A/N: A couple of chapters ago, someone asked if I would ever write an EPOV. Here it is:

EPOV

You'd think that a man with a degree in engineering from MIT would possess a better vocabulary, would be able to find a word more all encompassing than the word: good.

Bella looked good.

I walked to the kitchen and poured myself two generous fingers of scotch. I had been overly harsh with Bella. I wasn't in love with her, but no woman wants to hear that she is unworthy of love. I was quickly reminding myself of my father.

Unimpressive and lazy. I heard my father's voice say this about almost every venture I had chosen to undertake. He hadn't felt that way about Lauren. Anthony 'Tony' Masen never hesitated to make his displeasure known. Not when he lectured me about how engineering was a waste of time, or when he divorced my mother, or when he married my fourth au pair. Elizabeth something?

"Edward, MIT? Who's going to pay for MIT?"

"Edward, your mother and I have gotten divorced. Don't cry. You're being weak. I promise you're my greatest mistake."

"Edward, marry young Mallory. You're taking too long and a woman like her will wise up to her options quickly."

"Edward, after all I've done for you, ten million dollars is pocket change."

I got my ability to be relentless from him. Maybe the only good thing. I looked like my mother, Esme. The only one really. Rose got his blonde hair and blue eyes. Alice got his energy and creativity.

The bastard was crafty. I had to give him that. I shouldn't be thinking of Masen. But I didn't want to think about Bella. She was different than the others, something that reminded me of Lauren. She seemed smart, if not just a little down on her luck. I almost had a coronary when she called me to pick her up from her mother's, and another when she suggested she'd stay at a local homeless shelter.

I'll admit it. After learning her name in that coffee shop, I had Emmett run a complete background check, and I wasn't at all shocked that she was clean. The woman hadn't had so much as a parking ticket. Emmett chastised me for not completing the background check before making the offer, but I felt... drawn to her.

The money never meant much to me unless it was taken to me. I worked hard for every dime and I played just as hard, and I never wanted to have to admit that there was something in this world that I couldn't stop by sheer force of will. I was $80 million lighter and that woman had made a fool of me. And I had to say those words, out loud, to someone who probably thought I could hang the moon and the stars with my credit card.

The look in her eyes when I told her that I couldn't imagine myself falling in love with her gutted me. And that look she gave me as she left. She looked mesmerizing. Enchanting even. There was nothing unimpressive or lazy about either of those words. Or her. Man. She was raw intelligence and beauty untapped. I liked the boots and yoga pants. I hated to admit it, but I was partially attracted to her because of that casual vibe.

But Rose knew what she was doing dressing her that way. I'm a details man. Those, big, beautiful brown eyes of hers? Slightly smoky, but mostly light makeup made her look alluring. And alluring isn't something Bella Swan is ever supposed to be. But I couldn't have her mad at me. That just wouldn't do.

With Emmett out and acting as security with my sisters and Bella, I was on my own. So how to apologize? Bella didn't seem to care much about my money. She was almost deathly determined to take care of herself. I didn't know her well enough to know what would be meaningful, but I did notice that whenever she had a second, she was carrying around a tattered copy of Pride & Prejudice. I went online and found myself in a bidding war for a first edition. Naturally, I won, and thanks to my skills in the art of persuasion, the book would be here in two days.

Next, I needed to decide what to do about the kitchen. Determined to be back on speaking terms with Bella, I cleaned the kitchen, placing what I could into the refrigerator. The sauce, gravy and steaks could be refrigerated, but I would need to toss the boiled potatoes and either eat or throw away the asparagus. I had some leftover meatloaf that I had brought home from my mother's and decided to eat this and the asparagus in an attempt to prevent myself from wasting food.

My first bite of asparagus and I knew that Bella Swan was an amazing cook. Just another thing to add to the list really. Beautiful, intelligent, good cook, nice ass...

I quickly shook my head in an attempt to get rid of the thought. I would need to keep things with Bella away from that area. I wouldn't be hurt again, and the last thing she needed was me treating her like a rebound. I quickly finished my dinner and continued to brood. It wasn't fair. Here I was, the successful CEO, and I was home, alone on Friday night and eating meatloaf that I had stolen from my mother's house.

Rose had warned me away. She wouldn't take too kindly to me showing up and interrupting them, but I needed something to do. A movie or television sounded like an awful idea.

Resigned to my fate, I changed out of my jeans and sweater and into a pair of shorts and running shoes. I could hit the gym and hopefully be back and showered before everyone got back here. I would do my best, but the thought of Bella in that blue dress, with those high heels and fishnet stockings was torturing me. Maybe once she got her driver's license, the two of us would spend a limited amount of time together. Love may have been outside of the realm of possibility, but lust... well that monster continued to raise it's ugly head.