A/N: Wow! So, it's been almost two months since an update for this story, and I am so sorry. I want to thank each and every one of you for your patience. Also, thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far. 239 Reviews . . . I'm just amazing. Thanks so much to all of you. You keep me going. :-)

Special shout outs to Rose, my fuckawesome beta. Thanks for your honesty, your advice and your excellent taste in music. You rock!! And once again, Beth . . . Thanks for everything, as always. :-) Pam and Jenny, you guys are the best!

I was on a little hiatus, just taking a break for some vacations and stuff. Also, wrote a one shot called "Marks." If you haven't checked it out already, go to my profile and get yourself the link. :-)

Okay, so . . . obviously Twilight, Edward and Bella belong to Stephanie Meyer. But Ping Pong Paddles is mine. lol. The song for this chapter is "Get Down, Make Love" by NIN, available on the playlist at my homepage. Enjoy and leave some love!

Chapter 10
"Insomniacs, Spies and Ping Pong Paddles"

In my dreams, I left my bedroom behind. I was far far away, on that little outrigger from my fantasies, sleeping on my side with my arms tucked under my head and a light blanket covering my body up to my shoulders. The boat gently rocked back and forth, easing me into a deeper slumber.

I could feel Edward's heat on my back, his soft breathing at my ear, and the weight of his arm as it draped over me. He leaned down and whispered in my ear, "Bella, are you awake?"

"Hmmm . . ." I answered.

"Do you want to go swimming?"

"No . . ." I shook my head, lazily rubbing my knuckles over my eyes as I rolled over to face him.

"Do you want me inside of you?"

I gave him a silly grin and quickly nodded my head. He rolled himself on top of me, prying his knees between mine as he did. Edward positioned himself at my opening and pushed himself inside of me, his eyes rolling back in his head and his mouth falling open as I ran my hands down either cheek.

He leaned down to kiss me, bringing his elbows to either side of my head as he did so. He tasted like the most splendid mixture of sea salt and mint. There was something different about him, about us. God, I loved it. It felt so warm, so complete, so . . . natural. He plunged deeper, harder, angling his hips up as he impaled me to the deck of this little boat.

"Bella?" a voice from reality whispered.

A hot hand trailed down my side.

The boat rocked harder with the passion of our embrace. Each thrust sent the waves --

"Bella, are you awake?" the sweet, velvet voice asked.

Each thrust sent the waves crashing harder against the side of the outrigger. Edward leaned down and took one of my nipples --

"Do you want me to take you sailing? Is that what you're saying?"

"Just fuck me, Edward," I felt myself mumble.

"Well, I was planning on it. But I was hoping you'd at least be conscious for that," he whispered as hot kisses trailed over my shoulders.

I blinked one eye open and peered around the scene. I was still in my bedroom, wrapped like a burrito in my down comforter, and Edward was laying behind me with his hands tucked between my skin and the blanket. The room was still dark, so I knew it couldn't be time for me to get up yet. I thought I could see the outline of sweat pants and a tee shirt, concluding Edward wasn't even dressed yet.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, my voice harsh from having been breathing through my mouth the entire night.

"Oh, good. You're awake now. Want some coffee?" he asked as his fingers traced another set of lines up my hips, over my waist and shoulders to my neck, and back down again.

I shook my head in response. "What time is it?"

"Almost four."

"Why did you come back?" I groaned as I stretched my hands over my head.

"Couldn't sleep."

"Hmm . . . so you decided to include me in that predicament?"

"I still control your orgasms, remember? Or did that last encounter literally blow your mind?"

"My, you're a cocky little bastard, aren't you?" I joked, rolling my eyes at his arrogance.

"Hmm . . . you have no idea."

With that, he ripped the sheet off me and rolled in between my legs, prying my ankles apart with his feet as he did. He grabbed my wrists and pinned them above my head with one hand, bringing the other to my right breast. His face inches from mine, he whispered, "How often do you dream about me?"

The question took me off guard. I found it to be such a random thing to ask. Shaking my head and furrowing my eye brows in confusion, I managed to stutter, "Wh- What?"

His hand trailed across my chest and over my stomach, tracing warm lines over my skin with his fingers that left goosebumps wherever they touched. The lines continued over my hips and down my thighs, but stopped there. I ached for him to touch me, ravage me, seduce me . . . FUCK . . . just do something to me. This teasing was only adding more frenzy to the already intense moment.

Last night, he had left me on the precipice of sexually frustrated and unfulfilled. At the time, I found it incredibly irritating, though now it became clear just how that incident must have been for him. Now was definitely not the time to bring it up, so I decided to wait until later to ask him why he left so abruptly.

"How . . ." he started as he kissed my jaw. ". . . often . . ." His lips pressed against my neck, and then trailed to my collarbone. " . . . do you . . ." Just to add insult to injury, his exquisite tongue lapped over my breast and nipple. He enveloped my soft skin between his lips, sucking and nibbling on it just enough to make my nerves chaotic. ". . . dream about me?" he finished as he brought his face inches from mine. His sparkling emerald eyes echoed the intensity of the situation, demanding nothing but the truth from me.

"Too often," I breathlessly answered.

"Just as I thought." With that, he reached his hand between us and pulled the front of his sweatpants down to his thighs. His erection sprang free and nudged against my tender skin once it was able. His right hand still held my wrists above my head, but his left began guiding his cock between my folds, pressing it against my clit and holding it there with his hand to create the most amazing sensation of skin on skin. It was so warm, so . . . natural. I felt myself growing wetter by the second, and I knew that I wanted him buried inside instantly.

"What are you waiting for?"

"Patience, " he whispered against my lips. "Do you feel that? Do you feel me?"

"I feel you," I managed to answer before a moan fell from my lips. He pushed harder against my skin, still sensitive from the session three hours ago. "Ah . . . you'll be the death of me, Mr. Cullen," I teased as I gave him a little grin.

His face dropped momentarily and he stopped moving, as if I had said something that surprised him.

"What? What's wrong?" He suddenly seemed scared. Had I said something? Did I hurt him somehow? I searched his face for any sign of an answer.

His features softened a little before he gave me an awkward grin and reached into his pocket of his sweatpants before taking them off completely. "Nothing, just . . . um . . . thought I heard something, but I didn't."

Before I could say anything else, his lips planted on mine again, halting any further objection. My hands still pinned above my head, I could do nothing but wrap my legs around his waist and pull his pelvis closer to mine, forcing him to rub against me harder. He smiled, ripped open the condom with his teeth, and wrapped the rubber around the head of his dick before rocking his hips at a different angle to plunge inside of me.

My eyes snapped shut at the pure ecstasy of being stretched by him. The tip of his dick rocked against my g-spot, instantly forcing the center of my back into the air. My hips arched against him, my arm muscles tightened and my legs clamped down on him to bring him in deeper.

It was amazing. Simply amazing. Two days of pent up, forbidden sexual desire had caged a wild beast inside of me; a beast that only Edward Cullen could tame. I had longed for this, yearned for this, and, as he buried himself deep inside of me, an exquisite sense of solace overwhelmed me; a fact I felt to be rather unnerving.

His finger's grasped tighter around my wrists as his other hand clamped down on my hip. He pumped harder, rocking his hips in just the right rhythm to drive me crazy. When my eyes opened, Edward was only centimeters from my face. I leaned up to kiss him, but he pulled back slightly. "I know you've been wanting this for a while," he started. I shifted my gaze to him as I felt him slowly slide out of me. "But you're in for a long morning," he hissed, plunging deeper than he had been before. "I want you sore."

His filthy words hit me straight in the clit, which twitched violently as soon as he'd uttered them. I opened my mouth to say something, but he leaned down to lick across my top lip. "Every time you walk, each time you sit, whenever one leg crosses the other . . . you'll remember this morning . . . " Then, the pace slowed down significantly. ". . . you'll be thinking of me." He let go of my hands and placed his elbows on either side of my head before planting a gentle kiss on my nose. "And remember," he added. "You can't come until I tell you."

Edward climbed off me and, grabbing onto my hips, he flipped me over to my knees. Something about the way he said those words made me anxious for this long morning. I was a trooper, and I could handle anything he threw my way.

Bring it on, Cullen.

I rolled over and pushed up to my knees as I looked over my shoulders. He grabbed a few pillows and crammed them under my hips before pushing me down on them. Warmth radiated off him as he knelt down behind me, his fingers sweeping over my back and up my spine to my shoulders where he latched onto me. Goosebumps swelled over every inch of my skin as I writhed under his grasp. He entered me again, this time forcing me to arch my back in response. His elbows dug into my hips as his pelvis pumped against me, filling and stretching me to the maximum.

I fell forward from the weight of his thrusts causing my arms to extend over my head. I twisted my fingers in the soft, cotton sheet, gripping to it for dear life. I was absolutely losing all sense of reality. All I could feel was his tight hold on my torso and his warm cock pressing against my g - spot.

I reached behind me and grabbed the back of his thigh to push him deeper inside. I wanted him, all of him, right now.

Suddenly, a sharp pain permeated through my left butt cheek. "OW!" I yelped as I pushed myself away from him and looked over my shoulder. He held up a ping pong paddle, twisting it from side to side as his gaze shifted from it to me.

. . . Did I just get fucking spanked?. . .

Yes . . . Yes, I believe I did.

Well, that changes things.

Here comes the real internal debate.

. . . Did I like it? . . .

Yes . . . Yes, I believe I did.

"Don't focus on what it is . . . focus on how it feels. Now, get back over here," he quietly demanded as he pulled back on my hips. I willingly obliged.

His index finger found it's way to my clit and circled it twice as I nervously pushed back to him. "Trust me, Bella," he whispered.

Fuck it.

I took a deep breath to calm my racing heart and stop my hands from shaking. Deep down, I knew he wouldn't hurt me intentionally. He'd probably done this before, and knew I would like it. Besides, I knew that spanking hurt worse if you resisted. I think I'd enjoy this if I get into it.

Cullen, just wait until we have a rematch. It's on, fucker.

Edward's hands crept over the back of my thighs and wrapped around my hips to plunge inside of me.

"Now, I want you to rock in and out of me." His deep voice was soothing, comforting, yet stern. He knew what he wanted me to do, and knew that I would consent. What he didn't know at the time was that he was opening an entirely new can of worms. He was uncovering aspects of my sexual desires that I hadn't provoked in almost a decade. Wild Bella would have her way with this one, and sensible Bella would need to take a back seat.

I did as he said and began to grind against him, angling my hips so that the tip of his dick hit my g-spot. His right hand wrapped around my clit as my thighs quivered from his touch. Exhilaration flooded my entire body causing my rapid-fire mind to draw only one conclusion.

I have to be dreaming right now.

The paddle came down on my ass in three swift pops, sending a jolt of electric sting through my body. The friction of our bodies colliding together was enough to counter balance it. The pain, it seemed, had only added another level to the already impassioned situation.

Slowly pinching the skin closest to my upper thigh, his tender fingers added a comforting tingle to the once burning flesh. He was testing me, pushing me to the limit. Two weeks into this arrangement, and he already knew me too well. I wouldn't stop; I'd go as far as he would push me. I'd go the distance with him, and only him. He was my competition, and if I backed down now, I risked appearing weak…and that wasn't me.

Besides, I don't think that I surprised him tonight. I think he knew I liked a little pain atop my pleasure salad.

Before I could think anymore about it, three smacks to the other side of my ass brought me back to reality. Fuck what he knew about me, fuck appearing weak. I was beginning to beg him for that fucking paddle. The first three pops were startling to my virgin flesh, but these three only egged me on. I pushed back on him, longing for more, begging for more.

And he obeyed. Three more smacks, then massaging fingers.

His goal was accomplished. I would be sore later today; and I might not be able to sit down. But that didn't seem to matter at this moment.

Two more spanks and I groaned with agony. I wanted to come . . . no . . . I needed to come. It was long overdue. I found myself moaning loudly and pushing back on him roughly in a matter of seconds. He spanked me with the paddle once again, and my inner walls clamped down on him. I was about to explode.

"Not yet, Bella," he demanded.

"Oh, fuck . . . you," I whined as I pushed harder against him and wrapped my hand behind his thigh to draw him in deeper.

"Not. Yet."

It was too late. I was already there. Fuck him, and fuck his stupid control game.

Just as I was about to throw myself over the edge, Edward stopped and pushed away from me.

His absence immediately left me reeling. I pushed back for him, and felt nothing. My mouth gaped open, releasing an inexplicably frustrated groan as I flipped over to look at him.

Edward smiled and then tilted his head to the side. "I said no."

"I said yes," I snarled.

He slowly climbed on top of me, bringing his lips inches from my neck. His body hovered centimeters over mine and I could feel the tip of his cock begging for entrance once again. My chest began to rise and fall rapidly as my breathing picked up. My heart raced as a shiver shot down my spine from the look he was giving me. It suggested a wild desire equal to my own was burning behind those emerald bullets.

"When you beat me, Bella -- if you beat me . . . you can tell me to do anything you want. But, this morning, you're simply not done yet."

"Edward, it's close to six. You've kept me going for two hours. You keep it up much longer, and there might not be anything left for you to control tonight. Had you thought about that when you planned this little marathon romp?" I snapped. I was becoming frustrated. My body ached for release, I desperately needed a shower, and, after this, I'd require a lot of coffee.

"Hmm . . . You do have a point," he conceded as he hooked his arm under my left knee and hitched it on his shoulders. "Perhaps I should get this over with," he whispered slowly.

His perfect lips collided with mine once more, causing our bodies to connect, squeezing my leg between us. The new angle at which he pumped into me was more earth shattering than being spanked with the paddle, and as his thumb grazed over my clit, I felt my nerves give into their most instinctual desire. He had brought me to the edge of a great release, but left me teetering there, unwilling to push me over.

With one flick of his tongue against my nipple and another thrust inside of me, my climax erupted through my body. It started with electric spasms between my legs, slowly progressing into exquisite euphoria all over my entire body, and by the end, my limbs turned numb from overwork and exhaustion.

My eyes locked on the brilliant green shade peering down at me, his mouth tightening as his hands gripped harder to my shoulders. "Fuck, Bella," he moaned against my lips. He pressed his forehead to mine, obviously obtaining his own release, and only broke away to kiss me passionately towards the end.

Edward took a few deep breathes before falling to my side and running his hand through his beautiful hair. I gasped for air, forcing oxygen into my lungs as fast as I could. My eyes slowly squeezed shut from the blissful state I now found myself in and my arms fell limp to my sides. I rolled my head in his direction, feeling more satisfied than I had in years.

God, that was amazing.

I could fall asleep just like this.

Edward grabbed my hands to pull me off the bed. "Come on, dear. That deserved a bath," he suggested as he guided me to the bathroom. I managed to make it there, although I don't know how. I was exhausted. I tried to force my eyes open, but it had gotten to the point where my eye lids were almost sticking to each other. I felt him sit me down on the toilet as he put the plug into the tub and turned on the faucet.

Stinging pain from my ass shot directly up my spine. I winced, slowly swaying side to side. I felt as though I'd pass out any second, and one of these times, I'd submit and fall over.

Suddenly, cold liquid spritzed me in the face. I jumped a little, my eyes instantly snapping open to look up at him. He was standing there, water delicately dripping off his fingers. "Wake up!" he announced with a chuckle.

I reached my hand under the running water and splashed a lot more his direction. He gave me a wink and grabbed my hand to pull me closer to him as he stepped into the two inches of water that had gathered at the bottom of the tub.

Carefully easing myself onto the hard porceilin, I realized something rather prophetic. Spanking with a paddle: fun until the serotonin wears off.

He crammed under the faucet and tucked his feet around my waist. "Are you comfortable?" he asked.

I slowly nodded my head and leaned back against the cold shower wall. Trailing my gaze over his long legs and up to his perfect stomach and chest, I finally landed on his brilliant green eyes, which were currently eyeing me up in a similar fashion.

"Tell me, Mr. Cullen, where did you run off to this morning?" I asked as I leaned my elbow on the ridge of the tub and playfully bit the end of my finger.

"I wasn't quite expecting to be drawn away so early last night," he answered with a grin. "I had previous engagements that I needed to attend to," he explained as he lifted my right foot to his lap.

"So you haven't slept at all?"

"I never sleep," he added as if it was such a natural thing to be an insomniac.

"Have you seen anyone about that?"

"No one can fix the reason why I don't sleep," he answered casually, as if he'd seen a million doctors and no one had figured it out yet. Either that, or this man had secrets . . . dark, twisted demons buried deep in his cerebellum that refused to leave him alone at night. "Inquisitive this morning, aren't you?" he continued, breaking me from my thoughts.

"I've been theoretically screwing around with you for a few weeks now --"

"Ten days," he corrected.

"Whatever. I don't even have your cellphone number."

I started smiling as he grabbed the washcloth from one of the hooks on the wall and flicked open the bottle of soap. Oozing some foam onto the cloth, he started at my toes, slowly massaging each little muscle with delicate ease. "Why would you want my cellphone number?" he inquired in a soft, deep voice while moving his hands upward towards my calf and knees.

"I suppose it's safer than the company line as a means of communicating," I reasoned. The thought only then hit me that he had my office number, but I didn't have his. I was left hanging at his every whim. Whenever he needed to tell me something, he could - but not the other way around.

At this point, he had moved onto my other leg and was beginning to inch tiny bubbles down my inner thigh. He sat up, bringing his legs in between mine to lean forward. Trailing the cloth over each of my breasts and down my stomach, he reached his hand between my legs and brought his lips to my ear. "How do you feel?"

He was stalling, attempting to avoid the conversation. "I've felt worse," I teased, hoping to send my insult straight to the gut. "Don't change the subject."

He smiled and gave me a soft kiss while the soapy washcloth traveled over each of my breasts. "I'll program it into your phone before I leave," he answered before standing up. "Let me get behind you so that I can get your back."

I smiled at my small victory and slid forward so that he could squeeze in behind me. His legs on either side of my body, he leaned against the wall and began dragging his hands over every inch of my skin.

The intimacy of the moment was violently ripped from me at the realization that I had yet to tell him about my plans for this Friday. Our arrangement would have to wait. "Edward," I started, bending my head around to look at him. "I have a confession to make."

"Uh oh," he joked in response. "Let me guess, Jenks has decided that interoffice relationships are acceptable and he's the one that sent you the flowers so you're secretly planning to move to Guam with intentions of becoming his mistress slash baby momma?"

Was he on crack?

"Um . . ." I started with a giggle. "No. Though, I must admit that if I were in that situation, Jenks would be terribly difficult to resist," I joked.

He laughed and then gave me a small kiss on the shoulder.

"I have to cancel our plans for this Friday," I delicately explained. I secretly hoped he didn't get pissed at me, though it didn't matter much if he did. I was going to Mr. Dean's banquet, regardless.

His eyebrows furrowed as a minor amount of disappointment crossed his face. "Why?"

"Work stuff."

"What kind of work --" he began, but the answer to his own question must have suddenly come to him because his lips tightened and he nodded his head in acknowledgment. "Dean's banquet?"

"We don't have to cancel. I suppose I could swing by your place on my way home. I can't imagine I'll be out too late --"

"Call me when you're leaving. I'll meet you here," he suggested, handing me the cloth so I could begin to scrub his legs.

This was the second time he had avoided his loft. What the hell was going on? Why hadn't we gone there yet? Why was he hiding it from me?

"Why won't you let me --" I finally managed to ask.

"I have a roommate," he quickly replied, cutting me off.

"So? I'd like to meet him."

"You can't. It would compromise our arrangement," Edward explained.

"He doesn't know about us?"

"Bella, I haven't told anyone about this. Have you?"

"A few. Jake and Alice obviously."

"And you aren't afraid of Alice running to tell Jenks about what's been going on?"

"Alice wouldn't do that to me," I answered as I finished soaping his strong, long legs and turned around to face him, wrapping my legs around his body and pulling myself into his lap.

"Are you certain?" he whispered as I rubbed the cloth over his chest and stomach. "What about the two colleagues sitting next to you at the Red Room? Do you believe they saw you leave with me?"

I hadn't thought about that. Jessica and Angela had both been there that night, and they both saw me freak out because of Edward's appearance. I knew Angela wasn't the type to go out of her way to make someone's life a living hell, but Jessica would. Jessica was as vindictive as they come, which was one of the main reasons I hired her as my Marketing Director. Would that decision ultimately come back to bite me in the ass? I couldn't be too sure just yet. I would have to talk to her to find out for certain.

"I don't know," I eventually answered.

"Regardless, it's better if we just keep the meetings here for the time being. Call me when you're leaving, and I'll come down," he asserted sternly before gesturing for me to get off him. I scooted back so that he could rise and get out of the tub.

The dread of him suddenly leaving washed over me. "Where are you going?"

"Breakfast isn't going to make itself," he mused with a little grin, wrapping the towel around his waist to walk into my bedroom.

Edward Cullen was becoming frustrating. Not only was I not allowed to see his loft, but whenever I mentioned something personal, he ran away. Sighing, I laid down in the water and submerged my head so that I was completely alone with my thoughts. At least he came back. At least he's still interested, which is more than I can say of the last few people that accompanied me in this tub.

Who am I kidding? It's been a long time since anyone accompanied me into my loft, let alone shared a bath with me.

After I had shampooed and conditioned, I climbed out and released the plug to drain the water. Wrapping the towel under my shoulders, I walked into my bed room and took note of the time. 6:45. It was time to get dressed.

I ran over the days activities in my head, remembering that I had speeches and presentations to give to my associates. There would be a few meetings with some subsidiaries, not to mention lunch with Rose. I'd better dress professionally today. I opted to go with stiletto's, black dress pants, and a business suit.

I dropped the towel to the floor and began to slide my cute, pink panties over my legs. When I got to my rump, I inched the fabric over my tender skin, realizing just how sore he'd left me. My pussy ached every time I moved and the skin on my ass was a light shade of rosey pink. It wouldn't bruise, but . . . damn . . . today was going to be rough. Not only was I going off three hours of sleep, but every movement would be the slightest bit uncomfortable. Some part of me was dreading going to work, but another part reminded me of this extraordinary morning, and of Edward. His plan had worked like a fucking charm. I'd be walking around all day with a constant reminder of the mind blowing sex I had this morning. And I would think of him each and every time I moved.

I tried to fight them, to hold them down, but the butterflies came anyway. A nervous bundle of energy brewed in my stomach . . . and I hated it. I shouldn't feel like this about him. I risked everything to feel like this about him; my job, my life, my reputation, all down the shitter . . . and, for some fucking reason, I couldn't stop it. My body ached to feel butterflies, to feel an orgasm, to feel anything at all. It would be just my fucking luck that I should feel these things with my worst enemy.

Stupid, stupid, stupid! I am a royal fucking idiot!

I finished getting dressed and pulled the top half of my hair into a barrette at the back of my head. I turned to walk out of my bedroom, but jumped when I saw Edward standing in the doorway. His sudden presence startled me and then caused me to laugh at myself for being scared. "I'm sorry. I'm just not used to other people being in my loft. I live alone, ya know."

He was already dressed in a gray business suit with a white button and a black tie. Sore or not, I think I could have fucked him where he stood. "Are you hungry?"

"Yes, actually. Starved."

"Hm . . . do you want your biscuit toasted?" he whispered as he took a few steps closer to me and raised an eyebrow quickly at his play on words. The feral look had returned to his eyes, which at the moment, were investigating the way my pants fell over my hips. "Professional. Good choice," he murmured, gently sweeping his hand over the sensitive area on my bum.

I winced a little and looked to the ground. "Toasted would be great."

"Does it hurt?"

"No, it feels like sunshine and snowflakes," I joked, giggling a little at the end. He seemed unamused. "It's nothing I can't handle," I concluded, giving him a wink as I pushed past him for the stairs.

We ate breakfast in near silence. He read his newspaper and I struggled to stay awake. Two bites into my scrambled eggs made me regret throwing the plate away last time he made this for me. The eggs were spectacular and gone before I knew it.

"Damn," he uttered. "You were hungry, huh?"

"It was really delicious. Thank you," I added as I wiped my mouth on my napkin and stood to clear my plate.

"My pleasure. What else could I do for my girl after a night like that?"

My girl . . . The words stopped me in my tracks. This wasn't supposed to be a relationship, this wasn't supposed to be a commitment. And now he was referring to me as his girl.

"Relax," he whispered before wrapped his hands around my waist. "It's just an expression."

"I know," I impulsively replied in a desperate attempt to conceal my overactive mind. God, this man could read me like a fucking book. He knew just what to do in bed to set my nerves on fire, and he knew what each one of my little expressions meant. In such a short period of time, he'd managed to wiggle his way into the deepest, darkest recesses of my personality.

"Though, for the time being . . ." he started as he pushed me closer to the counter, pressing against my "battle wounds" as he placed his coffee on black tile next to me. "It is rather nice to think of things like that . . . isn't it?" My knees began to quiver while his warm, strong hands traveled over my hips to my waist. His sweet, minty breath trickled down my neck and over my shoulders, causing me to become a tad light headed. Edward was teasing me again. "That you're mine . . . just as I'm yours," he continued.

"And what happens when things come to an end?"

"So pessimistic," he whispered inches from my ear. "You really need to lighten up." His hands found their way to my breasts, gently squeezing through my business top. "We've got enough time for a little play, if you're interested."

Oh God! So tempting. Edward had specifically designed last night to ensure I would remember it, and his plan was damn near fail proof. I'm not sure I could handle another romp this very second. "Hm . . . wouldn't want to mess up your business suit. There'll be enough time for that tonight."

"Indeed. Are you nervous about what awaits you after work?"

"N-no," I stuttered as a mild shiver shot down my spine.

"Hmm . . ." he moaned as brought his lips to my neck. "You should be." He kissed the tender skin connecting my shoulders to my head. "I'll thoroughly enjoy spying on you all day, Ms. Swan."

My heart skipped a beat.

"Do you enjoy being watched?" he continued.

"Only when the eyes are yours."

"Hmm . . . interesting. Time to go." I looked over my shoulder to meet his gaze. His lips curled into a sexy smile and, shooting me a wink, he nodded his head toward the door. "You should wait twenty minutes or so, and then head out yourself. Wouldn't want to risk getting caught leaving at the same time again." A gentle kiss on the lips, and he was gone, leaving me standing in the kitchen feeling oddly turned on and ridden-raw.

The trip to work was stressful and long, as usual. New York City traffic was always horrendous, no matter what time of day it was. When I did ultimately arrive, I parked in my normal spot and slowly made my way into the building. Every step I took, every movement I made, I thought of a ping pong paddle. Each time I crossed my legs, I remembered being stretched by Edward Cullen.

I hate him.

I would win next time. And he would pay for this.

But I couldn't give in. Whatever he had prepared for this evening, whatever mind-fucking experience he'd put me through, I'd suck it up and go with it. The spanking turned out to be exhilarating, and I couldn't let him see me cower in fear. I was supposed to be fearless. I'd have to keep up the charade, even if I was trembling inside.

I inched down the hallway to my office and made it halfway before Alice came up behind me, forcing a cappuccino in my hands.

"'Ello, love," she greeted in a horrible Australian accent.

"Top o' mornin' to ya mate," I mimicked her tone jokingly. She smiled before eyeing me a little more suspiciously.

"What wrong with you?" she asked once we were safely in my office.

I casually stalked to my desk and threw my things on top of it before turning around to the windows. His right hand smugly in his pocket, he shot me a shit eating grin and toasted me with his cup of coffee. I pursed my lips at him and snapped my curtains shut. Turning back to Alice, I ran my hands over my face and walked a little closer to my desk. "Okay, this is a rather delicate subject matter. . ." I started.

"Oh come on, Bella. Delicate subject matter? It's me we're talking about here."

I took a deep breath and leaned against my desk, placing my hands on either side of my giant calendar to steady my weight. "Okay, has Jasper ever spanked you with anything?"

She furrowed her eye brows in confusion and tried to hide a little giggle with her hand. "Like . . . with his hand?"

"No . . . with a ruler, or a paddle?"

Alice retracted a little and stared at me momentarily to see if I would suddenly break out into laughter, admitting I was just joking. When she realized I was being serious, she took a few steps toward me and put her coffee on my desk. "Let me get this straight. He spanked you . . . with a paddle?"

"Alice . . . I don't think I can sit down."

At this point, she burst into hysterics. "Oh god!! What did you do?"

"I kind of . . . liked it," I murmured, finally looking up to meet her gaze, which was a mix of astonished and amazed. "What? It's not like he beat me with it."

"Oh, Bella. What am I going to do with you?"

"Can we just move on? What do I have to do today?" I whined.

"Speeches, lunches, presentations. The usual."

"What time is numero uno?"

"Ten minutes."

I took a deep breath and prayed that the caffeine kicked in soon.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm exhausted."

"Aw, poor baby," she joked. "Since when has an all nighter kept you down? Look, I'll get you a couple of espressos. You'll be right as rain in a few minutes. Stay here," she explained as she took off toward the coffee bar at the other side of the building.

I closed my eyes and tried to get a grip on reality. Things were beginning to seem rather hazy.

Suddenly, my phone chirped three times.

"Isabella Swan," I greeted upon answering. Somehow, I already knew who it was.

"430-555-8998. Call me back," Edward whispered, the line going dead as soon as his sentence was over. I hung up the receiver to grab a pen and jot down the number before I forgot it. Rummaging through my purse for my cellphone, I instantly dialed the number once it was in my grasp and heard his voice after the second ring. "Yes?"

"You called me," I retorted. "I should be saying that to you."

"I can't stare at you all day with the blinds closed," the velvet voice responded. I leaned against my desk for support, honestly feeling weaker than I ever had before. I was tired, I was sore, and I honestly didn't need his teasing at that moment.

"Perhaps that was the point. I won't be in my office for most of the day, so I suppose you won't miss much," I hissed.

"Where are you going for lunch?" he quickly asked, ignoring my tone all together.

"That's personal."

"You mean professional. If it were personal, you'd be meeting me for lunch instead."

"I'll talk to you later, Mr. Cullen."

"Have a good day at work, Small Town."

My tongue instinctively shot to my cheek as I pushed end on my Blackberry. Looking down at the number centered on the phone's display, I rolled my finger over the save option and debated the best nickname to disguise his entry.

"Do you feel any better?" Alice chirped upon her return. She handed me my espresso and looked down at the phone in my hand. "Who called?"

"The Spy," I answered with a chuckle. It was perfect. Edward the Spy.

~**~

A/N: I hope you enjoyed it and don't forget to leave comments. PS: If you leave a comment, I'll send you a teaser for Chapter 11 in a PM. :-)