Before the sun made its break into the horizon the next morning, Bella found herself wide awake, lying perfectly still and more content than she could remember feeling in a very long time. As the first hints of daylight began to creep into the room, she focused on the only thing that mattered in that space in time—the warmth surrounding her by the arms of the amazing man at her side.

Lying in Edward's bed, snuggled close to him as she ran her eyes over every angle and curve of his face, her mind drifted to the night before. She could still feel the ghost sensations from the tremors of anticipation she'd experienced from the instant they hurried out of their office; his hand on her back, her leg, and then, seemingly everywhere and still not enough all at once. She had worried that when they finally reached that point in time, it would be rushed, anxious, and over before it truly began, after waiting for so long.

Yet, somehow, even with the desperate need to touch and feel one another, it had not weakened the experience. The wait really had made every kiss taste sweeter, each embrace fuller, and Edward speaking the words she had only ever heard whispered in her dreams warmed her straight through to her bones. If there had ever been any doubt in her mind of how in love with that man she was, that instant would have completely obliterated its existence. She could see it written clearly in his eyes in return as well.

"Bella," he whispered in his sleep as his arm tightened around her shoulders. A sweet hum warmed her forehead, his breath still too slow. For one selfish moment, she hoped that he would stir and wake up. His leg shifted beneath hers, but he settled once again. She had to exhale slowly as desire curled in her stomach, her hand slinking around his side to pull her body closer to him. If only they could have just remained there all day, wrapped in one another's embrace; yet, Bella knew that was impossible. The clock on his bedside table indicated that they only had a little more than ten minutes until the alarm would go off. Then at most, another half an hour before she would have to leave his apartment and head back to hers in order to get ready for work by eight. Being late was not an option as she had an important meeting that morning at nine and wanted to make sure she was fully prepared and organized be the time her potential client arrived.

However, she was still craving some time with the man she loved before then as well. It was time to wake him up. Her lips brushed gently against his jaw, the day-old scruff that lined it prickling her skin. Edward's chest rose with a deep draw of breath through his nose, followed by a soft, sleepy grunt. She smiled and ran her foot along the side of his calf, her kisses moving to his pulse point and down his neck. She lifted her gaze when he cleared his throat and his fingers wove into her hair, her wide eyes meeting his still half-closed green ones.

Bella brought her hand to his face, running her thumb along his cheekbone, and whispered, "Good morning."

A lazy smile stretched across his face and his other arm moved around her, hugging her more securely against him. "Good morning, beautiful." It was better than she ever dared to imagine.

Their lips met in a soft kiss that warmed her further as his hand drifted down her back. The caress may have been gentle, but it only served to ignite the embers of desire. She moaned into his mouth, earning a groan and a shift of their bodies. He slid his leg between hers and filled his palm with her breast before he cupped her face to deepen their kiss. Just as he pulled away to breathe and lay several licks and nips along her jaw and neck, the alarm startled them. They laughed, still panting from mutual arousal.

"That's one hell of a good morning," he said, his eyes wide open as he stared down at her. "It was definitely worth the wait." He paused to pepper her face with small kisses. "I'm on good terms with the boss, so he won't mind if we're a little late. Or we could always just call in sick."

She moaned as his lips unfairly captured her earlobe, his voice deeper than before. She knew he was only teasing, even before he began pulling away. He was well aware she had a meeting with a Seattle Seahawks player, and he had the potential to bring ten times more clients than most in her appointment book. "Nice try. I have enough time to brush my teeth, slip into my clothes, and catch a taxi to my place to get ready."

"I knew there was a downside to doing this on a weekday," he said, skimming his hand along her side to the underside of her breast. "I don't regret it one bit, though." She traced his jaw with a fingertip, thumbing his lip, which he nipped at playfully, his eyes vibrant as he watched her. "I love you, Bella."

"I love you." She drew him in for another kiss, her fingers delving into his soft hair. The alarm blared once again a few short minutes later. "I need to go." She didn't want to; she would have much rather explored what a morning in bed would be like.

He moved to lay by her side, tracing patterns along her stomach and chest. "Take my car. I'll grab a taxi to work."

Bella hummed in agreement as she slipped out of bed, feeling somewhat surprised he'd allow her to drive it again and without him present. Didn't most men hate someone else driving their precious babies? She was well aware of Edward watching her as he sat back against the headboard, likely looking sexy as hell. If she turned to look at him, she'd never leave. Where were her clothes?

"Most of your things are on the chair in the corner."

"Thanks." Bella found her toothbrush in her purse and quickly freshened up in the adjacent restroom. Edward was still in bed, watching her every move when she returned. She picked up her torn underwear on the chair. They hadn't made it in their haste the night before. Raising them for Edward to see, he only chuckled and shrugged, not one bit apologetic. "Ah, it was worth it."

"Of course, it was." The man had a cocky smile on his face, his hands cradling the back of his head. Sometime during her trip to the bathroom, he'd put on a pair of boxers. Sans underwear, she threw on her dress, but laughed when he groaned. "Fucking hell, Bella. You're walking out my apartment with no underwear on and I'm supposed to be okay with that?"

Bella glanced at him again with a raised eyebrow with a smirk of her own on her lips. "At least you'll have time to take a cold shower while you remind yourself why it's a bad idea to shred my clothing."

Edward's grin widened as he stood from the bed to walk over to her, and he watched as her body tremored with his closeness. She rubbed her thighs together as she turned away from him, missing the feel of his touch, and he didn't leave her wanting for too long. He stepped up behind her, his hands sliding along the curve of her waist, his lips on her ear. "Let me make you feel good, Bella." God, she wanted to let him, but they didn't have the time. Between the drive to her place and time she needed to get ready, she was already cutting it close. "Just you, baby. I want to watch you come undone."

Before she could come up with a possible reason to say no, he sat in the chair and pulled her onto his lap. A part of her wanted to stop him, but then she lost all her senses as her backside pressed tight against his groin, and she felt how much he wanted to touch her. His hands slid along her thighs, pulling the dress up to her waist. He hummed in approval and draped her knee over the arm of the chair to open her up more fully to him. Seemingly satisfied with her position, he tipped her chin up with a finger and kissed her. There was no hesitancy, only desire as he deepened it with a stroke of his tongue. She gasped as his hand suddenly slipped into her dress to pull at her nipples.

"Edward," she moaned softly, her eyes closing as his mouth drifted to her neck. He kept her still with his wandering hand, but she craved more. His fingers soon slid between her thighs, and she felt lightheaded with want, and knew she wouldn't last long. She hoped it would always be like that with them.

Edward groaned her name, his lips on her temple as he pressed a finger inside her, adding another within a few strokes. She lifted her hand to pull him in for a frantic kiss, her eyes rolling back when he thrust harder. He curled his fingers just right, nearly sending her over the edge. She tugged on his hair and bucked her hips, seeking more, of what she wasn't sure. She could barely remember her name at that point. All she knew for certain was that she needed more of Edward, all of him.

"You have me," he whispered, his voice only amplifying her desire. His thumb gently swiped where she was the most sensitive, eliciting a wave so potent that her toes curled. "That's it, let go. Let me see you."

She cursed; she was positive of that. Edward continued saying the sexiest things in her ear, his voice filled with arousal, low and deep. It was only when he gently bit the corner of her mouth and rubbed a little more briskly that she shattered. His name was a rough lament on her lips, her body nearly bowed off him, but he kept her close and helped ground her as she rode out her orgasm.

Edward kept his arms around her, cradling her as she began to go limp in his hold. He was smiling when her eyes fluttered open again to look at him, and her hand rose to his face to trace along his jaw. "Better?"

"For now," she replied softly, guiding him closer until their lips met in a gentle kiss. "At least until later when I have the time to return the favor, fuck your brains out, and fulfill the promise I made a few weeks ago." His answering groan was deeper, and he took her lips with the same ferocity as before. "Edward," she said, pulling away before it was too late. "If only we had more time."

He pressed his forehead against hers, nodding as he tried to catch his breath. "We'll have plenty of time tonight."

A few minutes and several kisses later, Bella was on the way to her apartment. She had hoped that the drive would help her focus on business, but it wasn't easy. She could still smell Edward on her clothes and skin and feel the effect of his stubble on her neck and breasts. She pulled into her apartment complex and took a few minutes to gather herself. It wasn't hard to imagine what the rest of the day would be like, but she could guess—torture.

Edward would never admit to anyone that he arrived to work early for the pleasure of watching Bella walk into her office. He'd also abhor the thought of revealing that he counted the minutes ticking by until she arrived. She never questioned the reason why he was always the first in the office, and only thought his dedication matched hers. It did, but it wasn't the only explanation.

The unobscured view down the hallway, thanks to clear walls, provided him an opportunity to get his fill. It was something he indulged in every day since they started to use the building. He heard the elevator at the opposite end of their offices and had to stop himself from watching the doors. The figures on his computer screen seemed to blend together, his thoughts too preoccupied with Bella. He knew it would be hard to get through the day once he had a taste of her, but anticipation would undoubtedly build to make their evenings together unforgettable.

It hadn't taken long for him to miss her after she left his apartment that morning, having sent her a message minutes after she drove off. He swore he could still taste her on his lips and feel her on the tips of his fingers. He nearly groaned as brief flashes of her body against his and the sounds she made replayed in his mind.

"Get a hold of yourself, Cullen," he said aloud, hoping to alleviate some of the tension he felt. It proved futile the moment the elevator announced her arrival. He lifted the ebony ballpoint pen Bella had given him days earlier, clicking one end as the doors open.

She was dressed to kill in blue. A slim black jacket draped over her arm, with her sleeves pulled up to her elbows in a dress made to turn heads. The blue on blue pattern made it playful, while the plunging neckline came to a stop right between her breasts. The hem teased inches above her knees, as a gold belt complimented the thin chain she wore, with a teardrop pendant.

Edward's eyes settled on her face, to find her knowingly smiling. She knew exactly what she did to him. He countered that grin a wink, since there was no sense in denying the truth. His cell phone drew his attention, an alarm to remind him that he had a conference call to make in a few hours that he needed to prepare for. Bella had detoured to her office, turning on the light table on the way to her desk.

After unloading her bag and coat, she walked over to his door and entered once he waved her inside. "I wanted to drop these off before I forget," she said, gliding into the room and placing the car keys on his desk. She took a moment to slide the tip of her finger along the edge, a promising look in her eyes. "I've missed you this morning."

He cocked an eyebrow. "It hasn't even been two hours. Though, the feeling is mutual."

She placed her hands on the desk and leaned toward him, giving him one hell of a view of the tempting curve of her neck. "I hope it wasn't presumptuous of me to pack an overnight bag." His body tensed as her words teased his senses and possessed his thoughts. "I thought I could come over tonight after work to discuss—" the longing in her gaze turned sinful and promising, "projections."

Edward held her gaze as he stood and buttoned his jacket, aware of her watchful eyes, and circling his desk. His finger grazed the side of her hand still resting on the edge, sliding along the softness of her skin until he met the fabric of her sleeve at her elbow, and there he settled his palm against her. Surprised by the touch, she held perfectly still as he lifted his other hand to her arm, all while standing behind her. He skimmed his fingers over the curve of her shoulder, danced them along the arch of her neck to run down the luxurious loose waves hanging down her back. It was hard to ignore the tempting invitation she presented him as she angled her head to one side, as if to give him access to all her secrets.

"Not at all presumptuous, Ms. Swan. In fact, it's rather ingenious of you." Her laugh was richer than usual, a little huskier as he slid his hand achingly slow down the gentle curve of her back again. "I'm looking forward to our evening." She moaned softly the moment he stepped close enough for her to feel the effect she had on him, hard and hot against her ass.

Bella closed her eyes and her tongue peeked out to run over her bottom lip, her head leaning back on his shoulder. The effect he was having on her was showing in every movement and heavy breath that she took, as well as her hand leaving his desk to cover his, now on her hip. "Edward, we agreed…"

"I know. Not in the office," he whispered against her hair, pressing a kiss to it. "There's nothing wrong with touching. It just heightens the anticipation for our evening together." His warm hand wrapped partially around her throat, her pulse erratic under his palm. "You look beautiful." He pressed one light kiss on the other side of her neck, loving the sound she made at the touch of his lips.

"You don't fight fair," she said, her hips slightly swaying. His answering groan made her smile, which meant they had to stop before they did something they'd regret. A promise was a promise and they'd come too far already to break it. With one last caress of her ass against his groin, she pulled away, nearly panting with desire. She turned before he had second thoughts and cocked an eyebrow, which he barely caught, since his gaze was on her chest. Drawing her arms up to cross over said area, he finally met her eyes with a lavish wink. The way he licked and rubbed at his lips should be illegal.

"Never said I would," was his tart reply. He cocked his head just so, as his eyes traveled over her from head to toe. It was a look that she felt touch every part of her, especially the slight ache between her thighs. She clenched her knees together to keep from swaying. It was time to play a little, too. A quick look at the display clock on his desk, told her she had little time to make her man sweat.

"My client will be here in a few minutes, and now I'm achy and in desperate need to be filled." Edward's eyes widened slightly, but the way his nose flared and his jaw clenched, said he was ready to say 'fuck the promise'. She put a hand on his chest when he tried to close the distance between them. "We really wouldn't have enough time, anyway."

"Lunch?" His voice was deeper than before, and that one word held a whole slew of promise. She did mention lunchtime trysts before, and of course, he'd never forget that.

"We'll see," she said, shrugging indifferently. The slight pressure his body against her still extended hand, told her all she needed to know. She was pushing him, as much as he had done to her, and she managed it with very little touching. The score was even now. Why not tip the odds in her favor? She pushed past him, toward the door, with a little more sway than usual.

God, the woman could walk, Edward thought, thoroughly enjoying the view. One that earned a healthy groan from him, but she stopped midway, wiggled a little, as if uncomfortable. She took another step and stopped again.

"Is something wrong?" he asked. She turned and flashed a dirty look at him, before returning to his desk. Her hands disappeared underneath her the skirt of her dress. Had she changed her mind on the promise they made? Did he have the will to put a stop to it? If she continued moving the way she did, he doubted it. "What are you doing?"

"Taking off my underwear," she stated, with a little anger and amusement in her tone.

"What? Why?"

"I'm wet, and frankly, it's not comfortable to be walking or standing around in. And as I said, my client will be arriving any minute."

His mouth with dry, while he suddenly lost the ability to speak—that was until his brain caught up with another startling thought. "Bella, just you leaving my apartment this morning like that was torturous, and you were only going as far as my car. You can't meet with your next appointment without underwear on. Any man knows when a woman isn't wearing any."

She rolled her eyes as she balanced on one heel to finish, a very small swatch of black lace dangled from one fingertip. "At most, he'd think I was wearing a thong, not that I was going commando."

"That's not much better." The potential client she was meeting was a known womanizer and the fact that he specifically sought her out after seeing her picture in the paper did not sit well with him. "You need to put them back on," he cleared his throat, his tie suddenly too tight. "In fact, why don't I give you a hand?"

She smiled as she stood up fully. "You can help, by holding on to them." She popped open his bottom drawer in his desk and dropped them inside, without another word. With a kiss on his cheek and a pat on his ass, she left him speechless in the middle of his office. His eyes followed her as she went about prepping for her meeting in her office, as if it was normal to do so without underwear.

The sound of his phone ringing broke through the lust-filled haze of his mind. He answered it, too firmly, but managed to calm down by loosening his tie. His gaze remained on Bella during the short call as she moved things about her desk and settled a blueprint on the light table, bending over it. The lack of panty lines in her dress fucked with his head.

The moment he was off the phone, he punched in Bella's line, she ignored it and looked at him through the glass walls that separated them. She looked confused, but the tiny lift of one corner of her mouth, he realized she knew that he was riled up.

When she kept working, he tried the intercom, thankful for the system. "Put your panties back on," he said firmly, working his tie a little looser. She waved her ass in the air, pointedly ignoring him. "Bella, please put them back on."

She walked over to her desk and addressed him. "They're too wet, Edward. Shouldn't you be patting yourself on the back for that? I'll grab another set at lunch, down the street at that little lingerie shop."

He pulled open the bottom drawer and slipped his hand inside, groaning the moment his fingers enclosed around the fabric. Her laughter in a way delighted him, but he was still upset that she'd be walking around without them on while the behemoth of a football player was in the same room with her. He watched as Bella pulled out her phone and seemed to type something, just before his rang. "Yes?"

"Now that I think about it, maybe it'll be best to always have an extra set in my desk," Bella grumbled. "You look too good in suits, and jeans, and sweats, and between the sheets."

He had to say goodbye after that and considered tossing his tie off for the remainder of the day. It was clear that Bella didn't fight fair, either.

It was going to be a long morning.

Thankfully, Edward's work ethic had conditioned him to multi-task in high stress situations, as that was exactly what he was dealing with. As one hour stretched into two, he juggled phone calls, emails, as well as keeping a not-so-surreptitious eye on Bella, or more accurately, the other occupant in the room with her.

Bella, he trusted. A single man with a reputation for wandering eyes and hands in the same space with his exceedingly sexy girlfriend—not so much. His pantiless, sexy girlfriend, at that. Luckily for said man, he appeared to keep both his gaze and his digits to himself, but Edward was still losing his mind every time Bella would lean across the table to reach something or point out an area on the blueprint. Her already tight skirt would stretch even more snugly across her ass, and he swore the man with her had caught that and thoroughly enjoyed the view.

Right? Who wouldn't?

Keeping himself in check was harder than he imagined. He tried to remember the last time he felt as jealous and possessive before and couldn't come up with anything. The girlfriends in his past were beautiful in their own way, yet, he never felt the need to go out of his way to show some asshole that she was with him. It was taking considerable control to keep from doing that as he watched Mr. Black lean too close to Bella.

Was it necessary to invade her personal space?

Edward breathed in deeply, saving a file on his computer. If he remained seated and continued to watch them, he knew he might do something idiotic. Again, he trusted Bella implicitly, and a part of him knew that Mr. Black hadn't made any moves toward her but being so new to the current emotions that simmered inside him, was taking a toll on him. For a moment, his eyes met Bella's as he rose from his chair. Mr. Black was talking, too distracted to notice her attention was elsewhere.

Edward offered her a smile and walked toward the entrance that led to the roof, he needed a few moments to gather himself before his conference call. He hadn't been gone long, before Bella called him from the foot of the stairway. Hands deep in his pockets, he climbed down the stairs and joined her. Confusion lit up in her eyes and he wanted to erase some of the doubt he'd seen in them. Taking her hand, he asked if her client was gone.

"Jake left a few minutes ago." Her fingers tightened around his as they stepped into his office. "Is everything all right?"

He slipped a wayward curl behind her ear as they stepped into his office. "Everything is fine."

"Edward, don't try to hide things from me. I know you too well, so I know when something is wrong."

She was right; he knew he couldn't hide anything from her. "Let's just say, I've never been the jealous type, at least not at this level." He let that sink in for a moment, her confusion deepening. "That is, until today."

"Oh," she huffed, taking a seat in one of his chairs, still holding his hand. "You know you have nothing to worry about, right?"

"Yes, but this is new to me. I'm not used to feeling possessive or jealous," he stated, crouching down in front of her. "I know you wouldn't do anything, but men like Mr. Black sometimes need a reminder of that." He shrugged. "At least that's how I saw it."

"You know this comes with the job, because we usually deal with very influential people that I swear don't seem to know how to take a hint."

"Did Mr. Black try something?"

"No, Edward. Sure, he subtly asked if I was seeing anyone, but the moment I told him I was, he backed off. That was ten minutes into our meeting." She blushed a little. "I was actually talking about Maria Santos. God, she couldn't keep her hands off you when you worked on her daddy's building. Any excuse to touch you, she took it. Remember?"

Edward tried in vain to hold back the chuckle on the tip of his tongue. "You were jealous, even back then."

"I had no right to be, I know."

"There were brief moments that I felt the same when I overheard you talking about your ex. I always pushed them back, too afraid to dwell on them. You weren't mine."

"I am now."

He felt his nose flare as his body tightened with desire at her words. "You are, as I am yours."

She leaned toward him, her neckline gaping just enough to see the swells of her breasts. Fuck, he thought. "I know you have a conference call in a while, but I kind of want to know exactly how you would've made it obvious to Jake that I'm with you."

"You're playing with fire," he said, slipping his hands on her thighs, over her dress. If he touched her skin, he'd have her naked and under him in less than a minute, and she would be all for it. He was positive. "I wanted to walk in that room and claim you."

She moaned softly, her hands on top of his, pushing them higher up. "I want that, too." He cocked an eyebrow in question. "Not in front of Jake, but I want you to claim me." She brushed her lips over his ear. "Over and over again."

Stopping short of her hips, he squeezed and made her moan, a sound that went straight to both of his heads. Instantly, he calculated how many hours they had before he could fulfill their mutual desire, as his cock hardened. It was his turn to touch his lips to her ear, eliciting another sweet, desire filled sound from her.

"Tonight, I'll do just that. Claim you and fuck you until the only thing on your mind is my cock and my name."

"Oh fuck," she hissed, having to pull back from the heady tension in their little bubble. Before Edward could at the very least give a preview of what was to come, a ding from the elevator announced an unexpected visitor. He stood up quickly, circling the desk before whoever it was noticed the budge in his slacks. All the while, Bella appeared thoroughly dazed.

"It appears that Mr. Black has decided he needed a little more of your time." At least his reappearance killed his arousal.

Bella seemed to snap out of it, standing to greet her client with a smile that made Edward once again feel that overwhelming emotion of jealously. He had to get used to it, because Bella was right; Mr. Black wouldn't be the first to make him feel that way.

"I don't even need to think about it, I want you," Mr. Black stated, not even bothering to introduce himself. Edward wasn't even sure he knew there was another person in the office. Bella's eyes widened almost comically at her client's words. Finally, the man saw that they weren't alone. "Oh, you must be Edward Cullen, heard good things about you. Jacob Black." Oblivious to the turmoil he created in Edward, he offered his hand, his grip as healthy and numbing as his. He returned his attention on Bella. "We should hammer out the details over lunch."

Bella winced and looked at her watch. "It's a little early."

"Come on, you have to eat, right? Besides we can beat the lunch time rush." Mr. Black looked from Bella to him. She was right, some people had a hard time taking a hint; yet, Edward knew she had to go with him. "Would you like to join us, Mr. Cullen?"

"I would love to, but I have a call in a while. Maybe some other time, thank you." Jacob nodded and waited for Bella to grab her purse, talking all the while about a pool house his friend wanted. They walked down the hall toward the elevator and Edward fought the instinct to follow them.

As the workday progressed, not only had Mr. Black taken Bella to lunch, they returned with half of his teammates, and few family members. He might have chosen to be respectful of her and keep the professional line between them, but some of his fellow football players did not.

By the end of the day, Edward was climbing the walls, in desperate need to stake his claim. There was no other way to describe his mounting desire, but he waited patiently for her to finish with a few last minutes things, biding his time. Their evening couldn't come soon enough, and he had so many plans.