So yeah this was up quicker than usual, one more day off and then off to work for a few 12 hr shifts so won't update until some time next week unless I get a minute to myself before then. I hope you enjoy :)
Most characters belong to Stephenie Meyer
The house was eerily quiet. I took the time to glance around the living room and take in all that I had missed while I was reading with Kayson. Standing up from the couch I made my way over to the mantle that was littered with picture frames. As I looked through them I realized it was just more evidence of a man that loved his daughter. Even as a baby she had his bright green eyes and wild untamed hair. I couldn't help but laugh a little at the picture of Kayson when she was at most eight months, it looked like someone tried to put a bow in hair and she retaliated by pulling all but a few strands from the bow causing it to droop onto her forehead. I thought that it was cute that even though some parents would have fixed her hair or decided not to the get picture instead Edward had it in an eight by ten framed on the mantle for all to see.
"Her mother hated that picture, but I thought it fit her personality so I used it for our Christmas card that year" Edward chuckled scaring me half to death.
Turning around quickly while holding my chest attempting to slow my heartbeat I came face to face with Edward and I must say that he is even more beautiful when only a few inches separated us.
"I thought I told you not to sneak up on my like that, I swear I am going to start thinking you are trying to give me a heart attack" I said averting my eyes from his solid broad chest and meeting his eyes. If I thought staring at his well muscled chest was dangerous, looking him in the eyes was deadly.
"Sorry, you seem to give all of your attention when you focus on something. I noticed it in class today too" he said smirking at me before taking a step back and gesturing back to the couch.
Stepping around him while attempting to hide my reddened face I kept repeating to myself how bad an idea this was. Yet when I sat down on the couch and the smell of his cologne attacked my senses, I knew if he offered me the job there was no way I could walk way. I had to stay not only for him, but for the little girl that had already touched my heart in such a short time.
"Yeah my parents and the rest of my teachers said the same thing, but there is one thing you can't deny. My passion" I said giving him a small smile and then looking back at my hands that were currently twisting together on my lap.
"I would have to agree. The little experience you have with children you handled Kayson beautifully. As I told you my ex-wife and I are going through a divorce and it has not been easy on Kayson which you clearly saw at the dinner table. It doesn't occur a lot, but when it does she is generally upset for a lot longer than she was tonight. I feel like I should thank you for what you said to her and if you can't make it to the play let me know so I can explain it to her before hand" he said leaning forward so he was resting his elbows on his knees and staring at me.
"I am glad I could help and I meant what I said, my best friend does the costumes and if I wasn't going to support her I would still go to support Kayson she is a special little girl. The limited time I have spent with her I can see that. I am sorry it appears her mother can't." Once the words were out of my mouth I wished that I could insert my foot there and take them back.
"I am sorry, I shouldn't have said that" I started to apologize.
"Bella please do not apologize, you clearly are a very intelligent and observant woman and unfortunately for Kayson's sake you are right. Her mother likes to be a mother when it is convenient for her and apparently it hasn't been convenient for a while and the one that suffers the most is that little girl upstairs. I am sorry I don't need to be dumping all of this on you, I don't think I am doing a good job at selling this job to you" he said chuckling nervously to himself.
"Kayson had me sold when she mistook me for the pizza delivery person" I said hoping to break some of the tension that had developed after the mention of his ex-wife. Although I was curious about what happened to their marriage, I was not to interested in the woman that let this incredible man go and walked away from such a beautiful and intelligent little girl.
"She definitely has that ability doesn't she. I suppose that is why I spent two hundred dollars on an American Doll and matching outfit she wanted. Alright getting back to the job you know what the hours would be I can show you around the house to see if you feel like you would be comfortable living here and if you agree then we can sit down and talk about salary and a few minor house rules" he said standing and offering me his hand.
Placing my hand in his large warm hand I lifted my body from the couch then pulled my hand back quickly when it felt like a live current was running through me. It didn't hurt and actually wasn't even uncomfortable. It just caught me by surprise and now all I wanted to do was touch him again and see if it was still there. When I glanced up at him I found his bright green eyes staring right back at me. I couldn't help but wonder if he felt it too.
"Ready?" he asked his voice a little higher than it had been before.
"Yeah" I answered following him. He pointed out the playroom that was also on the first floor along with the dinning room that we had eaten dinner in, the kitchen that still slightly smelled of burnt food and the full bathroom that was at the back of the house. The tour then turned toward the stairs. The first room was his home office.
"You are welcome to borrow any of the books in here, just be careful some of them date back to the early 1900s and aren't in the best condition. The printer is set up in here and is wireless, there is a computer in."
I knew he was still talking but my body was in shock, my eyes didn't know where to look. At a few titles I was wondering if they were playing tricks on me.
In my peripheral vision I saw him walk out of the room, but my feet didn't follow him. Instead they stepped forward attempting to get closer to the wall of books. My hand lifted involuntarily, my fingers brushing the binds over several books. The variety was staggering from Pride and Prejudice along with multiple other classics filled shelves, while one of the shelves below the classics was full of Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings. Kayson apparently even had a shelf that had a variety of Dr. Seuss and Winnie the Pooh books amongst others that I had never heard about then again preschool literature was a long time ago.
"I thought you might enjoy this room" Edward said startling me once again. I really needed to pay more attention. I wanted this man to trust I could take care of his daughter and be responsible for her and I couldn't even keep track of him.
"Sorry I think I was in a trance" I said turning away from the books so I could follow him.
"That's ok it is nice to meet someone that enjoys books as much as I do. That door leads to a full bathroom, and this one belongs to Kayson" he said nudging the door open. I took a step forward my arm brushing against his chest as I took a step into the room. The small night light didn't offer much illumination for me to make out much in the room except for the small bed that held a sleeping Kayson within it. She was curled up on her side holding a stuffed monkey to her chest.
"That is Stanley, he has been with us since she was born" Edward said gesturing to the stuffed monkey that looked like it had seen brighter days. "We have been able to clean it once in the past five years and that was because a three year old Kayson was a lot more trusting. Not trusting enough to allow us to take Stanley to get cleaned, she agreed to clean him with her while she bathed. She enjoyed it until she got out and realized he didn't dry as fast as her. Took me three hours with a blow dryer to get the thing reasonably dry, so she would go to bed. Since then Stanley has been banned from bath time" a smile over took his face as if he was reliving the memory. "Alright the spare room is across the hall" he said lighting my body on fire when his hand came to rest on the lower portion of my back as he guided me out of his daughter's room into what I hoped to be my room soon. At least until Edward realized I made more sense in his room.
"If you take the position feel free to redecorate, after my mother got hurt and I realized I was going to need a nanny I finally took the time to pick out furniture to put in here. Until now it had been empty while I tried to figure out why I bought such a big house for just Kayson and I" he said twisting the doorknob and pushing it open.
I walked forward and took a step through the door breaking contact with Edward's hand. I was tempted to take a step back just to feel it again but instead my brain kicked in telling me that would be a bad idea. Instead I took a step forward after Edward turned the light switch on. I must say he did a wonderful job picking out furniture. There was a queen size bed against the wall, its frame was dark brown and matched the dresser and night table . There was a decent size flat screen mounted on the wall, a desk that matched the dresser and bed frame in the corner that held a computer. Beside the bed was a nightstand held an antique looking lamp.
Edward took a few steps forward reaching for a door and pulling it open. "This is the closet, it is a little small I hope that isn't an issue, I know how most girls have to have huge closets" he said.
"Good thing I am not most girls" I said stepping around him to look into the closet to see how small it was. Of course it was three times as big as the closet I had in Forks.
"I have noticed" Edward mumbled before stepping around me and walking to another door that was attached to the bedroom.
"This door leads to a bathroom" he said gesturing to the door he now held open.
"Wow" I said glancing around, the bathroom was huge. In the corner there was a large whirlpool next to a stand up shower with glass doors. In a small inlet sat a toilet. His and her sinks lined the opposite wall from the tub, clearly only one was used. I looked to the last wall and realized it was a door. I sat there wondering what was behind the door when my eyes averted back to the sink. I noticed the stand up electronic toothbrush, can of shaving cream, and after shave. I stared at it for a moment before looking to Edward for confirmation of what I was thinking.
"Um yeah so it is a joint bathroom. That door leads to my bedroom" Edward said stumbling over the words and a look of complete embarrassment covering his face while he nodded toward the door that was closed. "I can move my stuff to the other bathroom if it would make you feel more comfortable" Edward began "well that is if you want the job in the first place. Maybe the tour should have came after you agreed to take the job" he rambled staring everywhere but at me.
I reached out before I could even think about what I was doing to say but now with my hand wrapped around his masculine arm and his head slowly turning back to look at me I had to think of something quick. "I don't mind sharing" I said and then became flushed when pictures of my legs wrapped around his body as he lifted me onto the sink and how well the whirlpool would look with both of us in it.
Edward smiled at me and then glanced down to my hand that was still holding onto his arm. "Ok we should go finish the talk we started in my office" he said taking a step away from the door that lead to his room.
"You don't want to show my your room" I said and then wished that the whirlpool was full of water so that I could go ahead and drown myself.
"Um well there is really not much to see in there, but you can take a look if you would like" he said fidgeting by the sink.
"I was joking Edward" I said figuring we just met and he wouldn't understand my sense of humor so he might actually believe me. "Lets go talk" I said walking back into what I hoped to be my new room and down the hall. I couldn't help but stop and glance into Kayson's room. She seemed so peacefully, I missed those moments in life when things seemed so easy. But then again I think those moments were cut short by her parents impending divorce. Lucky for her she was blessed when it came to the father department and I am sure there were women lining up to take over the Mrs. Cullen position but how many would want to take on the mommy position.
Taking one last look I made my way down the stairs and took a seat on the couch where I had been sitting when Kayson and I were reading one of the many books she had insisted that we read before bedtime. Edward came in moments later and sat down.
We spent the next hour going over how much I would be paid, what hours I would be responsible for Kayson and when he would want me to move in along with a few house rules that were totally understandable including no alcohol was to be consumed when I was responsible for Kayson. Edward got a bit awkward when he asked about me having a boyfriend, I gladly told him I didn't and how college guys didn't hold any interest for me. He then went on to tell me he would appreciate if I began dating someone that I refrain from bringing them to the house unless for short periods of time all the while staring at the floor. I quickly agreed I hadn't had a relationship since James over a year ago and that was a disaster that I had no plans for repeating any time soon.
"Well I have to say that you had my vote before even coming here tonight and I know that Kayson loves you already so I guess all that there is to ask now is if you will move in with us?"