Title: After Hours

Written For: KitsuShel

Written By: isabellamasens

Rating: M

Summary/Prompt used: #1 & #3, tattooward with romantic undertones

A/N: This was for FAGE (Fic Awesome Gift Exchange) and I had a lot of fun writing this piece! Michele, I hope you enjoy it!
If you want to read more of the FAGE pieces, there will be a C2, and you can join the FanficAholics Anon ~ Where Obsession Never Sleeps group on facebook!

As far as literary agents go, Edward Cullen is the end-all, be-all. Bella Swan had been ecstatic when she'd gotten the news that she had gotten the job at his publishing company. She was just out of college and starting her career, thrilled that she would get to be a part of a workforce that helps to put amazing works of literature out into the world.

For as long as she could remember, she'd been a bookworm. She'd started writing her own books at eleven, and by eighteen, she had a finished first draft of a novel just waiting to be edited and sent out into the world.

Standing in the elevator, she scrolled through her text messages, reading through the latest update in Alice's love life. She had been seeing a guy named Jasper for a few months now, and it was going well. In fact, she was supposed to be meeting him after work. She typed out a quick message to Alice, confirming that she'd see them at the bar when she got off work, and put her phone back into her purse just as the elevator dinged and the doors opened to her floor.

When she'd first started working at Cullen Publishing, she'd been intimidated by the office. Her desk was placed next to the window, looking down upon the city of Seattle, adjacent to Mr. Cullen's office. She'd always been afraid of heights, and it didn't help to have the added pressure of her boss being so close by.

Today, she was copy-editing a short story for a longer compilation, by a local author she'd met at a book signing a few weeks ago. Edward was big on getting local authors published and helping to launch careers. Something about giving back to the community.

The phone on Bella's desk rang and she picked up, answering with the typical Cullen Publishing spiel.

"Ms. Swan, can I see you in my office, please?" The blood drained from her face when she realized that it was Mr. Cullen.

"Of course."

She gets up from her desk, slipping her cell phone into her pocket, and walks the short distance to the door to Edward Cullen's office, knocking three times and turning the door knob.

"I just wanted to ask how you're doing. I like to check in with my new hires after they've been here long enough to get a feel for what we do." He can't help but watch the way her hips sway as she walks in and takes a seat in the chair on the other side of his desk. He swallows and gives her a smile.

"I'm doing great, thank you. I'm really enjoying the stories that I've edited so far. You really know how to spot talent, Mr. Cullen."

"I think you're going to be a valuable asset to our team. If you run into any problems, just let me know, okay?" There. An open invitation to talk to him again.

"Thank you, I will. I'll let you get back to your work, now." She says, giving him a soft smile and standing up, returning to her desk.

Bella shook out her long, brown hair, sighing at the relief she felt from pulling the bun out. She had been in her work clothes for nearly twelve hours. She always worked too long, but there was so much to do, and she didn't want to let Mr. Cullen down. She was supposed to meet Alice at the bar in an hour, but she didn't really want to go. She'd let the girl talk her into it, under the pretense of meeting her new boyfriend.

Now, she was in a dress that Alice had brought back from Milan, claiming that she'd seen it and immediately knew it was the dress for Bella. And, to her credit, the dress did look good. It hugged her curves and flowed nicely. It wasn't something she'd typically pick out for herself, but she loved it.

She pulled on a pair of flats that laced up to her shins and applied a fresh coat of lipstick, before getting in her car and driving to the bar. Alice was always late, but even knowing that, Bella still got to the bar earlier than she probably needed to, and headed to one of the few booths in the back, ordering a glass of water, and the only bar food she and Alice both liked: spinach and artichoke dip.

When she saw Alice walk in, she lifted her arm and waved, signaling where she was sitting.

"Bells! I'm so happy to see you! You'll never believe what happened on my trip to Paris." Alice says, sliding into the booth. "Jasper will be here soon, he got held up at work."

"So, what happened in Paris?" Bella asks before lifting her glass of water to her lips and taking a drink.

"As you know, I was there for fashion week, making sure that the process was as smooth as possible for the models, when I saw him. Ross Cline, right in front of my eyes. He came right up to me, asked if I was the designer, and said he loved the flapper flashback theme of the collection. If I didn't know any better, I'd have thought that I stopped breathing."

"Alice, that's great! Getting recognized by your favorite designer must have felt incredible. What did I tell you? Those dresses were incredible."

Out of the corner of her eye, Bella saw someone walk up to the table, and then a man slipped into the seat next to Alice. So, this must be Jasper. He leaned over and placed a quick kiss on Alice's lips before turning to Bella.

"Hey, you must be Bella. Ali has told me a lot about you. I'm Jasper." He says, extending his hand across the table. Bella shook his hand with a smile.

"I am, indeed. She's told me so much a lot you, too. I was wondering when I was going to get to meet you, after all the texts I've been getting at three in the morning about how happy she is."

Bella loved seeing her best friend happy. There wasn't anything better than that. And, from what she'd been told, Jasper was a good man. Alice hadn't always been good at finding guys that would treat her right, but this time, she'd hit the jackpot. It was what she'd deserved after the last asshole she'd dated. Bella still couldn't stand the thought of James Witherdale or his greasy man bun.

"Did I tell you that Jasper and I are moving in together?" Alice asked, her eyes lighting up at the mention of their plans.

"No, you hadn't mentioned it. When is that happening?" She asks, tilting her head to the side. The hostess brought their spinach and artichoke dip then, setting it on the table. Both the girls reached for a chip as soon as the basket was sat down on the table.

"Well, my lease isn't up for another two months, so we have some time. I have moved quite a bit of my stuff to his place already, but the big stuff is staying until I can sell it. I know it's kind of soon, but when you know, you know."

Bella nodded, and ate another chip.

"Well, you've always known what's right for you. I'm happy you've found someone that treats you well."

"When I told my parents, they went crazy. They're not thrilled about the idea, but they'll come around. They always do." Alice's parents were notoriously strict. She hadn't even been allowed to spend the night at Bella's house until they were seniors in high school.

"Hey, I'm going to run to the bathroom. I'll be back in a few." Bella says, standing up and grabbing her purse, making her way through the bar. She's almost to the bathroom when someone bumps into her, and she looks up, shocked when she looks up to see her boss. Her eyes linger on his chest — specifically, the edges of a tattoo peaking through the v-neck he must have changed into after work. She hadn't expected her straight-laced boss to have any tattoos. Then again, she only knew him in a professional setting, so what did she know? There was still a lot she had to learn about her boss.

Edward Cullen stood in the middle of the small, makeshift dance floor, looking around at the people he'd been hoping to avoid. He'd made the mistake of mentioning this bar at work, and now half of his employees were here. Half of his payroll, and yet, he didn't see the only girl he would care to see out of office hours.

His newest employee, Bella Swan, had been on his mind since he'd hired her. He knew it was inappropriate to even think such things about someone that works for him, but he couldn't help it. She was beautiful, and even more than that, she was intelligent.

He glanced down at his watch, wondering when Emmett was going to show up. He'd told his brother to meet him at six, and it was now six-thirty. He took a step back, and bumped into someone walking behind him.

"Shit! Sorry about that." He said, looking down at his newest employee, Bella.

"Oh, no, you're fine…" She says, her voice trailing off. "Oh, Mr. Cullen! I wasn't expecting to see you here."

"Please, call me Edward. We're not in the office." He says, and a rosy blush rises to her cheeks.

"Okay, Edward. What are you doing here?" She asks, flirty smile on her face.

"Waiting for my brother to show up. He's apparently got big news to share, but not big enough news to show up on time." He says with a chuckle. "Why don't you have a drink with me while I wait for him to show up?"

"Oh. Well, I'm here with some friends." She says, gesturing toward the table where Alice and Jasper are sitting. Edward smirks when he looks at them. They're wrapped up in each other; they'd probably started making out as soon as Bella got up.

"I don't think they'll notice if you take a little longer than anticipated." He says. He pulls out a stool from the bar and motions for her to sit, and she does.

"You know, I don't think I've ever seen you with your hair out of that bun it's always in. Looks nice." Bella blushes again, a reaction she had always hoped she would lose as she got older.

"I try to be as professional as I can at work. I'm very thankful for the opportunity to have this job."

"Are you a writer? A lot of the staff has some kind of work written."

"I've written things before, but I don't think it's something I'd want to do for a living. I've always liked the idea of helping put this art form out into the world."

"You should let me read something you've written some time." The only person that had ever read any of Bella's work was Alice, and even then, she'd always been embarrassed about it.

"Maybe... It's not that good, though. Not compared to some of the things I've read working for your company."

"I doubt they're as bad as you think they are. You get used to your writing and then it doesn't seem fresh to you." That was probably true. Even before the idea was written down on paper, it was in her head, so she never really went into it without already having preconceived notions of how she wanted the story to go.

Edward ordered a beer and turned to Bella, asking her what she wanted. Her go-to was a dirty martini, so she ordered one. She hadn't been planning to drink tonight, but it sounded good.

"So, are you from around here?" He asks, turning toward her.

"Washington, yes. Seattle, no. I was born in Forks, but my Mom and I moved when I was a baby. I moved back when I was seventeen to live with my Dad, Charlie." She says, a sad smile taking over her features.

"He died recently. Just before I moved to the city for this job, actually." Edward placed a hand over hers, giving it a squeeze. It was comforting.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Bella. Were you very close?"

"We were getting there. I feel like I missed time with him that I had spent taking for granted when I'd visit him over the summer as a kid. I'd hated Forks, but now I wish I'd done more of what he wanted to show me around town. All the places he'd gone to growing up. Eventually, we'd just started going to California. I like the rain a little more now that I've moved here, but back then, I hated anywhere that wasn't sunny."

"You never know as a kid what things are going to be the important ones when you grow up. My Mom always said the best thing we gave her was time spent together, no matter where it was or what we were doing."

"She sounds like a smart lady, your Mom."

"She's the smartest person I know. She helped me launch the company. I wouldn't be anywhere without her."

"I wish my Mom lived closer. She was my best friend growing up."

"I don't know what I'd do if my Mom lived far away. What can I say? I'm a total mama's boy." He chuckled and took a drink of his beer.

They kept talking, and they kept drinking, and before she knew it, it was eight o'clock, and she was tipsy.

"I should probably get out of here." She says, glancing toward the door.

"Why don't you let me drive you home?" He asks, eyeing the three empty martini glasses on the bar in front of her.

"That might be a good idea... I think I drank one martini too many to get behind the wheel."

"I wouldn't want anything to happen to my favorite new employee." He teased, pulling his wallet from his pocket and paying the tab. When Bella tried to protest and pay for her drinks, he just waved his hand.

"Let me go tell Alice I'm leaving, then. I'll be right back." She says, standing up from the bar stool and walking over to where she'd left Alice and Jasper sitting.

"Hey, Alice?" Bella said, tapping on the table.

"Oh, hey! There you are. I saw you talking to that guy. Total hottie."

"Yeah. That's my boss, Edward. He's gonna take me home." She said, hand still on the table to steady herself. She was just drunk enough to be unable to drive, and he was going to run her home.

Edward wasn't ready for the night to end. He'd had the best night he'd had in a long time, just talking to Bella.

Bella giggled as she pulled Edward into her bedroom, shutting the door behind him, and leading him to her bed. She couldn't believe she was doing this, but she was too drunk to care. Okay, so she wasn't that drunk. But, she'd be lying if she said she hadn't had a crush on her boss since she started working for him. Should she have said goodnight at the door? Yeah, probably. After all, he was her boss. There had to be some sort of company policy about this. Of course, it was his business, so if he wanted to break a fraternization rule, he could.

She slipped the straps of her dress down her arms, blushing against as she let her dress fall to the floor. She stepped out of the puddle of fabric on the ground and took a step toward Edward.

"You're beautiful, Bella." He says, lifting a hand to tilt her chin upward. He kissed her again, softer than the kiss at her front door. Her hands moved to the hem of his v-necked t-shirt, fingers brushing against his skin, sending a shockwave down her spine. He obliged her, breaking the kiss to take off his shirt. She ran her fingers over the tattoo on his chest, examining the lion that was placed there. She'd always had a thing for guys with tattoos.

She reaches behind her back to unclasp her bra, letting it drop to the floor with her dress. He stares for a moment, hands stilled at her waist, before trailing them upward. He brushes his thumb against one taut nipple and she sighs. Her hands go to the button on his jeans and she undoes them.

He kicked off his jeans and boxers, and she hooked her thumbs into her underwear, sliding them down her legs. She blushed again, realizing they were both completely bare, before she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his.

He walked her a few feet over to the bed and she laid down, looking up at him with lust-filled eyes. She couldn't believe she was doing this. She was actually going to sleep with Edward Cullen.

Waking up next to her boss when she knew they both had to be at work in under an hour was not the way she'd wanted to wake up. In fact, if she had her way, they'd already be going for round three.

"Good morning." He sounded sleepy and Bella nearly melted. There wasn't anything hotter than a guy's voice first thing in the morning.

"Hey. Sleep well?" She asks, sitting up, pulling the top sheet around her.

"Better than I have in a while, actually. You?" He asks as he tosses the comforter aside and

"You think anyone will notice if I show up to the office in the same thing I wore out last night?"

"I think they'd notice if you weren't wearing a suit like you usually do." He nodded in agreement. Jeans weren't exactly the office wear he typically went for. Even on casual Friday, he didn't wear jeans.

"Then I guess I'll have to run home and change. I can take you to get your car, and then head home." She agreed, and pulled herself out of bed, sighing as she padded over to her closet. She had just enough time to shower before they had to leave.

"Do you want to wait in the living room? I shouldn't be too long. If Waldo is out there, don't worry. He's friendly. He won't bite, but he will snuggle you." Waldo, her twelve year old cat, was all about the snuggles. He wanted to be in someone's lap at all times.

Edward obliged, slipping out of the bedroom, and into the living room. It didn't take Bella nearly as long as she thought it would to get ready, and twenty minutes later, she was dressed. She opened the door of her bedroom and smiled. Waldo was sitting on Edward's lap and she could hear him purring from across the room.

"I made a friend." He says, scratching the kitty under the chin.

"Chin scratches. You're friends for life, now. You ready to go?" She asks, picking up her purse from the coffee table and slinging it over her shoulder.

"I'm ready if you are."

The bar wasn't far from where she lived and she was sad when she had to say goodbye to Edward. It wasn't like she wasn't going to see him again. She'd see him in an hour. She got out of his car slowly, and unlocked hers, turning back to look at him.

"See you at the office, Boss." She said, smirking at him.

"See you later, beautiful." And with that, he drove off. It was going to be an interesting day at work, that was for sure…