chapter 2 (continued)

"Did you forget about my one rule, sweetheart?" He whispered into my ear.

"Sorry." I said, smiling timidly. "I'm all yours!" I quickly placed my arms at my side and let him take over. I had to admit, the thought of Edward washing my hair had me chuckle to myself. He obviously picked up on my internal enjoyment.

"What's so funny?" He said, smiling my favorite crooked smile.

"Just the thought of you washing my hair. It's funny to me." I chuckled again. This was all just nervous laughter. I've never showered with a man before, or anything like Edward. I was just anxious. "Just don't get soap in my eyes."

"My silly, love. Don't you trust me? And will you please open your eyes."

For a minute, I forgot I even had them closed. The vision I was painting in my head of Edward there in front of me was far too amazing to let disappear. But then I remembered that nothing could compare to the reality of Edward. I took a step back and rubbed the water out of eyes, blinked a few times quickly, and stared.

He was perfect. Standing under the hot waterfall, his hair curled off in wet sections, dripping in front of his eyes. Water crawled down his jaw line and dripped off his chin, his skin was almost reflective. His lips seemed to be even darker when completely wet, and the contrast to his white skin was breathtaking. His eyes locked into mine, and narrowed when seconds passed without me saying a word. I didn't even bother to look down.

"Stephanie?" His tone was concerned.

"Edward..." I gulped, and gave myself up to my emotions. I closed the gap between us, embracing his body, molding mine to his. He reacted to everything and embraced me tighter. My hands roamed the vastness of his angular back and traced his spine downwards. I felt what this did to him. Without thinking, I pushed my hips against his. Every inch of him was now branded into the soft skin of my stomach. My heart skipped and raced inside my chest. I felt my blood boiling faster than the water was hitting me, scorching through my veins.

Then I looked up into Edward's liquid golden eyes. They were shielded behind thick wet ribbons of hair. I combed it back with my fingers, and kissed his neck. I felt his body stiffen and freeze. Ironic, I thought to myself. How much more stiff and frozen could he be?

"Oops." I bent my elbows rested my palms on his chest. "I'm not as strong as you."

"I am completely under control, Stephanie. You just forgot the rule again."

"Oh, right." I collected myself. "Sorry to interrupt you."

"I just like to take my time. Moments like these shouldn't be rushed through." His words escaped his lips at the same time his hands rolled down to my hips. And back up again. His chin rose with a long inhale, and sunk back down with his prolonged exhale. His breath intoxicated me. "Turn around."

I listened to him and turned to face the white tile wall. His hands crawled up my arms and intertwined in my fingers. He guided them up the wall, and patted them to tell me I should keep them there for support. The cold tile felt good against my palm. Then something felt better.

He bent over my body, pressing his nose to my neck. He inhaled my scent and I felt him quickly lose control. But he wasn't thirsty for my blood this time. I felt his hands reach around my chest and fondle my breasts which firmly hung under me in perfect vertical alignment with the way I was bent. He held them in his hands, cupping and massaging them. And teasing them. I moaned in delight and arched my neck back. His fingers played with the tips, bringing them to life. He kissed my neck, and I felt the water dripping from his hair wash down my spine and down to my chest. Physically, I was losing control. Mentally, well, I was never actually in control, so I just let my body move.

Instinctively my lower half rubbed against his, evoking an ever-so vampiric growl to escape from the depths of his throat. His hands freed my breasts and moved lower, squeezing the sides of my stomach and then feeling the swell of my backside. His palms moved gently across the round plains and finally ended up in the caves of my body.

His icy touch caused my legs to jerk and lock. I felt him stop. "Did I hurt you, sweetheart?"

"No, no. Please don't... stop." I exhaled, palms still against the tiles, head down, eyes closed.

His fingers made their way to my fleshy folds, and they playfully drove themselves in and out. His thumb, I'm assuming, stayed behind and rubbed circles across the most sensitive bundle of nerves I had. The motion of his penetrating fingers, and stimulation elsewhere was crippling. I felt my knees go weak as I managed to moan, "Edward!"

I heard the monster in him roar to life. Quickly, I felt him withdraw his fingers with little spurts as he did. I felt the tip of his length tease the folds, and move up and down the slit.

"Stephanie..." he groaned.

He took his left arm and wrapped it under my belly, ready to hold me up if I happened to forget how to stand. Then his right hand grabbed it, and continued forward. The lubrication I had produced was enough to put the shower to shame. With one smooth thrust Edward was inside of me. He stayed there still for a moment, leaning lower to kiss my back. He heard me moan and my back arched itself, moving him inside of me, feeling every wall of my insides cave in on him. He was an animal now, moving in and out of me in smooth and swift motions.

"Oh Stephanie...you feel...you feel...SO AMAZING!" The last 2 words came out through gritted teeth as his thrusts became harder. I felt myself spill onto him from the inside and screamed.

"Edward! Oh GOD Edward... don't you dare stop!"

I collapsed onto my forearms so I could lean my head against the wall. I felt his frozen chest plaster itself against my back. His hands found my breasts and calmed them from jumping in every position. He held onto them, squeezing and massaging them while invading me from behind. I could tell he was holding off on finishing so quickly. He did want this to last. Just then, he swooped me up and my back was against the wall. His arms provided me with solid support as they held my legs up. I felt like I was sitting on an imaginary shelf, defying gravity. Then the teasing continued. He propped on his toes, poking my most sensitive area with the hardest part of him now. He smiled at me and his eyes were overflowing with desire.

I looked at him lustfully. "How dare you sto-" I was interrupted by his tongue's sudden intrusion. It was flipping mine out of the way while his lips massaged against mine. Then he lowered me, and he was inside me again. I looked down to watch his hips move up and down, thrust into me with the force I couldn't even handle.

"Oh.. my.. GOD!"

My arms flew against the wall, in search for something to grab. The tile didn't serve as much help as bed sheets do, so I went for his arms, tense and flexed as he held me up. Every thrust made my breasts jump up and his mouth was soon on them, licking and nibbling on them. He moaned into them and squeezed his eyes shut. We were both getting close. His thrusts were violent and mixed with his sexiest vampiric growls. It drove me wild.

"EDWAAARD!" My walls closed tightly on him, and I was able to feel every surge it was pulsing through me. I threw my neck back and screamed. I squeezed his arms, probably hurting my hands more than his arm. Simultaneously, he screamed into my neck with one last powerful thrust, and I felt his release shoot into me, a continuous stream flowing in rapid spurts. I was still tight around him, contracting against every inch of him. My breathing was still heavy as he whispered my name into my throat. I rested my chin on his head and ran my fingers through his hair. I still felt myself pulsating on him, and he stayed inside, letting out a few more spurts before finally exhaling and pulling himself out. My legs were still shaking from pleasure and my heart was miles away from slowing down. So, as I should’ve guessed, he held me in his arms while I calmed down.

chapter 2

Within the depths of my slumber, my mind wandered. I found myself running on a long endless highway. There were no cars except for one, stopped on the horizon. It was a silver pick-up truck. The road was inclined, so running became a strenuous act, but my legs didn’t show any sign of strain. I felt the Earth under the soles of my bare feet being pushed backward, as I struggled toward the car. But no matter how long I ran, I barely got closer. It was frustrating. It was as if I had been running on a treadmill. As fast as my legs sprinted, I never got anywhere. But I never gave up. I was determined to reach that horizon, to reach that car, but I kept tripping. Landing on my knees didn’t hurt at all, I got right back up and started running again, only to trip once more. It was a continuous cycle of running and falling. Running and falling. . .

Consciousness slowly materialized on my eyes. I think I was awake now. I was curled up in the fetal position, a ball of skin and bones wrapped tightly in a maze of blankets. There was something else near me. Cold and still, except for one finger I felt wipe a tear that was escaping from the corner of my eye. It was Edward. I opened my eyes and his face was inches from mine and he was stunning. Though it had been years, I was still utterly shocked at the fact that I wasn’t dreaming. Edward was here with me. The morning sun transformed my moonlit miracle into a shimmering statue. His hair was messy, I loved it. My hand looked for openings in the covers I was buried in, and in its attempt to find one, was greeted by something cold and inviting, his hand. We intertwined fingers and I let out a sigh as I smiled and yawned myself awake, stretching.

“Good morning, sleepy head!” In a flash Edward’s lips were greeting my face with a morning kiss. His energy was a pleasant surprise. He jumped up, propping himself on his knees by my feet, moving his fingers up and down my legs. “I made your favorite breakfast.”

“Are you going to stick yourself inside an English muffin?”

He chuckled and his eyes sparkled. “My silly, love.” He leaned over my body and kissed my nose. When he began to get up again, I grabbed his arms in a feeble attempt to keep him on top of me. I wasn’t done kissing him. He knew what I wanted. When his body was shadowing me, his lips moved straight to mine. A tiny growl escaped from the insides of my stomach. It's embarrassing when the person you’re with never has to eat. He quietly laughed and kissed my neck. Edward was always good at being a step ahead, so with one swift movement I was in his arms being carried to the kitchen. He placed me down on a high stool with a cushioned back. My personal chef handed me my breakfast.

“Bacon and eggs. Scrambled. Side of toast with a little bit of butter. And a tall glass of orange juice with 2 ice cubes.” His cool white hands crawled over mine and he looked into my eyes. “I hope you like it.”

I took a bit of everything. With my mouth full, I muttered, “I love it!”

“Good.” He smiled.

“It’s my second favorite.”

“What’s your first favorite?”

“Breakfast in bed.”

He looked confused. “Would you like me to carry you back to bed and serve you there, sweetheart?”

“No, no. I mean-” Why was I explaining this? “Breakfast in bed.” I said it this time with more emphasis and suggestion.

I could almost see the light bulb on top of his head being switched on. He walked behind me and slowly wrapped his arms around my waist. I then felt his cool breath on my neck, “Maybe tomorrow morning you’ll get your favorite.” His fingers drew lines up and down my arms. I turned and kissed him. He whispered “I love you” in my ear and kissed it, too. Suddenly, I wasn’t hungry for my food anymore. But it was nine in the morning. I needed to take breaks.

“I love you, too.” I said as I exhaled.


We spent the days doing everything together. Everything. We went snorkeling, scuba diving, water-skiing, wake-boarding, jet-skiing, and any other outdoor water activity you can think of. Edward was a professional at all of them. I watched him as his movements seemed to defy the laws of physics. When it was my turn, he persuaded me that it was easy. HA. It took me two seconds to lose balance on the water skis and fall backwards into the water, my legs swinging over my head. I heard his laughter from under the water. Then suddenly his arms were my life saver and I was on the boat. When he put me down, he arched his back and held his chest, and his laughter echoed through the sky. Stupid, shiny water god.

Despite my pathetic attempts at water sports, I was having the time of my life. It made the hours go by a lot quicker than I wished. I wanted time to drag, to take every second with pure attention.

The sky was a brilliant shade of dark blue. Some light spilled over the horizon, it was twilight. I was lying between his legs on the sand against his chest. His arms supported his weight behind him. His legs seemed to lengthen with every glance my eyes gave. My feet only reached his knees, it seemed. I felt him nibble my neck.

“I probably taste like salt.”

“You taste wonderful, love.” Did I hear him hiss?

“You know, Edward, I was thinking of something.”

His nose drew a line from my shoulder to my neck and then down my back a little. “Yes, love,” he breathed into my skin. His nose repeated that movement in the opposite direction.
I continued fighting the urge to turn my body over onto his and throw my tongue down his throat. I had to behave with my new vampire husband. Then again maybe what I was about to suggest was pushing the limits.

“Well, I feel terribly self-conscious whenever I have to take my human-moments. So I was thinking, maybe you can join me in one. I don’t see any harm in showering together.” My head was down and my eyes shut in anticipation for his reaction. I was embarrassed to even ask this question, but it was a desire I was not ready to ignore.

I was about to sit up to face him when two cold hands clutched my arms and crushed me to an answer. I felt his arousal pierce into my back. His lips, in shock, met the back of my neck again. “I would LOVE to shower with you. I have only one rule.” His fingers swayed across the flesh of my arm.

“What is it?” I whispered.

“I do all the work.”

Before I could account for his words, I was in his arms, heading for the house.


I turned the shower on and waited for the water to boil. Hot showers were always necessary for me. Now that Edward would be in there with me, the water would have to be a couple of degrees warmer. I stood in front of the mirror while the steam slowly drifted out from above the frosted glass door, masking the ceiling in a think cloud. My shoulders were a golden brown and the skin right under my eyes looked like rose petals.

Okay, Stephanie. Behave yourself in there.

What could happen? It's just a shower. A nice, relaxing shower with Edward. How dangerous could that be? I just have to remember not to get too ahead of myself. Okay, so no biting, no reaching for anything. I'll just look up the whole time and glue my hands to my head. When I snapped out of my anxious rambling, my hands were shaking. Minutes were passing when I realized that the mirror had fogged up to the point where I couldn't even see my reflection. Then his hands found mine. And something was cold on my back.

His naked body.

"Are you ready, love?" He was gently tugging my hands to follow him.

I gathered my thoughts and blushed. "Are you sure you'll be fine? I hate seeing you in pain of any kind..." I remember him telling me that when human skin is damp or wet, the scent of their blood is much stronger.

He lowered his face to the hollow of my throat and gently swept his cool lips against my skin. "You have nothing..." He slid my towel off my body and his lips trailed downward, moving smoothly over the supple plains of my chest. "...to worry..." He slowly rose back up and pressed his lips to mine and released. "...about."

Well, I was about to fall to my knees from lack of strength and coherency when his arms, as always, caught me. My eyes closed; I loved being this close to him. He stepped into the steaming shower and placed me down on my feet. I felt the hot water massage my back, soaking into me. I arched my neck back and let my hair enjoy it. I had not opened my eyes yet. I started to raise my hands to lather my hair in with the water when I felt his hands catch mine.

chapter 1 (continued)

“Edward, listen to me.” I started, staring into his eyelids. “I love you. I love you more than anything in the world and that’s never going to change.” I tapped his chin again but he didn’t budge. What a stubborn creature he was. “Edward! Are you listening?”

“I always do, sweetheart.” He whispered, keeping his stance.

“Good. Now, I never want you to feel this way again. There’s no reason to be upset. You’ve just given me the best day of my life. Don’t abuse yourself over one little almost accident. You can’t imagine how happy I am right now and I know it sounds impossible, but I think I love you even more!” I stopped there. I knew if I said how much I wanted to do it again, he’d get mad at me and call me reckless and tell me I have no sense of self-preservation.

“So, you’re not hurt at all? You’re not scared to do it again?” He slowly lifted his head, revealing his beautiful face to mine, eyes locked into place and serious. “You don’t think of me as a monster?” I can’t stand him.

“Yes you’re a monster. I am so scared of you. You terrify me with your sharp fangs. Oh wait, you don’t have fangs!” I struggled to get out of his grip. The water danced besides our figures. I was mad at for mistaking this for a happy moment. I glanced at him with angry eyes, and he was staring at me. As mad as I was at him, I couldn’t help but love him with every cell in my rigid body. If only he could read my mind now, so I wouldn’t have to abandon my pride and just say it.

“Say it, Steph.” He half smiled in my direction. His eyes pierced through mine.

I was relieved to sense his anger was subsided. I wasn’t sure what he had planned, though.

“You’re fighting back words. Your fingers are oscillating back and forth against your leg, you want to say something.”

He knew me better than I knew myself. I wasn’t even aware I was doing that little habit of mine. I bit my lip.

“Out loud! Come on, we’ve been through this before.” He muttered.

“It’s very hard for me to be mad at you.” My mood softened, and I turned to face him, folding my arms over my bare chest. My face turned red, I could feel the heat. This time, it wasn’t from the sun. Behind Edward, the sun was almost fully underneath the water, setting on us, rising somewhere else. The few rays that were left beamed on his back and around the contours of his flawless figure, making his body a perfect silhouette in the purple and blue water.

“I can’t stay angry with you for too long, ever.” I admitted. I shrugged my shoulders and threw him a smile as I looked down, peeking at his reaction through my wet, sloppy bangs. Batting my eyes at him always worked in ways I would dream about. This time was different, though.

Somehow, we had gotten closer to the shore. The water was a few inches shallower than where we were before, revealing more of his perfect masculine self. With every current, the “V” that formed his hip bones became more and more distinct, and where the two lines converged into a point was the spot I desired most now. I felt the water play tricks on my lower half. My longing for him was obvious now. I didn’t even realize how tense I had become. I shook my head free of these naughty thoughts but when I opened my eyes, Edward was crouched down, low in the water. He peered at me through his eye lashes, flashing a set of venomous teeth, sharp and keen. He hissed, and I was turned on. I’m a hopeless case.

In less than a second, Edward’s body lunged toward me, and we were soaring through the crisp air towards the sand. With a light crash, my back was on the sand and Edward hovered over me. He held me to his chest while his nose searched the boundaries of my neck, his breaths were short and exasperated. My blood was pulsing through my veins, racing the dark. I knew this killed him, so I stood perfectly still, a feather underneath his strength.

“Stephanie,” he breathed into my skin, “My life’s purpose is to make you happy, not upset, not angry, not disappointed. Happy.”

His lips traced curvy lines along my flesh, exciting different parts of me. But when his body leaned back up to kiss my face, a little piece of him collided where my legs met. Instinctively, I wrapped my legs around him, holding him in place, allowing him to absorb me once again. In case he thought I wasn’t ready, I guided his hand to touch me. His fingers were cold inside of me, it was one of the best sensations. I exhaled and closed my eyes. When he took them out, they felt like the ocean just washed up on them. Our fingers intertwined, and his other arm held up my lower back, angling me to his form. He pushed forward with controlled force. My legs tightened around his waist, pushing him in deeper. This drove him wild. He let out an angry moan, through his gritted teeth. My fingernails slid down his back, until I could feel his animalistic movements below my palms. Rising and sinking, thrusting in and out in a rapid motion.

“Edward!” I managed to get his name out in one breath. “Oh my…GOD! Edward!”

My breathing was heavier than ever. I was covered in sweat. My toes curled when I felt him plunge even deeper into me, sending a current of pleasure straight up my spine. I screamed. He sat up on his knees and held my waist down to the ground, hindering me from moving. This was it. Whenever he would thrust into me, I wouldn’t budge, instead he would just move into the depths of me. I felt him even more now. Something I thought was impossible. His movements became too fast for me to count. But that didn’t stop me from feeling them. Every pound and bang was like a shock of euphoria. Every nerve ending inside of me was alive and spinning. I felt a wave of shock traveling through that piece of him, a tidal wave, emptying out into my throbbing tunnel of endless pleasure. His hands pressed into me, crushing my fragile body. I liked it. He liked it. His movements became slower as I continued throbbing on him, squeezing it inside of me, and releasing him. Squeezing on him, releasing him. He bent down to kiss me. His hair hung in front of his face, messy and chaotic. His lips were parted, crimson red and hard. His eyes were shut, he was beautiful. I felt his cool breath on my face, and I was suddenly moving in mid-air towards the bed inside.

Edward’s movements were always performed with extra caution. He laid me on the bed making sure every inch of me was comfortably carved into the feathery comforter before his arms slipped out from under me. Sometimes I wish he would just throw me across the room. The covers were cool, but his arms were colder. Instead of shivering at his touch, my body welcomed it. It was refreshing.

He wiggled his body next to mine, bent so that we molded together perfectly, like puzzle pieces to the clay.

“I picked a place with a hot temperature so you wouldn’t mind having me in bed with you. If it gets too cold for you I’ll move…”

I turned my head to look at him. “Edward, I don’t care if we had to sleep on a bed made of ice. I will always want you next to me.” I kissed his cheek and felt his lips curve up into a smile. I smiled, too.

“Steph?”

“Yes?”

“What are you thinking right now?” He was twirling my hair in his long fingers, pondering deeply while gazing into his fingers’ motions circular motions.

I sat up to face him, my eyes glowing and my heart sped up. He did the same thing, releasing the ribbon of my hair he was playing with to slide his arms under me so he can cradle me. He held me close to his chest, his head resting on my hair, kissing and smelling it. He whispered, “I need to know in order to keep my sanity.” He quietly laughed and kissed the edge of my ear.

I wrapped my arms around him and took a deep breath.

“I’m thinking of how whole I feel, here in your arms. I’m thinking about I never want this moment to end. I’m thinking about how lucky I am to be with you, when in reality, I don’t deserve you…” He was annoyed at that last part because I felt him sigh and hold me tighter. He continued to kiss me, now on my cheek and corner of my lips. “I’m thinking of all the times we had together, and how I never imagined I could be happier than I was. But I am. It’s inexplicable, Edward. I can’t believe how much I love you. And best, I can’t believe that you might actually love me as much as I love you.”

Edward extended his arms a little so that our faces were a normal distant apart, appropriate for talking. “You can’t believe that I might actually love you as much as you love me? You are absolutely out of your mind, sweetheart, do you know that?” He said that giggling, while lightly tickling my stomach with one hand, lowering his face to mine.

“This is when I wish you can read my mind.”

“Maybe one day. I doesn’t matter though. I’m complete right here holding you.”

“So am I. That’s exactly what I’m thinking.” I smiled at him, it was like a reflex, really. Every time I saw his flawless face I couldn’t help but smile. “Confession. I’m also thinking about how perfect this day was. Everything that happened. It was more than how I ever dreamt it to be. I still need to thank you for that.” I reached to kiss him. His lips were like liquid marble moving against mine. He pulled back to speak.

“It was perfect for me, too. And I had 107 years to dream about it! So you deserve and ‘thank you’ as well. Thank you my Stephanie!” He smiled that crooked smile that makes my head spin.

I pulled myself into his chest and he held me there, kissing my head in various spots, like he was creating a ‘connect the dots’ on my hair. He was gentle, so different from 2 hours ago, when he lunged towards me, surrendering to his lust and desire. I loved both sides of him.

“I love you, Edward.” I said, as I hugged him tight and rested my head on his chest.

“I love you, too, Stephanie.” He leaned down and kissed my lips. “Always.”

“Always.” I smiled as I tried to fight back a yawn, but I was weak.

“Sleep, my love. Dream of me, I’ll be here when you wake.”

“Goodnight, Edward.” My eyes were shutting as I spoke the words. What an exhausting, perfect, beautiful day. I slipped away in the unknown with images of Edward and I in perfect harmony. The last thing I felt as I fell asleep were his cool arms laying my down and holding me against him, his lips on my shoulder.

chapter 1 (continued)

At that moment I wrapped my arms around his solid neck, and pulled my face up to his. The tips of our noses touched, and his eyes penetrated mine. I watched the reflection of the water inside his irises, and felt other currents elsewhere. Without thinking, I threw my lips onto his. Our bodies were like puzzle pieces. Every gap between us was closed and perfectly molded. Our skin seemed to fuse together into one flesh. His lips moved wildly and rapidly against mine. His hands gripped me harder. I felt him more than ever now. Every part of his body was alive, excited. Every muscle in my body was tense. He freed one of his hands and drew a line with his finger down my chest to my belly button. He played with the string of my bikini that was automatically untied by his furious fingers. I wanted so badly to let out a moan, but I knew his reaction would be the ending of this perfect moment. So instead, I kissed him slower, easing it down to a passionate kiss. Then I broke away to look at him, still as can be.

“You do know me well.” He said, convinced. His hair blew in the breeze, covering his eyes. I combed it back with my fingers, an excuse to pull him closer to me.

“I love you, Edward…” I vowed, as I placed my hand on his chest and nibbled his neck. His cold skin felt refreshing to my lips.

“I love you, too, Stephanie. Always.”

My heart raced again as he nervously held me. In no time, I was on my feet in the water, crushed against Edward’s hard body, hands discovering his back. The water crashed up against us, forming currents as we kissed. His hands held my face to his. The sensation I was feeling on my lips did not compare to what I felt below the water’s surface. My hips instinctively moved into his, a motion he didn’t expect. His lips parted on mine and he let out a hiss. A hiss full of lust and desire. He was burning just as I was. My expression told him everything. His dark eyes penetrated mine once more, and I waited for that to happen a little lower. He was surrendering to me. He was all mine.

“Edward…” I moaned, as his lips brushed along my jaw and down my neck. His tongue made a shiny trail down my chest while his hands untied the knot to my bikini top. It ended up in a direct flight for the sand. In seconds, his lips surrounded my new exposed skin, his hands wandering, feeling. His fingers formed lines down my hips and his head followed.

I felt his nose poke my lower stomach, as he gently kissed me in the center. Then, I felt his hands become stronger around me, and his teeth ripped the other half of the bikini down my legs. His head was submerged in the water and I bit my lip.

When he finally came back up, something met me in between my legs. My knees went weak. But he caught me, his arms were supporting my back. I reached for him, my fingertips covering every inch of him. It sent electricity through my body as if I was a live circuit, and I gripped him with my whole hand now. He froze.

Shocked and still, I whispered, “Are you OK, Edward?” He gazed into me. Curiosity, shock, horror, love, lust, desire, and fear all packed into one stare.

“Stephanie…” He whispered as his eyes became softer.

“Edward, I’m sorry. I’m being so selfi-” He cut me off.

“Stephanie, you can’t imagine what that is doing to me. Go ahead, be selfish.” He demanded. I obeyed with no objection. My hands moving in uniform motions, back and forth. I watched him lose his mind.

Finally, he let out a moan, “Oh, Stephanie…!” He tilted my hips, and brushed my hand off of him, ready. I arched my back, my heart thudding against my chest aggressively, the blood in my veins boiling as it raced underneath the thin skin on my neck. Then I felt him. He invaded me, squeezing every inch of him inside in one smooth movement. He stayed deep inside me for a moment, to check on me. Then he moved in the opposite direction, and thrusted back in again. He must be feeling my own currents, now. I could barely think. My fingers wrapped tightly around his arms, like towers, protecting me. His eyes were golden when I looked at him, perfectly still. I was thrilled to see he was enjoying this, and not wishing to kill me.

I was breathing heavily, so I tried to get the words out. “Don’t…stop…Edward!”

Those three words were all he needed. His motions grew faster, harder. Every thrust sent water splashing between us. His face dropped to my neck. “Ah! Stephanie!” he screamed into my throat. I couldn’t tell if he was thrusting into me, or if he kept pulling my body down onto his. Either way, this feeling topped them all. Edward was inside of me. I was complete, one with him. I tried to concentrate, not wanting to tease him in any harmful way. But I couldn’t help myself.

“Edward! Oh, Edward!”

He was ravaging himself into me now. Wildly. His form was like an animal. The muscles of his back tensed up with every insertion, as I dug my nails into them. His hands grew tighter around my arms. As much as it may of hurt, I never wanted him to let go. I never wanted to feel anything else. My body sank deeper into the water. Our lower halves were completely submerged. His new effort to push through the water was indescribable. But when I went to inhale a breath of pleasure, I choked.

Water filled my lungs as the water rose above me. My eyes squinted shut. My breathing stopped. I tried to pull myself back up but Edward’s weight and strength was indestructible. He wasn’t stopping. Seconds passed, but it felt like minutes. I started to panic. I felt my head get light and dizzy. My hands flew everywhere, trying to find Edward’s face, his arms, but I couldn’t think. I sank faster into the blackness. Right before unconsciousness took over, I felt 2 arms push me up above the water, holding my back and neck, supporting me like an infant. The breeze over my face was cool since I was all wet, then I realized it was his breath.

”Steph? Stephanie!” He was shouting. “Can you hear me?!” I felt his hands on my cheeks.

I coughed and water came gushing out. “Yes.” I coughed. My eyes were still shut. “I’m OK.”

“Stephanie, I’m so sorry.” I realized were in the same position as always, and it made me forget what had just almost happened. I opened my eyes. “Love, I promise that won’t ever happen again.” He sounded so disappointed with himself.

“Edward, stop that. We were in the moment. It happens. You’re just stronger than you think!” I joked. He laughed with me, and the motion of our laughter had an amazing effect on the way our bodies were connected, effectively ending that conversation and starting again where we left off.

Every time he thrusted, his soaking wet hair would send off downpours onto my face. I loved it. I grabbed it and pulled on it. His face came up to meet mine and our lips interlocked in one our angriest, most passionate kisses ever. My hands crept down to the back of his neck; hanging onto to him with all my strength. His moaning sent vibrations along my lips and I knew I was getting close. He felt me tightening on him and it urged him to go even faster. His liquid movements caused a beautiful sparkling effect; every facet changing position so quickly, light bouncing off every inch of him. And with that, he thrusted one last time into me, deeper than ever. He gritted his teeth and moaned into my mouth. Then I felt his own currents, his surges, his release. His streaming river meeting mine, forming our own tidal waves inside. I was gripping him into me now, biting my lip from pure pleasure.

I let out one last moan, “Oh…Edward…” Every muscle inside of me contracted and held that piece of him in place inside of me. Feeling him this way made me crazy. I arched my back and my neck surrendered to gravity. He still held me up, his breathing starting to calm. My eyes were closed, and I felt Edward bury his face in my neck. I felt his chest rise and fall on top of mine, I felt him still inside of me. I reached for his face, flushed and glowing. His lips curled, revealing his dangerous set of perfect teeth. Then his lips, once again, pressed to mine, summer and winter fused.

“How are you, love?” He must have been worried about me. I swear…

I giggled in pure ecstasy. “Better than ever.” I admitted.

He placed me down on my feet again, one of his arms still around my waist, supporting me. I guess he knew the effect he would have on my ability to sustain equilibrium.

His hands came up to my face, cupping it tenderly. Water dripped from his fingers down my neck and my skin broke out in goosebumps. They were probably a result of him touching me more than the water. When my eyes met his, I was confused by their expression. He was nervous, disappointed. He seemed ashamed of himself. This boggled my mind.

“Edward, what is it?” I urged, putting my hands on his arms, concerned.

“Stephanie, I never want that to happen again.”

“WHA-,” I started to scream but he interrupted, “Not that silly!” I waited and listened.

“I took you under water. You couldn’t breathe. I almost killed you, Steph!” He paused and looked down. His face was hard, tense. His eyes shut tightly and his eyebrows lowered. I could tell he was hurting. I raised my hand to his chin and attempted to make him look up at me. I failed, as usual. So I just started talking.

chapter 1

Glancing over to my left, out of a little window about the size of a large book, I saw ocean. It was stretched far over the perfectly round contours of the Earth. In the distance, when I bent a little to look, I could distinctly see where the Earth ended, in my visual field at least. The ocean seemed to dip off into the endless mysteries of space, and disappear. It was beautiful, breathtaking. My hands were folded on my lap as I took in the views. Then I felt something cold on my right hand. It was Edward’s hand. I looked down and saw his fingers playing games with mine and smiled widely. With every movement, the ring that circled his 4th finger glanced in the sunlight that shone in from the tiny window. His other arm reached over me to shut it.

“We don’t want people staring when I start to look like a disco ball, do we?” He smiled my favorite crooked smile, and kissed my forehead.

I squeezed his hand and looked at his face. I was suddenly reminded of real beauty. The horizon of the Earth meeting the sky and vast oceans stretching to meet different pieces of land like puzzle pieces suddenly seemed dull compared to what my eyes now encapsulated. Edward’s eyes were a warm topaz as they gazed into mine. I quickly shot a glance down to my ring. I played with it, watching it sparkle without sunlight, and was swimming in my overflowing happiness when the reason we were here came back into my consciousness.

Edward married me. I wasn’t dreaming. We made our vows and I loved him more than life itself. Of course, he always protests that I could never love him more than he loves me, but he’ll find out one day. Vampires and their stubbornness...


When our plane touched down, I had no idea where we were. Edward had kept our honeymoon destination a secret. He made sure he tipped the pilot to keep his mouth shut about our status and the weather. Edward knew I was good at figuring things out.

To my surprise, our journey wasn’t over. Edward wrapped a black piece of fabric around my eyes while we walked off the plane. As usual, he carried all my things with one hand, and held mine tightly with the other. Once we got into the terminal, he leaned over to my ear and whispered, “I love you, sweetheart. We’re almost there.”

I was too intoxicated by his cool, unexpected breath in my ear to even have noticed the loud voice announce something that started with “Welcome to…”

“I love you, too, Edward. Will you please at least give me a hint,” I begged. “You know how much I despise surprises!”

All I heard was a giggle escape his – as I imagined – perfect, marble-like, crimson lips. His arms wrapped around my waist and we starting walking again.

After a short car ride, I began to hear to sounds of the ocean. I wanted so badly to peek out and see the waves crash against the shore that my imagination had just painted up. The sun on my arms felt nice; different from the gloomy light I was restricted to in Forks. I wondered where we were. I heard Edward talking to a man nearby. This was my chance. I began slowly lifting my hand to the black fabric, but to my disappointment, something cold stopped it.

“Ah, no you don’t, silly. Patience is a virtue, love.”

I should have known not to even try. Not with a husband faster than a cheetah. A sick, masochistic cheetah. I had a little party in my head for a couple of seconds, envisioning the near future and what we were both going to have in store. I must have been smiling, because I felt a smooth set of lips kiss my cheek, making me aware of my curved lips.

“Smiling already? The fun hasn’t even started yet!” Edward assured me.

We were then at sea. Sailing away for what seemed like years. The water was calm as I judged from the quiet sounds around me, and the steadiness of the boat –or whatever it was we were in. Suddenly, I felt the bottom of our… vehicle, break the shoreline, and wash up onto what sounded like silky sand. Edward’s hands grabbed mine and pulled me up, helping me onto the ground. My bare feet identified it as sand, after all. I felt Edward standing behind me, his whole body against mine. He buried his face in my neck. “We’re here,” he whispered, as he slowly untied the blind fold. With a little kiss on my neck, my vision was restored. My eyes had to blink numerous times to be sure they weren’t seeing things. I was standing on the shore of an island. It was so tiny and intimate that I could see the opposite shoreline only a few miles in front of me. To the right, about 20 feet inland, was a little wooden sign with engraved letters reading “Isle Esme”.

“Esme!” I said to myself.

“It was a gift from Carlisle, just a token to show how much she means to him.” Edward grabbed my waist as if to portray the same kind of gratefulness.

Of course! Who doesn’t buy their loved one an island as a token of appreciation? I was in awe, and then I looked to my right. Sitting there, under a canopy of palm trees, was a warm, inviting little house. It had two floors and large windows decked white tapestry, gently blowing in the calm breeze. From this angle, I saw straight into what looked like the master bedroom. Through sliding double glass doors, I could make out a huge white bed, with layers and layers and covers, it seemed. I had so many questions, but I knew they could wait. There were other things on my mind. . .



It was hot. Hotter than I remembered it to be in Phoenix, even. The sun’s rays beamed strongly through the tiny window of the bathroom I was comfortably sitting in, browning my shoulders already. My skin was not use to it. Then again, Edward's arms didn't exactly keep me warm in a scientific sense. But despite his icy temperature, I burned up when he cradled me into his chest. Despite his marble composition, my heart softened and sped up in a race to close the gap between us. I blushed every time, watching his eyes shift, knowing what that must do to him.

I could barely concentrate on unpacking. I hardly remembered shoving all these unnecessary accessories into my toiletries bag. Then it hit me.

Alice.

I was mortified as I held up a black piece of lingerie in front of me. For a quick second, my mind took its own course and projected a future scene for me. Edward was there, lying still like stone on the huge, fluffy bed downstairs. He seemed to be waiting for something, nervous. His eyes glimmered to the hallway as I shyly walked into his line of sight. I had caved it, and slipped it on. Edward’s eyes then widened and he smiled my favorite crooked smile.

“You’re beautiful.” He whispered.

His lips parted in lust and longing. He let out a long breath, as if he could have ever lost it. I watched his chest rise and fall with his intake and exaggerated exhale, my eyes traveling across the plains of his flawless chest and stomach. His left hand stretched out to me, but my eyes were strung to his right hand. It wandered somewhere lower down his smooth, icy stomach. . .

“Stephanie, sweetheart! There you are.” His voice hit me, and I realized I’d been sitting on the floor holding up the naughty number like a statue. I hurriedly stuffed it back into the front little pocket of my second carry-on, hoping to never see it again. I turned red and felt my face get hot. Simultaneously, I was floating. Cradled in his arms, his cool, strong arms, I felt like I was dreaming again. But this time I wasn’t.

“Were you trying to hide from me, silly?” His tone was comforting and happy. Like I would ever hide from him. Silly vampire.

“Actually, yes. You found me!” I played along, poking his chest with my finger, almost crushing it. “You’re it!” I struggled to release myself from his protective hold so I can give him a chance to count while I found a good hiding spot. I should really learn to stop trying. His grip only got stronger.

“Not so fast, love.” He pulled me up to his face, inches away from his crimson lips. His voice was a whisper now. “We’ll have plenty of time for fun later.” His cool breath tickled my ear as his lips traced the edge of it, following the curve down to my jaw, kissing it. His soft kisses were my favorite. I could feel him exhale again against my skin, causing every hair on the back of my neck to stand up straight like soldiers. Except, I was defenseless against him.

“I promise.” He said into the hollow of my throat. Then he pulled back and looked into my eyes, and pressed his cold lips to mine. His movements were like currents, moving like liquid against my lips, one motion, connecting himself to me. I knew it was easy for him now; he barely paused to control his urges, his terrifying vampiric urges. I would never tell him this, but hearing him hiss would send me into a frenzy he would most likely never expect. He still thinks he scares me. I enjoyed my own private laughter.

“Why does the fun have to wait?” I must have sounded like a child. My lower lip protruded out and my eyebrows lifted in disappointment. We were alone, the two of us, far away from civilization, and still, he found the need to wait. This magnificent creature that I am so in love with and just got married to is completely unbelievable.

“Don’t you want to go for a swim? The water is warm, here.” Without the chance to answer him, we were gliding down the stairs and towards the glass paned sliding doors of our bedroom. He placed me down on my feet. I almost forgot how to stand when I realized he was wearing only a towel around his waist. I heard him giggle as he intertwined our fingers and started walking out the door towards the shore.

I stared at him, inexplicably beautiful. The sun was like a magnet to his form. Its rays reached for him, and bounced off his sharp edges with blinding sparkles. He shimmered like a diamond. A thousand tiny facets carved into his skin. I swallowed hard as I felt the tide wash up against my feet.

Then my hand was alone.

“Come on, Steph.” He invited, as he walked ahead of me.

I closed my eyes to take everything in. I felt things better when my sight was hindered. My other senses became front liners. I felt the currents on my toes. I felt them sinking into the wet sand, getting lost somewhere underneath. I felt the sun bake my shoulders and I felt the warm breeze ribbon around my hair. I felt a desire, burning from the inside. Then I felt something soft brush up against my ankles. There, laying on the ground, wet and sandy, was Edward’s towel. I looked up to see the man, the vampire, who was mine, waist deep in the calm water. I gasped.

He turned his head in a flash, his eyes on me and smiling, “Love, would you like me to carry you in?” He tilted his head while he smiled that crooked smile again.

As much as I wanted to say yes, I laughed a quiet laugh, “Coming, Edward.”

His eyes stayed on mine as I walked through the shallow waters, fighting off the little waves that climbed the shore. I must have been looking down to make sure I didn’t trip when two big, cold arms wrapped themselves underneath me. Now, only my toes and back were treading the water.

“You don’t know me at all.” He said, half smiling.

“Oh, I beg to differ.” I challenged.