A/N: (Updated 2018)

Apologies to those of you who were missing this chapter. My reasons for removing it are not an issue at the moment. This is still very much for mature readers only, though.

Disclaimer: All fictional characters, government agencies, songs and brands still belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended. Mature content warning is in effect.

Chapter 7:

There are no more words as Edward and I surrender to our desire. He pulls me close to him and suddenly everything else holds little meaning. We kiss, and touch, and explore for several long minutes, and my heart swells even more for this man. He is so tender, so attentive, and so obviously determined to make this about more than sex. About more than just tonight.

As much as I've riled him up with my please and challenging words, his every move tells me he adores me, and I try my best to do the same for him. I twine my fingers with his and slide our joined hands up above my head, gazing adoringly into his hooded green eyes.

Edward balances on his forearms, his chest pressed into mine as he lowers his head slowly to kiss me. When our lips meet and part in synchrony, our eyes close in euphoria. Our fingers flex together in time with the kiss and the subtle motions of other parts of our bodies. Restrained movements become frantic, and the desire between us grows into a raging fire that will need to be quenched very soon.

Edward gasps my name as I hitch my leg further around his waist and, in one quick motion, push with all my might until I roll us so I'm on top of him. He looks on in surprise as I let go of his hands and grab the hem of my shirt, pulling up on it slowly.

Suddenly, he sits up and grabs my wrists. "Bella, hold on," he says, his voice rough and breathless.

I let go of my t-shirt. "What's wrong? Did you want to do that part?" I ask, confused.

He smiles somewhat timidly and releases my wrists only to tease the skin beneath my shirt with his long fingers. "Well… yeah, I guess so, but that's not why I stopped you."

I'm thoroughly puzzled. "Then... why?"

"Call me old fashioned, but..." He shifts beneath me and rolls so I am once again beneath him. I'm just beginning to think Edward might have some antiquated thoughts on lovemaking when, to my added confusion, he hops up off the bed and bolts for the door.

"What are you –?" I start to say but stop when he grabs the doorknob and swings the door closed, clicking the lock in place when it's shut. He turns around and saunters back to the bed, a somewhat embarrassed smile on his face.

He climbs up on the bed and crawls over me. "I know it's just us, but this is still my parent's house. I feel better with the door closed."

"Wow, now I do feel like I'm in high school all over again," I giggle, kissing him as he settles against me.

Edward chuckles and shakes his head. "I've never done anything like this here before, if you can believe that."

"You mean in this room?"

"No, in this house."

I'm surprised and my face tells him so. He looks shy as he begins to explain. "I played classical piano and liked science and math, Bella. I wasn't exactly popular with the girls in high school."

I smile and touch his cheek. "You sound like just the sort of boy I would have been interested in. Not that a boy so much as looked twice at me until college, and even then I think it was mostly the fact that I could shoot a gun that interested them."

"I don't see how that's possible. They were probably just intimidated because you're the whole package; stunningly beautiful, intelligent, talented."

"You may need your eyes checked," I tease, feeling uncomfortable under his appraisal.

"You don't see yourself very clearly, do you?"

"This from the man who called himself a dorky math teacher just this morning."

Edward laughs with me, but when our eyes meet again he looks nervous.

"Bella? I don't mean to be presumptuous, but if you didn't date much until college, um, well... When did you, you know...?"

"Oh!" I say, understanding dawning on me while he struggles for words. I blush but answer right away. "Yeah, uh, the summer after freshman year of college. He was a swimmer. We met in the dining hall at the National Training Center."

Edward nods, relieved at first before a funny look appears on his perfect face. "It wasn't that Michael Phillips guy was it?"

I laugh. "No, no, no... Michael Phelps was already a big-time celebrity in the sports world by then. And he trains on the East Coast. This guy's name was Ben."

"What about you?" I ask, hoping to distract him from asking more questions.

"Um, well..." He sighs and rubs his face. "It was after I joined the Navy. Her name was Chelsea. She saved me from ruining my uniforms in the laundry."

"Oh," I say, my own cheeks coloring in embarrassment for some reason. "She must have been very special."

Edward shrugs. "She was, in a way. She was fun, but she liked navy guys because they weren't ever around for very long and I've always felt a little ashamed that she didn't mean more to me when we... well, you know."

I nod. "I've felt that way about Ben sometimes. I knew I didn't really love him. Not like the last-you-for-the-rest-of-your-lifetime kind of love. And I always thought I would hold out for the real thing, but in the end, I let myself be ruled by hormones. It was very cliché of me."

Edward seems thoughtful for a moment. "Me too."

"That's not what I'm doing now, though," I say when he starts to look a little worried. "The way I feel about you is... well, it's much more than that." I place my hand over his heart. "Don't be afraid. This isn't fleeting. Not for me anyway."

He smiles and takes my face between his hands. "For me either."

Leaning in to kiss me softly, he quickly begins a path along my jaw towards my ear. He sucks gently on the skin beneath it before moving down my neck and then moves lower, towards places rarely seen or touched by another person.

My mouth falls open as Edward's hands brush the flesh beneath the soft cotton of my shirt. My entire body erupts in sensation; overwhelmingly amazing, head to toe, from-sea-to-shining-sea kind of sensation.

"Are you okay?" he asks, his voice husky as I tremble against him.

"Yes," I breathe.

"May I?" He tugs on the hem of my t-shirt.

I nod and arch my back to make it easier for him.

He kisses me and slowly inches the fabric higher. When it reaches my ribs, he breaks our kiss to sit back and look down. Self-consciousness threatens, but his eyes are approving and somewhat awed as he exposes my body.

I lift my arms above my head and the t-shirt comes off, exposing me completely to both Edward's eyes as well as the chill of the air.

"Are you cold?" he asks, having a hard time averting his eyes from the part of my anatomy most affected by the chill.

I smile, and my voice comes out a sultry whisper. "If I am, it's only because you're so far away."

I reach out to pull up on his shirt and he takes my hand and kisses my palm before releasing it and removing the garment himself in one fluid motion.

"Better?" he whispers, lying back down with me, bare chest to bare chest.

"Much."

"It's not too late to change your mind. You have to promise to tell me the moment you have any doubt that this is what you want," he says, his long fingers tracing the lines of my face.

"I promise. You too," I say, my eyes searching for anymore hesitancy on his part.

He smiles. "I promise."

I lift my head and kiss him, teasing him with my tongue and bending one of my knees at the same time. His hips slide easily in between my still covered legs and he groans, his mouth going slack when he meets my heat.

"Bella..."

I turn my head to whisper in his ear. "Make me yours, Edward."

"Oh, God, yes," he hisses as one hand slides down to my backside and he grips the curve of my ass through my pants. He squeezes and then grinds against me just once before pulling back and throwing his hands into my hair, crashing his mouth to mine and kissing me deeply.

We rock together slowly, skin on skin from the waist up, our mouths never parting. I'm already climbing, rushing towards ecstasy, and have no qualms about trying to get there. I reach for Edward's boxers, but he slows his hips and grabs my hands. My frustration is immediate as raises them over my head, but then he's trailing his lips down to my breasts and I forget anything I was doing.

He captures one of my nipples between his lips, making me gasp and moan. Releasing one of my hands, he sweeps his fingers over the other breast, teasing and taunting. The noises I'm making crescendo as his tongue and hand begin working in unison. He's squeezing and sucking in perfect synchrony, and I cry out with a desperate mewl. It's a sound I know I've never made, so I lift my head to see what this man is doing to me.

The sight is incredible. His hair brushing my collar bones, his long fingers and thick thumb working my nipple. His cheeks hollowed out. He raises his eyes to my face and catches me watching him. A fresh rush of warmth and arousal pulses through me as he holds my gaze. Then he chuckles and switches sides and my head falls back as that same mewling cry escapes me.

He begins experimenting, flicking his tongue in different ways over my hardened flesh, rolling his thumb in little figure eights that match the subtle movement of his hips. I arch my back and grab hold of his head, moaning almost continuously now. He releases my wrists and trails a hand down my side and over my waist. Reaching beneath me, he grips the curve of my ass and begins pulling me up into his very prominent arousal.

With little warning, I'm gasping and calling Edward's name. He hums and continues, moving faster now, refusing to stop. I throw both hands into his hair and lift my legs to wrap around his hips, quickly reaching a height of ecstasy I've never known before. I'm reeling, shocked that Edward's been able to coax this sort of response out of me. He hasn't even removed all my clothing, and for a brief moment, I ponder if this is normal, or if I've just been with the wrong boys.

"Bella, let go, baby... Let go for me."

His raspy voice in my ear is all I need to send me over the edge. My back arches sharply as his length hits me again and my hands flail out, slapping the mattress. I'm shouting incoherent words of pleasure as Edward holds me to him, rocking us together and gripping me tightly in all the right places. When the strongest waves of my orgasm begin to ebb, he lays me down, kissing his way up my body until he reaches the corner of my mouth, my nose, my eyelids. I'm still feeling my pulsing when his lips tough my ear.

"Good?" he asks, his voice rough velvet.

I moan and nod my head.

He chuckles and nuzzles his nose against the spot beneath my ear. "That was so beautiful, Bella. So hot. You're so responsive."

I hum in response and kiss his shoulder, my hands running trails up and down the muscles of his back while I try to decide if I should be embarrassed by his praise. Fortunately, I quickly become distracted by how aroused he still is.

I turn my head to look him in the eye as a thought pops into my head. "Edward?"

"Yes, love?"

"Are you having any second thoughts?" I ask.

He looks puzzled. "No? Why? Are you?"

"No! Nothing like that." I blush and bite my lip, letting the feel of his hard body make me brave. "I just wanted to be sure before I tried something."

"Tried what exactly?"

I take a quick breath and push on his shoulders. "Tried to return the favor."

I keep pushing against his well-muscled body watching as he works out what I want. The most adorable expression comes over him when he does. He meets my eyes with slightly flushed cheeks, rolling onto his back slowly.

"You don't have to, you know."

I lick my lips and kiss him. "I know. I want to."

"Are you sure?"

"Mm-hmm," I say, trying to keep my voice smooth. I don't want him to see that I'm actually a little nervous. He's set a pretty high standard with his performance just now.

Sitting up and straddling his thighs, I trail my hands down his shoulders and over his biceps, then back up again. I do it again, only this time, I trail just the tips of my fingers over his shoulders and down his chest. I explore his sculpted pecs and run my thumbs over his nipples, causing him to shudder beneath me. I sigh as his nipples tighten into tiny peaks and mine follow suit. I want him again, or rather, I want him inside me.

Mustering every ounce of confidence I can gather, I shift over him and rise onto my knees. I lean down and place a quick kiss above his belly button as I lift my left leg over him and crawl off the right side of the bed.

"Is everything okay?" Edward asks, his voice barely above a whisper as he watches me stand and hook my thumbs into the waistband of my yoga pants. I smile and say nothing while I lower the last of my clothing brazenly, standing in plain sight with him watching me. His mouth pops open a little and I'm glad I've been brave.

"Wow," he whispers, sitting up on his elbows.

I blush furiously and duck my head as I climb back on the bed. Yeah, I went all fearless athlete on his ass to get him to this point, but now that I have him here, shy little Bella (who's had very few men in her life) makes a reappearance.

Edward sits up like he's going to meet me halfway, but I stop him with a palm on his chest.

"I'm not done with you quite yet," I say softly. My voice is more timid than sexy, but Edward doesn't seem to notice and settles back against the mattress with a bob of his Adam's apple.

I crawl over his legs until I'm where I want to be, and continue right where I left off, caressing his chest. I return to his nipples with my thumbs briefly, and then lower my head, keeping my eyes on him until the last moment. It's worth any amount of nervousness I feel to watch his face. His eyes are bright with anticipation and his tongue peeks out to moisten his perfectly proportioned lips just as I dip my face down.

I kiss his pebbled skin, part my mouth, and flick out my tongue. I tease him a few more times like that before capturing the small bit of hard flesh between my lips and sucking it into my mouth. Edward moans appreciatively, so I continue and then add my hand on the other side. My performance earns another moan and even a hiss from Edward when I experiment with my teeth. I run my nose across his chest and switch sides, paying equal attention to both nipples before moving on.

I trail kisses down his body to his hip bones and place open mouth caresses on each of them before traveling back towards the center of his well-toned abdomen until my mouth is hovering just above the waistband of his boxers. I nudge it with my nose twice and glance up to find Edward's eyes. They're hooded with desire and wild with anticipation.

Keeping my gaze locked on his, I use all my core muscles to stabilize my body on just my knees and lift both hands to hook my thumbs on either side of Edward's boxers. I pause a moment and wait for him to grant permission. He nods once, swallowing hard. I may have given him a little smirk of my own at the feeling of power I get from seeing this strong, intelligent man look at me so wantonly.

I turn my attention back to the task at hand, and pull the elastic of Edward's boxers slowly over his hips. My eyes are locked solidly on the shape of his hips and the definition of his lower abdomen. Only when I've managed to get his shorts off do I allow myself a moment to take in the whole of his body.

The sight makes my breath leave me in a rush.

Every part of him is perfectly sculpted, divinely proportioned and well-maintained. He's Michelangelo's David, but more generously endowed. Which is why I stare. And probably why I hear a soft chuckle when my eyes get stuck on the most distinguishable part of his male anatomy. I blush and look away. Which is a shame really, because I wasn't really done being curious.

Edward reaches down to tilt my chin up and our eyes meet. I slide my hands over his legs, never breaking eye contact. His breath heaves when my fingers get to his quads and I run my thumbs up the inner portion of his thigh. I make several small circles, kneading the strong muscles as I go.

"Bella..." he sighs as one hand stops making circles and continues its journey towards the soft skin beneath his erection.

I run my fingers over the tender organs there and am awarded with a rough groan. By the time I wrap my palm around Edward's length, he's thrown his head back and begun breathing raggedly.

I smile, remembering how he'd commented on how sensitive I was. I wonder if he's the same, or if it's just us. If the reactions we draw from each other come from the almost electric chemistry between us. From the very first time I took his hand, I was overwrought with pleasure. Maybe it's been the same for him.

"Do you feel it too?" I ask, stroking his length gently.

"Feel what...? Your hand?" Edward pants, bringing his head forward to watch me stroking him.

I smile and shake my head, continuing with my movements as I answer. "Well that too, but... do you feel the connection? The electricity that's there whenever we touch?"

Edward grunts and nods. "Every time. I feel it every," he pauses as I move my hand up, "...single," I move down, "time," I move back up.

His head lolls back when I continue, and I can see he's struggling to keep his eyes on me as my ministrations grow a little more assured. I pick up the tempo but get the feeling he needs more than I'm giving him after a few more strokes. Moisture leaks from his tip and I rub my thumb over it, swirling it around on the head of his erection. His hips buck and he begs me to do it again, so I do. After the third time around I make my decision. I've never really done this before, but I'm a grown woman and can figure it out. Smiling up at him, I scoot back to get into position. Leaning down until my breasts are brushing his thighs, I press my lips to the tip of Edward's shaft, peeking my tongue out to follow the path my thumb had just made.

Edward immediately lets out an almost silent curse and falls back against the bed. Feeling emboldened, I take him into my mouth and swirl my tongue around it again. He groans loudly and his erection swells, making him even harder against the soft flesh of my lips. I'm fairly sure this is a good thing, so I continue. I swirl my tongue once more and then slide my mouth further down his long length. I move up again, then down as far as I can comfortably go. I figure out how to cover my teeth to keep from scraping against him as I move back up. A few more experimental passes and I add suction.

"Oh fu... Oh, Bella... baby," Edward pants, reaching for my head.

I would smile at his reaction, but my lips are too busy at the moment. Still, the instinct to smile has pulled them back a bit and on my next pass, my teeth scrape lightly against Edward's flesh.

"Holy hell..." he shouts, his length jerking in my mouth.

It startles me, and I come off him with a loud pop. "Are you okay?"

His mouth is hanging open and his eyes are heavily hooded. He nods and closes his mouth, reaching down to stroke my cheek.

"More than okay. That feels incredible, baby. Too incredible," he says, his voice once again sounding like crushed velvet.

"Do you want me to keep going?" I ask.

"Only if you want to, love."

"I do," I answer honestly and smile as I lower my head and take him back inside my mouth.

He moans when my hand grips the portion of him that doesn't fit. Then he starts panting when I find a decent rhythm. His fingers tangle in my hair and he groans as I pick up the pace and suction. I move up and down several more times, swirling my tongue and making him swear. His hips lift up as I slide down and I force myself to relax, trying to take more of him in my mouth.

"Oh God!" he shouts, his grip on my hair becoming more forceful. "Baby? Stop. Bella…" He pulls on my chin. "You're gonna make me come."

I release him immediately and look up to find his face scrunched together. "Isn't that a good thing?"

"Too good," he whispers. "I want to be inside you. Now."

I nod, beginning to understand as he leans forward eagerly, sliding his hands under my arms and lifting. He pulls my body up to him with an almost animalistic groan. His mouth crashes into mine as our bodies collide, falling backwards, then tumbling and rolling until I'm on my back. I wrap my arms around his neck and put my hands in his hair, drawing him closer.

He deepens our kiss, parting my mouth with his tongue, no longer content to just suck on the swollen flesh of my bottom lip. Our tongues move together, caressing erotically. I've never experienced anything quite like it. It's push and pull, give and take. I eventually have to tear myself away from him just to breathe because I never want to stop kissing him. Not ever. Not when it can be like this.

While we catch our breath, he lowers his forehead to rest against mine. I'm suddenly aware that my legs are spread wide, one of them bent at the knee, the other hooked over his hip. His body is lined up exactly where it should be and I can feel his erection dangerously close to my entrance. If I were to just lift my hips a fraction of an inch, he would be inside me already. And somehow, once again, I swear he knows exactly what I'm thinking because his eyes meet mine and the heated air between us crackles.

A moment later, with a tilt of my pelvis and a shift of his hips we're both gasping and crying out.

"Oh, God," he breathes, sliding in effortlessly, stretching me as he goes.

I moan loudly. "Oh, Edward..."

"Oh, God," he says again, panting.

I feel my body gripping him tightly. I feel his breath on my face. I feel him... go still?

"Bella..."

There is strain in his voice when he says my name this time and my heart lurches. I open my eyes to see his eyes still closed and a grimace on his perfect face. He's lowering my leg from around his waist.

"What's-"

"Condom," he breathes. "Do we need protection?"

I don't even think twice about what comes out of my mouth next.

"I'm on the pill," I blurt out.

His face relaxes and he presses a kiss to my forehead. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. Don't stop. Please." I lift my hips and kiss his chin.

He shakes his head, making both of us moan when it causes him to move in me. "I... oh, God help me. I can't lie, you feel unbelievable like this. I just… I've always worn protection."

"Okay… whatever you want. But I haven't done this in years. And I trust you. Completely. If you trust me."

Edward lets out a breath before flashing a relieved and slightly bashful smile. "You trust me?"

"With my life."

He kisses me, his tongue teasing mine as he begins easing forward. He slides in slowly, deliberately, pausing when he's about halfway in. "Tell me again."

I whimper and place a trembling hand on his cheek. "I trust you."

He turns his head to kiss my palm, pushing all the way in. "Again," he says.

I groan, lifting my hips to get him closer. "I trust you."

"Oh, Bella..."

"What?" I ask as he moves his hips backward. "What is it?"

He pulls almost all the way out. "You have no idea."

"What?" I ask gasping and clawing at his back, aching for him to fill me again.

"I'll tell you later," he says roughly, finally entering me with purpose.

I scream, and he swallows it, crashing our lips together as he hits deep and keeps going. He's moving forcefully now, and I jerk my head back, inhaling ragged breaths as I struggle not to drown in the pleasure. I'm overcome by how incredible he feels inside me.

Edward shifts his weight and grabs my hip, sliding his long fingers around to my ass and lifting like he did the first time he made me come. He drives into me, kneading my bare flesh and curling my body into his. Then he reaches for my knee and hitches my leg over his hip. He holds it there before dipping his head to suck one of my nipples into his mouth.

"Ung! Oh, god!"

He hums and laves his tongue over the hyper-sensitive peak, swirling and teasing. I cry out again and feel my legs start shaking.

"So good, so sweet," he mumbles, stopping to place a soft kiss on the very tip. Then he moves his mouth to the other side and starts again. He teases me in time with the thrusts of his hips, and I'm climbing higher and higher with each moment.

"Oh, God" I cry out when he hits me just right, nipping with his teeth at the same time his long shaft slides over theexact right spot inside me. As if he feels it too, Edward starts humming and moaning along with me. He shortens his strokes to focus on that spot and I cry out some garbled combination of "wow, oh god, holy shit, yes, please."

When lifts his head from my chest and meets my eyes, my body clenches around him involuntarily. I gasp and grab his shoulders, suddenly aware that I've never felt anything like this in my life. Sex has never once been this good. Coming has never felt this good. My body's been holding out on me. Big time. Until now. Until Edward.

I lift my face, seeing his lips while he continues hitting that amazing spot inside me.

"You're incredible," he pants into my mouth. "So responsive. So good."

"It's you. It's all you," I tell him breathlessly.

He laughs before kissing me again and lengthening his strokes. Going harder, taking me deeper. I try to give back as good as I get because I'm close. I'm going to come, and I want him there with me.

I arch against him and he moans as he lowers his arm, the one that's been holding my leg up over his hip. He rests it next to my head and presses our chests together while I hook my legs together. His hand slides beneath me, so he's cradling the back of my head, his fingers tangled in my hair. He uses his nose to push a wayward strand out of my eyes. Pulling back, he smiles tenderly.

"I want you to come again."

"Mm," I respond, fluttering around him and closing my eyes as I hover there on the edge.

Edward's lips trail along my neck, making me moan and grip him tighter, pressing up up into him. He shifts his weight and presses up on his forearms, separating his chest from mine. His mouth finds mine one more time before he straightens his arms out completely and arches his back on his next forward thrust. The action causes his pelvis to engage the nerves bundled above where we're joined. With every pass he's stimulating my clit, and I'm gone.

My nipples harden, my skin shivers, my lower abdomen tightens. I look up to see bright green eyes darkened with desire. His focus is all on me, and I feel my insides quiver as I realize he's holding off, waiting for me.

Sitting up on my elbows, I kiss his neck, nipping and sucking along the way. I move my mouth over his collar bones until I reach the hollow between them. My tongue pokes out and I lick the salty skin there all the way up to his Adam's apple.

"Mmm..."

His moan is long and low, vibrating through him as my body crests and my orgasm rocks through me. I gasp and cling to him, grappling for his shoulders as I clench around him. Edward groans loudly, thrusting deeper.

"Shit, shit, shit!"

His whispered plea is all the warning I get before he grows thicker inside of me. He moves chaotically, his arms shaking. Words fall from my lips, things like "now", "please", and "yes". I begin chanting the last one over and over as the ecstasy rolls through me again.

He slams into me one last time, his length pulsing hard inside me. "Oh, damn! Bel-la... Uh. Uh."

"Edward!" I scream. "Oh oh!"

My cries continue as wave after wave of sensation wash over me. I cling to him frantically as he grunts and thrusts until he collapses, still jerking inside me. We're both trembling, seemingly unable to move apart from our heaving chests. His heart is pounding wildly in time with mine. I can feel it. There is nothing between us. No space. And no secrets.

There are no alias keeping us apart anymore. No lies. It's just us. Him and me. And I smile.

I smile and sigh in contentment, because there is nothing I've wanted more when it comes to Edward Masen. I'm whole once again in his arms. And not even another Gold Medal could compare to that.

~(~)~

Thanks for reading.

~Ginnie