Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended.
Chapter Eleven
Not many words were exchanged after Edward's teasing about teaching me how to drive stick. Part of me wanted to call him out on his innuendo, and part of me just wanted to watch him pump the clutch and switch gears.
I'm one of those people who are easily distracted, sure, but I found everything Edward did to be fascinating. Like the way he unlocked the storage unit. And the way he leaned over with his broad shoulders and lifted the roll-up steel door all while smirking. Always smirking.
"I'm sorry, what'd you say?"
Edward's lips curled into a sly smile, again, as he pointed inside the storage unit. Which, to my shock, was completely full.
"See this armoire?" Edward questioned. "And see this credenza?"
"I'm sorry, are you speaking English?" Because cruh-what?
Edward snorted. "What part didn't you understand?"
"Cruh-"
"Credenza? Yeah. It's this big ole thing." He slapped the wood, twice.
I mentally repeated his words 'big ole thing' and my added thought of slapped the wood before practically choking on my own spit. Luckily for me, he apparently didn't know the Heimlich Manuever because those people are the worst. You know, since they like to whip out their skills when someone merely coughs.
I recovered from my coughing attack, and wiped the corners of my eyes as he stared at me, unsure of what to do. "I just- yeah. I'm good. I'm good."
He gave me a few hard back slaps and turned his attention back to the stupid, big ole piece of wood. "The couch we need is on the other side of these two pieces of furniture."
"Okay." I took a deep breath. "So...let's start moving this stuff out of the way, so-"
Edward's hand flew out to stop me from making a move. As if I'd be able to move the furniture by myself.
"Don't you want to see the couch first?"
"Um. Sure. But we have to move this stuff out of the way," I pointed out.
"Just hop over the credenza, step past that bakers rack and check out the couch."
"Are you serious?"
"Yeah, why not? Then you'll know for sure if you even like it. Otherwise it'd be a waste of time and energy to move this large of an armoire."
Eying him, then eying the semi-lit storage unit, I sighed and confessed, "Edward. It's a free couch. I bet I'm going to love it like I've never loved a couch before."
"Just hop on over, Bella. Don't be so difficult."
Staring in disbelief, he brought both hands to my shoulders and gave me a tiny shove. "Wha- I'm not being difficult!"
"Then jump over the credenza. Test out the couch," he said playfully this time.
Well, I- okay. I glared, but I did what he said.
"To the left of the bakers rack, there should be a little room to walk."
"You sure do know a lot about furniture," I accused before sliding off the credenza and side-stepping the bakers rack.
"My mom's in real estate and my sister decorates the model homes for her. I have to listen to them complain all the time."
I ignored any claustrophobic fear that was welling up inside me, and stepped over a storage container to be rewarded with sight of the couch.
"It's more of a loveseat, I suppose." Edward realized as he found his way into the tiny area behind me.
"Yep. It's a loveseat, all right. A very...brown...loveseat."
Slightly tilting his head, he stared ahead and asked, "Is it...to your liking?"
"It's free, so yes. It's most definitely to my liking."
"Brown..." he mused quietly.
"And suede," I finished for him. "But I do like it. It beats having to lie in a hammock," I said cheerfully as I sat on the loveseat to "test it out".
"Hammocks aren't all that bad. I bet it'll catch on like wildfire."
"I wouldn't bet on that."
Edward sat next to me, our thighs touching, and I...lost my train of thought.
"So," I hummed.
"So?"
My voice cracked as I asked, "What's all of this stuff in here for, anyway?"
"Extra furniture and what not from Esme's model homes. My sister deals with all of this though; she's obviously not very organized."
"Ah, okay. Are you sure she doesn't mind letting Renee and me borrow this loveseat? I feel kind of awkward."
Edward leaned back against the cushions and spread his arm out along the back of the loveseat. "I already told them about you." My eyebrows raised and he said, "What I mean is I told them you're new to town and you didn't bring all of your furniture over from Portland. Esme is happy to help out."
I bit the inside of my cheek. "That's nice of her. And you. And your sister..."
"Alice. I also mentioned you were looking for a job, as I told you yesterday. Esme said you're welcome to stop by her office tomorrow."
"When did you arrange all of this?" I questioned.
"Earlier this morning. You know, in between waking up alone and searching for your Houdini ass. There was also coffee in there somewhere."
"Hm. You're sweet."
I could feel something shift between us, so I suggested we get to work. Edward barely nodded and I stepped back over the storage container, slid past the bakers rack and was jerked backward.
"Hey!" I squealed, thinking it was Edward. Unfortunately, it was the bastard of a bakers rack. "Shit. Uh...I think I'm stuck," I lamely admitted. "I think my shirt is caught on something."
I felt Edward behind me as he inspected what was keeping me in place. "Yeah. You're stuck all right."
"Can you..."
"Let me see..." he mused, using his fingers to inspect where the lower part of my shirt was caught. "I don't think this is going to be an easy fix."
"What?"
"Are you able to remove your shirt?" He asked seriously.
"Uh. Why the hell would I do that?"
"Because." I felt him tugging at the fabric. "Unless you want me to rip your shirt, I'm going to need you to move out of the way for me to unhook this." My breathing picked up. "I won't look. You don't have to worry about that," Edward whispered into my hair.
"Okay, yeah. Let me just unbutton this." I hesitated before finally just doing it. No one else was around and I really didn't want him to rip my shirt. Because I loved this old ratty shirt I purchased on sale from Old Navy about five years ago. It...meant a lot to me.
Unbuttoning my shirt with shaky fingers, I shifted and let the shirt fall off my left shoulder. Once I was free, I stood still, listening to Edward's heavy breathing.
"How's it going back there? Chop-chop" I joked, because I was fucking shirtless in a storage unit with Edward and if he didn't move fast...
"You're going to have to move so I can bend down to unhook it, Bella."
Right. He did mention that before. Ha.
"There. I got it," Edward said in a low, gravelly voice.
Without thinking, or maybe I was thinking but everything was kind of hazy, I turned around to face him to retrieve my shirt.
"Here you go."
"Thank...you," I half whispered, half moaned.
His eyes never left mine, as promised, which was kind of gentlemanly of him. I mean, here I was, shirtless in only my bra, standing before him and he...wasn't even looking. Not even tempted.
Huh.
That was probably a bad thing, right? Why didn't he want to look at me? Was he gay? He did know an awful lot about all of the furniture and-
Edward unexpectedly grabbed the back of my neck and pulled me into him. His lips moved frantically against mine as I grabbed a fistful of his shirt so he'd be closer to me, as if that were possible.
"Definitely not gay," I murmured against his lips before he let go of my neck.
I blinked, and would've assumed I was dreaming, but the tingling on my chin from his scruff let me know I was, in fact, awake.
"I'm sorry," he breathed before pulling away. "I'm sorry. That was inappropriate. I shouldn't have done that."
Edward ran a hand over his mouth, apparently still in shock over what he had done. And I stood there, dazed, and still shirtless.
Looking back up, I met his eyes and he looked torn. And so fucking good.
He tasted good, too. With his warm lips and...and I may have leaned closer, just to get another taste, only for him to point down at my shirt and suggest we get a move on.
I nodded in agreement as I buttoned my shirt while Edward adjusted himself.
Definitely not gay.
A/N: I'm guessing this is one of those times when it pays to be clumsy. Thanks for reading.