Short chap today. Sorry. But I had to get it up! And you people rock.

Don't own.

Ch 11: Take My Breath Away

I woke the next morning in Edward's bed, its owner right next to me.

Woah.

Why was Edward right next to me?

HOLY CRAP!

I was under the covers!

I know for a fact I hadn't fallen asleep that way!

Quickly I threw the blankets off of me, and saw that I still had my gown on and still had the shoes…maybe I'd crawled underneath them sometime in the night because I was cold?

That didn't matter. The fact was, I was in bed with Edward for a night, and that was weird.

In my frenzy to get up and off of the bed, I forgot that I had heels on despite the fact that I just noticed I had them on, and managed to fall out of the bed when I tried to step off of it.

…cue large thud, as I knocked the alarm clock off of the nightstand in my attempt to stay up, and landed painfully on my behind.

Needless to say, Edward wasn't asleep very much longer.

"You stayed?" his voice was soft, and surprised once more as I got to my feet, then froze.

Shit. He was awake.

"Um…this is a dreeeeeeammm!" I said in what I thought was a spectral voice, hoping in his groggy morning state, getting over a fever to boot, he'd believe me. "You're only sleeeeeeeeping! Wooooooooooh!"

"You make an awful ghost." He said, sitting up too quickly, and swaying a bit.

I sighed, and rubbed my butt. It still hurt.

"You have a really hard floor." I grumbled, going around to his side and getting the thermometer, to check his temperature again.

"Well maybe you should learn how to walk." He said, then glared at me as I shoved the thermometer in his mouth. "How'd we get here?" He tried to ask, garbled with the thermometer under his tongue.

"You don't remember?" I asked, curious. I thought he'd at least remember waking up when I took his temperature last night. He shook his head, looking absolutely hilarious with the thermometer in his mouth and a cross look on his face. "99.8. Good, it's going down."

"Why did you stay?" he asked, trying to get up, but I forced him back down.

"It's the least I could do." I found myself saying. Our eyes had locked, and I was finding it hard to look away. "While you're awake you should take a hot shower."

I tore myself away from him, and went to his dresser drawers, pulling out clean clothes for him and sweatpants and a shirt for me.

"I'm going to go get some things at the grocers, I'll be back in a few." I helped him up and made sure he was in the bathroom before I changed.

Crap. All I had was heels.

He had to have slippers, or something, right?

I searched opened his closet, and saw a very neat assortment of dress shoes and suits, and sighed. Everything there was much too large.

Guess I was stuck in high heels and sweatpants…

I found money in his wallet and got my jacket, locating the nearest grocer quickly, just down the street…

I was good at cooking, so I made chicken soup instead of heating up a can of Campbell's and calling it a day. It would need to simmer for a while, and as I left it on the stove to cook I joined Edward in the living room, and saw him sitting watching the news.

I was glad he wasn't arguing with me.

And he was adorable, sitting on the couch wrapped in several blankets, like a little boy.

He had completely lost his edge, and I wasn't sure if it was just because he was sick, or because I was falling for him so automatically any flaws disappeared.

It could be either, it was probably both.

I was lost in my thoughts for quite some time, absently staring at the television without really paying attention to what I was watching. I checked the soup, and sat with him in silence again, he absently flipping channels.

The silence wasn't awkward, for some reason. We didn't really have anything to talk about, there was nothing on television, and I was a fairly boring person…

It was refreshing, almost.

Finally, the soup was finished, and I was scooping some in a bowl when a voice made me turn.

"Going to spill it on you this time?" he said, smirking. Apparently, he'd heard all about my incident with Emmett, that had gotten me fired.

I turned around and glared. I couldn't keep it up for long, though, because he was sitting at the counter, on a stool, still wrapped in blankets. He still looked awful, but looked cute.

"Here." I said, placing a bowl in front of him at the counter. "Watch out, it's hot."

I watched him, and saw that his hands were shaking the soup off of the spoon before he could even get it to his mouth. He sighed, dropping the spoon back into the bowl, and leaned his head on his hand, on the counter.

"I feel like an idiot." He grumbled. "I can't even eat soup."

"You shouldn't be up yet. Go sit back on the couch." I said, following him with the soup in a travel mug for easier consumption.

I'd help him eat it, goddamn it. He needed to eat something…and my soup was too good to pass up.

"Why are you doing this?" He asked as I sat down next to him on the couch with the cup for him and a bowl of soup in my hands for myself.

"Why not?" I shrugged, handing him a travel mug with the cap on it. "Try this."

He obeyed, and looked confused a moment later, opening the top.

"You gave me soup in a cup?"

I smiled, and put the cap back on for him.

"Well it wasn't working in a bowl."

He looked at me for a long moment, and I couldn't quite decipher the look in his eyes. I broke the exchange, looking down. My cheeks were reddening.

I couldn't help but think that maybe he was thinking about me, maybe he felt about me like I felt for him.

But probably not…

"This is probably the nicest thing anyone outside my family has ever done for me."

"It's nothing, really." I smiled, feeling the blood rushing to my cheeks. He'd just complimented me.

"No…it is something." He locked eyes with me, holding my gaze. He smiled. "I don't understand you, at all. You're completely different than anyone else I've ever met before. You're stubborn as hell, but you're sweet, too. I like it."

I flushed again, though unable to tear my eyes away from him.

Maybe his fever was making him loopy.

Or maybe I just couldn't believe that he could possibly be interested in me. Yeah, I think that was it.

I felt like a teenager again, a giddy little girl fawning over the school heartthrob.

As a result of my thoughts, I found myself touching his forehead with my hand to check for increased fever.

"Are you sure you're feeling better?" I said, narrowing my eyes at him. "Because I think you just complimented me. You must be out of it…"

He caught my hand in his, with a light chuckle, then kissed it.

"I meant what I said last night, Bella. That much I remember. You are beautiful." He said, keeping my hand captive.

My eyes widened. I'd forgotten that completely, I was too hyped up over getting him home.

Okay, NOW my heart was going wild. His fever had gone down considerably since then, it was nearly gone by now. He wasn't hallucinating, he really had just said that to me.

I don't think he thought about him being my boss for a second, this whole day.

I knew what that look was, the one I couldn't figure out before.

He had a smile, a genuine smile on his lips as placed his hand on my cheek, brushing a lock of hair behind my ear.

Oh my god, he was going to kiss me!

It was like a dream come true…

But he was my boss. This was wrong.

I was torn. I wanted nothing more than to kiss him, and stop this madness, this little game of cat and mouse. But at the same time…

I had to know. I don't know why, but I had to know.

"Last night…" I began, staring into his breathtaking eyes. My voice was trembling. "Last night was a date, wasn't it?"

For once, I wasn't cursing myself for saying what was on my mind. He was still smiling, still looking at me like that.

We'd definitely crossed inter-office relation lines here…but I didn't care.

"Of sorts." He said with a light chuckle. "Though it wasn't my idea. They rather set us up."

"Are you glad they did?"

Shut up, Bella. Stop talking, and let him kiss you.

"I would have liked to have asked you out myself." He said, still smiling, speaking casually, as if this was a normal conversation.

I was having a freaking heart attack over here!

He kissed my hand again, and I knew it was coming. This was it.

He was going to kiss me. He was finally going to…

Our lips met.

Oh My God.

It was everything I hoped it'd be and more. His lips were careful, gentle, but the softest lips I'd ever felt, ever.

My heart was pounding dangerously in my chest as I felt a kind of warmth spread throughout my whole body, a tingle starting from where our lips met.

He was such a fantastic kisser!

I forgot to breathe, as I responded fervently to his careful, sweet advances. I couldn't help it.

It was as if an explosion had gone off inside of me, and probably him too, but I was bad at controlling it. I wanted him.

I couldn't breathe, and eventually it was me who drew back due to lack of oxygen.

Yep. That's what that look was.

I leaned against the back of the couch for support, lightly sighing, and he tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ear, smiling down at me as he let his hand linger on my cheek.

It was so warm.

"And here I thought you hated me this whole time." He smirked, smiling at me.

"I do hate you." I said, still dazed by it. "But I don't, at the same time. I only hate you at work…"

I trailed off, my eyes widening. My hand immediately flew to my mouth as this stark realization set in.

I had just sucked my boss's face off.

Okay, so it was a mutual thing, but now what did I do? He was my boss…

"Bella?" he said, his eyes concerned. "Are you alright?"

"No." I said, turning away from him and staring straight ahead, utterly shocked. "No I'm not alright. You're my boss, Edward! This can't happen!"

I was almost hysterical as I stood, pacing back and forth, gesturing as I spoke. He remained silent.

"What was I thinking! I'm sorry, but—" he cut me off by stepping up to me and holding my face in both of his hands, forcing me to look at him. I lost my train of thought, just looking at him. "…but…but…"

He pulled me to him and kissed me, this one more fierce than the last. I literally melted. It was all I could do to stand, holding onto his arms for support.

He drew back, and lowered his lips to my forehead as my feet steadied themselves.

"Don't worry about it." His voice was soft, gentle. I was rendered speechless, just looking up into his beautiful green eyes.

He truly was the most exquisite human being I'd ever seen.

"But…what are we going to do?" I whispered, and I'm sure he could probably feel my anxiety. I certainly could…there was enough of it…

He was silent for a moment, thinking.

"Okay. You're going to go home, relax, take a bubble bath, what have you. And you're not going to worry." He said, his voice calm and collected.

"But I don't want to go." I mumbled, resting my head against his chest. A sigh escaped him, and I felt his fingers lightly toying with my hair.

"Come back, then." He said, drawing back for a moment so he could catch my eyes. "I'll be here…"

I nodded, looking up at him again.

I couldn't believe it.

In the matter of one week my whole life had been turned around, shaken up and now seen in a different light, with different shapes and colors.

My life was a kaleidoscope, you change one thing, the rest falls into place and makes something beautiful. You change another, and another good thing results.

I couldn't believe things had worked out like this. Well…I was certain that this would have repercussions, but I wasn't worried.

I put my heels on and got my jacket, before leaving to take his advice.

Not that I liked being told what to do, but I needed to shower and change, and I was pretty wound up. Relaxation would be good for me.

But he'd kissed me!

Don't worry, the next chap will be longer. But this was the best place to end this one...and hope you all enjoyed!