Chapter four
August 5th.
Bella was so nervous and exited that she didn't know what to do with herself as the elevator brought her further and further up in the building of Dwyer, Holland & Lee, closer to her first day as an assistant by the second.
The elevator was empty most of the way, which Bella was glad for as it gave her the freedom to be both nervous and giddy at the same time.
It was still hard for her to believe that she had so easily gotten an interview right before graduation, or the fact that they had in fact hired her. She didn't care that Dwyer, Holland & Lee was a law firm and had nothing to do with history, which was her chosen Bachelor: she was just so happy to have a job that would pay for the tiny loft she was renting after giving up her dorm.
Her privacy was broken when she reached the twelfth floor and an angry looking balding man stepped in, a phone pressed between his ear and his shoulder as he balanced a large stack of files in his arms. He ignored her completely, much to Bella's delight and he stepped off the elevator at the thirteenth floor, leaving Bella alone with her own thoughts in the small confined space of the elevator.
Four more floors ticked slowly by before she reached her destination: the eighteenth floor. Her lower lip was red from worrying it with her teeth for so long and perspiration had broken out over her brows but she had no time brushing the tiny drops of sweat away from her forehead as she took in the beauty of the eighteenth floor.
She had judged the office out from movies and TV series she had seen, expecting it to be dark, filled with dark wood and small spaces barely large enough for a desk and chair.
It was nothing like she had expected it to be.
The bright August sun welcomed her through large floor to ceiling windows, surrounding her on three sides. A seating area with large leather couches in a rich chocolate color was place in front of the windows, creating a sophisticated and welcoming feeling to the floor.
"You must be Miss Swan," a cheery woman with long blond hair smiled as she rounded the corner of the cubical that housed the elevator, a large and inviting smile on her lips, "I'm Sherry."
"Nice to meet you," Bella smiled, shaking her hand and wishing she had dried it on her pants before offering it.
"Mr. Dwyer is running a little late, I'm afraid, but he will be with here shortly. Meanwhile, let me show you to the conference room he would like to meet you in."
Sherry led the way and Bella had to hold in a gasp as they walked around the cubical of the elevator: the floor to ceiling windows continued further into the building and the spacious feeling followed. There were no cramped cubicles shadowed by drab and boring walls. The space between the desks gave enough to move freely and the desk areas were separated from the conference rooms by lightly frosted glass.
The conference room Sherry led her into was all frosted glass and the interior were black and sleek against all the pale frosted glass.
A man dressed in a perfectly fitted suit and a mop of dark, yet greying hair, stood from a chair on the opposite side of the large steel and black glass table: Philip Dwyer, the man who had interviewed her and given her the job on the spot.
"Miss Swan," he smiled brightly at her, buttoning his jacket before holding out his hand for her to shake.
"Call me Bella," she blurred before she could stop herself, a habit she had created years and years ago.
"I'll only call you Bella if you call me Phil," he laughed softly and Bella found herself smiling brightly at the man in front of her: she could easily see herself working for him. "What a smile you have," he noted as he pulled out a chair for her.
"Thank you," Bella said, ducking her head and blushing: compliments were a rare thing to hear for Bella.
"And she's a blusher!" he announced to the air, making Bella blush even more as she laughed. "I wish you were here to become my assistant, but alas, you're not for me," he shook his head as if it was the worst news he had heard in years, a dramatic flair to the whole man.
"Then who will I work for then?" Bella questioned curiously as she watched from out of her eye, Sherry, the lively blond, slip out of the room with a smile.
"Only our best lawyer!" Phil announced as he took his seat again, "Mr. C- Ah, Edward, here I thought you wouldn't make it for the introduction of your own assistant!" Bella turned her head in the direction of the door and felt her heart stop beating inside her chest as her eyes landed on the man standing there: tall, broad and dangerous looking.
"I told you I would make it," Edward drawled, not taking his eyes of Bella as he spoke to Phil.
"No, you told me you didn't believe you would make it, which is different and there's no use arguing about it," Phil corrected him, obvious to the tension between Edward and Bella.
"Well, I'm here now, so there is no need in arguing about what I said, especially not when we both know I will win in the end," the smile on his lips were cold and Bella quickly looked away from him when he sat down in the chair opposite of her.
"You're right," Phil agreed, "Edward, meet your lovely new assistant, Bella Swan. I believe she will be able to keep up with you without you being the bully you're known for being," the warm smile Phil sent her warmed Bella from the inside but it only lasted until her eyes found their way back to Edward.
"You know I only drive them hard to test their limits," Edward said as he leaned back in his chair, his elbows resting on the armrests, his hands folded in the air between. Never did his eyes leave her as he spoke, his gaze burning her, like his touch when his hand traveled between…
Bella shook herself mentally, reminding herself that it was not a good idea fantasying about her now new boss in front of his boss.
"Unfortunately, and as you already know, you're not going to work for me Bella, so I will leave the two of you to get better acquainted." Phil rose to his feet with a smile and wished Bella good look in a low voice, meant only for her, before leaving the room, leaving Bella alone with the man she never believed she would see ever again.
"Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck," Bella whispered to herself in a low voice as soon the door closed behind Phil. Suddenly, she regretted wearing the creamy white, sheer blouse with gold buttons that fit well with her patent leather pumps with gold heels, both items which she had worn at some point while Edward had fucked her.
"This is interesting," her head snapped up and she stared at Edward as he smiled, or rather smirked at her, his arms crossed over his chest, the sleeves of his shirt riding up at his wrists, exposing his ink.
A flash of a memory entered her mind and she saw his arms, all of his skin exposed in his naked glory as he gripped her hands with one hand while fucking her merciless.
Heat colored the skin of her cheeks as she thought about the many heated encounters they had had over the summer, how he repeatedly brought to climax so easily, as if he knew her body better than she did.
"If I had known," Bella started to say but stopped herself, thinking better off it.
"If you had known that I would become your boss, you would have done what, asked for more money?" he asked with a sneer, standing from his chair and walking over to the window overlooking the city.
"For your information, I never once asked for money: you gave it to me and I just simply didn't protest. It was you who offered the money the first night and I simply told you how much I had been given in the past." Silence filled the room and Bella stared with burning eyes at Edward's back. "I suppose my career in law, though as an assistant, was short lived," Bella sneered at his back, getting to her feet.
"Oh, if you believe that I will let you go now, you are surely mistaken, I can assure you," Bella stopped at the door, her hand hovering over the handle. When she brought her hand down and pushed the handle down, Edward's hand appeared in front of her, holding the door closed.
"If you think I can work for you now, think again," Bela informed him snidely.
"If you walk out of that door and never return, questions will be asked and answers will be demanded: the truth of our short lived history will be exposed and even though it just might be exposed to Phil, Sherry has her ways of knowing things: everyone will know in no time. And Bella, think about it: no one will care that I paid for the sex I craved, but the fact that you accepted the money, well, it won't go by easy."
"You're threatening me?"
"I wouldn't call it threatening," Edward shrugged casually.
"No, you would call it blackmail and you've blackmailed me once before already, but guess what? I'm not going to let you do it again, so dream on."
"Someone got their claws sharpened. I wonder what they would feel like against my back as I fill you and pound you until you see stars," his voice was low and he took a step closer. If he had done so only weeks earlier, Bella could have backed up against a wall until she was trapped and then let him have his way. Now, she no longer planned to be the meek girl he had met in June: she wanted to be a strong woman who could stand up for herself.
"You'll never learn how sharp they are, because we're not going to have sex again, ever."
"Ooo, stating the fact and making a promise. I will really enjoy it when you cave." Leaning closer, his scent filled Bella's nose and she found it hard to think straight with his delicious scent invading her senses. "Bella, we both know that if the truth comes out, no one will look my way because I'm a man. You on the other hand will receive all of the attention, liking it or not."
She wasn't going to admit it but Edward was right. They were living in the 21st century where equality was the theory but unfortunately, not always a theory exercised and Bella knew if anyone learned the truth of her little side-job and agreement with Edward, the eyes would turn to her, stay on her and make it impossible to explain herself. Edward on the other hand, would be able to slip away without a second glance in his direction.
"There are always ways of making sure that the information doesn't go into the wrong hands," Edward continued, moving closer to her but Bella stood her ground.
"Oh, it's almost cute how you still try to blackmail, even after I told you its futile. But since you have such a hard time understanding what I'm saying, I can repeat it: I'm not going to have sex with you again, ever."
"At some point, you will come to me, willingly and we both know it: you crave my touch, the feeling of my skin against yours and the feeling of me filling you up, taking you hard and relentlessly," Bella's skin flushed as she listened to his words, unable to stop her own body from responding as he spoke the truth. "It might take hours, days or weeks, but it doesn't matter: you will come to me and when you do, I will bend you over my desk and take you hard," he leaned in close as he spoke the words and Bella felt herself shiver as his hot breath fanned over her skin.
herself shiver as his hot breath fanned over her skin.
With her lips slightly parted, she stared up at him as he stared down at her with cool and collected eyes. Her body felt as if it was on fire and she wanted to beg for him to bring her the pleasure she suddenly craved, but she stood strong and repressed her needs, like she had done for all those years.
"Sherry will show you to your desk and Kate, the woman you are replacing, will show you the ropes around here."
"Thank you," Bella said in the coolest voice she could muster as she tried to hide how her body responded to him. When she was alone, Bella leaned against the wall and breathed out properly for the first time since she had laid eyes on Edward that day. She was proud of herself for being as strong as she had wished to be. With a mental clap on the shoulder, she was out of the room.