A/N: Hi guys! Edroar will not wait a minute longer to get to his readers…so if you're out there I'll meet you down below.
Happymess: My super magical ninja beta, I will swim across the ocean to get to you.
*DISCLAIMER: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight…I'm just a girl that needs massive therapy. *
I picture your face at the back of my eyes, A fire in the attic, a proof of the prize! Anna Molly, Anna Molly, Anna Molly.
-Incubus, Anna Molly
Darkness was all around me—no shapes or shadows—just an endless sea of black. It took a few moments for me to realize my eyes were closed. That calmed me, until I discovered they wouldn't open no matter how hard I tried.
Someone must have sealed them shut. How cruel.
Everything was wet and sticky. There was movement, too much movement. A garbled noise filled my ears. Actually, it was more of a groan. My thoughts were a jumbled mess and I was pretty sure my head was lying in a puddle.
Not good.
I was so disoriented. My body felt like dead weight, it was so heavy. With great effort I finally forced my eyes to slowly creep open. My vision was quite fuzzy, but I could still make out the night sky around me.
The left side of my face was stuck to a soft bed of thick, bronze hair. How odd. Yet even more odd was the fact that I was immersed in a gooey puddle of my own drool.
The groaning noise continued to fill my ears. Was it me? No, it couldn't be. My mouth was too full of hair and saliva to make such a clear sound.
Several times I attempted to lift my head, but it just wasn't happening. So I tried my arms. They seemed to be working just fine. I used them to feel around and quickly discovered a body attached to the hair in my mouth, it was lying on me.
More like smothering me, really.
Being that my arms were my only working body part I continued using them to feel around. I poked and prodded the mystery body that covered mine.
The groans grew louder.
Unsuccessfully I tried raising my head again, but my neck simply wasn't working. I grabbed the top of my ponytail and used it to lift my head with one hand.
With my eyes barely open I took in the image of the Lion sprawled out across me like a blanket, face flat against my chest. He was moaning and groaning so loudly he must have been awake.
Using my free hand I poked his shoulder. "Mr. Cullen," I attempted to say, but coughed up a hair ball instead.
As I hacked and gagged, his drool covered head bounced around on my chest like a bobble toy.
My eyes slowly wandered the perimeter. We were in a limo. His I assumed. When I tried looking out the window my head abruptly dropped.
The Tyrant's glassy, dilated eyes looked up at me precisely as my face crashed down onto his with a hard thump. That shit should have hurt, but I didn't even feel it.
His warm breath trickled up my nostrils, tickling my nose hairs, causing me to giggle.
"Silence," he commanded in a garbled growl.
He struggled to untangle himself from me, grumbling in frustration. After several long minutes he sighed in defeat, only managing to lean the side of his face against the soft leather seat above my shoulder.
How strange to see Edroar's usually graceful movements so off kilter. He completely missed his forehead several times while trying to touch the reddened spot at the center of it.
Mr. High Standards was totally out of sorts, it was bizarre to say the least. Not that I was faring much better.
I was a train wreck, for Christ's sake. Sadly, that wasn't unheard of for me. My boss's perfectly tailored, fine Italian suit, was fully disheveled, buttons missing, tie crooked and shirt half untucked.
My eyes roamed over my own state of being. It appeared as though my leather mini dress held up quite nicely from what I could see, nothing torn or missing.
Just as I was about to look away I noticed two tiny red marks on the upper area of my left breast. I flopped my head sideways for a closer look. Bite marks...how strange.
My weary gaze drifted over to the Tyrant, I watched as he ran his fingers through his soggy mop of hair.
Edroar's hand stilled midway. "You drooled on me?" his jaw clenched before lowering in disgust. The words were mostly slurred, but I could still make them out.
"I did not," I slurred back. "You stuck your hair in my mouth," my face remained sideways as I glared up at him. "And you bit my boob." I pointed to my chest with both hands.
"I most certainly did not," he scoffed at my accusation. "You stuck your breast in my mouth," his speech was clearer now and quickly filling with irritation.
"In case you haven't noticed," I spoke calmly, "you're on top of me." My eyes pointed out the obvious.
Other than his face, I was completely covered by his long, solid frame.
"Why can't I move properly?" he demanded to know, as he tried pulling away from me. It seemed the harder he tried the closer he became. His face ignited with anger.
"I have no idea," I replied, smoothly. "Are you drunk?"
"Hardly, I ordered one drink," he snarled, his patience wearing thin. A big, 'Do not push' sign appeared above his head.
"Sounds like you're a light weight to me." I smirked, earning a nasty scowl in response.
The Tyrant's tightly fisted hand pounded down on a button to his left, causing a privacy wall to go up, completely shutting us off from the driver.
He turned his face to mine. "Did you drug me, Ms. Swan?" His voice was eerily calm, but there was no mistaking the dangerous undertone to it.
My eyebrows hit the ceiling. "What? You're kidding, right?"
"What was in those cookies you fed me?" His nostrils flared menacingly.
The seriousness of his question threw me off a little. "Well, I assume flour, sugar, butter and eggs, but I'm sure if you Google boob cookies you can get the full recipe," I offered helpfully.
He leveled me with one look, changing the atmosphere immediately. "Tell me what I'm high on," his thunderous voice filled the small space we were in. "Don't even consider covering for those freaks. That would be unwise, I assure you."
It was silent as I stared him down a few moments. "There is no need for threats," I resisted an eye roll, letting out a deep sigh instead. "Obviously you're high on a small dose of hard liquor. You haven't eaten a thing a thing all day. What did you expect to happen?"
My finger shot up to his reddened face, landing at the center of his nose. I didn't plan for it to happen, he was just so close.
The bloodthirsty look he unleashed on me would have intimidated most people, certainly all of the people I worked with, yet I found it frustratingly enticing. The air between us became unbearably thick. I had trouble breathing it in. I swallowed hard.
My heartbeat sped up, pounding beneath my dress like a drum. I had to fight off the urge to torment him, just to hear him roar. Why the thought of that thrilled me so much I had no idea.
Clearly, I had issues.
He swatted my finger away like a bug which made me laugh, giggle actually, which was really weird since I never giggled like that, except when I was high.
I froze still as a statue, gasping mid giggle. Fuck me! Was I high…without even knowing it?
My fingers clamped across my mouth reflexively. I sat there wide-eyed and speechless as images of the night flashed before me. Edroar watched as the realization swept over me like a freight train.
"You can't possibly be that naive?" he exhaled with annoyance. His eyes held confusion and a bit of pity, which irked me.
"I'm not naive," I folded my arms defensively. "I was just very trusting, being that I was among friends."
He snorted in my face. "Friends, is that what you call them?" His nose raised in the air as he glared at me with a hardened scowl. "If you consider those maniacs your friends, then you're right. I don't understand."
"Of course you don't understand," I frowned at his angry face. "You don't have any friends and you certainly don't trust anyone." My words weren't meant to be cruel. I stated them softly, yet firmly.
It was the truth.
Large Tyrant hands landed on either side of me. He let out a low grunt as he pushed himself up, closely hovering over me, very closely, effectively trapping me beneath him.
"Untrue," he seethed, the deep vibration of his gravelly voice travelled all the way down to my toes.
To my dismay I found myself completely frazzled by him, more so than ever before. My brain was already in an altered state, making it near impossible to keep hold of my senses.
His eyes were dangerously dark as they forcibly grabbed onto mine. Practically every part of his body was in some way touching mine, and I mean…every part.
My tongue swept out across my bottom lip instinctively as I inhaled his warm cookie scented breath. Good Lord, I bet his mouth tasted amazing, probably like Mrs. Field's wayward brother. His breath smelled heavenly. There was just one question on my mind in that moment.
How inappropriate would it be if I nibbled on his lips as he glared down at me?
I was no fool. A part of me realized nibbling my angry, tyrant, lion, boss would be a maniacal death wish. However, there was this other part that brilliantly suggested I could lick him instead, which of course made more sense.
I wanted that. I wanted to lick those furious, red, cookie scented lips that were spewing fire down upon me.
If only I could move my head, that would really help, but I couldn't and he just wasn't close enough.
"Damn it. Damn it. Damn it," I grumbled beneath my breath.
The Tyrant's eyes were intense, vibrant green and burning hot with an overwhelming variety of emotions, rage being the dominant, as always.
They remained locked on mine.
The man was completely unraveled. Something told me he wasn't accustomed to losing control…ever. And yet, there he was struggling to speak properly, move accurately.
I sat there staring up at him, licking my lips, wanting to lick his. A small voice of reason kept trying to snap me back to reality. The nagging voice grew louder and louder until it was screaming at me not to devour him. Reluctantly, I retracted my tongue.
My lips were slick from my own saliva. The Lion's magic cookie powers caused me to completely lose track of what was going on around me.
I cleared my throat before speaking. "Uh...did you say something?"
He dipped down closer. "I said your words are untrue."
A fresh wave of warm cookies washed over my face, tempting me. All I wanted was to taste him. Just one little lick.
Instead I bit down on my tongue. "I…I said words?"
Honestly, how could I be expected to think straight when he smelled like that?
His face stiffened. "You said I don't trust anyone," there was a raspiness to his voice, "That is untrue," he shook off his thoughts before raising his bloodshot eyes to mine, "I trusted you."
The force of his statement smacked me across the face, literally causing my cheeks to burn. I'd never heard the word 'trust' uttered with such disgust before.
"Obviously a misjudgment on my part. It won't happen again," he added coolly before looking away.
Something shifted in that moment. I felt a connection between us breaking. A connection I hadn't even known existed. With great determination on his part he pulled away from me physically, yet it felt like so much more.
I didn't like it.
He must have been high. When did he ever trust me? His walls were always up. I had seen it constantly…with other people. Hell, I was my own worst enemy most of the time. Why on earth would he just recklessly trust someone like that without at least warning them?
It made no sense, but I couldn't shake the big ball of guilt that was now lodged deep in the pit of my stomach. I glanced over at him, my face solemn. He managed to sit upright beside me, which was no easy accomplishment, if his body was functioning like mine.
My boss's expensive suits always repulsed me, but I realized something while watching him struggle to straighten his tie. They were his armor. In his mind those suits exuded power and control, which for him was a necessity.
The man hadn't a friend in the world.
No cinnamon and tobacco smelling southern charmer to swoop in and pull him out of a funk. I wanted to know why he would deprive himself of such a basic human need.
I opened my mouth to ask but, "I'm sorry," came out instead, two tiny words spoken with more sincerity than I'd ever heard in my voice before.
I wasn't the type of girl that apologized very often. It was so rare that I felt something was my fault. I was a top notch excuse maker. Usually those words sounded so strange on my lips, but this time they didn't. Honestly, they sounded horribly inadequate.
He gave me a detached head nod before turning his attention to the window.
We rode in silence the rest of the way. I spent the time trying to piece together exactly what happened at The Box. One thing I knew about Tyler Crowley was that he never met a narcotic he didn't like. He thought of them as precious little life enhancers.
If you had a headache he'd hand you Ecstasy instead of Tylenol. He really meant no harm by it, but I knew better than to accept any pretty little pills from him. I just never thought to question a plate of freaking cookies. Who drugs their friends with phallic shaped treats?
The atmosphere in the car was intense to say the least. I had no idea how we even made it to the limo to begin with and I wasn't about to ask. The Tyrant was in no mood for small talk that much was clear.
Vaguely, I recalled Eleanor standing beside me right before I blacked out. She must have somehow helped us. I reached around looking for my purse and found it under my knee. I pulled out my phone to check the time. It was four thirty in the morning.
I wondered if Edroar still wanted his massage at eight sharp. I wondered if he still wanted his massage at all, from me anyway. I didn't intentionally drug him. I would never do such a thing. Once he got a few hours of sleep and regained control of his nervous system, he'd realize that.
As a child I loved twirling around in circles. I would get so dizzy I couldn't walk straight, staggering in a zigzag pattern with my arms out in front of me, giggling uncontrollably.
How cute at ten years old, at twenty-five…not so cute anymore.
Getting from the limo to the penthouse was a memorable trip to say the least. Thankfully, Edroar's driver prevented me from seriously injuring myself or anyone else in the vicinity.
I kept glancing behind me, keeping a watchful eye on my boss, who was doing far better than I was actually, though I knew it was with tremendous effort on his part.
The Lion was way too stubborn to accept help from anyone, angrily shooing away the doorman, the driver, and the elevator operator. Normally his movements were flawless, swift and fluid, almost inhuman, really.
His arrogant swagger always drove me insane, yet watching him struggle with choppy movements and unsteady maneuvering was much worse.
Jenks greeted us at the door. His usual expressionless face looked quite concerned. "Sir, are you injured?"
"I'll be fine," Edroar called over his shoulder as he walked away, without glancing at either of us.
Jenks' worried eyes landed on me. "Miss Bella, are you alright?"
I nodded. "Yes, just a little out of sorts. Would you help me find my room?" My back was leaning against the door frame, exactly where the driver had left me.
"Of course," like the gentleman he was, Jenks held out his arm and guided me to my room.
My bed was a welcomed sight.
I didn't even take off my dress before crashing on the mattress with a solid thump, my kick ass shoes were flung across the room. It was five o'clock in the morning.
Since midnight I managed to drug both myself and my boss, and seriously contemplated licking him as he scolded me. Twenty-five was not looking to be a very smart year for me.
I needed sleep. Then I could fix everything.
Having no idea if I was expected to report for work at eight, I set the alarm on my cell phone. It wouldn't be ideal for the Tyrant to receive a massage in his condition.
Hell, it wouldn't be ideal for me to give one in mine, but it was my job.
Though, I was definitely going to suggest delaying his morning massage until evening to allow time for the toxins to be released from his system. Otherwise it could actually make him feel worse.
The next thing I knew it was noon.
I blinked and the clock moved forward seven hours. I must have passed out without realizing it, sleeping right through the alarm.
I jumped up from my bed like it was on fire and flew out of the room, flying down the hall at top speed. I had no idea where I was even going. My body was running on adrenaline, my mind lagging far behind.
Why didn't anyone wake me?
As my bare feet padded down on the cool marble floor I slowly came to my senses. I was still wearing my leather mini dress, my hair hanging halfway out of my pony tail. I tugged on the tie, letting it fall loosely across my shoulders.
I desperately needed to get back to my room to shower. Then I needed to figure out if I still had a job. My stomach turned at the thought.
"You'll fix this," I reminded myself. But first I had to become human again. I probably looked like a cavewoman standing there in my tiny whoop ass dress, no shoes and hair as wild as a banshee.
I spun around to head back to my bedroom and was faced with multiple hallways. "Are you kidding me?" I shouted into the empty space. Not surprisingly there was no response.
If there had been any doubt that I truly was my own worst enemy it was erased in that moment. I trudged down the hall looking for signs of life. Every door I tried opening was locked.
After far too long I finally found an unlocked door. It wasn't my room, but at that point I was just so happy to get out of the hallway I really didn't care.
Of course the room led to another hallway which led to yet another room. Oddly enough it was familiar to me. It was near identical to the lobby of our health club in Seattle. Instantly I wondered if the massage room was nearby.
So I snooped around a bit. How could I not?
The weight room was almost an exact match. I half expected to see Emmett jump out from behind the barbells. There was no yoga studio…or Mike, thanks be to God, a sauna was there instead.
I wandered over to where Rose's aerobics class would have been and found an incredibly large and inviting hot tub set beside a massive window looking out over Central Park.
Amazing didn't even begin to describe it.
In fact I was highly tempted to drop my dress and dive right into the bubbling water, but I refrained.
Instead I headed over to where the massage room might be. Along the way I realized I actually missed the gang. I wondered if they would keep in touch with me after I lost my job.
I closed my eyes and pictured their shocked faces upon finding out I drugged our boss…with boob cookies of all things.
Own worst enemy was truly an understatement.
I let out a deep sigh as I swung the door open to the massage room. Except it wasn't a massage room at all. It was far better than that.
Standing before me was a state of the art, multi head, shower extravaganza, utterly impossible to resist. Not that I even tried. Before you could say 'cavewoman on crack' I swiped a fresh towel off the shelf and was halfway to the promise land.
After a long, steaming hot, near orgasmic, cleansing experience I dried off my body with a bright smile on my face, feeling human again. I wrapped the towel tightly around myself and ventured into the adjoining room, hoping to find a phone.
Alas, all I found was an empty bathroom. Beautiful as it may be, it was of no use to me. I really didn't want to put that damn leather mini-dress back on. Angela was right…it was my most dangerous article of clothing.
But I couldn't very well roam the halls in just a towel, not that anyone would see me. Lord knew there was no sign of life nearby.
My reflection in the bathroom mirror caused me to still momentarily.
It was crazy, but my hair actually looked healthier. While in the shower I found Edroar's shampoo and conditioner. They were specifically formulated for him by an elite European spa.
Was he for real?
I mean his hair was the first thing you noticed about him, that tousled mess of chaotic bronze. It was so twisted and tangled one might think he didn't even use shampoo and conditioner. Although, I could attest, unlike him, his hair was quite soft…and oddly enough it tasted like champagne.
I discovered that bit of information out when I woke up with a mouthful of Lion hair.
At first I thought I was imagining it, but when I scanned the ingredients on his snobby shampoo bottle, champagne grape seed oil was at the top of the list.
What a Fat Cat.
Quietly I made my way out of the bathroom, actually tiptoeing down the abandoned hall like a fool. After passing a few locked doors I spotted one that was half open and quickly headed for it.
My view of the room was blocked by a partition, but I spotted a phone on the wall. I made a beeline for it. Just as I had picked up the receiver I heard a voice clearing from behind me.
I spun around, phone still in hand.
It was my boss…of course, that was just my luck. Though based on his appearance I would never have known it was him. Gone was his stuffy suit. He stood before me shirtless, wearing simple black workout shorts.
We silently took each other in at the same time, equally confused, curious.
"I…uh got lost…again." I explained while awkwardly playing with the phone cord.
His head tilted slightly to the left. "You got lost walking from your bathroom to your closet?"
My eyes rolled. "Of course not, that would be ridiculous."
"Yes, it would be," he agreed, still taking me in.
I followed his gaze and then realized I was standing there practically naked, dripping water droplets all over his shiny hardwood floor.
A loud buzz suddenly emanated from the phone, scaring the hell out of me, causing me to fling the receiver across the room while letting out an ear piercing shriek. All sorts of lights started flashing on the damn thing.
Edroar quickly grabbed the receiver from the floor informing the person on the other end that everything was fine. He then walked over and hung up the phone.
He was now standing directly in front of me.
For the very first time since I laid eyes on him I couldn't read him at all. His eyes, normally so expressive, were a blank slate. I had no idea what he was thinking.
"Did you not pack clothing, Ms. Swan?" he asked calmly.
I squirmed in place, using my toe to draw tiny circles on the floor before me. Why was I so damn nervous?
I nodded, dumbly. "Yes, I have clothes."
He watched patiently, waiting for me to explain further, but I just stood there, creating toe art on his puddled floor.
"Ms. Swan," his voice pulled me away from my work.
"Yes?" Good Lord, my voice sounded so flustered.
"Tell me why you're roaming the halls like…that," he demanded, in his Mr. Cullen, bossy voice.
His glare was intense. I felt a wave of relief wash over me at the familiarity of it. The Lion was back. His eyes swiftly filled with chaos and anger, what a welcomed sight.
The return of the Tyrant rid me of nervous Bella in a flash. I flung a strand of wet hair over my shoulder, spreading more water around the room.
My eyes widened in emphasis as I exclaimed, "It's a labyrinth of beautiful emptiness out there!" I pointed to the door behind me.
He watched carefully, his face still expressionless, though his eyes told me he was interested in what I had to say.
I glanced up at the clock on the wall. "I slept through my alarm, and when I woke up I ran out of my room in a daze. I've spent the last two hours trying to find my way back," I paused briefly, "well, okay technically one…the other hour I was in your shower, which is amazing, by the way." I smiled widely at the thought of it.
"I see," was all he said.
There was silence.
"This whole area is amazing, actually," I continued on, "that hot tub is seriously begging to be used. I almost dove right in," my blabbering was cut off by a fierce look from the Lion.
He walked over to a small, inconspicuous panel on the wall and opened it. There was a keypad inside. He curled his finger, beckoning me over to him. I adjusted my towel before making my way across the room. When I reached him he pointed to the names on the keypad. I noticed Jenks was one of them.
"Oh, wow. I have one of those in my room," I said eagerly, the sly bitch I was.
"Yes, I'm sure you do," he said dryly. "There is one in every room."
"Really?" I scrunched my nose skeptically.
"Really," he confirmed. "They can be found in the hallways as well," he added with bit of sarcasm.
"Oh," I said quietly. "But they blend right into the wall. How would I spot them?"
"How did you spot the one in your room?"
"Jenks showed it to me."
"I'm not surprised. It's obvious you're highly unobservant," he noted, bitterly.
I coughed at the accusation. "What? I'll have you know I am an extremely observant person."
"Really?" he didn't look convinced in the least.
"Really," I stated firmly.
He stepped in closer to me. "Extremely observant people do not mistake poisonous liquids for water or debilitating, illegal, substances for cookies," his growl was thunderous. "Observant you most definitely are not," he snarled, full on Lion.
I raised a lone finger straight in the air. "Okay, perhaps that is true. But in my defense, how was I supposed to know that Fungicure was a clear and odorless liquid? And as far as the cookies..."
"Fungicure?" he cut me off abruptly.
My eyes turned into saucers. "What?" I asked, innocently.
His reddened face moved in closer. "Did you spray me in the face with Fungicure?"
"Not on purpose," I sang sweetly.
He shot me a wicked glare before storming across the room.
"Wait!" I yelled out, but he kept walking.
I followed after him practically running to catch up. He walked so damn fast with those ridiculously long legs of his. We rounded several corners with me calling his name to no response.
I heard a door slam and made double time to catch up knowing that Fat Cat was going to lock me out.
And I was right.
I pounded on the door, but he wouldn't open it. So I started yelling, not even sure if he was still on the other side.
"You're being very immature," I griped angrily. "I mean, you could at least let me explain."
The silence from the other side of the door did not deter me.
"I just want you to know that I would never intentionally drug or maim you," I proclaimed with complete sincerity.
The fact that I even needed to say such a thing to my boss was not something I was proud of.
I peeked through the tiny window on the door but the glass was beveled and I couldn't see a thing.
"If you can hear me I'd like you to know that I'm sorry….for everything," I exhaled deeply. "Well, maybe not everything. There have been times you were a real jerk to me," my arms folded together tightly. "Like the day we first met. You were just plain rude."
I looked around for something to pick the lock with. Jasper taught me. There were certainly situations it came in handy through the years.
"Oh and then when you called me a mindless school girl." I shouted at the door. "That was totally uncalled for." I was still searching the area as I spoke.
There was complete silence on the other side of the door. I placed my ear against it and heard nothing. He probably wasn't even listening to me. Genius that I was, I finally realized if I kept berating him he would never open the door. I truly was sorry and wanted to explain, but it seemed my apology skills were a bit lacking.
I took a cleansing breath and tried again.
"It meant a lot to me that you came out to The Box last night." I admitted to the lifeless wooden object before me. "Actually, I was kind of surprised by how happy I was to see you there." I smiled at the memory of first spotting him at the bar.
Still no sign of life on the other side of the door, but I didn't care. It felt good just to get my thoughts out in the open.
"You stood out like a sore thumb in your Fat Cat suit, you know. But I'm sure you're quite aware of the fact that you always stand out…wherever you go. Like a Lion. Like the King of the jungle," I attempted a mighty roar, but it was nowhere near as ferocious as what that man was capable of.
There was some sort of movement from the other side of the door, but it lasted only a few seconds.
I sighed in frustration. "And one more thing," I stood staring at the door. "It wasn't a mistake for you to trust me," my tone was serious. "I know I haven't exactly been proficient at earning your trust." Then I yelled loudly, "due to circumstances beyond my control," I paused a moment before adding, "but I would never intentionally betray you."
As I listened to the silence that followed I scanned the area like a hawk.
My lips curled into a smirk. "If you were an observant person you would already know that." I could never resist baiting him.
Though it really didn't matter since it was quite obvious I was talking to myself, which was probably for the best since it wasn't exactly an award winning apology, but I was improving. I certainly didn't want to make a habit of it though. Just as I was about to give up I spotted my ticket to the other side.
As I made my way to it I kept talking. "If you forgive me I'll make you a deal. You like making deals. I know you do. You're a business man."
Within seconds I had the door open and was standing in a large room. To my surprise my boss was at the center of it, wearing very odd looking boxing gloves, eyes on fire.
"Oh, shit!" I dropped my tool to the floor.
"Lock picking," he punched the life sized, punching bag before him. "Did one of your 'friends' teach you that?"
Damn! He moved with such crushing force, it was far beyond anything I had ever seen. I'd been witness to many a rowdy brawl in my life, but Edroar's speed and precision just completely took my breath away.
I stood there speechless as I watched him pummel his sandbag opponent relentlessly; using a mixture of deadly kicks and punches.
Every movement was flawlessly executed with lethal force.
To my absolute horror, I was turned on, incredibly turned on, beyond all sense of reason. Raw need flooded my body, nearly knocking me over. I ached in areas I never knew existed. It took everything I had not to pounce on him like a wild animal.
What the hell was wrong with me?
The man was my boss. Though, that was fact was debatable, since I was most likely fired, but still. I was now firmly at the top of his endlessly long list of people he didn't trust.
And yet images…horribly sinful, naughty images were flashing through my mind.
Seriously, what was going on with me? I had seen the man naked before. His body was magnificent. I knew that, but just like any other client of mine sexual thoughts were strictly forbidden. Not even a possibility.
Completely off the table.
However the floor could be an option, the raging floozy inside me quickly suggested. I was out of control. Maybe I was still high. That had to be it. Yes, this was Tyler's fault, damn that cookie lacing, blueberry burnout. He would pay.
I stood there for I don't know how long, shamelessly drooling over my boss. I found my feet slowly approaching him the second he halted his workout.
"I want to touch you," I said bluntly. My filter had fled my brain.
Edroar was covered in sweat. Normally I would find such a thing unattractive. His sweat though...it glistened. He actually seemed to sparkle under the direct light. The man had pretty sweat.
How crazy was that?
Oh, yeah. I was definitely still high. I had to be. What other possible explanation could there be? He grabbed a towel and wiped away some sparkle droplets on his forehead before turning to me.
"I have no time for a massage right now. I'll summon you when your services are required," he said coolly.
"Summon me?" My back stiffened.
He nodded, tossing the towel across his shoulders. "Yes, that's what I do when I need one of my servants. Do you have a problem with that, Ms. Swan?" He was testing me.
"I do, actually," I nodded. "You see, I find the term servant offensive." I stepped closer to him.
"Do you?" He had a smug look on his face.
"Yes, I do," I confirmed, stepping in again even closer, effectively backing him up against the battered sandbag. "Does it make you feel powerful to have servants, Mr. Cullen," I placed my hands on either side of him, trapping him beneath me.
"No," he stated confidently. "My power is the result of hard work and perseverance. My servants are a luxury I've earned."
"Oh, so then I'm a luxury," I clarified his statement.
He shook his head. "No, you are a maddening anomaly." His fingertips brushed lightly against the base of my spine.
The warmth of his touch filled my body with scorching heat. I'd never felt anything like it. He wasn't even directly touching my skin, yet the fire was incredibly intense.
I had to force myself not to rip off my towel. That would have left me completely naked. Why did I want that? Did he want that? I had no idea. Just as I was about to ask, loud, clompy, footsteps entered the room.
"Mr. Cullen," a strange voice called out. The man was in uniform, a security guard, no doubt.
I jumped back quickly, realizing how intimate the moment appeared.
"What is it?" Edroar asked impatiently.
"The alarm panel alerted me there was a break in to this room. Is everything alright?" his beady eyes roamed my legs as he spoke.
Edroar shot the man a deathly glare before stepping in front of me. "What do you think? Do I look as though I'm in danger?" he asked, sarcastically.
"Um…well I guess not," I heard the man stammering, though I couldn't see a thing.
"Very well then, you're dismissed," Edroar stated, cold as ice.
I heard the loud clomps leaving the room, moments later the Tyrant turned to me. "You need to get dressed," he said with a serious look on his face.
"Okay, will you show me where my room is?" I still had no clue.
He nodded his head before leading the way. As we walked the long and winding hallway together he made sure to point out the many information panels I hadn't noticed along the way, smirking each time, the smug bastard. When we got to my room I thanked him.
Just as he was about to step away I reached out for his arm and pulled him back to me. "Did you hear what I was saying to you outside the door?"
He thought a moment before answering. "Yes."
"Oh." I wasn't quite sure how I felt about that.
"I believe you offered me a deal, did you not?" His brow rose up curiously.
I fought off a goofy smile. "I did. Are you interested?"
"That depends on the offer," he smirked, wickedly.
"Well, your end of the deal would be to forgive me for accidentally drugging and maiming you," I explained calmly.
"Forgiveness?" he seemed intrigued by the concept. "That is what you're interested in?"
I nodded. "Yes, I want you to forgive me. Have you ever forgiven anyone before?"
"Definitely not," he stated firmly before I barely finished my sentence. "I am not an
easy going man."
"Really?" I gasped in shock, "I had no idea."
"If you were any other employee you would have been fired on day one," he stated, fully serious.
"Would I?" I contemplated his words as he nodded. "Are any of your other employees' anomalies?" I was being flirtatious, I couldn't help myself.
"Maddening anomaly," he corrected. "No, just you."
"Wow, I had no idea I was the only one." I flashed him a bright smile. "You know, if you were any other boss of mine I would have quit on day one and told you to go to hell."
"I believe that," he nodded his head, keeping his eyes firmly locked on mine. "Were any of your other bosses Fat Cats?"
"Arrogant Fat Cat," I corrected and watched him smile. It was genuine and made my heart rate triple instantly. "No, you're the only one."
I realized we had unintentionally moved closer together. So close that I was practically flat against the man. I had to get a hold of myself.
He cleared his throat and slowly backed away. "I have a meeting."
Edroar was flustered, I could see it. He ran his fingers through his hair, leaving it a ruffled mess. The tips of his ears were reddened. Why did I find that adorable?
Dear God, I needed serious help.
"Okay," I fiddled with the doorknob, "Oh, so what about our deal?" I asked just as he turned to walk away.
He looked back at me. "I don't hold you accountable for the cookies. It was my fault for trusting you to begin with," he paused. "But spraying me in the face with Fungicure I will never forgive you for," he shot me a sinister look. "Ever."
"We'll see about that!" I yelled out to him as he walked away.
"Get dressed," he yelled back before rounding the corner. "I'm taking you out for dinner tonight, to a place with no freaks or criminals. Can you handle that?"
I laughed, thinking he was kidding. "Very funny, are we dining at the Four Seasons or the Waldorf this evening? I need to know which jewels would be more appropriate," I said in a posh accent.
"Neither and no jewels, be ready by eight sharp," he said without a hint of sarcasm.
He was serious.
"Are you serious?" I asked, clearly shocked.
"About the jewels? Yes, they're extremely obnoxious, overpriced rocks." His nose was in the air.
"No, I mean about taking me to dinner? What about your massage?" My eyes were rampantly searching his. Was I fired?
Maybe it was a good-bye dinner. Though I highly doubted Edroar did such things. He started walking back to me and I found myself meeting him halfway.
"I'll let you know when I require a massage," he said, smoothly, "And yes, I'm serious about dinner. There will be no drugs or strippers though. If you can deal with that then meet me in the main foyer at eight. Don't be late."
"No drugs or strippers," I frowned. "I'll have to think about this. It's a lot to ask. Will there be any illegal activity at all?"
"No," he shook his head firmly.
I sighed deeply. "Okay fine, but this is insanity."
His face became alarmingly serious. "Perhaps," he mumbled before walking away, leaving me completely confused.
After returning to my room, I leaned up against the closed door, eight o'clock would be plenty of time for my odd, drug induced, attraction to my boss to wear off.
Tonight was going to be pure business. There would be no nibbling, licking or flirting with Edroar. Damn it! The images instantly flooded my brain again.
How annoying.
"I will not sexually assault my boss." I chanted several times, attempting to block the downright raunchy visuals that were floating around in my mind.
Stomping my foot down on the floor I swore to behave myself at all costs.
How hard could it be?
To my dismay, that was exactly what I wanted to find out. Not good Bella. Not good at all.
A/N: Next up…dinner with a boob biting Lion. Oh my! Wonder what's on the menu? Will Bella's attraction to her boss wear off?
Huge Love to the most kick ass and compassionate fandom that ever existed. How I survived SO many years without you guys I will never know.
Fun Fact: The song Anna Molly by Incubus (quote at top) is a play on the word anomaly, which is exactly what Edroar considers Bella at the moment. He thinks of that maddening girl whenever he hears the song (on profile and blog).
Warm Hugs to the I Will Cut a Bitch Hormonal club...a word of advice I wouldn't mess with them. They ROCK!
Guess What Guys…. I FINALLY figured out how to use my blog, well to the best of my feeble ability. But there are pictures, videos and needless rambling to be found on there.
That's all for now folks. Let me know what you think…it completes me.