Three weeks isn't so bad, is it?

SunflowerFran was, once again, kind enough to clean up this chapter. Thanks, hon!


Chapter 11

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July 16, 2011

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I rummaged in the dark, searching for the comforter. All of a sudden I was very cold, so much so that it had woken me up from my deep slumber. Finding the edge, I pulled it over me until I was snuggled tightly, grumbling into my pillow. Suddenly my eyes opened, alerted to the absence of the warm body that should have been curled around me. I frowned, squinting at the clock that blandly displayed the ungodly hour.

I got off the bed in search of my human comforter, pausing to pull his discarded shirt on. I followed the faint murmurings as I combed my fingers through the bird's nest atop my head.

"Yes, I don't have the files with me right now, but off the top of my head, they settled for $42 million."

I found Edward sprawled lazily on the living room couch in nothing but his boxers, sporting a delicious scruff on his face. His hand scratched through his hair, making it even more rumpled than it was before. He looked absolutely adorable and I wanted to jump him.

"I told you they would come to us. We had them backed into a corner." He said on a yawn. "It would've been over weeks ago if it wasn't for Yorkie's screw up."

He mhmm'ed dismissively at the person on the other end, and when I got into his line of vision, I swear he stopped breathing. His eyes roamed from my legs, completely on display, to the sole button between my breasts that wasn't unbuttoned. When his eyes met mine, my breath hitched, because they were magnificently dark and full of promise. He crooked one finger, beckoning me closer and I complied, my body already thrumming with anticipation.

"I'll talk to you later," he said and promptly ended the call, throwing his cell phone on the couch.

As soon as I was close enough, he grabbed my bare ass under his shirt and situated me between his legs. He swept the shirt aside where it lay open and pressed a moist trail of kisses down my stomach, letting his tongue come out and play with my belly button. My fingers tightened in his hair and I moaned, spurring him on.

Without warning, he buried his nose in the center of my legs, making me yelp. My grip on his shoulders must have been short of bruising, but he didn't complain. He took in a deep breath, and held it in like he was savoring the smell, before exhaling with a throaty hum, and the combination of his breath and the vibration right there,was too much. I whimpered as I weaved my fingers through his hair; his name dropped from my lips, unbidden.

"Edward."

"I thought you were asleep." His tone was casual as his fingers slowly slid up the inside of my thigh to tease my folds, and I cried out.

"Fuck, Edward." I was panting.

"That is definitely on the table." He murmured, as his fingers continued working their magic.

"Oh!" My eyes rolled to the back of my head as he pressed against my most intimate bundle of nerves. If it weren'tfor his firm grip on my ass, my knees would've given out.

"You smell divine, Isabella," he looked up at me from under his lashes, his voice rough with unbridled lust, "I want to know if you taste as fruity as you smell."

Coherent thoughts vacated my mind at the dual assault of his touch and his words. I mumbled unintelligibly, though I'm sure there was a 'please' in there somewhere. Edward shushed me and exchanged places with me so that I was the one sitting on the couch, and he was kneeling between my legs.

I hissed when he sank his teeth into my navel, gentle enough that it didn't draw blood but hard enough to leave a mark. He soothed the sting with his tongue and my arousal spiraled upward.

Southbound, he continued, pressing hungry kisses until I felt his tongue swipe along the wet heat. I thought I might die of sensory overload. My thighs closed in around his face, but he merely grunted and continued the sweet torture; licking and sucking as I thrashed around and finally exploded, his name on my tongue.

.

Consciousness slowly seeped through my senses, and I could feel the hint of a smile on my face. My body ached, but in a way that was unusual, but not unfamiliar.

It was a good ache... The most pleasant of aches.

My smile widened as I burrowed my head into the pillow and smelled him; the reason why my bones felt like jelly. My hand reached out, seeking his warmth, only to be met with cold sheets. I frowned, as I found that he was not in bed.

Again.

Disgruntled, I opened one eye and then the other to the faint sunshine filtering through the curtains. Our clothes, which should've been strewn all over my apartment, were sitting neatly over the rocking chair near the window. The sight of his shirt and mine tangled together did strange things to me; it made me want to squeal. Our shoes were sitting next to the bed, where he'd put them. I eyed his expensive-looking, silver Tag Heuer sitting innocuously on my bedside, and shivered, remembering the feel of the cool metal against my over-heated skin.

"You like that, Isabella?" he'd asked as I felt the heady combination of his strong, warm hand and the slick, cold metal against the inside of my thigh.

Before last night, I never knew watches could be so… erotic.

Then again, before last night, I didn't even know that sex could be so,so intense. It wasn't just about physical intimacy; our connection was much deeper. Edward had been so patient with me, learning my body with his hands and mouth, repeatedly bringing me unimaginable pleasure. He was painfully gentle, slow, and extremely thorough the first time. But then, there's something incredibly sexy about a guy who knows when to go slow and when to fuck hard.

Suffice it to say… Edward knew.

I stretched like a cat, arching my back, feeling my muscles protest. Last night was apparently too much action for my body, and I could feel the soreness all over, but especially in my thighs. Maybe I should take up Pilates, as Leah suggested.

I made a mental note to turn down the air conditioning as I left the bed, naked as a jaybird. I spied my reflection in the floor-to-ceiling mirror, wondering if I looked any different on the outside because I sure as hell felt different within. My brown eyes were bright, and my normally pale cheeks had a rosy hue. My skin was littered with small purplish spots – Edward liked to bite and then suck hard, until he left a mark. I blushed as I skimmed the hickey on my navel, remembering our late night (or early morning) shenanigans on the couch.

My empty stomach decided to ruin the moment by growling at me. I quickly went through my morning ablutions, and reluctantly donned a tank and shorts, going over breakfast options in my head.

I could hear him talking on the phone from the living room – something about a haircut. The man was a legitimate workaholic. He couldn't go five minutes without being interrupted by a business call.

"I know that, Whit. Of course, I do. This isn't the first time he's come after me. But what you seem to be forgetting is that he's 0 – 3 against me; and we both know that the 0 isn't the number that's going to change."

Standing on the modest balcony of my apartment in nothing but his jeans, Edward was casually suave. Unnoticed by him, I took a moment to admire the way his jeans hung from his hips. The way they hugged his legs made me wonder if they were customized – they looked like they were made just for him. Tearing my eyes away from his very fine derrière, I stared at his unclothed back, mesmerized by the muscles there – all the chiseled out ripples and divots. He wasn't too muscular; I wondered if he swam to keep in shape.

Without conscious thought, my legs moved, each step bringing me toward him. As if sensing me, he turned and gave me a devastating smile that lit his beautiful, sea-green eyes. I still wasn't used to seeing him so relaxed – even his hair was disheveled and completely carefree.

He lifted his hand in invitation, and I went eagerly, nuzzling his neck as he wrapped his arm around me. His voice faltered a little when I ran my nails down his taut abdomen, and I grinned in satisfaction. I breathed in deeply his masculine scent, wanting to commit it to memory. It was woodsy and spicy and something uniquely him.

He dropped a kiss on my hairline.

"You're wearing clothes!" He complained when he got off the phone, his hands on my short-clad butt.

"You weren't in bed!" I imitated his whine, and he chuckled into my neck. It occurred to me that he probably couldn't get comfortable enough to fall asleep.

Wow, Bella, some hostess you've been.

"Did you sleep at all? Were you unable to get comfortable?" I lifted my face to look at him, worrying my lip. "Was it the bed? It was, wasn't it? Rose hates it. She says it's too cushy, and with all the throw pillows-"

His lips crashed down on mine, effectively cutting me off mid-ramble. I think I don't mind being silenced that way. In fact, I might even like it. Oh, who am I kidding? I love it, just like I love him.

"Good morning, Bella." He said against my lips, "I slept just fine, thank you."

"But you weren't in bed," I tried to argue.

Edward laughed softly and pecked my lips again, tracing my jaw with his fingers, "Your bed is just fine, Bella. In fact, I'm rather fond of your bed." Kiss. "And your couch." Another kiss, "and your bedroom door; It's surprisingly sturdy."

"Ed-ward," I half-heartedly pushed his chest in an attempt to get him to be serious, ignoring the hammering of my heart at the mention of my door. That was something. No wonder I'm so achy.

"Hey, I'm not lying." He held up his hands in surrender, "the bed is fine. I just don't sleep a lot."

I considered him for a moment. He appeared earnest.

"Define a lot."

"Roughly, three to four hours."

My eyes widened. For someone like me, who valued the respite that sleep provides, it was unfathomable how anyone could shrug off not sleeping a lot. Sleeping was my hobby, which ranked right after reading. It was almost tied in first place with reading, but sometimes you're willing to give up sleep for a book you just can't put down, and that is where reading gets ahead of sleeping. But I digress.

"And what do you do when you're not sleeping at night?"

"I remember giving you a rather hands-on demonstration of my late night activities." His tongue traced the shell of my ear as his hands played with the hem of my top.

My stomach quivered.

"I might need your help to jog my memory." It was almost pathetic how I melted into him, but I couldn't find it in myself to care.

"Happy to be of service," He mumbled against my lips, but before it could go any further than making out, his phone rang. He groaned, choosing to ignore it in favor of driving me crazy with his kisses. But then it rang again, and with a sigh, he fished his cell phone out of his pocket and answered the call with me still wrapped around him.

"Masen." He barked into his phone sharply; his impatience thinly veiled. He listened for all of two seconds before he was interrupting whomever was on the other side, "Tanya, can we do this later?"

Whatever Tanya might have said caught him by surprise, because his hand dropped from around me and he stepped away to talk to her.

"But I thought she wasn't supposed to be here until..."

I sighed, rubbing my face: on the one hand, I was glad we stopped here because I was too sore; on the other, I was a little miffed that he always had business on his mind. But I don't think recipients of multiple orgasms had any right to be pissed the morning-after, so I decided to get started on breakfast.

Hmm. Pancakes; wonder if he likes them.

I hum to a song in my head as I flit about the kitchen getting things ready. Edward entered while I was mixing the batter, fully dressed this time. Something about the way he placed his arm around my stomach and his forehead on my shoulder, exhaling wearily, made my stomach drop with a sense of foreboding.

"You like pancakes, right?"

"I love them," My heart fluttered at his admission. It was on the tip of my tongue; I love you, but he exhaled harshly before speaking up again.

"I have to go." He announced resignedly.

"Already?" I pouted.

His arm tightened around me, "I'm so sorry, Tanto Bella. Something came up, and I need to be there. I just- shit, Bella."

I couldn't even enjoy the new nickname he's bestowed on me because I was too upset.

"No, I get it." Even if I don't like it. "You have to work, Edward. Can you, um, stay for breakfast?"

My voice was tiny at the end of the question, and his silence was all the answer I needed.

"It's okay." It's not okay. It's so not okay. It's the complete opposite of okay. But I shouldn't act like a baby and throw a tantrum. It shouldn't be that big of a deal, right? I didn't want to come off as clingy.

Edward turned me around, his hands trapping me between him and the counter. "Bella, look at me. Please."

His tender voice tugged at my heartstrings, "No, it's not okay. I really wanted to stay and have breakfast with you, but…"

He shook his head clenching his eyes shut. Then his hands cradled my face, as his forehead gently landed on mine, "Bella, I have a lot going on in my life right now. My career is at a pivotal, turning point, and I can't afford to lose focus. My life… My family… well, frankly, it's fucked up and I will tell you everything."

He had that pained expression on his face and my heart thumped wildly, as my mind conjured up various, undesirable scenarios.

Was he leaving for good? Is he not going to come back? Is he breaking up with me?

My throat felt tight all of a sudden.

"But Bella, you should know that you are a priority, too. I didn't think it was right to involve you in my life when it's an absolute clusterfuck. You didn't deserve it, and I tried to stay away. I did." He looks as if he's trying to convince himself as well as me, but then his eyes smolder, making me flush, "But you caught my eye, and suddenly, my world shifted on its axis. And you were- are, so obliviously sensual, beautiful and sincere. I'd never met anyone like you, so, I went after you, despite my better judgment. But I'm glad that I did."

I was beyond overwhelmed by his confessions, even if it wasn't all hearts and flowers, and now my heart was galloping inside my chest for an entirely different reason. He wanted me, but he didn't want to? No, that's not what he's saying. Is it?

"You sound like Darcy. I don't like him." My voice wavered with the emotions I was holding in.

Edward laughed quietly and kissed me lightly, "That was entirely unintentional, but I'll keep that in mind for future reference."

"Good." I mumbled, before capturing his lips again. He needed to go, but I figured he could hang around for a little lip action. I was just thinking about wrapping my legs around him when I heard a door click. I groaned against his lips and tightened my hands around his neck when he tried to pull away.

"Hey, Bell. Where are you? You were going shopping with me, remember? You can't get out of it now. Bell-aaaaaaaaaaaaa."

I apologized to Edward in advance, ignoring his quizzical look. He would understand. I was resting my head on his chest, breathing heavily, when Rose found me.

"Ooh la la. Did you finally use the number to the escort agency I gave you?"

Edward's eyebrow quirked, and his lips curled upward, clearly enjoying Rose's sense of humor.

"Edward, this is Rosalie. She used to be my best friend. Ro, this is Edward. Try not to embarrass me."

She rolled her blue eyes and stepped forward to shake his hand, "Nice to meet you, Edward. I hope I didn't cockblock you. On second thoughts, I really hope I did. I mean the amount of times Bella has interrupted-"

"Shut up, Rose. I thought you were going to call." I was getting pissed that she cut into my already limited time with Edward.

"I did call but apparently you were too busy getting some." I groaned in embarrassment.

Edward snickered as he shook her hand, "Nice to meet you, Rosalie."

Rosalie eyed him critically, from his shoes to his hair and back. Then she glared at him so fiercely, a lesser man would have backed down, but Edward didn't so much as bat a lash.

"You hurt her and I will puncture your balls with my nails."

"Okay. That's it." I pulled him away from her. "Edward needs to get going. Why don't you raid my fridge for something to feed your monstrous appetite?"

I could hear her counter-argument of 'eating for two' as I led Edward away from her.

"I'm so sorry about Rose. She's overprotective, and she's pregnant. It's probably her momma-bear hormones." I made excuses for Rose, once we were out in the hallway and I had closed the door to my apartment.

Edward snorted, "She's protective and I can hardly blame her for watching out for you."

"Yeah, but-" He put a finger to my lips.

"Let me just look at you for a minute. I probably won't be able to see you again during the weekend."

He was so sweet. I always thought the concept of swooning was absurd and just plain hyperbole, but seeing how Edward's gaze made my knees weak, I thought swooning was definitely in order.

His fingers ran through my hair; once, twice, thrice, before he dipped down and kissed me until I was out of breath. With another kiss on my forehead and a promise to call soon, he left without a backward glance.

"Please wipe that smile off your face before I get sick." Rose's voice was tinged with sarcastic amusement, when I stepped into the apartment.

With all the over-sharing Em and Rose did, I was practically a voyeur in their sexual exploits. Now that there was a chance of tables turning, I didn't even try to tamp down the smile. Instead, I smiled even wider. So wide, my jaw hurt.

She laughed, "Oh boy, the man has to have some game if he has you smiling like the Grinch."

"You have no idea." I sighed dreamily.

"Okay, how about we hit the mall before we both get all sappy."

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July 18, 2011

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That Monday, Leah was waiting to pounce on me and I should've known.

"Well if it isn't the appearance of the I-got-laid-repeatedly, face."

"Leah!" I chastised her, glancing around to check if anyone was paying attention while trying, and failing to keep the grin off my face.

"Oh, please, Swan. Don't even try to deny it. You so got laid. It's written all over your face."

"I'm not denying it, just not here."

"So, I take it the date went well?"

I gave her a look that said, Is there even a question of that?

"I know, I know … stupid question, but a girl has to start somewhere. Where did he take you? Le Bernardin? Sugiyama?" She went on to name some of the most expensive eateries in all of New York. Ducking my head, I hid a private smile.

Oh Leah, you're thinking predictable. Think simply perfect.

"Nope!" I enjoyed the look of incredulity in her face.

"What, none of them? Did I miss a restaurant? Did he take you to a hotel? Waldorf Astoria?"

I giggled, "No, Leah, nothing like that."

"Then what? Come on, tell me. How do you expect me to work with this on my mind? I'll spend the entire time looking up restaurants on Google."

"It wasn't a restaurant," I told her, settling into my chair.

"So, what? Did he take you to his place and fuck you senseless? That doesn't sound like him."

"How would you know?"

"That doesn't sound like James Bond." She said in a tone that implied it should've been obvious to me.

I rolled my eyes, "Would you drop that already?"

"Would you tell me where already?" she countered.

"He planned a picnic, in the most perfect spot in Central Park West."

I smirked in satisfaction, when I almost heard Leah's jaw hit the floor. I proceeded to give her a Cliff Notes version of what happened. The entire time, her eyes were glazed over, as if she were picturing herself and Sam in a similar situation. Well, at least I hoped it was Sam she was picturing, or I might have to intervene by pulling out her hair or something.

"Wow" was all she said when I was done. Leah being speechless was a first.

All day long I was engrossed in thoughts of Edward, and I didn't really get a lot of work done. Even Kate noticed when I was in her office, going over the details of my transition. She was going to go to Chicago next month to tackle our acquisition of Black Wood, so that it could officially become the Chicago branch of Norman & Norman.

Kate was telling me something about a marketing campaign for some author. I didn't have even the faintest clue what she was going on about, and she called me out on it. I was thinking about his little texts that he dropped; some were sweet, like 'This time last night; you were in my arms'. Some were naughty, like, 'Do you know why I am painfully hard, sitting in a meeting about stock prices and IPOs?' 'Because my client just ordered a peach martini, and I realized that's what you taste like.'

"Where are you, Bella?"

"Huh?"

"You clearly aren't with me, so I was wondering where you are in your head?"

My face heated at getting caught thinking about Edward. I really needed to find a way to concentrate on my work, or else I might end up getting fired.

"Ooh, it's clearly a good place."

"It is. I'm really sorry Kate. I promise I'm going to listen now."

"Oh, the business side bores me, too, dear. But alas, it is important to know everything so that we may keep our heads above water."

"You're right. I apologize for my inattention."

"There's no need to apologize, my dear. I suppose Edward will help you out just like he helped me. Now I will be on my own, and that is a rather daunting prospect."

I thought about the many ways I would like Edward to help me, but thankfully I was able to curb my woolgathering.

"Yes, I suppose he will. Though, I'm sure he won't stop bossing you around even if he has to teach you how to Skype to do so."

I giggled at the thought of technology-repellent Kate trying to Skype. Kate smiled at me curiously.

"So, how is it going with Edward?"

How did she know?

I'm sure I looked like a deer in headlights, and Kate gave me a knowing grin.

"Are you talking about- What do you mean?"

"Oh, you know, since you will be working closely with him from now on, I wonder if you're comfortable with him?" When I gaped at her, she asked innocently, "Whatever did you think I was talking about?"

Her eyes sparkled with mirth, even though she kept her expression remained neutral.

"You know?"

Kate couldn't contain it any longer, and she let her smile break free.

"Well, I suspected. And your reaction just now confirms my suspicion, so yes, I know."

I slapped my forehead for being so transparent and she laughed at my expense.

"I'm happy for you both. Edward really needs someone in his life that gives and not just takes." Her eyes took on a faraway look then, and not for the first time, I wondered at their relationship. She clearly knew about the "clusterfuck" of his life, to use his words. But I wouldn't ask her even if I really wanted to.

"His father passed away at an early age." Kate supplied on her own, and then she scrunched her nose as if she'd smelled something putrid, "And his mother...I once had the distinct displeasure of meeting his mother. Well, let's just say that it is a testament to his strength and determination that he is as accomplished as he is."

Kate rarely, if ever, spoke ill of anyone; if she thought Edward's mother was horrible, I couldn't even imagine what she was like in reality.

I absorbed everything she said, as curiosity gnawed at me to ask more questions. But it wasn't Kate's story to tell. And I trusted Edward when he said that he would tell me when he was ready. So I swallowed the urge to snoop and said nothing.

It wasn't easy.

"Anyway, I really hope you two work out. If there ever were a couple meant to be, it's you both."

Of course, I blushed at that, beyond pleased at her assessment as well as her support.

Indulgently, I shook my head at her, "You are a hopeless romantic, Kate. We only just started going out."

"And I can see young love blooming when I see you two." She sighed, corroborating my earlier statement.

I see it too, Kate. I see it, too.


AN: And so, Edward talks... I feel like I have revealed a little more about him in this chapter but I would love to know if you guys feel the same. I am so excited for the upcoming chapters. Either the next or the one after would be the Epilogue from Edward's POV. You'll notice time-jumps then.

Thanks for reading and leaving me those awesome little reviews... you guys rock!