Title of Story: Chameleon

Rating: M

Pairing: Bella and Edward

Genre: Adventure

Word Count: 5,298 (wordcounttool dot com)

Story Summary:Bella Swan - professional killer with a remarkable talent for disguise. Edward Cullen - rich, powerful ... and dangerous. Neither knows what the other has in store for them.

Standard Disclaimer: The author does not own any publicly recognizable entities herein. No copyright infringement is intended.

In the heart of the city, inside a twenty-five story building, a few minutes before noon, there comes a shout of a name.

"SWAN!"

Bella Swan sits up abruptly from her slouching position and glares at the grinning dark-skinned man at the desk next to hers. She always hates this newbie who apparently thinks he has the ability to defrost "the Ice Queen," as her co-workers prefer to call her.

The nickname is not entirely false, per se. Bella's gaze is sharper than glaciers in the Arctic. Her cold demeanor is darker and scarier than any figure in any horror movie or story. She may be beautiful, but her attitude is enough for all interested males to shift their attention elsewhere. Well, except one.

"What?" Bella asks sharply. If he woke Bella up to play a trick on her, he was asking for a death sentence. The young woman is tired, having been up all night to attend to an office emergency. Plus, his cards do not look great to start with. Despite Bella's indifference, this co-worker is just unrelenting.

"Chief's calling for you," Jacob Black says, his smile not fading at her tone and expression. Bella has the urge to knee him in the groin to wipe that smirk off his face. "Oh, and you're coming to dinner with me."

Bella fights harder against the violent urge. "Did Chief ask you to do that?" She raises a brow.

"No."

"Then, why do you expect me to follow?" After reaching for her empty Styrofoam cup, Bella stands up and leaves the room. She feels eight pairs of eyes on her as she walks. Stupid co-workers, she thinks with displeasure as she throws the cup away.

When Bella reaches the twentieth floor, she goes to the receptionist, another person she dislikes.

"Black said Chief called for me." She stares at the blonde, face void of any emotion.

Heidi's face, however, is a picture of fury. Heidi despises this woman after knowing her for only two weeks. "He does," she responds tightly. "He's waiting inside." She is infuriated when Bella leaves without a thank you, but she knows that she should expect no more from the Ice Queen.

Bella feels relieved to be free from one of the shallow people she has the misfortune of working with. If she didn't like her work in the office, she would have resigned a long time ago.

"Chief." Bella gives a curt nod in greeting and sits on the chair the Chief offers.

"Agent Swan, it's so nice to see you up and about. I am sorry about last night. Agent Biers was careless, so we called you in. You're close to the location, and we knew you'd finish the job faster than anyone." Chief smiles while Bella nods once again. She's waiting for the real reason why she was summoned.

"Here at the office, there are secrets. Some are not aware of those. My secretary is a perfect example."

Bella almost snorts. She knows that and the fact entertains her more than it should. Chief has a small smile.

"Isabella, you are one of the most gifted agents we have. It is our honor to have you working with us. And with your consistent progress, we are reassured that you can handle anything we give you. The world is full of—"

"Sir, can you just give me my assignment?" Bella tries to be polite but she's not one for hearing long speeches. She appreciates actions better than words.

Bella is surprised to see a knowing grin on the chief's face. "See? You are impatient, Agent Swan. Sometimes it's not enough to just grab and go. You have to think about it. I'm not saying you're not thinking when on the field"—he quickly says—"I told you; you're one of the very best we have. We need you to … exercise more control and mastery on this one, because we have lost people in taking him down."

Bella registers the gender. It's a male. Even though she knows males are easy targets, she has to follow the Chief's advice and take this mission more seriously than the others. Her eyes widen a little after hearing the fate of others before her.

"I understand, Chief," Bella says solemnly.

Chief stares at Bella, gauging her expression, before tossing the file folder across the table. "Our client is a big enemy of this target. We're dealing with a person with a vast power in the underworld now, Agent Swan. Be careful." Chief stressed those last two words.

"I understand," Bella repeats. She opens the folder and is taken slightly aback at the large picture of a handsome man. She regains composure, because she is sitting in front of her boss after all. Flipping the picture over, she reads the information about—her eyes go to the top page where the name is—Edward Anthony Masen Cullen. The highly confidential mission requires her to kill him and make it look like anything but murder. There should be no trace that will lead to his enemy, and their client, Mr. James Bean. Bella snorts.

"Is there a problem, Agent Swan?"

"No, sir." Bella closes the file. Since she has a mission to fulfill, she doesn't need to stay in the "office" that is more popularly known to some people as Grecian Agency. "I know what needs to be done."

"Perfect. You're dismissed now." Chief turns to answer his phone while Bella stands up and thinks about her new mission as she leaves.

She decides to research, so she goes to the highest floor of the building, the floor with access only for the field agents—people who are paid and skilled to kill.

Bella is not an average employee. She works for an independent intelligence agency who serves clients—usually the powerful or the rich—that want to have an … unlawful job done. Technically, Bella is a professional killer with a remarkable gift in disguise. That's her forte. Chief is right; Bella Swan is deadly. One does not know what is going on in her mind because she is the master of disguise.

She uses her ID to get through the security doors and arrives at the information center. There are several agents on the computers and lounge chairs. Bella takes the computer on the farthest corner and starts perusing the databases.

It seems like Mr. Edward Cullen is the president of Cullen-Masen Corporation, a company that is very well-known for its many land properties and prestigious infrastructures. To the public, he may very well pass off as an ordinary successful businessman. But according to Grecian Agency's databases, he is heavily involved with drug trafficking and presumably murder.

Bella gets confused. There is not enough information about the murders he committed. She knows he kills; the chief pointed that out to her. Bella glances at the folder and looks for the characteristics.

Physical characteristics: 6 feet 2 inches, thin and lanky but muscular. Trademark is untidy bronze hair.

Others: Smart and cunning. He is able to cover his tracks within twenty-four hours. Ruthless. Alleged mastermind behind the deaths of notable persons such as Don Laurent Goudicelli (head of Goudicelli crime family) and Eleazar Denali (president of Denali Telecommunications). Strong political and business influence. Ladies man.

For the first time, Bella is impressed. She's never heard of anyone like him; she even regrets not knowing about him sooner. The man knows what he's doing, of that Bella is sure, and she will be ecstatic to see the look of defeat on his face. But what bothers her is the wave of another kind of interest that hits her. Men like Edward Cullen are her type. The apathetic yet strong woman likes someone who can possibly match her. She likes the challenge, the game.

And Bella Swan is ready to play the game.

Bella gets out of her rented car and gazes at the elite building in front of her. It is a bar actually, but only for the rich. The security is amazing. There are almost thirty armed bodies on the perimeter. Bella will obviously never attack at a place as risky as this. She is only here to get her "props."

Based on her research, there will be an event where Mr. Cullen will be present. The location is a hotel owned by one of Cullen's investors. So, she has to find a way to gatecrash at that event … and that's why she's in this bar.

Of course, Bella dressed up for the occasion, but not in the way one will be thinking of. Her disguise for the evening is a waitress. Apart from her hair and skin color, other parts of her are "concealed." She wears green contacts and false teeth so she won't be recognized. Normally, she trusts her outfits to do the job of concealing her, but she is precautious. Some gut feeling is telling her that, too.

She's wearing black slacks and a black button-up shirt which is good, since it is easy to hide in black. She has her hair in a ponytail, so earpieces are off the hook. In her job, when agents are given a solo assignment, they can have back-up teams for safety measures. Bella never asks for back-up, and she wasn't about to start for Edward Cullen's case. Chief was a little wary when he heard this. After a long discussion with some of the agents and the chief, they finally agreed on her decision.

"Hey, Gabby." Seth, a waiter, calls out to Bella. "Gabby" is her cover-up name for the night.

Bella turns to smile widely. "Yeah? What is it?" No one would believe that the agency's Ice Queen is capable of smiling, but there she is, smiling naturally.

"Help me carry some stuff inside, will you? I know you're new, and I don't want to overwhelm you…"

"No, it's okay. Let's go." Bella rushes with Seth and helps the staff with the food and everything. On the outside, Bella is calmly following orders. Inside, she's keeping an eye out through the window that separates the kitchen from the main bar area.

When she spots her intended target, she excuses herself to the bathroom. When no one is looking, she grabs a tray, puts on drinks, and goes out into the bar area. She pauses to give drinks to strangers, biding her time.

Finally, she reaches the person she's looking for. "Good evening, Ma'am." Bella smiles politely at Lauren Mallory, a woman who has an invitation card to Edward Cullen's event and who's careless enough to let a spy like Bella Swan steal it from her.

Bella knows Lauren. She has been present in many of her past cases, an ignorant accessory to numerous crimes. Bella ponders how this woman can be so naïve. She also knows of Lauren's bragging attitude, which Bella has worked to her advantage. After tapping a phone call, she had a plan and access to Edward Cullen.

Lauren's invitation card is lying innocently on the table as she waits for her best friend to show up. She looks up at Bella and says, "Martini, two olives, chilled."

Bella almost rolls her eyes. She picks up a glass and lets the contents fall on Lauren's dress.

Well, the rest is easy to tell.

Lauren is literally spewing spit out of rage, moaning about her Gucci dress while Bella apologizes and waits impatiently for her to leave for the restroom. Finally, Lauren leaves and Bella, while trying to mop the mess she made, discreetly grabs for the card and slips it into her pocket.

She turns to leave when she hears a voice. "Was that Lauren I heard?"

For some reason, that makes her look up and is deeply surprised at the sight of her target, Edward Cullen. He has just arrived and has not yet noticed her. Getting into action, she quickly leaves the bar area. Once in the kitchens, she tells Seth about an emergency call at home. In five minutes, she's on her way to her car.

Once inside, Bella realizes that her heart is beating rapidly. This bothers her as it has never happened before. She never gets nervous or flustered on her missions, but the sight and voice of her target are enough to send her into this state. She quickly attributes what she's feeling to the warning the chief has given her. She's dealing with a high-class criminal, so one wrong move, and she can join the other less fortunate agents. She takes a deep breath and gathers her wits. Then, she drives away.

The next few days, she observes Edward Cullen's everyday activities like a stalker, through cameras and in person. She is aware that the event where she's planning to attack is a benefit party for children. The security is less since no one will think of attacking an event as simple and … humane as that. But Bella doesn't have humane in her dictionary.

Besides, her target has "ladies man" in his file folder, after all. He usually spends the night after an event or conference meeting with someone, hence the reason he also forbids security inside. Bella's regard for men decreases even more at that thought. Men are such pathetic creatures.

That is why she is going to play with that weakness. Seduction will be her tool in completing her task. She is planning to meet with the target, get his trust, and hopefully, he will be the one to take them away to a private place so she can kill him. Bella cannot wait to get done with it.

As for the way Edward Cullen will be murdered, it took Bella some time to formulate a plan. She had to go over multiple suicide scenarios that she could instigate before she found the perfect way. Bella wants to be sure that there is no other way out for him when the time comes. She will kill him using a rope. Bella will simply strangle him with the rope until he becomes unconscious. Then, she will set up a noose and hang him there, totally ending his life. The rope she can use does not need to be thick. She will hide the thinnest rope she found with her bra wire.

For protecting herself in case of emergency, Bella doesn't have anything but hand-to-hand combat. Guns are too obvious in her tight fitting, long gown. Knives are plausible but what if the target notices? He does have wandering hands…

Bella tries not to think of those hands. Or anything related to him in that way. It's just lust I'm feeling, she tells herself. This is ridiculous; I should focus on the job.

And focus she does. Or rather, tries.

On the day of the benefit event, Bella rechecks her preparations and is confident about her plans. She decides to wear a black satin evening gown with a Venus cut and four-inch heels. She dyes her hair black and keeps it down on her left shoulder. Then, she finishes her look with perfectly applied make-up.

She receives a text from the agency, telling her that the tracking device she had hidden in her earrings is enabled and working. She smiles briefly as she enters the limo the agency has provided. This is it. Finally, she notes with glee.

Once inside after presenting her invitation to the organizer, she holds herself up like she's an heiress. The attitude doesn't stand out as everyone around her acts the same way. Bella takes a glass of martini from a waiter, and the drink brings memories that make her laugh.

"You have a lovely smile."

Bella keeps the smile on her face as she recognizes the owner of the voice. She feels relieved that she doesn't have to waste time snatching his attention away from another woman. It's time. Looking up from her glass, she makes eye contact with Edward Cullen for the first time. "I take that as a compliment."

Edward gives a crooked grin of his own as he studies Bella. "I'm Edward Cullen." He holds out his hand.

Bella hesitates before replying, "Isabella." She reasons that since she'll be murdering him, it seems fair that she gives him her real name, at least. Bella tries to deny that the change of mind is the effect of Edward's presence. There's something about this man …

She places her hand in his, and is shocked when the man places a delicate kiss on the back of it. Bella knows it's an act to get the girls, but the sudden display of affection that she has not allowed for so long staggers her.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. Would you like to dance?" There is a small group of ladies and gents already swaying to the music in the middle. Bella reminds herself to spend only a few minutes on it before agreeing.

Edward places his hands on her waist and proceeds to dance the waltz. Bella follows his lead. As she dances with him, she attempts to get her head back in the game.

Why am I rushing this? She questions herself. I have to be careful. I'm with a dangerous man, after all. She twirls. I have to act like this is just another petty case. If I have to take … drastic measures to finish my mission, then I will.

In a sudden strike of inspiration, Bella imagines her target as one of her co-workers, those people she despises. She realizes that he is just like them, only blessed with good looks and charms. She is Bella Swan, after all, the Ice Queen. The best field agent for disguise there is.

As her thoughts head to a steadier ground, her actions become more … natural. Bella arches her neck a little bit and meets Edward's gaze calmly with a lovely smile. She relaxes even more as she familiarizes herself to her current situation. Bella feels aghast that Edward affected her like that, but the moment is not for guilt.

Bella sees his gaze drop down, probably to her cleavage, before quickly meeting her eyes again. She fights a smile. See, pathetic. "So, Mr. Cullen, what brings you here tonight?" Acting coy is part of seduction, much to Bella's disgruntlement.

The music turns sweeter, so Edward pulls Bella closer. In response, Bella's hold on his bicep tightens. "Well, I'm here for the children. My mother holds benefit parties like this annually to get the people's support. Now, I never fail to attend this party, but it seems like this is the first time I've seen you."

"Of course, it is. This is my first time." Bella laughs. "My family just moved back stateside last month."

"And your family is?" he probes. Bella expects it.

"The Roylotts. We have a trading company based in England. It was actually my father who received the invite to this party, but an emergency came up so he couldn't come. He sent me here instead." The cover-up story is already taken care of, but there will not likely be a chance of Edward looking that up, in Bella's opinion.

"And I'm grateful for that." The song ends, and Edward gives her hand another kiss. "If you don't mind, can I be your escort tonight?"

"Of course."

Bella spends the next hour dancing, chatting, and drinking with her target. Although, their conversations are smart and amusing, she is becoming conscious of his actions. Her hand has not been the only thing at the receiving end of his kisses. Sometimes it is her forehead or her cheek, but never her lips. His hands—his wandering hands—are also becoming bolder, caressing her lower back and tracing patterns on her bare shoulder.

The ladies man has started to prey.

Bella knows that each liberty Edward takes means one step closer to the completion of her assignment, as well as Edward Cullen's death. It is a waste to kill such a person, but Bella is hired and paid by his enemy, so she has no choice. If Edward only came to the agency before James Bean, Bella would probably be plotting another man's death.

While wondering when her waiting can end, Bella gets another surprise when Edward suddenly disentangles himself from her. "What's wrong?"

He beams as he makes her sit on a chair. "Stay here. I'll be right back." He goes to the stage where he speaks with a man. He and the man leave the room. Bella keeps herself alert, waiting for the moment he will strike. Minutes pass before Edward returns. This time, he has a young boy with him.

Bella stares at the kid and Edward as they walk towards her. Her natural reaction would be to show confusion, which she does. "Who's this?" She leans to get eye-level with the seemingly six-year-old kid.

"Hello!" the kid greets her enthusiastically, grinning and showing off his dimples. Bella has to admit that the kid is cute. "I'm Martin." He runs to Bella and hugs her legs. "Edward say he wants me to meet a pretty lady. You're the most pretty lady I meet!"

Bella laughs. "Thank you, Martin." She looks at Edward questioningly.

He is smiling fondly at the two of them. "Martin is one of the children we take care of in our children's shelter."

"Really? Hi, Martin. How old are you?"

Bella talks with Martin for ten minutes. It is a very cute affair; Bella and Edward appear to be a couple with the child with them. In fact, they've garnered the interest and stares of the other guests.

The man with whom Edward was speaking earlier comes to get Martin. When the child is gone, Edward speaks up, "So what do you think of Martin?"

"He's adorable."

Edward nods, looking solemn. He takes two flutes of champagne from a waiter. "Let's go get some fresh air, Isabella."

Bella agrees and accepts the glass she is offered with, thinking that the moment is fast approaching. They get to the balcony overlooking the city.

"I'm sorry to break this to you," Edward suddenly says. "Martin is my son."

"W-what?" Bella sputters. What the hell is this guy doing now?

His face turns grim. "I don't want to do this to you, Isabella, but I've started to like you. You're funny, smart, beautiful; you're exquisite. I said to myself, if I wanted a relationship with you, I wanted all my cards laid out." He takes a deep breath while Bella waits in stunned silence. "You've probably heard of my … reputation—that I … spend my time with women. Martin is the result of my selfishness.

"But a man can only take so much. I've had enough of it … of everything. I've spent all my life doing the lesser things in life." He pauses and stares at Bella. "Do you hate me?"

"Why would I hate you?"

"I don't know, but I don't want to scare you, Isabella." He cups her cheek. Slowly, he touches her lips with his. It is chaste and sweet. Bella feels something. She doesn't like it, but she is physically attracted to the man. She decides then, why fight against lust? However, she is going to use it to her advantage. He's just a hot guy, she reasons, this will be over before I know it.

Bella responds before he can pull back. Her tongue slips out and meets his. Still holding the glass with the tips of her fingers, she wraps her arms around Edward's neck and gives her everything to the kiss. They are gasping for breath in seconds.

"Let's get out of here," she pants. "Please." She puts on her most sexually-frustrated look. Edward, with a similar look, nods, leaving their glasses somewhere in the area and taking her hand in his.

They leave the party without looking at or speaking with the other guests. Edward stops in front of the elevator and presses a floor number. The doors open, and there is no one inside. The couple use it to make out once more, filling the small space with moans and ragged breathing.

Soon they are in a private room. Bella and Edward stumble, trying to get each other's clothes off. Bella is left in her underwear, and Edward, his pants. He backs Bella to the wall, ravaging her mouth and caressing her curves slowly. One of his hands trails downward until it reaches the edge of her panties.

Bella moans loudly as he caresses her. Edward also groans out loud as his hand is met with warm, slick skin. He continues as he places open-mouthed kisses on her neck, his other hand fondling her breast through her bra. Bella leans her head on the wall, willing her legs not to give out as she fights against the pleasurable sensations.

When Bella thinks she's not going to last any longer, Edward removes her bra in one quick motion and latches his mouth on one nipple, sucking and licking the supple flesh. He inserts one then two fingers in her entrance and his thumb rubs against her clit. With tremendous violence, Bella falls apart, crying out loudly.

While Bella is recovering from her orgasm, Edward carries her to the bed, muttering, "Beautiful" on the way. He removes all their remaining clothes and puts on a condom.

Bella perks up, her breathing still slightly uneven. In the lust-filled haze in her mind, she notes that apart from what she's going to experience with Edward, there's another feeling that's going to make the experience an impossible one in the future. Bella doesn't feel pity. Pity is a foreign concept for her. But she can't help but feel a touch of regret for killing this seemingly interesting male.

Her thoughts about his death halt when Edward's lips return on her skin. He sheathes himself inside her quickly, and they both moan. Hands and lips join in the stimulation until curse words are heard. Soon, Bella feels herself edging closer to falling. When she does, it is just as powerful as the one before. Edward soon follows, groaning her name and collapsing on top of her.

As Bella controls her breathing, she thinks that this is the perfect opportunity to strike. The target, spent and weak, will have no idea what hit him. Before Bella can bring up the bathroom excuse, Edward gets up. He digs in a drawer and produces a rope. Bella's brows rise.

Edward smiles lovingly. "Wanna try something with me, sweetheart?"

Oh, shit. Edward Cullen's into BDSM. Why didn't I find this out sooner? "Uh, sure. But first—"

But Edward has already wrapped the rope around her wrists. Bella is torn, but the uneasiness she's feeling around him diminishes when Edward proceeds to roar with laughter.

"Ah, sweet Isabella." He shakes his head with a smile. "You're too pliable." Edward reaches for his phone and dials. "I have her so get your asses up here." He puts the phone down and gets a gun from the drawer. He points it at her with a smug smile. "You thought you can fool me, sweetheart?" That gets him to burst into laughter again.

Bella drops her disguise. She finally reveals what she's truly feeling. "So this is all a set-up? You set me up?"

He grins. "Yes. I made you come here with me so I can catch you, my elusive prey."

That means he is aware of the stalker-like abilities she used on him. "You knew I was in that bar with one of your sluts, Lauren?"

"I pieced everything up when Lauren complained to me about her missing invitation and the report of a suspicious person following me. Thankfully, Lauren also mentioned a waitress, so I knew you're a woman."

Bella nods. "Nice speech," she says, referring to his balcony confession.

"Ah, thank you. I've been dreaming of doing that for a long time. It seemed fun, and it was. I successfully tricked my elusive prey." He gives Bella an uneven smile. "Now, before my men take you away, close those long legs for me, sweetheart so I can tie them, too."

Bella smiles slyly before spreading her legs widely, exposing her to him. "First, give me a parting gift, Edward. Please. I know you want me, too, Mr. Cullen."

His eyes darken as his gaze falls on her still-glistening skin. "You little tease. Close them up."

She widens her eyes and shakes her head. When Edward closes his eyes to control himself, Bella kicks the gun out of his hand and proceeds to push him back to the bed. She is now the one holding the gun.

Edward raises himself on his elbows. "Ah, ah, ah, be careful, love. There's a security camera hiding in the corner. Would you like to be caught in the act of killing the powerful Edward Cullen?" What Edward doesn't know is that … she knows. Everything.

It is now Bella's turn to shake her head and smirk. "Seriously, did you fail your science class in high school? Your smart image in my mind might shatter if you did. The kid you showed me has a widow's peak while you don't. According to Mendel's genetics, a child can only have widow's peak—a recessive trait—if both parents possess widow's peaks phenotypically. So I knew there and then that you knew … that you were playing a trick on me." Her smirk turns into a wide grin. "Nice moves, Cullen, but I win."

Edward looks mildly surprised but laughs hollowly. "How can you win when you're trapped in this room with your hands tied?"

"I contemplated this slim possibility. I didn't like the idea of doing a job without full knowledge and, well you can say experience"—she winks—"of my target. I decided to make a back-up plan. If you happened to be as pathetic as the others, I could kill you easily using the initial plan I prepared. But you're not, and my back-up plan comes in. I found out which rooms are available tonight and prepared. I'm so grateful you chose this room with the windows facing the alley. I won't have to embarrass myself going out naked."

Edward looks speechless as he listens to her and then starts to regard her with a mixture of admiration and respect. "You mean we're both pretending, Ms. Isabella?" He smirks.

"Of course. Didn't see it?" She doesn't tell him that her attraction is somewhat real.

Edward only chuckles. "You're very good. Do you really work for my deplorable competitors?"

"Yeah. Now"—She picks her bra off the floor using her foot and pulls out her rope— "This rope was supposed to kill you, Mr. Cullen. And now, I'm going to use it to escape. What do you think?"

"I think you're a hot, badass woman who's getting me more aroused than I could possibly ever imagine."

Bella can't help laughing. "Thank you. Until next time, Mr. Cullen." She blows him a kiss.

Bella quickly ties her rope to the middle partition of the window as she hears footsteps. After meeting Edward's eyes, she descends, using her bra as the rappelling descender. Once her feet touch the ground, she locates the bag that she stashed in the alley earlier and sets fire to the rope, also letting the fire catch the rope tied around her to cut it off. She puts on clothes from the bag and grabs all her stuff. She has twenty minutes before Edward's security catches up with her so she must hurry.

As she runs away, everything that happened between her and Edward flashes in her mind. He is interesting. I hope he continues keeping me on my toes.

She doesn't know Edward is thinking the same thing as he scrambles for his clothes.

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