Chapter 9 – The Date

After my confrontation with Rose and Alice, Emmett and Jasper both knew who I really was. Jasper was surprised that I'd kept it a secret for this long, and Emmett merely shrugged and ruffled my hair. Typical for both of them, really. I wasn't expecting a huge blowout, just a little surprise would have been nice. Of course, they both were curious as to why I was here in the first place, so they also knew about the bet. Emmett thought it was 'abso-fucking-lutely hilarious,' as he stated. Jasper simply shook his head at me and said, "Siblings. Rich or poor, they'll all be alike."

Edward continued to frustrate me, teasing me until I was sure I'd have to take care of myself in the office bathroom. On Thursday morning, he called me into his office under the pretense of looking over some work, but I knew what he really wanted. Sure enough, the moment I stepped in the office, he grabbed my face and kissed me with all he had.

"That wasn't unexpected at all," I panted, after he finally released me. "A little warning would have been nice."

"What's the fun in that?" He grinned, stroking my cheek with his thumb. "The look on your face is so worth it."

His lips captured mine in a slow, languid kiss, stealing my breath and igniting my body at the same time.

"You know, I don't think we're supposed to kiss before the first date," I said, wrenching my mouth from his.

"Well, we're not exactly conventional. I'm supposed to be your boss."

"Yeah, and that 'meeting' that we're having about my work is going really well, boss."

Edward pulled me against his body, and I could feel every single inch. "Your work—" he pushed his hips into mine "Is very satisfactory," he whispered into my ear, his cool breath rustling my hair.

I whimpered. "Why, oh why must you do that? I can't just take care of myself here!"
He grinned rashly at me. "Why not? I'll even help you out." His hand snaked under my skirt, the heel of his palm pressing fully against me.

I groaned, bucking my hips into his hand involuntarily. This was going way too far for being in an office. "Asshole," I hissed. "You're gonna regret this tomorrow."

"I doubt it," he smirked confidently.

"Just you wait and see."

~*FRtR*~

Friday morning, I woke up early and set my clothes out for the date ahead of time. I did not want to be rushed while getting ready. As I didn't know where Edward was taking me, I settled for some all-purpose clothes: a teal sundress, adapted to Manhattan's warm weather, and metallic silver gladiator sandals. The perfect outfit for any type of date, and still good enough to make Edward swoon. I had to live up to the promise I made yesterday.

The conclusion to my second week at work was no different than the first – save for the bar date with the girls. This week, I had a real date with my boss. I wondered how my father would react to that if he knew. A stray thought flitted across my mind: Had Edward ever dated any of his bosses?

I snorted to myself. If he did that now, he'd be dating my father. I'd love to see that happen.

Edward kept well away from me today. He knew I would pester him for details, and he was taking away the opportunity to do so. I let it slide – after all, I could get back at him tonight. Dresses meant easy access, and a lot of leg flaunting to go along with it. He was, without a doubt, in for a very rough night.

The man in question arrived at my doorstep promptly at seven, with a dozen white lilies in his hand. Alec answered the door, though I made him promise not to scare Edward off.

"She'll be down in a minute," I heard Alec say, as I descended the stairs.

"I'm right here," I called, pulling the strap of my sandal on. "Hey, Edward."

His eyes raked over my body, sending little flames of desire down my spine. I schooled my features and gave him an innocent smile, as if I didn't know what I was doing to him.

"Jane," he breathed. He shoved the lilies at me, as if he remembered only now that he was holding them. "These are for you."

"Thanks," I said, inhaling the sweet scent. "Give me a minute, I'll just go put these in some water." I quickly deposited the flowers in a glass vase, not keen on leaving Edward with a glaring Alec for too long. When I returned, they were happily discussing some sports scores. Men.

"Okay, I'm ready," I said, lifting my purse up onto my shoulder. I turned towards Alec with a stern look. "Don't wait up, food's in the fridge, and if you so much as step foot into my room, you'll never see the sun again."

Alec grinned, hugging me tightly. "Just go have fun, baby sis." I slapped his hand lightly at the nickname, but he just laughed it off.

As soon as I closed my penthouse door behind me, Edward pulled me to him.

"Ah ah ah," I chided, turning my cheek as his lips landed on my face. "You're not supposed to."

"Fine," he sighed. "You're gonna kill me, looking like that."

I smirked. "Wasn't that the goal?"

He laughed, leading me to his car. "We're going to Grapevine for dinner," he said, naming one of the best restaurants on the East Coast. "Is that okay?"

I raised my eyebrows. "And how did you manage to get a reservation this fast?"

He smiled sheepishly. "My aunt is the head chef there."

"Sneaky little child," I laughed. "Oh well, might as well make the most of it."

Grapevine was a very prestigious dining choice, known for its impeccable service and comfortable ambiance, not to mention the amazing cuisine. It ranged from Italian to Mediterranean, covering nearly every exotic taste within those areas. My mother, ever the food connoisseur, would have been in heaven.

The waiters wasted no time in bringing our orders barely four minutes after placing them. These people clearly knew who Edward was.

"Enjoying the food?" Edward asked, once my dish had arrived.

"Very," I smiled seductively, wrapping my lips around the fork and licking it clean. His eyes darkened noticeably, and I mentally high-fived myself. "You?"

He inhaled sharply. "Yes, fine." I was clearly affecting him.

I smiled and returned to eating my food. It really was to die for. Edward continued to stab his food, until I threatened to take his fork away. About halfway through the meal, I decided to spice things up a little again. I slid my foot out of the gladiator sandal under the table, reaching to find Edward's leg. It wasn't hard – he was a tall guy, and his legs stretched far out. Without him noticing, I worked my foot up under his pant leg and slowly stroked the inside of his calf.

He jumped high enough to dislodge the food on his plate. Recovering, he shot me a deadly glare.

I smiled coyly. "Thought you looked a little tense over there." I continued to stroke up and down, enjoying the rough texture of his leg against my foot.

He scowled at me. "If I jump you here, it's all your fault."

"Payback's a bitch, honey." I smirked at him triumphantly.

"This is about yesterday, isn't it? When I left you wanting….needing like that?"

The tone of his voice made my breath catch in my throat.

"That's right," he grinned. "Imagine if I pushed you to the very edge in this restaurant, leaving you wet and moaning…all for me. Do you want that?"

Slowly, very slowly, I withdrew my foot from his pant leg. It was his turn to smirk triumphantly at me, cocking an eyebrow at the same time.

"This isn't over," I snarled.

"Bring it on, Sweetheart."

Thankfully, we finished dinner without getting arrested for public indecency, though we were pretty close at one point. Our server kept glancing over at us cautiously, like we were about to combust and just start screwing each other on the table. That would've been fun.

"So…" Edward started, after paying the bill. "Wanna go for a walk?"

I shrugged. "Why not? It's still early."

He grinned, offering his hand to me. "There's a really nice park around here somewhere. Quiet, too."

"Sounds great." I slipped my hand into his, enjoying the warmth radiating off of him. Along the way, he pointed out small places that he knew – the best cupcake shop on the East side, the first diner he'd ever visited, a Laundromat where he got assaulted with pepper spray because someone thought he looked creepy…the list went on and on.

By the time we reached the park, I was laughing hysterically as he recounted how a dog bone had worked its way into his briefcase.

"Whoa," I said, looking at the scenery around us. "It's really pretty here."

"Yeah, it is," Edward agreed. But he was looking at me, his eyes burning a hole straight to my soul. I reached up to cup his cheek, pulling his face down to mine. His mouth claimed mine, his hand on my waist to push me closer to him. His tongue slid over my lips, exploring the contours of my mouth. I moaned against his lips, the sensations he created overwhelming my ability to think.

We were getting pretty heated, hands starting to roam, and I didn't even remember that we were in a public place.

"Mommy, why is that man trying to eat that woman's face?"

We broke apart at the voice of the child, the mother desperately attempting to cover her daughter's eyes. She shot us a glare – no doubt we'd just corrupted the little girl for life.

I giggled, still in Edward's arms. "We just scarred her for life."

"Eh, she'll get over it," he responded, kissing the side of my neck. "Jane, I know this is only our first date, but I just…I…" he trailed off.

I smiled, understanding where this was going. "Well, it has to be at your place, because I've got a twin brother with exceptional hearing."

The relief was evident as he gathered me into his arms again. "Are you sure?"

"Are you really going to ask me that?"

He laughed. "Nope. I'm not missing out on the opportunity to ravish that body of yours."

"Well, let's get back to your place first—" I pulled his ear down to my mouth "And then you can ravish me all you want."