Title: The Proposition
Disclaimer: Don't own them
Summary: OOC- Bella Swan agrees to marry Edward Cullen in a secret business deal that is beneficial to both of them. But will either of them be able to keep it all business or will they mix pleasure in as well. And what will happen when one finds they've inadvertently signed over their heart.
AN: I got the idea from reading my fave story for the hundredth time 'A Husband's Chance' love it! You must check it out its by Britanyca - the link to it is in my profile.
POV's: Edward and Bella.. Mostly Bella though, not everything will be two sided.
Rating: M for eventual lovely lemony goodness. trust me!
AN: I am re-posting this story. Please don't sigh in aggravation, there is a good reason, which is because of the huge hole that needed fixing.. I have endeavored to patch it up with the help of my Beta, Kat.
I must thank all who wrote to me with reviews and suggestions and especially those that have been patient with this story.. My Muse is a lazy biarch who excels in procrastination! Furthermore, I apologize for the use of the word 'biarch', but it was necessary...
I hope you like.. :)
Chapter 1
BPOV
"I'm very sorry, Miss..-" The young woman, who was perched behind an oversized, showy, marble reception desk, wore too much make up and showed too much ample bosom for me to curb my sharp tone, as she raised one eyebrow at me as though I was a piece of chewing gum stuck beneath her desk.
"Swan. Isabella Swan," I ground out. Resisting the urge to climb over the woman's desk and throttle her.
"I'm very sorry, Miss Swan. Mr Cullen is in a meeting and is booked out for the rest of the afternoon. He can't see you, today."
"But…" I started, frustrated. My fingers were digging holes into my palms, my sweaty palms.
"Is there someone else that perhaps can assist you? It is not normal practice for business owners to meet with Mr Cullen. Certainly not without an appointment." Her hoity-toity tone was grating down my back.
"No. And I have been trying to get an appointment for two weeks now. I-"
"Yes. I remember the many calls you made. I'm sorry but Mr Cullen is a very busy man and you will have to make an appointment." unfazed by my obvious anger, she has the gall to check her calendar as she chewed on her pen. She sighed, and my attention was drawn to her cleavage again, her name badge perched atop said 'Jenny.'
"There's an opening after 3pm on the 22nd?"
"That's three weeks away!" my voice rising painfully.
"That's Mr Cullen's first available time slot." she said unperturbed.
"No. I will wait." I huffed, wanting to slam my fist on the desk.
"Miss Swan, I can-"
"He has to leave at some point today and when he does, I will be waiting." I said, determined.
"You could be waiting for a long time."
"Less time than three weeks, I imagine!" I mumbled as moved away from her.
I sat down on the inviting black leather lounges, inside the head office of Cullen Enterprises. My whole life depended on speaking with this man. And it couldn't wait another minute.
I rolled my tense shoulders, the muscles straining with the fatigue I battled on a daily basis was taking its toll.
Sitting for hours by Charlie's bed side and looking after him; watching as the radiation and radiotherapy, drained his body. Trying not to cry as he let me shave what was left of his hair off.
As the strong man, the father, the Police Chief slowly whittled away, his body, his spark, fading right before my eyes.
Don't cry. Things can always get worse. Wasn't that the truth!
When Charlie had called me with the devastating news that he had prostate cancer. I thought then that life couldn't possibly throw anything else at us. Fortunately the Forks Police were still running the mandatory health check on all employees. With PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) testing given to all employees over fifty, or it might never have been picked up. Despite the therapy though, the cancer had continued to grow and to prevent it spreading he eventually had to undergo a radical prostatectomy.
So, I had spent the last three to four months out of the state, therefore leaving Swan Industries under the management of James Redding. James and I were equal partners in Swan Industries, and had been for the last three years. But, since I had been away in Forks looking after Charlie, he had managed to embezzle hundreds of thousands of dollars from the company and leaving it in such debt that there was no chance of redemption, only bankruptcy.
Cullen Enterprises had been sniffing around Swan Industries for some time and has previously offered a hefty purchase deal, which I had happily refused. Swan Industries was NOT going to be sucked up into the 'bulk buy' conglomerate of Cullen Enterprises and end up like every other publishing house in the state. We were family owned and we had worked hard to carve out our own niche in the market against the bigger mass market brands.
Until now.
James had signed off his half of the Cullen Enterprises purchase agreement, and disappeared. Now the purchase agreement was waiting for my signature. To come back to work only to find that James had disappeared three weeks ago and that all the staff had been told Cullen Enterprises had bought the company…
It hadn't happened yet, and it wouldn't, not unless I signed the papers.
I had absolutely no intention of doing any such thing!
EPOV
"I'm sorry, Edward, but it's the only way you will be able to access that portion of your company. It seems to be the only stipulation in the contract. You must be married."
"This is ridiculous! What does my marital status have anything to do with this company?" I was furious. My hands were tugging at my messy hair, on the verge of tearing it out. "Jasper, there must be a loophole, some way around it?" I pleaded desperately.
I had inherited the company from my father over five years ago and I was just now being informed of this? I had known that I only owned 49% and that the board of directors (a bunch of old guys) controlled the remaining 51%. What I didn't know was that the only thing preventing me from being sole owner was a wife.
I'm not the kind of man who dates. Not the true sense of the word anyway. Sure I'd had my fair share of women, but nothing verging on serious dating for quite a while, not since work had become so important and time consuming. How was I supposed to turn this company into a billion dollar corporation and have an honest relationship at the same time? Especially since the board of directors seemed to scrutinize every deal and idea I had. It was demeaning, given my intelligence and achievements.
A wife. It seemed like one of my father's practical jokes. Actually, probably my mother's idea.
I pounded my fist on my desk in anger. I am normally a cool-headed man, but I was ready to tear the room apart. This was impossible.
I could hear muffled noises from behind my office door. I looked up, I was annoyed and seriously not in the mood.
Jasper stood up, gathering his papers. "Edward, I have to get going, but I will have another look over the contracts tonight. Try not to stress over it, okay? We will sort this out." I nodded, not one shred of hope on my face. I knew my father, and there was no getting around this one.
The noise coming from outside was getting louder and, as Jasper opened the door, a woman pushed her way into my office.
"Mr. Cullen, I presume," she spat as she stomped up to my desk. I rose politely from my seat with her entrance.
"Yes?" I responded, a little stunned at her hostile demeanor.
It had been too long since I had been with a woman, and this one standing in front of my desk with her hands on her hips was undeniably gorgeous. With her rich chocolate coloured hair and big brown eyes, only enhanced her porcelain skin and deliciously pink lips. She was petite and looked soft, I was so tired of hard, too toned and too tanned women, all trace of feminine curves and softness diligently erased.
She wore a fitted royal blue cotton blouse that strained ever so slightly at the buttons across her breasts, the fabric flowed smoothly down her stomach into her form fitting black trousers. Struggling to remain focused on the conversation, I ended my brief perusal of her figure and looked up to find her eyes slicing into me.
"Well, Mr. Cullen!" Her voice laced with venom. I had never even seen this woman before and I was dumbfounded by the obvious hatred she had for me.
"Would you be so kind as to explain to me what this is?" her condescending tone only barely masked her anger as she threw a piece of paper down onto my desk. I tore my eyes from her face to glance at what had her so worked up.
It was 'Swan Industries,' the Contract of Purchase I had arranged two weeks ago.
"It's a contract that outlines the acquisition of Swan Industries," I stated, still confused.
"You can't just come along and buy my company! I won't sign it! What gives you the right?" Her vindictive tone only flared my defenses.
Realization dawned on me. "You must be Miss Isabella Swan." I reached out to shake her hand. She screwed up her nose at me like she smelled something foul. I let my hand fall to my side.
I squared my shoulders, all business now. "Forgive me, Miss Swan, but your business partner James approached me with an offer to purchase the company and I accepted." I watched as shock crossed her features. "According to my accountant, James had run your company into an unfortunate sized debt, and decided to sell the good name." Scarlet blazed across her cheeks, her eyes narrowing accusatory at me. It ignited my coldness. "Swan Industries is bankrupt! If you do not sign this contract the company you have created will cease to exist, Miss Swan."
I picked up my coat shrugging it onto my shoulders.
"I suggest you reconsider your next choice of words, Miss Swan, because as far as I am aware, you're broke." I picked up the contract holding it out to her. "Think of it as a second chance."
She was silent, her lips parted slightly in shock. "A third will not be offered!" I immediately regretted my own words as her brows lowered in shame. She stepped forward and took the paper from my hands. It looked like a war was raging within her, anger vs. heart.
"If you'll excuse me, I am now late for my meeting." my dismissive tone providing her with an exit. "I trust you'll find your way out."
There was no further argument and she walked out of my office, the heavy steel door slamming behind her.
I fell back into my seat, feeling like a wrecking ball had just smashed me upside the head. Her light perfume wafted through my office from the force of the door. It was delicate waft of plum or melon and freesia, and it made my mouth water.
What the…
"Who was that?"
I shook my head to clear it and saw my brother, Emmett, walking into my office, his eyebrows raised in shock.
"Miss Isabella Swan. Did she leave a path of destruction behind her" I ran my hand through my mussed hair for what felt like the millionth time that day. I was not going to skip the gym tonight, I needed to de-stress.
"Well I was worried she would rip the door off its hinges, kinda like the Hulk!" Emmett smiled as he flopped onto my leather couch, ready for our meeting.
I tried to ignore the light scent of her perfume and focused on my brother.
BPOV
My head was heavy in my hands and I felt my tears wet on my face as I stared unseeing at the irrefutable evidence in front of me.
It was all gone. All the money, everything I had ever saved, worked for, my publishing company was so far in debt we couldn't even afford post-it notes. I had worked so hard broadening our demographic from straight publishing. Now we had a fantastic group built up of writers full time that did pieces in newspapers, books, even advertising. It was just growing, only just touching the edge of it potential.
As he said, James had run Swan Industries into the ground, hell it was half way to China it was so deep. It turned out James embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars and then sold off a starved dead horse, leaving me with no other option but to sell what was left of my half.
I felt the weight of devastation fall upon my shoulders, the ripple effect of it all hit me.
If I didn't sign, all the employees would have to be fired. Not to mention I would be out of a job, everything would have to be sold. Even then I would still owe thousands, hundreds of thousands of dollars.
I was about to lose everything, my career, my whole life had been stolen away from me.
Or maybe not.
I had already sold my expensive Audi to help cover my extended absence from work while I looked after Charlie. Driving my old Chevy again brought back so many memories, I was eternally grateful Charlie had never gotten rid of it.
If I could loan the money to cover the debts, like a bridging finance loan, perhaps we could make an arrangement where I loan the money gradually paying Cullen Enterprises back to clear the debts and then buy the company back from him at an agreed price. It would take years, it would a miracle. But I had nothing left to lose.
EPOV
I enjoyed the gym, especially the rowing machine, it pulled at almost every muscle, exhausting, exactly what I needed.
I felt so tense, work had been a whirlwind ever since Isabella Swan had burst into my office, she may have walked out but the memory of our encounter was still charging around my brain.
In my line of work I was used to confrontation and so it wasn't shock that had left me with a semi all day.
I could see her struggle, relate to it. Conform or be destroyed. She was different, unpredictable and to have the guts to storm into my office that way and fight for something important to her, it left an impression. I admired her courage, her passion and her round backside and the way her hips had swayed gently as she walked out. Part of me wondered what it would be like to be the object of such passion, have her covet me, to have grasped that back side and rubbed myself against it.
I presumptuously considered myself quite intimidating to the opposite sex. Well, that's what I had been told. Apparently not.
Miss Swan seemed more than happy to speak her mind. I shook my head trying to re-organise my thoughts and clear my non-work related ones.
Once I was finished on the machine I picked up my belongings and headed up the lift to my apartment. As I went about my routine of shower, dinner, T.V., book and bed I tried to push the day's events away and submit to exhaustion.
I lay in bed staring at the darkened ceiling, not a sound in my empty apartment except for a deep sigh escaping my chest. I closed my eyes and the vision from today flew in front of me.
Swan Industries was a very profitable business, which Cullen Enterprises had tried to acquire some years back. No price was tempting enough for the owners, though, now it seemed luck was on my side.
Everybody had a price, a sad fact you learn in this line of work. I couldn't help but wonder just what Isabella Swan's price would be...
As I lay there an idea formulated itself in my head.
It would solve everything..
AN: So...?
What do you think of the story now? With a back story for Bella and an actual realistic situation regarding her company. James, that little -...
Well, don't worry we will deal with James later!
Any suggestions, criticism, pointers, praise, negative or positive comments - feel free to leave it on a review.. I love them!
Thanks for reading!
