B POV:

The wedding was in 3 weeks. 3 weeks until I was officially Mrs. Cullen. I was growing somewhat excited for our nuptials, but more-so about what our nuptials would mean. I would be Bella Cullen, and Edward would finally make me his mate in more ways than one. We would be lovers. Equals. And I couldn't wait.

But underneath my excitement, there was fear. I knew deep in my soul that sex with Edward was going to be the most beautiful experience he and I would share together. But if something went wrong… Edward would ever forgive himself. The thought of sex driving a wedge between us was unbearable to me. But I knew it had the potential to and that's what scared me.

I took my time showering, running through the conversation in my head a million times. Sex was the one place Edward and I struggled to communicate and I knew that I would need to be the one to change that. My gentlemen would always let me take the lead.

After the water turned cold, I turned off the faucet and readied myself for the evening. Instead of my usual sweatpants and holey t-shirt, I opted for something a little more…adult. It was nowhere near lingerie, but it was mature. Intentional. A baby step-and it was all about baby steps. That was my plan, at least. I slipped into the navy cotton knit shorts that were a little shorter than I was used to, and a matching button down T-shirt. The set was very simple and very Edward. Perfect for what I needed to accomplish tonight. I glanced at myself in the mirror, deciding just how many buttons to leave undone. I wanted to tease him, not kill him. One? Two? Definitely two. It was just enough for him to see my collarbone, a spot I knew he was particularly fond of, but not enough for him to catch a glimpse of a landmark slightly further south. That was acceptable fiance behavior, right? After I settled on the outfit, I ran a brush through my strawberry scented hair and brushed my teeth. It was time.

"You can do this, Bella," I said to myself.

I opened the door to my room, smiling at the sight of Edward waiting for me on his proverbial side of the bed, book in hand. The second I entered the room, his eyes snapped up to mine. We smiled at each other lovingly, before he not-so-discreetly took in my outfit choice.

"This is new," he said simply. I could tell he was trying his best to keep a straight face. I wouldn't push him.

I cleared my throat and joined him on the bed, "Do you like it?"

"Of course. You always look beautiful to me." I tried my best to fight the dull pang of rejection. I wasn't particularly going for "beautiful" but I guess beautiful would have to do. Tonight was about having a much needed conversation about our sex life.

I took a deep breath, "Edward, there's something I want to talk to you about."

"Of course, love. What is it?"

"I think we need to talk about the honeymoon." He eyed me, trying to figure out where I was going with this.

"Have you… changed your mind?" He asked. I sensed a touch of disappointment in his voice and my stomach did a somersault. So he did like the outfit.

"No. Definitely not. I want you more and more everyday Edward Cullen, so get used to it." I said confidently.

"As I, you Miss Swan. As I, you." He chuckled, leaning in to kiss me softly. Maybe this will go better than I thought. "So if you haven't changed your mind, what exactly did you want to talk about?" he asked huskily.

I shuddered briefly, but willed myself to get back on track. I couldn't stutter. If I showed any hesitation at all I knew he would take that as an excuse to throw in the towel completely. We would have sex on our honeymoon. That was not negotiable.

"I was thinking that the best way to ensure that things go…smoothly… is practice."

"Practice?" he asked.

I took a deep breath. "Look. We haven't gotten much further than kissing. And while I love your kisses, the thought of going from fairly chaste kissing to sex is… well, scary," I said honestly, "It's going to be overwhelming no matter what because it's you and me. Our love has always been more. But I think we might have an easier time dealing with those new…sensations… if we explore a little bit first."

"Explore," he said, slowly. I could almost hear the cogs turning in his head. Was he actually considering this? God, I hoped so.

"I promise this isn't me trying to be selfish or push you past your comfort level. I just think that we need to mitigate where we can. So we practice. We work up to the sex slowly."

He stared off into the distance for a long time, thinking through things methodically-the way he always did when my safety was concerned.

"I… actually think that's a really good idea, Bella." He said.

"Really?!"

"Yes, really," he said laughing. "Is it so shocking that I would want to explore with you, love?"

He pulled me towards his chest, wrapping his cold arms around me. I buried my face in his neck, slightly embarrassed.

"No? Yes? I don't know." I said stupidly.

A loud sigh escaped his lips, "Bella, you know I want you. But I admit, that's part of what I'm afraid of. Why I've fought so hard to be chaste. I don't really know what's on the other side of my… desire. It may be too much for me to handle." Wow. This was perhaps the most candid he's ever been about his desire for me. I was oddly proud of him. Maybe even a little proud of myself. I pulled away from our embrace to look at him, searching his eyes, waiting for him to continue.

"I spoke to my brothers about it, trying to understand what to expect. But they both told me the same thing really- I can't know. The human orgasm is perhaps the pinnacle of pleasure. But between mates it's…like you said, it's more. How am I supposed to control that kind of pleasure Bella?"

I reached for his lips, "You practice." Our kiss began sweetly, as it usually does, but I felt a hint of something new. Desire. He opened his lips slightly, and I felt his cool breath brush against my lips. Slowly, I felt his tongue trace my lower lip. All I wanted to do was open my mouth and let him in. But I willed myself to be good. I had absolutely zero boundaries when it came to Edward's touch, but I knew boundaries were what he needed. And I, in turn, needed to let him voice them before I pushed too far.

"Edward, wait," I said, pulling away.

"Bella, I'm sorry, I thought-" I covered his mouth with my hands.

"Edward Cullen don't you even finish that sentence. I just want to make sure we are on the same page before we continue."

He looked at me lovingly kissing my hand before pulling it away from his mouth, "You're right. As usual," he said reverently. My cheeks flushed, as they always did when he looked at me like that-like I was a small piece of his personal heaven.

"Well, don't say that yet," I said scoffing. He wasn't going to like the next part of my proposition.

"I want you to set the pace." I said plainly.

And there it is. He looked at me like I had driven his Aston Martin into a tree. I rolled my eyes at him. Ugh. This man.

"Before you go all 1901 on me will you please hear me out?" I asked, hoping my humor would lighten the mood. It didn't, of course. I could practically hear his muscles tightening. He squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose. I knew this would happen. I needed to push a little if this was going to work.

"Edward, look at me," I said, pulling his hand away from his face, kissing it lovingly, before placing it over my heart. "I love you. So much, okay? Please hear me out."

"Okay," he whispered.

"Aside from sex, I have no boundaries, Edward. You can kiss me and touch me wherever, whenever, and however," I purred, hoping I sounded somewhat seductive. His eyes turned black. Good.

I stole a quick kiss before continuing, "But I also understand that you need to take it slow. To…desentize yourself a little bit. So I want you to set the pace, knowing that as long as it's something you're comfortable with, I'm in. And I'll try my best not to push you."

"Bella," He pulled me in for a searing kiss, so full of love and adoration for me.

"Thank you," He murmured against my lips. I stroked his cheek, kissed his eyelids, his forehead, his jaw, trying to show him how much I loved him, trying to convey that I would be patient. He kissed my ring, and I smiled at his silent promise.

"I want to experience this with you, Bella. But you're right-I'll have to start slow," he said, trailing his hands up and down my back. My breath hitched as they made their way to the front of my button-down.

"Perhaps, we could start here?" He said, his fingers toying with the top button. I nodded, eagerly.

Excitement flashed across his eyes before he leaned in to kiss me again, slowly unbuttoning the first button. And then the second. And then… I felt the whisper of his hand on my breast.

"Oh!" I gasped. My nipple hardened at his faint touch. He stopped briefly, searching my eyes, finding nothing but pure love and lust. To my surprise… he continued.

He brought his lips back to mine, his right hand reclaiming its place on my aching breast. I arched into his hand, silently begging him to never stop. He cupped it gently, before I felt his thumb on my nipple, circling slowly.

"Oh, Edward," I moaned, throwing my head back in pleasure. He continued this motion for a few seconds, torturing me with slow movements. My hips instinctually searched for him, rising off of the bed. His eyes darkened and he switched breasts, clearly as into this as I was. I pulled his lips back to mine, roughly, moaning against his mouth as his hands explored my chest. A small part of me laughed at the thought of Edward groping me like a teenage boy. But Edward didn't grope. He caressed. Squeezed. Rolled my nipple between his fingertips. He paid attention to what my body liked and just kept doing it. I was losing control.

"Bella," he moaned, crawling on top of me. His lips left mine as he began a hot, wet trail from my neck to the tops of my breasts. I dug my fingers deeper into his hair, holding him to me. He paused his efforts briefly before pulling my right nipple into his mouth. Oh. My God. The coolness of his tongue against my hot skin, the way he sucked and circled his tongue. I knew I was moaning frantically, but I didn't care. This was the first time he really touched me. And it was oh so good.

Suddenly, he pulled back, resting on his ankles, staring at me with dark eyes.

"Edward?" I asked, still somewhat breathless. He didn't answer.

"Hey, it's okay. We can stop. Just come back to me," I said, reaching for him. He took heavy, unnecessary breaths, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Give me a minute," he asked, helplessly. A minute or two went by, and finally, his breathing slowed.

I reached for him again, hoping that my idea had not backfired. I pushed down the feelings of rejection and waited for him to make the next move. He settled back down next to me, pulling me in close and kissing my forehead.

"You are so lovely, Bella. Thank you." He said, staring deeply into my eyes.

"No, thank you, Edward," I murmured, overcome with gratitude and relief.

"This is going to work, Bella."

"I know," I said, smirking at him with blissful pride.

"Okay, get some rest," he said, rolling his eyes.

"I love you, Edward."

"As I love you, Bella."

He began humming my lullaby, and I drifted into a peaceful sleep, hopeful that Edward and I could do this. Together.