Chapter 2
"Sweet Vengeance"
After I showered tonight's encounter from my body and cleansed myself of that entire situation, I crawled into bed and tried to think of anything but Edward Cullen. I needed a distraction, even if it only lasted for a second. My efforts were pointless. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw him pushing me against that elevator wall. I felt his fingers inside of me and his cock in my mouth.
It was one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life. He played me like a fiddle, strumming my strings like he had been practicing me for years. Then, he had retracted almost as impulsively as he started kissing me in the first place. It left me reeling.
Around five thirty in the morning, I stopped trying to sleep and found myself browsing through Money Magazine once again.
What an ass!
I rolled the magazine and threw it across the room, where it hit my wall with a loud thud and fell to the floor. To make matters worse, I now knew he lived two floors above me. He was probably lying in his bed right now, sleeping as soundly as he'd ever slept. Beautiful people sleep easier when they've made someone else feel ugly.
Suddenly, there was a light knock at my door. Startled, I rose from my bed and grabbed my robe, wrapping it around my body in a desperate attempt to cover the fact that I wore a pair of old boxers and a tank top to bed. If it was Alice, it had better be good. I ran my fingers through my hair as I walked to the front door and looked through the peephole.
It was the last face I'd wanted to see, leaving me stunned in my tracks. It was the devil reincarnate.
What was I supposed to do?
I could turn back to my bed, wrap the covers over my head and forget that today ever happened. There was no reason for me to ever talk to him again, other than the fact that he lived in my building. But I could hide from those encounters, anticipate when he'd be coming through the lobby and push myself to be there before or after that time.
That's ridiculous, Bella. You lived here first. If anyone should be hiding, it should be him. Quick. Think! Think! Think!
The knocking came again and I knew I had to face this dead on. I couldn't run from it. My body had experienced something unforgettable and needless to say, he'd left his mark. There was nothing else I could do, so I wrapped the robe tighter around my waist and opened the door, preparing to assault him with my words. Instead, he broke through, pushing the door to the side and planting his lips on mine. His hands found their way to my hair, and I just about collapsed in his arms.
God, why did he have be so damned perfect? His smell consumed me, reeled me in, and his taste sent shivers down my spine in the most tantalizing way. As angry as I was earlier, I was merely putty in his hands now. His frenzy propelled us into my foyer, his hands finding their way to my shoulders and pulling at the soft fabric wrapped around me. My robe fell off my body, almost tripping me as I stumbled over it backwards. Through it all, his lips never left mine.
I was dazed. I couldn't believe this was happening . . . again!
My stomach filled with butterflies, my legs trembled under me, and my hands shook as I lifted them to the back of his head. He pushed me back and forced me to plop on my couch. Again, I faced the dilemma of stopping this or allowing it to continue. Ireally wanted to see where this was going -- but there was that whole enemy problem.
"Wait, wait. Shouldn't we talk about this?" I stuttered.
He stopped and knelt between my legs, eyeing me impatiently. "Talk," he demanded.
I struggled for words, grasping at anything that came to my mind. "Uh . . ." was the only sound my mouth was able to form. "What are you doing here?" I finally gained the ability to ask.
"I thought that was apparent."
"Yeah, but you can't just barge in here, demanding this from me. Especially after what you said in the elevator."
"I only meant that we shouldn't do this. Not that I didn't want to." He leaned in and kissed me passionately, probably hoping that would end the conversation. But I was still confused. I pushed him back and sat upright, shooting him a look that suggested his response simply wasn't enough. "I couldn't sleep," he continued after sighing. "Thinking about you. Leaving you like that. I'm a bastard. An impulsive prick. But . . . I think that you want me just as much as I want you.
If he only knew the extent of that statement.
One final look sealed the deal. I somehow couldn't resist it any longer. I grabbed the back of his neck and crashed my lips to his. That delicious tongue darted out of his mouth, carousing my lips into a frenzy. My boxers and underwear were pulled out from under me. I trailed my hands to his pants, unbuttoned them and slid my hand under the fabric, gripping the base of that perfect bulge. He leaned into me, forcing my body to lay down across the sofa, before climbing on top of my shaking figure. His mouth traveled down my jawline, across my neck and nibbled at the skin on my collarbone.
I closed my eyes in a futile attempt to get a grasp on reality.
Was this really happening?
Maybe I did fall asleep.
Suddenly, as if he'd heard me, he sunk his teeth into my chest, causing an audible yelp to escape my lips.
Nope, definitely wasn't dreaming.
I ran my hands through my tangled hair, struggling for a rational thought. Realizing that reason no longer had anything to do with this, I concluded that this was pure, unaltered instincts. Reason hardly had meaning once your body took over.
Suddenly, I heard my tank top being ripped in half and my head snapped up. "Damn it, Edward. What the hell are you doing?"
"Bella, do you want me to stop?" He brought his hand under my chin and forced me to look into those green eyes of his. He tried so hard to conceal it, but I could tell he was nervous that I would say yes.
I shook my head quickly, biting my bottom lip with uncertainty. This was definitely what I had been daydreaming about for months, but now that it had become a reality, was I sure I could go through with it? There was definitely nothing good that could come from this . . . and surely he knew that as well.
He leaned in and pressed his lips to my ear. "Then shut up, and let me do what I came here to do."
His fingers trailed down my body and planted between my legs once again, his fingernails gently scraping against my skin. They dragged north until he'd finally found his destination, perfectly circling my clit with his thumb while two fingers dipped inside of me. They instantly located that spot they had discovered earlier and coaxed it into ecstasy. I arched into him, his lips paying special attention to my neck as they gently nibbled and sucked little portions of my skin. Every nerve in my body stood on end; my nipples hardened, and all I could see was the bronze tint of his hair trailing down my body. My heart raced in my chest as the trembling continued down to my stomach and thighs. I tensed my muscles to try to hide it, but he pulled back and smiled up at me.
"You're shaking," he whispered.
"So are you," I answered quickly. He smirked and reached into his pocket, pulling out a condom and ripping it open with his teeth. He unrolled the rubber between us and steadied himself at my opening. Then, he looked up and flashed this beautiful, sexy grin.
Oh my God.
I could have come right then and there. My heart fluttered in anticipation. Regardless of how I knew I would feel afterward, everything in my body wanted to get this over with -- wanted to do this now.
He pushed into me slowly, one hand on my hip and the other on the arm of the sofa behind my head. As soon as our bodies were completely connected, this insane rush shot through my very soul. It was like I'd spent my entire life waiting and building up to this moment and every encounter before him had just been practice. We just . . . fit . . . like two mystery puzzle pieces. Our bodies spoke to each other in a language completely their own.
My intention was to start slow, take it for everything it was worth, but once I'd engulfed him, there was no stopping the mania between us. My hands seemed to be everywhere and nowhere all at once. The heat of his body shot into my fingertips like an electric current, but I couldn't tell you what part of him I was actually touching. I hadn't a clue.
It was mind boggling how someone I'd come to despise, come to loathe, could have such an effect on me. I suddenly feigned the urgency, demanded the quick release. I couldn't hang in suspense any longer. With each thrust of his hips, I angled mine toward him, forcing him deeper and harder into me. I moaned and fisted clumps of hair and I'm certain my eyes may have rolled back in my head. But in this moment, I couldn't care less.
I was in another place, another time, where things like this and feelings like this happen everyday. I'd never, in my twenty plus years, experienced ANYTHING like this before -- anything. Little kisses trailed down my neck in response to the moaning, but that only escalated the incoherent sounds emanating from the back of my throat.
My fingers scrapped down the back of his shoulder blades, causing Edward to gasp and collapse on top of me.
"Like it rough, huh?" he teased, adding a little smile to the end of his sentence.
"Ah, just fuck me," I managed to sputter in response.
He laughed a little and leaned down to give me a simple peck on the lips. In the heat of the moment, that little kiss seemed more romantic and lustful than any peck before it. I was euphoric. My heart pounded in my ears, my hands shook with each pulse of blood echoing through them and, through it all, the only thought plaguing my mind was, "Damn, this is perfect!"
Perfectly flawed.
We fit -- and we didn't. Our bodies seemed to know each other already, as if we'd been together a million times before, and yet, our professions made us a match made in hell.
Fuck it.
And just as I decided not to think about it, he did some little move that sent my nerves haywire. My toes curled, my clit throbbed and every muscle I had in my body clamped down. I cursed and moaned and writhed and, God, it just felt so damn good -- the best thing I'd felt in years.
"Come with me," I grunted, forcing my hips harder into his. But there was no time. A wave of pure esctasy rushed over my entire being. My eyes clamped shut, my hands curled into fists and my jaw dropped. This orgasm topped every single orgasm of my entire life.
He flashed that sexy smile again before wrapping his arms around my shoulders, hooking on to my body to give him more leverage. And then everything slowed way down. Our eyes met with an earth shattering connection, as if sheer adoration was emanating from either pair. I was about to say something about it, but his face tightened, his lips curled, and I knew he'd reached his climax as well.
I wasn't sure how he felt, but this was quite possibly the best sexual climax of my life. I was gasping, clinging to every thing around me in order to gain control of reality. Every nerve in my body stood on intense alert.
Moments passed, and neither of us said anything. We lie on my couch, a tangled mess of limbs, each breathing down the serotonin and adrenaline high. Eventually, he pulled his head back and leaned in to kiss me, bringing his hand to my cheek to circle it endearingly with his thumb. Gentle kissed trailed over my nose, eyes, forehead. With a crooked grin, he slid out of me and pushed himself to the far end of the couch, leaning back and running his hands through his sweaty hair.
"So, this is my loft," I finally whispered, attempting to break the awkward silence. I pushed myself up, brought my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around them.
"So I noticed," he quietly replied. "Nice place."
I tried to stop it, I tried to refrain, but something inside forced the words out anyway. "This can never happen again," I quickly uttered. I gasped as the words slipped out of my mouth, instantly shaking my head with disappointment. It was as if our bodies were attuned to each other, already knowing where to go and what to do. The sex was mind-blowing and so perfect, but I had only just met this man. He was my enemy. He was the bad guy, the one trying to put me out of business. God, if Jenks ever found out about this, I would surely be fired before I could fully explain myself.
He paused, seeming a bit shocked at how blunt I was about it. "Right," Edward finally sighed, allowing a sarcastic undertone to break through in his voice. "What time is it?" I looked at my TV box that was projecting six fifteen into the dark room. He followed my glance. "I'd better get going. Gotta hit the gym before the spy games begin."
"Spy games," I whispered, allowing a small laugh to break through my lips. I was stunned, completely in awe at how quickly everything had happened. He was here, he did what he came to do, and now he was leaving. Some part of me felt used, but the wiser part reminded me that it was me who told him that this could never happen again. It was me who was kicking him out. Perhaps he would have stayed had I kept my mouth shut, though I wasn't entirely sure that was what I wanted either.
He stood and brought his pants back to his hips, zipped them and pulled the button through the hole. He looked down and smiled at me. In a slow motion, he leaned down to lift my chin with his index finger.
"That was amazing, and I'll be seeing you later." He brought his lips to mine gently, and then kissed my nose before standing up and grabbing his shirt. He shot me a wink and walked through my loft to the door.
I plopped back on the couch, grabbed my hair with my fists, and pulled at the roots with frustration. Having him right across the street was difficult enough before, but after this morning, how could I expect to get any work done?
I decided then and there that I couldn't let myself act any differently. I couldn't let myself be vulnerable again like I was in the elevator. He'd really left a wound that I may or may not still be licking, and even though he made it up to me, I couldn't forget that shock in his eyes after the lights came back on. It was as if he'd lost control and was killing himself over it.
I couldn't let myself be vulnerable, but that didn't mean I couldn't have some fun. He had upset me, so I deserved my revenge. I needed to start immediately, beginning with a shower. If he was going to be playing spy games all day, the least I could do was tease him some more. My business suit was sexy in that powerful CEO kind of way, but today, I was projecting another image.
Alice was the best assistant a girl could ask for. Give her a credit card and an empty closet, and she'll fill it with glorious fabric and shoes. I managed to pick out my outfit without any trouble, but when it came to the shoes, I was torn between two pairs, my black leather boots or my Gucci heels.
What to wear? What to wear?
Alice's voice resonated in my head. "You can never go wrong with Gucci." The girl was right.
I threw on the heels and checked my reflection in the mirror. My brown hair hung just below my shoulders in soft ringlets that accented the neckline of my beautiful, white dress. My make-up was perfect. My outfit was perfect. I looked absolutely ravishing. I was surprised that I was able to pull this off alone.
I shot myself a wink and turned for the door.
Edward Cullen, eat your heart out.
Punctual as always, I arrived at my office at nine o'clock on the dot. I walked down the hallway and winked at Alice as I passed her window. I saw her jaw drop as she jumped from her desk to trail after me.
"Wh- How did you- What are you- Are you smiling?" she finally managed to say as she rushed behind me.
"Is that what that strange tightening is? I thought I was losing control of my face," I joked as I opened the door to my office and giggled.
"I haven't seen you look like this since you nailed Caleb Knox on the hood of his '99 Camaro in college."
"Was it a '99?" I asked as I sauntered to my desk and plopped down in the chair behind it. Alice flew to the seat across from me and put her hands out in front of her on my desk. "I thought it was a '97," I whispered to myself as I casually swung my chair around to see if Edward had arrived. To my dismay, he was not in his office. I sighed and turned to Alice.
"No . . ." she gasped, bringing her hands to her mouth. I whipped my eyes to hers and raised my eyebrows, wondering if she'd figured it out. "You didn't?"
"I didn't . . . what?"
"Did you screw Edward Cullen?" she hissed, her voice so slow I could barely hear it.
I nodded twice, licking my lips and crossing my hands in front of me.
"AND?" she shouted.
"It was fantastic," I whimpered, collapsing onto my desk and banging my head on the sturdy wood. "But then I said it couldn't happen again and that it was a mistake."
"Well, that was dumb. It sounds like that's the last thing you would want to happen," Alice replied matter-of-factly.
"Are you kidding? If Jenks hears of this, I'd be gone. No explanation required," I snorted.
"I'm not so sure. I think that if you told him-"
"Alice, I don't really care to talk about it. I'm not even sure how I feel just yet," I said on a sigh, hoping she would just give in and shut up. "Can we just move on?"
"Suit yourself. You've got appointments lined up for most of the day, then a lunch meeting with Robert Smith, the new technology analyst for Sprint." Alice went on, detailing the exact events of my day. I inhaled deeply and nodded with each note on the agenda. When she finished, she stood and walked out my door, leaving me alone with my distractions. She probably could tell I was in a funk, and pressing for more information would have been the wrong thing to do.
I ran my fingers over my head and closed my eyes with frustration. How would I ever be able to focus? Visions of last night's encounter plagued my thoughts, and the suddenness of how everything had happened left me begging for more.
I stood and walked to my closet, gently hanging my jacket inside. Returning to my desk, I glanced up. I told myself I wasn't going to do this, but curiosity was getting the best of me. There he was, standing at his window and leaning against a beam, looking into my office. He'd worn a green shirt today, the perfect color to accent his tempting eyes. His hair was in its normal disarray. If it were possible, he looked hotter than last night. As I wondered how long he had been watching me, I smiled and nodded in his direction.
He shot me a crooked grin and turned away to sit at his desk. I smiled and felt an anxious pride come over me because that brief encounter was his way of saying he was still interested. He'd had me, he knew it was a mistake, and yet, he was still intrigued. Feeling a tad smug, I sat back down at my desk and began reviewing my sales reports.
I made true to my word. I didn't so much as look at him the entire day, though it was extremely difficult to resist. The fact that I had people constantly coming in and out of my office was crucial to my plot working. I had no choice but to face away from him.
Alice popped in a couple of times throughout the day. When she came in to tell me goodbye, she mentioned that he was indeed watching us and had been every time she had come in. I felt the butterflies swell in my stomach as an excited wave crashed over me. My evil plan was working.
A few hours later, I was standing hunched over my keyboard, inputting the last little amount of data and getting ready to leave for the evening. Suddenly, my phone rang. I absentmindedly answered and brought the receiver to my ear.
"Isabella Swan," I greeted as I continued to type away on my keyboard.
"You make it very difficult to concentrate . . ." the voice replied. It was that sweet, velvet voice I longed to hear all day. ". . . leaning over your desk in such a way."
"Hello again," I teased innocently, sneaking a peek over my shoulder. He was standing at his window, feet shoulder width apart and arms crossed in front of him. The phone receiver was shoved in between his head and his shoulder. "What can I do for you today?"
"I was wondering if you might stop teasing me? It's beginning to make me rather uncomfortable," he whispered, echoing his words from last night.
"Mr. Cullen, I've spilled nothing on me today nor have I disrobed in any way. How could I possibly be teasing you?" I replied, turning to face him and leaning against my desk.
"That dress and those heels . . . those are fuck-me heels, are they not?"
"They are."
"Was all of this for me?"
"Don't flatter yourself," I lied.
"Well, you look great. Thanks for allowing me a few moments to take in the sight in all its glory. The back of your head, though interesting, is nothing compared to the front."
"Have you been spying on me all day?"
"Please, Bella. Surely, I've got better things to do than play spy games with the enemy," he joked sarcastically.
"Am I the enemy now?" I asked playfully.
"Were you ever not?" he answered, mocking my tone.
"Then why did you call me?"
"Haven't you ever heard the saying 'keep your friends close, but your enemies closer'?"
"And how close do you suppose we ought to be?"
He seemed stunned, unsure of what to say next. With that he hung up the phone, grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair and left his office. I quickly turned my monitor off and followed suit. I ran down the hallway and pushed the elevator button about a thousand times. It couldn't arrive fast enough.
Thirty agonizing seconds later, the doors opened and I jumped in, pushing the ground button. I paced the elevator, wondering if I'd get to the ground before he left. What if he was gone? Would he come to me again tonight? This was torture. I hated him. I hated that he did this to me. And at the same time, I loved everything about the way I felt right now. He set my nerves on fire, and it was the most exhilarating experience I'd ever had.
When the doors reopened, I waved goodbye to Ollie and rushed out of the lobby, through the spinning door and onto the sidewalk. I looked both ways and saw no sign of him, so I ran to the parking garage.
There he was, leaning against my black Mercedes with a crooked grin on his face. I stalked towards him and pushed the unlock button on my car remote. He wrapped his hand behind my head and pushed me against the cool metal. "I suppose we ought to be as close as we can, for as long as we can."
I pulled the handle behind me and opened the back door. I sat down on the seat, scooted myself back and pulled him in by the front of his shirt.
"Do you know what will happen if anyone finds out about this?" I asked.
"I won't tell if you won't." Then his lips were on mine once again in a fiery and passionate embrace.