I couldn't stop myself from giggling as Edward pushed the door open to his house, his arm around my waist and his lips against my neck. It was nervous energy – I knew what was going to happen, here at his house on our wedding night. The other Cullens were all conveniently absent. I wished I could quit giggling, I sounded like an idiot.

Keeping his arms around my waist, he led me up the stairs toward his room. He let out a soft growl; it almost sounded like a purr. He sounded hungry, but I knew it was not for my blood. My heartbeat quickened, and I could feel my body heating up from the excess blood flow. We reached his room, and he set me gently on my back on the gigantic bed in the center of the room. I stopped giggling. Actually, I think I stopped breathing.

His kisses traveled up and down my neck and collarbone, sending a shiver down my spine and leaving me lightheaded. He stopped, suddenly, his lips hovering just above mine. I breathed in his delicious scent as he spoke.

"Are you sure you want to do this now?" he asked. I knew he was worried about hurting me.

"Of course," I replied quickly. I didn't want this to stop. I wasn't sure if I could wait much longer. "I'll tell you if something is wrong," I assured him. Before he could doubt his actions again, I reached up with shaking hands to unbutton his shirt. I was eternally glad that we had changed out of our ridiculous attire between the dancing and dinner. The dress would have been a pain to get off, and Edward's tux had had far too many layers.

I worked my way down the row of buttons quickly, terrified that he might reconsider and try to stop me. Instead, he continued to kiss my jaw line, stopping only to breathe in the scent of my hair. As I reached the last button, he helped me by shrugging out of the sleeves. I was astounded by the perfection of his bare torso, and ran my hand across his chest, exploring the magnificent contours of his muscles. He let out a heavy breath, like a silent moan. I looked up into his eyes to see him staring right back into mine.

"Your warmth…" he explained, "it feels incredible."

Then he reached down to unbutton my blouse, and I thought I might explode. He kissed down my torso with each button he undid, sending another wave of shivers rocking through my body. I helped shrug off my own shirt, and then he unhooked my bra, his lips still locked against mine. I helped him get that off, too. His body pressed down on top of mine, and the sensation of his icy chest against my too-hot skin was amazing. We both sighed.

He pulled his head up just enough to look into my eyes. We had to make sure we were okay before we went any farther, because we might not be able to stop ourselves once we passed this point. I looked back into his, and we had an entire wordless conversation. We were both ready, and we both trusted each other. He kissed me on my lips, and reached down to undo my belt. I lifted my hips to help slide my pants off, and he growled again, louder this time.

I took a shaky breath, my trembling fingers fumbling to unfasten his belt. I couldn't believe this was really happening. His pants crumpled to the floor, and he pressed himself to me again. There was nothing but two thin pieces of cloth between us now. I saw the tendons in his neck straining with the effort of his self-control. It felt like my entire body was on fire, and I tried not to think about the next time my veins would be burning like this.

He placed his fingertips at the base of my jaw, then trailed them slowly downward. He took time to trace the outline of my collarbone, then to gently caress my breasts, and then to slide his cold hands down my sides, coming to a rest at my hips. He continued, taking my underwear with him as his fingers ran down my thighs, calves, ankles, and then toes.

He kissed the inside of my ankle, making his way slowly back up my legs, removing his own underwear as he went. I couldn't even look at him; my eyes were closed with the pleasure of his lips moving closer and closer to me. When he reached my hips again, he stopped. I was trembling head to foot with the anticipation. His hands took my hips firmly, guiding himself into me.

Gasping out, I dug my fingernails into his back. I arched against him, my eyes rolling back. He took my head in his cold hands so he could see my face, and his ice calmed the fever that threatened to overtake me.

"Are you okay?" He whispered, his voice filled with concern. I couldn't seem to find my lungs to speak, so I just nodded. He chuckled, and placed his lips against my neck. And, ever so gently, his hips began to rock, taking me into a whole new world of sensation.

We moved together, gradually picking up speed, until our rhythm matched my heartbeat – which I'm sure he could hear all too clearly. I was sweating, and the fire inside me only increased in temperature. Finally, I reached my climax, gasping out his name as waves of pleasure rolled across my body.

His hands flew off of my hips to the side of the bed, and I heard metal bending in his hands as he exploded into me. He took a deep breath, and brought his arms back to wrap around me.

We embraced, becoming one. His ice combined with my fire, and we both melted.