Chapter 13
"When is your birthday?" Bella says surprised to actually see him working today. Nonna just arrived yesterday.
"Tomorrow" Edward says in a carefree tone.
"Are you both doing anything special?"
"We just go out to dinner, at this little place"
Bella looks at him and is over come with just a pleasant feeling. "Really?"
"Yeah, every year the same place, a little Italian dive if you ask me, but for some reason she loves it" He smiles at the memories the two of them have shared for the past 10 years together. "And we get the same thing, then we get a slice of" He laughs. "Apple pie, the most American apple pie you would ever taste" He laughs.
Bella actually lets out a laugh. "Really?"
"Yeah" Edward answers her with a nod.
'Wow' She thinks looking at him. Just when she thinks yet again there is no hope for him, he comes out and says he eats dinner like a tradition on his birthday with a little old Italian woman he just happened to meet years ago. It is a movie. She smiles.
"It is a very good time, I think" He rocks in his chair looking at her. "Nonna is the most real relationship I have formed since my mother's death"
"It seems like it"
"And you"
"What?"
"Your relationship with me is pretty real"
"Thank you" Bella mumbles unsure.
"I should be thanking you actually"
"Well you are welcome"
Edward stares at her. He watches her stand almost uncomfortably in front of his desk. "I haven't said it yet"
"Well" She looks away from him for a few moments. She doesn't look back at him until he speaks.
"Thank you" Edward watches her turn her head slowly and face him again, looking into his eyes.
"You are welcome"
"For more than just working for me, but for the other day also"
"I don't" She breathes.
"We are not bringing it up, so much as acknowledging that gratitude for it, and I am"
"How very strange" She lets out a small laugh. "Um, you're welcome, and thank you, it had been a long time, and you made me feel…" She stops and just nods a few nervous times.
"You Bella made me feel…" He smirks.
"You have just ruined the moment" She frowns turning to leave.
"Don't leave" He calls after her, causing her to stop.
Looking at him she tips her head to the side. "I have a lot of things to do" Bella tells him softly. She doesn't want to stay, well she does but she knows she shouldn't want it. And she really does. "I'll speak to you later" Bella tells him quickly before exiting his office. She doesn't stay. Because she shouldn't.
Bella walks around holding her clip board of vital information. Well not vital but things she needs to do and or remember!
Edward walks into the room. It is coming along really well. It has been a few weeks, a few so so weeks. Some work days with her are better than others. All are good; it's just still there is some awkwardness hovering. And he would assume that is normal.
Bella smiles at him. "Come to check on things?"
"I think you can handle it, do you need anything?" He questions in the next breath.
"No, no" Bella shakes her head. The unlimited funds he has provided her with and a marinade of staff is more than enough. "Everything is set"
"So there should be a charity event here in what 72 hours?"
"Yes" Bella grins. She has never heard of an event of such grandeur being pulled off with such speed. Clearly money does really, really help things. Gives you another set of arms.
"I can't believe you pulled all this off" He looks around. Well he can, she is amazing, and he knows that. He has seen it firsthand.
Bella grins and holds the clipboard to her chest looking around. "It is coming along, I think the main part of this was you…you getting so many important people involved" She widens her eyes because the confirmed guest list is just incredible.
He smiles. Edward runs his eyes over her clear un-made up face. She has had the week off to supervise this charity event.
"This is going to be good" Bella nods. It is more of a charity fund raiser. She hasn't yet picked a charity but she is thinking if this goes well she won't, she will just start one as such. This capital which they will rake in…she hopes will be the jumping off point allowing her to grow a charity from the ground up.
"Bella" Edward says her name lightly. This is not the time; three weeks ago would have been the time. He is really being hounded by his investors and board members to break ground on that ocean front property. And he NEEDS to talk to Bella, like three weeks ago.
"Yes?"
"We need to talk"
"Okay, does it have to be now?" She looks in the direction of someone calling her name.
"It has to be soon"
"How about after the event, I don't know" She lifts her eyes.
"Um, sure" Edward nods. "Maybe you can come over tonight; actually it might be better"
"What?"
"I just" He gets out. He wants her; it has been killing him for the past two weeks, since talking with Nonna. He still does not believe it is love, but he knows he wants her. "I need to talk to you and"
"Okay" She says very softly. "It seems really important"
"Yeah" Edward nods while scratching the base of his hairline at his neck. "It is, so tonight?"
"Hmm"
Bella bites her lip, she is so busy right now and Edward is throwing her off balance. And he shouldn't be. He should just be her boss and not affect anything else besides her work load. And for some reason, well the sex reason, he is throwing her off balance. Rubbing her head she really thought that it could work the pretending it didn't happen…but that didn't happen.
Pulling the door open he wonders where she is. Emmett called him and said that she was on her way up.
"Oh"
"How long have you been standing out here?" He looks down at her standing in the hall.
"Um" Clearing her throat she shrugs. "Not long, can I?"
"Come in" He steps aside to let her pass. Nonna is gone, until next year, but he will see her in a few weeks. Maybe sooner he knows he will need a retreat after this charity event and of course telling Bella. She looks really pretty tonight. "You look nice" He watches her turn to face him with a small smile.
"Maybe to make our work relationship easier you should not tell me that, just" Bella shrugs. She is trying to make things normal, make it like she has not seen him stark naked.
"I shouldn't tell you that you look nice?"
"Well I just think, it would make things…complicated"
"No complicated was sex with us, and so far"
"It has been a little awkward"
"I was going to say it has been okay, you think it has been awkward?"
"At times"
Edward looks at her and nods.
"We need to go over something's"
"Yes we do, I really need to" Edward is ready he is ready to say it. 'Just say it' He demands of himself. "Bella"
She waits for him, her eyes expectant of something. "The anticipation is killing me" She smiles at him. "It better be good"
He stares at her. The words are no longer coming. 'Fuck'
"Well?"
"Um I got Bon Jovi to perform"
"What?" Bella widens her eyes at him. "Is this a joke?"
"No" He answers. "It was going to be a surprise, but" Edward starts. 'I had nothing so I just spoilt it'
Bella jumps up and down. "Are you joking?"
"No!" He exclaims with a bright smile. His whole appearance changed just then. Seeing her on cloud nine like this makes him feel something. And he doesn't know what.
"You're not joking" She squeals with her mouth covered and she jumps again.
Edward laughs.
Bella bounces into his arms. "Oh thank you" She wraps her arms around his neck and holds him close. She feels his arms encircle her back and pull her closer against him.
"You're welcome" He mutters.
Pulling back so that she can look at him still holding him around the neck she smiles. "You have really helped me so much with this"
"It is for the company" He tells her, brushing it off a bit. It is really push and pull with him. He wants her close, but he doesn't want to hurt her. He wants to impress her but not overly because he doesn't want her to think he is this great guy, because he isn't.
"You are so confusing" She mutters staring at his mouth.
Edward breathes out slowly and kisses her mouth softly. He feels her start to resist so he takes his hand and places it on the back of her head keeping her in place. One hand/arm still around her body.
Moaning softly as much as she tries to hold it back, it comes. Softly and slowly she kisses him back. Her hands explore his ears and up into the back of his hairline. She lets her blunt nails rake down the sides of his neck.
Edward lays her on his bed gently. "Beautiful"
She looks at him as he climbs over her. She knows this is just wrong, and really she should be pushing him away and dashing out of here. But she isn't, she is lying back accepting all of this. Cursing herself so much for wanting him so badly. He is just so wrong for her, maybe he is so wrong to the point of being right. But she doesn't know. Her head is spinning. Taking a faster turn when his lips close around her still bra and shirt covered nipple.
Grinning around the hard bud when she arches and moans softly with enjoyment he lets it free. Edward sits back and looks at her. All this is (not just the sex they shouldn't be having – but her) going to be gone when he tells her. And for some reason he really cares about that fact.
He is so fucking stupid. Edward looks at her sleeping. 'You didn't tell her fucking asshole' He shuts his eyes tightly. The thought of crushing so much is killing him. He shouldn't have slept with her again. As right and good as it feels, it is wrong simply because she doesn't know and wouldn't, he is sure, want to be sleeping with him.
He strokes a hand down the side of her face slowly not waking her up but just touching her. "Bella?" He whispers.
She says nothing only stays asleep.
"The community center plan fell through, I'm so sorry" He whispers pressing his lips to hers. She doesn't respond at all, fully unaware of his kiss and his words. Pulling back he looks at her sleep still and likes this reaction. He knows he won't get the same one when she finds out. And he has to tell her soon. But she deserves this event to go smoothly without a care in the world…he will do it after for sure.
It was a shorty…hope you enjoyed all the same.
