CHAPTER SIX
EDWARD
"We'll be in touch, Mr Black," I stand and shake his hand smiling.
Bella stands too, offering the client her hand.
Once he leaves I sit down sighing frustrated.
"His book won't sell," he sighs, "we need something better."
Bella watches me quietly.
This entire meeting I'd been fighting not to glance at her. Since breakfast everything had been twisting inside my mind. All that she had said about my break up, my business and most of all her brother. She was remarkable.
Which made her even more out of my league than before.
She deserves someone special. Someone who wasn't entirely unremarkable like me.
My admiration of her continued to grow each day. Not just for her beauty but for her heart. She was kind, warm and she cared. All things I'd failed to find in the women I've dated before now.
Why are you comparing her to women you dated. You're not dating her, Edward.
"I'm sure the right thing will come along," she gathers her laptop, the documents we needed to likely reject Mr Black's book.
"Let's get a drink," I smile.
The meeting had run for a few hours. We'd missed lunch and had a few hours until dinner.
"Sure," she nods.
We find a spot at the bar and I order us both a drink, offering my credit card up before she can reach for hers.
"My treat," I say, "for the kind words you said this morning."
"It's really not a big deal," she smiles, "It was the honest truth. You may sometimes be a pain to work for but you're deserving of love like the rest of us."
"So where's your love? Have you got a mister right?" I ask.
I'd never even thought to ask if she were single. Surely someone had snatched her up.
"Nope," she shakes her head sipping her wine, "I had a boyfriend at the beginning of the year. But he told me I was boring and dumped me."
"Oh shit," had her boyfriend been mentally insane?
"Yep," she nods, "he was terrible at being a boyfriend in general. Dates began to come few and far between and our sex life disintegrated into essentially nothing."
"What an idiot," I catch myself muttering.
"Why's that?" She smirks over her wine glass.
"Because you're the girl every guy would die to have attention from. He had you," I motion to her with my hand.
The lighting is dull in here, but not too much that I miss the slight flush covering her cheeks. She bites her lip and watches me uncertain.
"Thank you for coming to Florida," I say, "I know I was a jerk about it. I guess I was a little selfish."
"In what way?" She raises a perfectly arched eyebrow.
"With everything going on I guess I didn't want to come here alone," I shrug, "I wanted someone to distract me with work."
She nods and leans forward, placing a hand over mine on top of the bar.
"I understand," she nods, "It's not a big deal."
Her skin is so soft. I don't want for her to pull back her hand. So I twist my wrist to take her hand in mine. My grip is gentle.
There's no use trying to ignore how perfect her small hand fits against mine.
"Was your friend really mad?" I ask.
She glances at our hands. For a moment I worry she might pull away, but she doesn't. Instead she looks up at me.
"He managed to rope my roommate Rosalie into showing him around. He sent me the standard tourist photos," as she speaks, her eyes widen.
As she gets more excited to tell the story her body responds. Her free hand moves, her body bounces to the beat of her words.
"I'm glad I didn't cause too much trouble. From now you'll have more notice," I say.
"Trouble? I wouldn't go that far. You're great at causing that, trust me," she teases and finally pulls away her hand to push her hair behind her ear.
My restraint is tested as I fight to not take her hand again, or tuck the hair she missed behind her ear.
Why do you need to touch her so bad?
"Another wine," Bella motions to the bartender before sinking the last of her drink, "another for him too."
The bartender nods and brings us the order quickly before returning to other customers.
"Thank you," I grin at her.
I was still shocked she insisted on paying for me. A quick google would tell her I am a millionaire. It was refreshing though to have someone contribute or offer. Not even my siblings did anymore even though they were just behind me in paycheck worth.
"So you need a book," she says suddenly, "why don't you ever write?"
"Me?" I watch her slightly shocked.
"Sure. You're a successful businessman. Men respect you, women find you sexy," she says.
"Why, Isabella Swan. Are you flirting with the boss?" I chuckle leaning toward her.
"I'm saying you have a story to tell," she shakes her head, "one I bet people would pay to hear."
"I fund the authors and read the books. I don't become them," I shake my head, "but I'll pocket your compliments."
"Put them right beside your giant ego," she nudges my bicep giggling.
We hadn't eaten much today. The alcohol was hitting her quicker than it would on a full stomach. I motion the bartender back again and order a burger for us both.
"My ego isn't that big," I resume the conversation.
"It's huuuuuge," she exaggerates, "you know I thought it was because you were over compensating."
Her hand flies to her mouth in shock. She totally meant to think that.
"That was rude. I'm sure your dick is lovely," she puts a hand on my chest, "I mean…"
"It does the job," I take her hand in mine and squeeze it, "ten times the job Chloe does I bet."
She laughs. It's the kind where her whole body gives into it. I try not to watch her chest rise and fall, jiggling with the movement of her shoulders.
"Leave Chloe out of this," she leans in closer to me.
Perfume of the sweetest scent hits my nose.
DO NOT KISS HER, EDWARD MASON CULLEN.
She lets my hand go and leans up to whisper in my ear. Her mouth is so close. Those perfectly plump lips would land on mine if I turned my face.
"I had to leave her at home. I forgot it and last night I just…" she pulls back as our burgers are placed before us on the bar.
I want to throw the food at the waiter who interrupted her. She was tipsy. Shamelessly flirting now. I didn't want it to stop. She was a shooting star shining before me, spoiling me for choice when it came to what wish to make.
"Oh yum," Bella gasps.
We eat chatting about more family friendly topics. She tells me about her roommate and we speak about Alice.
After a few more glasses of wine I cut her off. She's flirting shamelessly with me now, hands on my legs and arms. I really didn't want her to realise tomorrow how she felt up her boss and hate herself. Regardless of how much her boss wanted her to keep going.
"Are you going to be okay?" I ask once we reach her door.
"Yep," she nods, "thanks for dinner. That was actually a heap of fun."
The most I have had in a long time. Every time she laughed, joked or teased me I forgot about reality again. I don't know what about her presence made me feel like she was the only woman on earth. But given enough time alone with her she did it.
"It was," I nod.
She turns to her door and slides the card into the slot. Slightly she sways struggling to hit the slot on the handle. I smirk reaching around her to take the card from her hand, sliding it into the gap. The handle turns green, unlocking. I push down the handle and open it slightly for her.
I hold my hand higher up on the edge of the door, keeping it open so she doesn't slam it shut again.
"I'll see you in the morning. The wake up call won't be so early," I say.
"Okay boss," she nods, turning to lean back against the open door. .
Her lean is gentle so the door doesn't swing right open. My hand on the edge stops it from moving too. Her eyes are sultry taking me in, looking my body up and down until her brown eyes land on my lips.
That small manicured hand wraps around my tie and tugs me forward. I have no will to stop her.
She giggles and takes my free hand in hers.
"You know my last boss fucked a blow up doll. He fired me because I caught him. You can be worse than him sometimes," she whispers.
"Why?" I lean in close, powerless to pull away.
"Cause you had to hire me," she mutters, "so it means I am left envisioning you when I pull out Chloe."
Shocked, I shake my head slightly. Surely I imagined that.
Did she seriously just say that?
It was possibly the hottest sentence I've ever been present for in the history of my life.
After a heartbeat of staring into her eyes I move first.
Fuck it all.
I lean down and press my lips to hers, holding her against the door with my pelvis, my hands on her hips. Her arms wrap around my neck, tugging me closer.
Her kiss is soft, luscious perfection. My mouth moulds against hers perfectly. She lets out a breathy moan tugging on my belt. I lift one of her legs, hitching it to my hip, sinking my fingers into the skin of her flesh exposed by the position. She grinds against my shamelessly enjoying the feel of my erection. She knows it's all for her.
I don't know what brings me back to Earth. But it could be something to do with her pulling down the zipper of my pants.
"Woah," I whisper, "Bella. Stop."
Her leg drops, eyes widen in horror.
"It's okay," I shake my head, "Don't freak."
"I'm so sorry. I have no clue what came over me. I didn't mean to..." she gasps out pulling away from me standing behind the door slightly, "I'll um.. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Bella wait," I protest as she slams shut her door.
I look at the hard wood. The spot I just held her against feeling deflated.
I was in deep shit.
I couldn't let a moment of weakness strike like that again.
Next time I wouldn't be able to stop.
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