A/N: Your speculations as to what's going on with Edward are so much fun to read!
Thanks as always to our beta, SunflowerFran. Any mistakes are mine.
~.~
When they finished dessert, he held out his hand, and they moved into a dance in the large open area of the suite. As she placed her cheek against his, he noticed that she was wearing almost no perfume, something that gratified him exceedingly, as he was tired of over-perfumed women. Instead, as they danced, he could smell her fresh scent, a fragrance like the wind over a plain of heather, sweet with just a tiny bit of wildness in it. He shook his head. What was he thinking, musing over the aroma of a woman? Just another woman. He was not given to flights of fancy. He was a hard-headed businessman.
As they danced, he explained this all to her. He believed in being straightforward in all his dealings with women. He always warned all of them not to anticipate anything permanent. After all, he didn't want them to expect something he couldn't give. "Romance, you see, is just another business deal, of a different type." She nodded earnestly. "You just have to understand the rules and formulas of the affairs of the heart, which are quite similar to the rules and formulas of economics or marketing." He made an expansive gesture with his wine glass, and then set it back on the table.
They swung around in the dance, and he gave her a dip with an extra flourish. Her huge, beautiful eyes met his from only inches away, her bosom heaving. The sweet, fragrant scent of her intensified and his nostrils flared. His eyes flickered, and he bit his lip as two different expressions fought for dominance on his face before it settled back into neutrality.
"Oh, of course," she agreed, apparently unaware of her dance partner's inner struggle.
He focused on his own words, fought to make them logical, clear, and concise. "You put in the proper parameters," he said, "turn the crank." He made a rotary gesture with his hand. "And out comes a pleasurable time for all."
"That's very rational," she said, placing her white-gloved hand in his. "I quite agree. There's no need for irrationality or high-strung emotions. They just lead to needless complications. Romance should be light-hearted fun. That's how it's always played for me." She smiled. "Emphasis on play."
"Absolutely! It's a pleasure to meet a woman with such a practical head on her shoulders," he said. However, inside, as they spun and twirled in perfect harmony, he felt just a tiny twinge that of all the women he had casually romanced, that this one should be so… practical.
He shook himself.
What was he thinking?
"Of course. When you've been around the block as many times as I have, you know it's just more efficient that way," she said with another one of those intriguing smiles.
The musicians segued into a faster, louder beat, and she fell silent and rested her head on his shoulder. Her hair brushed against his chin, and she fit perfectly in his arms. They stopped speaking aloud as they moved together. The rhythms swirled around them, carrying them on waves of melody and counterpoint harmony, and suddenly they were just two people lost in the moment.
~.~
A/N: More obnoxious Jerkward. But… maybe there's something beneath that insufferable surface? And how long can Bella keep up the act?