself, even more so out loud. My apprehension was deep seated, stemming from more than just my other doubts and fears about intimacy: I was still a virgin.

Stefan chuckled softly as he brought his mouth up and positioned it close to my ear, so close that I could feel his breath creep across my skin as he exhaled. I fought to keep myself from quivering, but I could tell that my body was enjoying being traitorous. And I'm sure he could tell how much he was affecting me.

"I apologize. You have no idea how big of a distraction you are," he murmured, his lips brushing against my ear with all the gentleness of a butterfly's wings.

My head tipped to the side of its own volition and I expelled a heavy breath when he sucked my ear lobe into his mouth and began to gingerly tease it. My pencil finally slipped out of my hand and I didn't attempt to catch it or pick it back up, my thoughts completely consumed by how talented he was with his mouth.

But even in my current state, relishing the budding bliss that my unbelievably hot and sexy boyfriend was stirring inside me, those whispers of doubt slithered back into my mind like a snake sliding through tall grass. Would I be able to please him? Would he change his mind about us if the intimacy was less than inspiring? Of course, the touching and kissing was so much more incredible than I ever could have imagined, but because of the fact that I hadn't done anything like this before made me think that the sex would somehow be different.

My fears whispered that I wouldn't be good enough, and I listened.

I didn't want to lose him.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I shied away from his mouth and tipped my head down, my hair falling around my face like a curtain as my hand searched blindly for my pencil. When I finally found it, I gripped it tightly and stared down at my textbook, hoping that Stefan wouldn't notice how white my knuckles were.

The heavy silence that settled between us was so thick that I felt I would choke on it. I could feel his gaze on me and I was scared to turn my head, scared to see the look on his face. I knew that I was disappointing him and even possibly sending the signal that I didn't want him to touch or kiss me, that I wanted nothing to do with his affection, but that couldn't have been any farther from the truth.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice only apologetic, not disappointed or angry like I feared it would be. "I shouldn't be pressuring you. I'll be good now. Promise." Gently sweeping my hair away from my face, he leaned in and pressed a tender kiss on my cheek, then turned back to his own textbook.

I sucked my bottom lip into my mouth and chewed on it uncertainly, glancing over at him out of the corner of my eye. He was so patient, so understanding, and I really did want him. I wanted him in every way possible, but my doubts and insecurities continued whispering their lies to me.

It's time to make a decision, Bella, I thought, bringing my gaze back down to my textbook and the words on the page that currently made no sense to me.

Gathering up my courage, I closed my book and pushed it away from me, then turned onto my side to face my boyfriend. "You shouldn't be the one apologizing, Stefan. I'm not being fair to you."

His eyebrows were pinched together in confusion when he looked at me. "What do you mean?" he asked, closing his book as well to give me his full attention.

Scooting a little closer to him, my gaze briefly dropped to his lips and the memory of how good it felt to have his mouth on my neck replayed in my mind. "I'm probably making you think that I don't want your affection and I'm sorry about that. I don't mean to."

He leaned in slightly, his hand crawling across the bedspread to cover mine, and the corners of his lips curled upward. "It is reassuring to hear that, but I know that I can be...persistent. If I've ever made you uncomfortable –"

Before he could finish his sentence, I shook my head and interrupted him. "No. No, you haven't." I paused and swallowed, the warmth of his breath and the scent of his cologne making my head start to spin. "I guess I'm just...nervous. I don't want to disappoint you."

My cheeks flared with embarrassment after my confession, both shocked and relieved that I finally opened up to him about one of my biggest insecurities. I held my breath, my heart pounding loudly in my ears as I waited for his answer.

I heard him inhale, his body shifting on the bed as he moved closer, our sides touching now. "You know how much I love you, right?" he murmured, his mouth lightly brushing mine as he spoke.

My lips parted slightly as I nodded, far too tongue-tied to offer up a suitable reply. He'd told me he loved me before, but for some reason this whispered declaration, meant only for my ears even though we were alone, stirred something inside me.

"Then you know you could never disappoint me," he continued, lifting a hand to cup my cheek as he finally bridged the tiny gap between us to kiss me.

His lips were impossibly soft and they molded themselves perfectly against mine. I exhaled slowly, my body responding automatically to his kiss, and leaned into him, yearning for more. His gentle reassurance smothered my fears and strengthened my resolve. I wanted to feel the heat of his body and the pressure of his hands on my skin. The desire that he had awakened inside me only needed a tiny spark to ignite it and I was longing to drown in that heat.

Without exactly meaning to, I rubbed my thighs together, warmth already pooling in the cradle of my hips, and a shudder passed through me. "I want you, Stefan," I mumbled against his lips, slowly turning onto my side.

He went still against me and pulled back, his gaze finding mine. I could tell by the look in his eyes that I'd caught him off guard and his shocked silence made the corners of my mouth twitch. "You...you're sure?" he questioned once he found his voice again.

I breathed in deeply to calm my racing heart, my hands quivering, and nodded once. In the time it took for us to take one breath, our mouths crashed back together and a lust-filled frenzy took over. I barely noticed the two loud thuds as our textbooks hit the floor, unconcerned with the concept of studying or focusing on anything else that wasn't Stefan's lips.

Our mad scramble to the pillows was nothing but a hot, hazy blur, but every sensation was burned into my memory with shocking clarity. My nervousness had temporarily disappeared and, for a moment, I wondered why I had even felt that way in the first place. It wasn't until I felt a light tugging on my pants and heard the tell-tale sound of my zipper being undone that I realized this was actually happening.

Just like that, uncertainty bulldozed its way back to the forefront of my mind and I gripped Stefan's shoulders, fighting against the nearly overpowering urge to push him off me and curl into a ball. Detecting my hesitation, Stefan's hand went still and he pulled back, his green eyes soft with concern.

"Bella?" he whispered. The huskiness of his voice cut through my distress and turned my insides to goo.

I slowly swallowed past the lump in my throat and took a deep breath to center myself. I didn't want him to stop. I wanted him. I wanted him so desperately that I could barely stand the distance between us, even though we were separated by only a few inches.

Opening my eyes, my line of sight unintentionally locked onto the Victoria's Secret Angels poster that was in view over his right shoulder. I knew I would never look like the supermodels immortalized in that picture, but I also knew that I didn't have to be. Stefan didn't want a supermodel, even though he was gorgeous enough himself to be one.

He only wanted me.

The breath of only a few seconds had passed by the time I finally met his gaze and something in the depths of my soul fell into alignment. Suddenly, it wasn't a question of whether I was ready. I knew I was ready for this. I could feel it down in the deepest, most secret part of me. No, the real question was why hadn't I acted on these urges sooner?

With my resolve strengthened, I shot him a reassuring smile and lifted my arms, looping them loosely around his neck. "I'm okay," I said, my desire for him quickly replacing my fear.

He nodded once and braced both of his hands on the bed, his gorgeous eyes still on mine. "Are you sure?" I could tell that a part of him was expecting me to tell him to stop, that I wasn't ready yet, but I saw nothing but reassurance and acceptance in his gaze. Even if I wasn't ready, I knew he would understand.

But I was ready. I was ready to go all the way with him. I wanted to feel his strong hands caressing my body, the heat of his skin against mine, and taste the sweetness of his lips as we kissed. I wanted to know what it felt like for our bodies to be joined, connected in the most intimate way. I wanted to hear him whisper my name and moan his in return. I wanted to experience it all.

I nodded, surer now than I ever had been before, and bunched my fingers into the soft material of his shirt, pulling him down closer. "Yes, I'm sure. You're everything I've ever wanted, Stefan. And so much more."

He smiled tenderly and lifted a hand to my face, his fingertips ghosting down my cheek with the softest of touches, causing a shiver to shoot down my spine. "I love you so much, Bella," he whispered, inching closer and closer until his lips brushed against mine.

My eyes fluttered shut as I tentatively returned his kiss, my body beginning to tremble with anxious desire, yearning for the heat of my lust to completely take over, yet reveling in the slow burn as we touched and tasted each other. We quickly became nothing but a tangle of limbs sensually twisted atop the surface of his bed, our clothes the only barrier still separating us.

His mouth on mine, my fingers buried in his hair, his hands gripping my hips, my leg hooked around one of his, his weight pushing me down into the mattress; such a dizzying combination of the most erotic sensations I had ever experienced and still I wanted more.

I needed more.

I needed to feel more of his bare skin on mine.

What felt like an eternity's worth of kissing later, I finally felt his fingers tugging on the zipper of my jeans once again, finishing what he started earlier. My heart began pounding loud and hard against the inside of my ribcage like a gavel and I squirmed beneath him, wiggling my legs out of the confining material as he tugged down on the waistband. Never had I been so happy to be rid of a pair of pants in my life.

I was certain that he was anticipating this moment just as much as I was.

I was so eager for him to undress me that when he pulled away to lift my shirt over my head, I promptly raised my arms to assist him and leaned my shoulders up off the bed. The chill of the air conditioning on my heated skin made me want to curl in on myself, but the weight of his body straddling my hips prevented me from moving. Once he yanked his shirt off though, I was his captive audience of one, completely focused on nothing else except his magnificent body.

He had been blessed with a physique even Adonis would be envious of.

My eyes followed his hands as they descended to his pants, stopping on the obvious bulge of his erection. I swallowed thickly as I watched him undo his belt, button, and zipper, my gaze focused on every minute movement his fingers made. My heartbeat quickened as he peeled the edges of his jeans away from his snug, black boxer briefs, filled with nervous anticipation as I laid beneath him in only my underwear and bra. I'd never seen a boy's penis up close before. The only basis of comparison I had was from illustrations in educational textbooks about the workings of the male and female reproductive system.

I swallowed again.

He lifted off me just long enough to pull his legs out of his pants before tossing them behind him and returning to hovering over me, his arousal now more noticeable than before. I looked up into his eyes and a sense of peace fell over me as I captured his face between my hands, a shy smile spreading across my mouth. My skin turned to gooseflesh as his hands traveled gradually up my body, briefly cupping my still covered breasts before sensually sliding my bra straps off my shoulders.

This was the moment of truth. The moment where we were going to be fully exposed and vulnerable to each other for the first time.

Thinking that it would be better if I unclasped my own bra, I pulled my hands away from his face at the same moment that he attempted to reach underneath me and our arms became awkwardly tangled together. I couldn't stop a nervous laugh from pushing past my parted lips and slapped a hand over my face in embarrassment, mortified that something so silly had happened when we were being serious about our intimacy for the first time. Right when I was starting to think that Stefan wouldn't appreciate my laughter, I heard him chuckle softly and relief flooded through me.

"Sorry," he mumbled, pulling his arm back and bracing his hands on either side of my head. "I'll let you handle that."

I inhaled deeply to dispel the rest of my nervousness and shot him the best demure smirk I could muster as I reached behind my back to do just that. "Aren't you impatient?" I murmured shyly, my cheeks flaring red at my attempt to be seductive.

I'd spent most of my adolescent life thinking I was nothing special, like every other girl around me was a solid ten while I was a rough seven. And even calling myself a seven was probably pushing it. I'd become accustomed to thinking of myself as mediocre at best, but in that moment, when I was as vulnerable as I had ever been in my life, the way Stefan was staring at me made me believe without the shadow of a doubt that I was the only girl he saw.

His eyes were focused solely on me, watching with a yearning I'd never seen before, as I peeled my bra away from my chest. My desire left me trembling with anticipation beneath him as I dropped my bra over the edge of the bed, my gaze still locked on his. I wanted him to touch me. Badly.

And I wanted to touch him just as bad.

Before I lost my nerve, I lifted a hand off the comforter, my fingers quivering, and gingerly stroked his length through his briefs, my heart pounding. As soon as he felt my touch, he inhaled sharply and leaned gently into my hand, his eyelids slowly sliding shut. My thoughts turned to how gorgeous he was in this moment. I watched with wide eyes as his lips parted – those perfect lips that I so desperately wanted to kiss – and when he exhaled, I felt myself exhale along with him. Time slowed to a crawl; seconds turned to minutes, but I barely noticed.

I was so focused on his face that my breath caught in my throat when his warm hand cupped my bare breast, tenderly kneading the soft, supple flesh like a mound of fresh dough. Our gazes met just as my mouth fell open, expelling a heavy breath, and I unconsciously pressed my chest more firmly into his hand. His palm grazed seductively over my nipple as he continued his sensual massaging and the electric shocks that resulted from his ministrations went straight to my womanhood, causing the heat that was already building there to intensify.

My thoughts were a whirlwind. So many scattered words and emotions were running frantic circles in my head, the speed so great that I had no chance of pinning them down. It was exhilarating and just a little overwhelming all at once. Even if this moment didn't end with the culmination of our love for one another, I would still think it was perfect. Every detail of this night would be emblazoned in my memory no matter what.

And not only did our gazes connect in the midst of our erotic touching, but I could swear our souls fell inexplicably into alignment as well, as corny as that sounded. The sudden but welcomed shift made a sense of satisfaction settle in the pit of my stomach, and by the look on his face I knew that he had just experienced what I had. Leaning closer to me, he cupped my cheek and granted my silent wish, kissing me with the kind of tenderness and love that stole the breath from my lungs.

That kiss was the catalyst, the catalyst that set off a dizzying chain reaction that emptied my mind of all coherent thought and turned me into a creature of instinct. I squirmed beneath him restlessly, wriggling like a worm on a hook, as the swiftly rising heat between us turned my blood to magma. I returned his kisses hungrily, the fingers of one hand buried in his hair while the other was still wrapped around his hardened erection as his hands gripped me desperately, his touch both rough and gentle at the same time. When he pulled his hands away from me though, I swear I could feel my body singing when he hooked his fingers inside the waistband of my underwear and pulled them down my legs.

Once Stefan tossed my underwear off the bed, I realized that I was completely naked in front of him for the first time. And as nerve-wracking as that was, it felt strangely liberating too.

Stefan's mouth disappeared from mine and when I opened my eyes to look up at him, the vulnerability and acceptance I saw in his gaze struck me to my core. "God, Bella, it's just unbelievable how beautiful you are," he murmured as he reached a hand out to procure something from his nightstand.

A soft giggle pushed past my parted lips as I lifted my quivering hands to his chest, gradually dragging my fingertips down his abdomen, reveling in the feeling of the muscle beneath his skin. "Speak for yourself," I whispered, realizing how out of breath I was and not knowing if it was from the kissing or from residual nervousness.

He smiled the same smile that made my knees weak and lifted a hand to capture one of mine, giving it a gentle squeeze. That's when I noticed he was holding something and I realized what it was when he pushed his boxer briefs off his hips: a condom.

My relief over his willingness to use protection was promptly shoved to the back of my mind when my eyes landed on his erection when it finally sprang free.

Stefan's - my boyfriend's - penis. He was perfectly and gloriously endowed, and a small part of me was a little frightened that my body wouldn't have enough room to accommodate him.

I swallowed thickly, barely registering the tearing of the paper packet in his hand. I stared unblinkingly at his hands as he expertly smoothed the condom down his shaft, ensuring it was secure.

"Can you promise me something, Bella?" he asked as he gently parted my legs and lifted them so my knees were bent, exposing the heated flesh to the cool air of his dorm room. The shiver that rocked my frame left me trembling.

My eyes reluctantly lifted to meet his and I nodded, completely at his mercy.

His hands slid gradually down the inside of my thighs as he spoke, his eyes focused on mine. "If anything I do hurts you, you need to promise that you'll tell me to stop. Can you do that?"

I swallowed as his hands crept closer and closer to the center of my desire, so close and yet not close enough. I nodded again, my breathing deep and heavy. "Yes. I promise," I answered in a breathless whisper.

Stefan nodded once in satisfaction, one corner of his mouth drawing up, as his right hand paused at the junction of my legs. I fought to keep myself from trembling, but that was a losing battle. "Good," he said, and when his fingertips ghosted over my slick wetness, my breath caught in my throat. "And I promise to be exceedingly gentle."

I gasped when he gingerly swirled his finger around my opening, my hips following his movements like a hypnotized cobra, and when he slowly slid his finger inside me, the sudden cascade of erotic sensations made a soft, wanton moan push past my parted lips. My eyes closed as I rode the waves of pleasure that were rolling inside me, gradually building as his finger gently pumped back and forth, the rhythm strangely synchronizing with the beating of my heart. My hands gripped his bedspread as I whispered his name in the midst of my breathless panting and the resulting rumbling groan that emanated from his chest made me open my eyes to gaze up at him.

There was nothing but pure desire – desire for me – in his bright green irises, and I became lost in their depth. "Bella…" he murmured, his Romanian accent deliciously husky. "I have never wanted another woman as much as I want you right now."

His words caused a thrill of excitement to shoot up my spine. There was no way that I could possibly deny him now. The yearning I felt for our bodies to be connected in the most primal way completely drowned out the whispers of my fear and nervousness from earlier. I wanted him so bad that I could taste it.

My legs dropped open in surrender, ready for him to claim me no matter how much it hurt. "Then take me," I told him, my breasts heaving as I panted. "I'm all yours."

He grinned again and his eyes roved over my body, his gaze hungry, like he was a man dying of thirst who had stumbled upon a glittering oasis. Crawling forward until he was hovering over me, he guided his erection to my opening, the tip gently parting my slick folds. My hands came up and gripped his biceps, ready to welcome whatever came next, be it pain or insurmountable pleasure.

"And I'm yours," he replied.

The beginnings of a smile began to stretch across my face when Stefan gently pushed himself past my barrier, claiming my body and virginity as his own. I squeezed my eyes shut as he stretched my body in a way that it had never been stretched before. At first, the pulsing pressure almost made me tell him to stop, but it slowly ebbed as he went deeper, my body perfectly encasing his. I swallowed thickly, my fingertips digging into his arms as I waited for the burning to pass, and let out a shaky breath when he went still, our bodies completely joined.

Stefan groaned softly and shifted above me. Suddenly I felt his hand on my face, the pads of his fingers delicately brushing over my cheek. "Are you okay?"

I blinked my eyes open and swallowed again as our gazes locked, nodding my head. "Yeah…" I replied, releasing the death grip I had on his arms. I felt my cheeks grow warm as I searched for something else to say, unable to wrench my thoughts away from the pressure of his body both inside and on top of me. "Umm…how about you?"

"I'm amazing," he said with a smile as he planted a soft kiss to my forehead. "You are…exquisite." He exhaled then and I noticed that his breathing was shaky too. "Remember, if I'm hurting you, all you have to do is tell me to stop."

"I know," I said, lifting my hands to cup his face. His heated skin was soft and slightly sweaty. "But I want this. I want you."

A tremor shook his frame and another groan rumbled in his chest as he rolled his hips into mine. The sensation of his gentle movements within me pushed a weak moan out of my throat and my hands slid back into his hair, my fingers burying themselves in the dark strands. The burning pressure was still there, but it was merely an echo, pushed to the side by my aching desire and intense yearning. I wasn't going to let the memory or fear of the pain ruin the beauty of this moment.

"I love you, Bella," he whispered as he reached a hand back to grip my thigh, moving my leg so it was hooked around his waist while the gentle movements of his hips continued. That one little adjustment made it feel like he could now go even deeper inside me and I moaned without exactly meaning to.

I looped my arms around his neck, trapping him in my embrace as though he would spontaneously disappear. "I love you too, Stefan. So much."

His kiss seared my lips, his touch branded my skin, and the only thought cycling through my mind on repeat was, More, more, more. Now I understood. I understood the "hype" that surrounded having sex and no longer did I think it was an awkward or taboo subject. I finally understood how someone could become addicted to this feeling. Everything I thought I knew about sex before hadn't even scratched the surface, and sharing this experience with a gorgeous boy whom I loved and who just happened to love me in return made this moment far more special than I could have anticipated.

And I didn't want it to end. Ever.

Stefan suddenly pushed up against my arms and I reluctantly released him as he braced his hands on either side of my head. My fingers found the bedspread once again and I clutched the fabric to anchor myself in place. As soon as I saw him hovering there above me though, dark hair in disarray and his skin flushed, I decided I didn't mind the distance one little bit and took full advantage of the view. His thrusting, which had started out as heartbreakingly slow and gentle, became faster and more powerful, our pelvises now colliding roughly. My back arched off the bed, overtaken by the euphoria, and I cried my lust at the ceiling each time he buried himself so deliciously deep inside me. Stefan answered my moans with deep grunts and groans of his own, proof that he was sharing in the bliss that I was currently experiencing.

I reached up for him, needing to feel how his muscles moved beneath his skin, and slid my hands up and down his chest and abdomen. His heated skin was slick with sweat, but that didn't bother me. He was so strong and yet so gentle at the same time, but the best part is that he was mine. He was all mine to touch and taste, and that thought was thrilling.

Moments later, he lowered back down and kissed me with an urgency that was so raw and heated it left my head spinning. He swallowed my moans eagerly and fed me his groans in the same turn, pumping himself in and out of me, back and forth, like a piston. The feverish, pulse pounding rhythm soon made the strange coiling deep in the cradle of my hips, that had been steadily building from the beginning, gloriously obvious.

I knew what was coming, and I had a feeling that Stefan did too.

My hands gripped his shoulders tightly as our bodies moved to a beat that only the two of us knew, our harmonizing cries of pleasure filling the room. Stefan's thrusting suddenly became frenzied and I held onto him even tighter, my legs locked around his waist. I could feel myself being pushed closer and closer to falling over the edge of an orgasmic abyss, my body practically crying out for it. The seconds dragged on like hours as he pounded me into his mattress, but the passage of time was lost on me; I was in heaven.

Without warning, the tension roiling at my center finally snapped, releasing the pressure in one enormous wave. Our mouths broke apart at the same instance and my breath caught in my throat. I was left staring up at his neck as I came undone underneath him, all control over my body lost. I writhed and moaned, overtaken by the intensity. Moments later, Stefan suddenly pulled back and groaned deeply as he reached his own climax while I continued to combust, welcoming the heat that I was being consumed by. Never had I felt something so powerful before, and I knew that even if I lived ten more lifetimes, I wouldn't feel anything that would amount to this: my very first orgasm.

A lazy smile stretched across my mouth as I came back down from my orbit around the Sun, my body gently quivering with euphoria. We stared at each other in the silence, both of us breathing heavily like we'd just finished running a marathon. I tried to think of something to say to him, but none of the thoughts that came to mind seemed appropriate. There were no words in existence that would even come close to describing what I felt. I most certainly didn't want to ruin this moment either, so I stayed silent and continued to gaze up at him, completely and wonderfully content.

Stefan exhaled sharply as a wide, satisfied grin stretched across his mouth. "That...was incredible," he said, moving over to lie down beside me.

I shifted over, my smile widening as he folded me into his embrace, and sighed, the heat from our lovemaking still hanging over us like sunshine. "Yes, it was," I answered softly. The dull throbbing between my legs was a testament to how mind-blowing it had been.

Stefan pressed his face into my hair, kissing my head gently. "I love you so much, Bella," he whispered, his arms constricting around me even tighter.

I closed my eyes as I snuggled closer to him, drawn to the warmth of his body, and nestled my face into the hollow of his throat. I deeply inhaled the scent of his skin and sighed again, a sense of peace falling over me. "I love you too, Stefan." Those words resonated deep inside me and I knew even if I told him I loved him a hundred times a day, that still wouldn't be enough.

Blissful silence enveloped us and we laid there in each other's arms for the rest of the night, our studying completely forgotten. Right before I drifted off to sleep, one last fleeting thought drifted lazily through my mind: I knew from now on, our combined study efforts would be far less productive – at least where our school work was concerned.

And I wouldn't mind that one bit.