A/N: Enjoy... xD

48. Better than Chocolate

EPOV

I scooped Bella up in my arms, stealing her away from the others, before she even knew I was there. I was already on the second story and starting up to the third by the time her brain had processed what had happened and who was holding her. I was already through the door of my bedroom before she was able to gasp, "Edward!" in delighted surprise. I had the door closed and locked and her sitting on my bed before she was even finished saying my name.

I stepped back to allow her brain to catch up to the rest of her, and she looked bewildered as she took in our surroundings. She looked me straight in the eye and started laughing. "Not eager, are we, Edward?"

I deliberately leaned in closer, staring into her eyes and exhaling into her face. Her eyes glazed over as I dazzled her. I brushed my lips against hers, light and soft as a butterfly's wings. She groaned, wrapped her arms around my neck, and pulled herself closer, pushing her lips against mine. When she tried to deepen the kiss, I pulled back far enough to look her in the eye again and teased, "That would be the pot calling the kettle black, wouldn't it, love?"

She blushed, her gaze dropping from my eyes to my lips, and her tongue darted out to moisten her own. I couldn't withhold a groan at the sight, and I saw the triumph on her face before I leaned in to capture her mouth again. I proceeded with my plan to kiss her senseless, counting in my head so I wouldn't forget to allow her time to breathe. As I felt her melting into my embrace, I trailed my kisses and gentle nibbles across her face and along her jaw line, up to her ear. I allowed my tongue to trace the contours of her ear then blew my cold breath over the moist surface, causing her to shiver in pleasure. I continued applying my mouth along her neck, tracing down to her collarbone. She whimpered with excitement as I gently sucked on the skin there, making a hickey, effectively marking her as my own.

I pushed her backwards until she was lying on the bed beneath me. I slipped my hands under her shirt, caressing her ribs and sides. I pressed my groin against her hip, needing to be closer to her. I started sliding my hands under the waistband of her pajama pants, needing to feel more of her warm, silky skin, when I heard voices, which knocked me out of my passionate haze.

"Hey, I've been hearing some interesting sounds from up in Edward's room. You think Eddie's finally going to become a man?" Emmett prodded.

"No way! Let me check," Jasper answered, going silent for a few seconds. "Whoa! Their room is absolutely saturated with lust, from floor to ceiling. I wouldn't be able to get within ten feet of that room without growing a third leg. Who knew he had it in him? He was certainly never really interested in physical intimacy before. Bella has really shaken things up, hasn't she? Edward is worried about changing her, but he hasn't even stopped to contemplate how much she has already changed him. It's too late for him now. She's already attached that ball and chain to his leg and it can't ever be removed."

"Well, he doesn't seem to mind his captivity," Emmett laughed. The two of them were standing under my window, foolishly thinking I would be too distracted to monitor their thoughts or their conversation.

I tore myself away from my precious Bella, not wanting her to be embarrassed in front of my brothers any more than absolutely necessary. She protested my withdrawal, as usual.

"Relax, my dear Bella. Don't you want your present now?" I murmured gently. Her eyes opened and flashed to mine.

"What is it? What did you need to go all the way to Seattle to get?" she wondered apprehensively.

I chuckled. Bella was the only female and the only human I knew who could honestly get upset over being given a gift by a loved one. Many may protest, but I could always see their thoughts at the time, betraying the deep internal thrill at being shown the evidence of their partner's love. I figured Bella secretly felt the same way, but without being able to read her mind, there was no way to know the truth. After all, she did tend to protest more than the average person. Not that she has ever behaved like the average person.

I snuck the gift out of its hiding place and handed it to her with a flourish and a bow. She took the box and studied it reverently, running her finger lightly over the raised letters on the top—GODIVA. She looked back up at me, awe shining in her eyes.

"You drove all the way to Seattle to get this for me?" she inquired. I nodded in response. I was shocked when she threw her arms around me and planted a big kiss on my lips. I was positively gaping at her as she sat back down, setting the box delicately into her lap.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she squealed in excited appreciation, doing an excellent Alice impression.

"Well, she certainly likes whatever he got her," Emmett commented rudely. I wished they would go away. They're ruining the moment, even if Bella couldn't hear them.

"Yeah, her emotions remind me of Alice's," Jasper agreed. "Excitement, love, lust, sexual frustration, longing, hunger, happiness, hope, and joy. Impressive. It's hard to get that much excitement out of Bella, but she is stoked now." Then again, they do have their uses. It was really nice to be able to get a read of her emotions. Hmmm. Obviously, expensive, gourmet, overpriced chocolate was on the list of exceptions to the 'don't waste your money on me' rule. I smirked. Everybody has a price, and I think I just found hers.

"I've always wanted to go into that store, but I was too embarrassed, so I contented myself by looking through the window at the items on display," she confessed. She looked at me and giggled. "It must have been torture for you to go into that store. You certainly never had a need to before you met me."

"Anything for you, love," I admitted. It had been torture to have to smell the strong chocolate odor emanating from that store.

"Wow! I bet Eddie went into the naughty store. I never knew he had it in him. Our Eddie is just full of surprises tonight," Emmett exclaimed to Jasper on the ground below. Both of them pictured my face upon being confronted with a lot of sexually related items for sale. I rolled my eyes. Those two really needed to grow up. Thankfully, Bella was once again enraptured with her gift and didn't see my eye roll. She would have interpreted it as a personal affront.

"I'm just happy to be able to please you," I proclaimed. "It will bring me pleasure just to see you enjoy it." I saw her struggling with the cloth ribbons tied around the box and offered, "Do you want me to take them off for you?"

"No, thanks, I'll do it. I'm afraid you'll tear the cloth, and I'd rather keep them," she answered, smiling at me as she was finally able to untie the ribbons and open the box.

She gasped as she opened the lid and saw the delicacies inside. She picked up one of the chocolate covered strawberries, examining it with delight. "It's so big! I didn't even know they could grow this big. Trust you to get the biggest one ever."

I chuckled. "I'm sure there are bigger ones out there somewhere."

"Maybe," she conceded. "But this one sure is a mouthful. There's no way I can fit this in my mouth. I'll have to alternate sides, I guess." She took her first bite out of the huge strawberry and squealed, "It's so cold!" I had been keeping them in the refrigerator so the chocolate wouldn't melt.

"It'll warm up quickly from the heat of your mouth and hands and then it'll get messy quickly. I have a wet wash cloth already prepared for you to clean up with afterward," I cautioned her.

"Incredible! He's put a great deal of thought into this, hasn't he? Already has the wash cloth ready for afterwards. Impressive!" Emmett exclaimed softly.

"Isn't the Boy Scout motto to always be prepared?" Jasper responded. I reviewed my conversation with Bella in their minds. Without the visual cues, they had managed to think of a whole different scenario to match the words we had used. I started to get angry with them for being so disrespectful to Bella and for listening in on our private moment.

Bella moaned, "Tastes so good!" I heard my brothers' mental response to her words and sounds and had a wicked idea.

I dashed over to the desk and wrote a quick note to Bella.

Emmett and Jasper are listening to us, standing right under our window.

Her eyes flashed and her mouth tightened with anger. She opened her mouth to speak, but I held up one finger to stop her and wrote again.

Want to have some fun at their expense?

She nodded eagerly, grinning mischievously.

They've gotten the wrong idea, listening to the words we've said and believe we are doing something 'private'.

She quickly got irritated and grabbed for the pen and paper. I handed them over without protest.

If they believe we are doing that, why are they listening? They're just as bad as Mike!

I stomped down on my amusement, not wanting to give the game away to Jasper.

They are hoping to gain material with which to tease us with later. How about we turn the tables? Why don't we keep our conversation intentionally vague to encourage them to continue thinking inappropriate thoughts? Then, when the time is right, we bust them and show them what we were really doing. They'll look like fools, get lectured by Esme and Carlisle about invading our privacy, and we'll be able to tease them afterward.

She nodded vigorously, holding up her thumb to indicate her agreement with the plan.

"If you don't mind, Edward, I'd like to try something else, something new."

I grinned. "By all means, Bella. It's both educational and adventurous to try new things. A win/win scenario. Please, try anything you want."

She picked up another chocolate and bit into it. She started moaning and moaning. I couldn't help getting a little aroused myself at those sounds. I was jealous of the chocolate momentarily for drawing forth the sounds of ecstasy, but then reminded myself that I was the one who gave her the chocolate, so I was still the one who brought her such pleasure, in a roundabout way.

"It's all yours, baby. Just for you. I want you to take all of it, enjoy all of it," I teased, gesturing to the still full box of chocolate. "As much as you want, as often as you want. I'll be happy to oblige you anytime."

She smirked. "Thank you, honey. You're so sweet. I've definitely found something 'to die for'."

I had to clamp down on my amusement once again. She was priceless. "Don't talk about death so casually. You know how it upsets me!"

"You're right, honey. This is worth living for!" she exclaimed. "This makes it all worthwhile. I think I could live on this alone, it's that good."

I heard my brothers' minds boggling. Bella leaned over and kissed me, pouring her love into it. I let loose a groan of my own. A stray thought from Emmett had me growling softly. Bella couldn't hear it, but she could feel the vibrations from my chest. My brothers heard it loud and clear, but interpreted it into their mental scenarios. Bella pulled back, and I grinned at her to reassure her of my feelings. She gave an unconscious sigh of relief, before reaching for another chocolate, putting the half eaten one back in the box.

"Bella!" I cried out, considering it unsanitary. She just smiled and shrugged. She grabbed another chocolate, a raspberry crown. When she bit into that one, she moaned again in ecstasy. I found myself wishing my taste buds still appreciated human food. I desperately wanted to know, to experience the flavors that could cause such feelings in her. "So you like it? It tastes okay?" It was obvious she liked it, and it tasted better than okay.

"So sweet, so creamy, so yummy," she murmured. "I could eat this every day and never get tired of it."

I chuckled at her statement, then laughed harder at my brothers' response. Bella looked at me inquiringly. I dashed off another note.

You should see their faces of disgust at your last words. They couldn't handle it—thinking of their little sister like that.

Her eyes widened as she realized what they had been thinking. Then she giggled, rolling around on the bed. I grabbed the box of chocolate before she could smash it and stood up beside the bed.

"Hey, where are you going with that? I wasn't finished yet," she protested as she lunged for the box. I held it out of her reach. She put her hands on her hips and demanded, "Give it to me!"

"Not unless you ask me nicely," I taunted.

"Dude, what is up with him?" Emmett wondered.

"I guess he knows a lot more about this stuff than we thought. Must be all the things he's gleaned from other peoples' minds," Jasper declared.

Bella looked up at me through her lashes and pouted out her lower lip. "But it's mine! You said it was. You said it was all mine, all for me. So how come you get to decide when I can and cannot have it."

I smirked again. "I'd be happy to give it to you, if you ask me nicely."

She sighed and nodded in defeat. "Will you please give it to me, Edward?"

"My pleasure. Anytime," I replied, handing the box back.

She took it and inhaled deeply, "Mmmm." She looked through her choices and got a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. She picked up the gold foil wrapped chocolate covered cherry and gave me a coy smile. "I really want to share this with you, Edward. Please take my cherry." She handed me the piece of candy.

I looked from her to the candy in confusion. "Are you sure?"

She looked me in the eye and then waggled her eyebrows and leered. "Absolutely sure. I want you to take my cherry, Edward. I was saving it for a special time, but I love you, and I want to give it to you. My gift to you tonight. I want to share this with you."

I looked into my brothers' thoughts and realized the double entendre. I solemnly took the candy from her. "Thank you for this precious gift, love. I hope you won't regret it."

"I won't," she assured me. "Love is all about finding the balance in give and take, between two people, sharing their lives together. I want to give you this; I want you to have it."

I gently unwrapped the candy, smiling at her. I tapped her chin with my index finger. "Open for me, love." She held her mouth open. "I'm going to put the whole thing in; I know you can handle it. I am certain it will fit." She nodded her acceptance, so I put the candy into her mouth, onto her tongue. She gasped at the feeling of my cold fingers on her tongue. I moved my hand away, and she bit down on the candy, moaning in pleasure as the sugary syrup gushed onto her tongue. She savored the flavor, chewing slowly. I started kissing her neck, causing her heart to race, adding credence to our plot.

"Do you want more, Bella?" I offered, gesturing to the box again. She caught on to what I was doing and played along admirably.

"Oh, yes, please more, Edward!" she exclaimed. "I need more, Edward. It's just soooo good. Please more, yes!"

Seeing her sitting calmly on my bed, gushing over a box of chocolate, I was shaking with the effort to contain my amusement. "Careful, you might get addicted," I warned with a smile.

"I'm already addicted!" she confessed happily. I picked her up bridal style and began spinning in a circle. I concentrated on her face and it was funny to watch her eyes jerk trying to keep up with the rapid spinning.

"Edward!" she yelled.

"Bella!" I yelled back.

"Enough! Please!" she cried. I stopped abruptly, setting her back on the bed. Her eyes kept jerking for a few minutes. She groaned, falling back onto the pillows. "I'm sooo dizzy. I just want to lie here for a while and recover."

"Whatever you want, dear," I chuckled. I saw my brothers' faces again, looking at each other with a mixture of awe and disbelief.

"I've gotta see this," Emmett muttered. "How did he bring her pleasure so quickly?

"I need to make sure he didn't hurt her. She's awfully dizzy," Jasper agreed.

I heard them scaling the wall up to my window, so I grabbed Bella and sat in front of it, with her in my lap, the box of chocolates in her hands. I pointed to the window, and she understood my brothers were coming. Their heads peeked into view, and they gasped at the sight of us sitting there waiting for them, fully clothed and calm.

"Come on in, boys," Bella invited. They cautiously raised the window and climbed inside, crouching beside it in case they needed a fast getaway.

"Would you care for some chocolate, boys? It's really quite yummy, sweet and creamy," she offered, holding out the box toward them.

They did a double take, rapidly re-evaluating our conversation in context of the current revelation.

"Chocolate?" Jasper asked in astonishment. "She was that ecstatic and euphoric over chocolate?" We nodded, and both Jasper and Emmett simply gaped at her in bewilderment, speechless for once, as they processed this new information.

Bella giggled and then casually mentioned, "Well, they do say chocolate is better than sex."

"Who does?" Emmett demanded.

"Women," Bella admitted. "Women in general. As a societal whole. It's one of the questions we exchange during girl talk. How does your man's loving compare to chocolate?" She grinned at their distinct discomfort.

There was a knock on the door, and I knew their wives were on the other side, so I unlocked it and let them inside. Rose and Alice strolled over to their husbands, each offering a comforting embrace to their spouse.

"Don't worry, teddy bear, I think your love is better than chocolate," Rose reassured Emmett, rubbing his back.

"Me too," Alice agreed, kissing Jasper on the cheek.

"Yeah, but chocolate tastes like dog poop to you," Jasper pointed out in distress.

"Yeah!" Emmett agreed. He hadn't thought of that until Jasper mentioned it.

The girls stood up and exchanged a look.

"Yeah, we know," Rose replied. "But we still think your loving is better."

"Absolutely!" Alice declared forcefully, nodding her head vigorously.

They hooked arms together and started for the door. "Coming, Bella?"

"In a little bit," Bella answered, leaning back against me and snuggling closer.

They nodded. "We'll be waiting," Alice warned. "If you're not down in thirty minutes, I'm coming to get you."

They walked to the door, but paused briefly in the doorway. Knowing we would all hear, Rose whispered, "Good thing they didn't ask us about blood!"

"Yep!" Alice laughed. Then they raced down the stairs, leaving their husbands staring blankly after them.

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Hehe... Enjoyed? I had fun writing this...

So, Thanks for all the votes... Net upload on 7/ 22/11! And those people who dont get the date should jump off a bridge! Isnt it obvious that there arent 22 months in a year? In my country we go by Month/Date/Year!

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Have some good days!

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