Subject: Edward Cullen aka the Womanizer
Chapter Five – Lunch, an Enemy & Round Two
Betaed by: Caroline Z. Masen
Bella
I heard him leave the room and exhaled. I was exhausted from just one morning of trying to control the urge to fucking just jump him already. I was in trouble, because he was good, too good. Now it was obvious that he was playing games with me. It was a good thing I could easily see his tells. I pulled out my cell phone and dialed Alice's number.
"Alice, hi," I said, grabbing an armful of papers.
"Hey Bella, what's up?" Her tone was jubilant, and I wondered what the hell she was taking or how much coffee she drinks in the morning.
I double-checked that I was alone and closed the door to the copier room. "When your brother is trying to seduce someone from the office, how does he usually do it?"
"Oh no, why?"
"I think he's playing games with me," I grumbled like a petulant child.
"Well, first there's a lunch date," she said, causing me to groan internally. I knew it was too good to be true. "Then there's lots of flirting and at last a drink at the club. By the end of the night, he's taking her back to his place."
"How does he treat them afterwards, the ones from the office?"
"Usually just the silent treatment or it goes back to being professional. Most of the women leave, not being able to handle it."
"Damn, he is playing me."
"What are you going to do?" she asked concerned.
"Play along for now," I whispered, lost in thought of the day's activities.
"Why do I feel like there's a 'but' coming on?" Alice asked warily.
"But I feel like I'm playing with fire."
"You can handle it, Bella. Just remember why you're doing this, and that will help with your determination."
"You're right," I said, toeing the carpeting with my foot, sudden unwanted images flooding my mind.
"Why are you doing this Bella?" Alice asked in a faint whisper.
"I don't want you to lose your brother," I said uncomfortably. "Let's leave it at that."
"Bella, I think we need to talk about this," she insisted.
"I haven't told anyone besides family, and I don't plan to."
"Bella you need a girlfriend to talk about these things." Alice paused before continuing. "Why don't you come to the club tonight? It's Margarita Monday." I argued with her for a few minutes, but it was a futile.
"Fine," I grumbled defeated.
"Great, I'll see you later." With that said, she hung up.
Stubborn pixie.
Edward
It took all my will power to walk out of that copier room. I wanted her bad, but I knew it was only a matter of time. The longer I played this game with her, the harder it would be for her to resist. My meeting was in a few minutes so I decided to make my way back to the office. I could stop and see Emmett later.
I sat at my desk for a little while before there was a knock on the door. "Come in," I stated as Bella led my clients inside. I stood up and greeted Mr. and Mrs. Wood. Bella walked behind me, placing a small recorder on my desk.
"I already asked if it was all right for the meeting to be recorded and transcribed, and they agreed. Talk as you normally do and it will record everything." Bella indicated before pressing the record button.
"Thank you, Bella."
"Anytime," Bella whispered, brushing her hand across my back before leaving. I shivered slightly, her touch sending a flame of lust through me.
She is so flirting with me.
The rest of the morning dragged on. I hadn't seen or heard from Bella since my meeting with the Woods. I stepped out of my office to grab a bottle of water and pay a visit to my big brother. Bella was at her desk with a stack of reports and putting a small pile of papers in a black covers.
"All done," Bella said smiling at me. She looked adorable when she accomplished something. "With twenty minutes to spare."
"Great, maybe we can head out to lunch early."
"Sounds good to me," Bella said, her smile widening.
Too easy.
"Let me talk to my brother first, and we'll head out when I'm done."
"I'll be here."
I walked down the hall to the lounge and grabbed a bottle of water before heading to Emmett's office. I knocked on his door, and he told me to enter.
"Hey brother! What's up?" Emmett asked, looking up from a set of blueprints.
Emmett was the head of the construction division. We not only planned, we built, too. Emmett was perfect for the job with his background and had a great business sense.
"Nothing. Can't I come over for a visit?"
"Edward, I only see you at two places; the club or in the john here. Never in my office." Emmett shrugged his shoulders.
Really?
"I wanted to see what you're doing later tonight?" I asked. Had I never visited his office? I looked around the office, noticing pictures of Rosalie in various places that included his desk and shelves. His office was warm and comfortable, very different from my own. I knew my mother had decorated his, while I had opted to make my office my own. I couldn't remember a time I'd visited this office or Carlisle's for that matter. If I needed a word I'd call, send an email or ask for them to come to my office.
"The girls want to head to the club for Margarita Monday. Jasper and I are going just to keep an eye on scum trying to get it on with them." His face became tense, a look he'd always wore when Rosalie was ogled rudely.
"Sounds like fun. Mind if I come along?"
"No, I guess," he said with a shrug. "How's Bella working out?"
"Perfect, great," I said with a smile. "She's everything I like in a personal assistant." I sighed slightly. It did not go unnoticed by Emmett.
"Sure she is. It helps that she's easy on the eyes."
"It's not like that, Emmett," I quickly offered.
"Sure Eddie." I grimaced, I really hated it when he called me that. "Keep trying to convince yourself." I rolled my eyes in annoyance.
"Want to head to lunch?" Emmett asked, glancing at the set of blueprints and writing something on it.
"I already have plans," I said quickly, hoping to avoid the next possible question.
"Lunch meeting? That sucks."
"Something like that."
"What does that mean, Edward?" Emmett looked at me from his blueprints. Then he started laughing. "You're taking her out to lunch, aren't you?"
"Um, I better go. See you later at the club." I left with Emmett's laughter still ringing in my ear.
I made my way to Bella's office when I noticed that she was talking to someone.
"Carlisle?"
"Hello Edward," he said calmly. "I was just talking to your new personal assistant. I think there are a few issues that I need to discuss with her and you, for that matter. Do you mind if we step into your office?"
"Not at all," I said. We followed my father into my office. Carlisle took a seat behind my desk as Bella and I sat in two chairs in front of it.
"Bella, your background check came in this morning. There were a few surprises that I would like to discuss." I looked over to Bella, curious as to what could have possibly been on that report.
"This doesn't have anything do with my arrest, does it?" Bella chuckled darkly. I gaped, she had been arrested?
"No, the report explains that you assaulted that man in self-defense and all charges were dropped," Carlisle laughed a little. "Though I'm a little curious as to how you were able to break the nose of someone almost a foot-a-half taller than you?"
"Jujitsu," Bella said, shrugging her shoulders and blushing.
"Bella, this has to go with your school background. We knew that you have a Masters and a Bachelor degree, but you failed to tell us that you hold a Doctorate in Psychology."
I gaped at Bella as she bit her lower lip nervously. "Yes, I do. I chose not to mention it because it doesn't have anything to do with what I do here."
"You have two businesses. Can you tell me about that?"
"Yes," she said. "I have two different consultant-type businesses. One is where I give lectures and ideas to help large corporations help their employees with stress at work. The other is…" Bella sighed her, breathing slightly heavier. "I consult couples and individuals in relationships and sex therapy." She fidgeted with her hands and blushed, averting her eyes from Carlisle. She glanced in my direction, but looked away quickly, blushing again.
What the hell?
Carlisle laughed humorously. "Well Bella, you definitely have a diverse background." He looked over a folder he held in his hand. "It says here that you tried to get an approval and funding for a battered women's and children's shelter here in Seattle last year."
"Yes, sir. I worked on the proposal for two shelters in the greater Seattle area. We only have two in this city which are always full to capacity, and they have had to turn women and children away for the past several months."
"Can you tell me a little more about your proposal?"
"I currently have one million dollars and am looking for an additional two-point-six million in funding. I have plans that have been already approved by the city that Black and Uley Co. did for me free of charge," Bella bit her lip in concentration and continued.
She'd worked with the company that we usually competed with. This was an interesting development.
"I have both locations already bought and paid for. All I need is further funding to start construction. I also need the plans to be updated since there have been some new building code laws." Bella smiled with excitement reaching her eyes.
She is selfless and good. Shit, I'm an asshole.
"Well, you seem to have a lot of your bases covered. If you can get permission from Black and Uley Co. for us to alter their plans, we'd be happy to help," Carlisle expressed clearly in awe of the woman in front of him.
Hell, I'm in awe of her. She'd give Esme a run for her money.
"That would be great, Mr. Cullen," Bella expressed with an infectious smile.
"Edward, take a look at the plans once Bella gets approval, and both of you can work on the proposal for a meeting in two weeks."
I had never dealt with any of the charity aspects of our business. I left that to my father and my mother Esme.
"I have no problem with that, but Black might." I shrugged. Jacob Black had already managed to take several of our clients when he left our firm five years ago, and he did not leave on good terms.
"Don't worry about Jacob," Bella indicated, not meeting my eyes. "I mean Mr. Black. I can handle him."
Oh, now she's on a first name basis with Black. I bit back a growl, my hands in tight fists on my lap.
"Well then, just set up something with Margaret, and the three of us and my wife Esme can discuss your proposal." Carlisle smiled at Bella, who returned it and nodded.
"Edward, do you mind if I have a word with Bella alone for a few minutes?" I looked over to Bella, whose eyes were wide and her skin had gone pale.
"Sure. I'll be right outside." I gave my father a questioning gaze, but he just shook his head slightly.
I left my office with more questions than answers about Bella.
Who the hell was this woman?
Bella
"Now, Bella there is no need to look like a deer caught in headlights." Carlisle chuckled.
I just nodded. I had no idea if his family disclosed what I was doing for them.
"Alice told me the real reason why you are working for Edward last night."
"Sir, if this is bothering you, I can leave and not look back."
"No, I think you'll be good for my son. That's why I called the both of you into the office. I wanted him to see just how smart you are," Carlisle explained, his eyes saddened slightly while discussing his adoptive son. "I've already noticed a change in him, which is why I called Alice about Edward."
"A change? How so, sir?"
"Bella, please call me Carlisle." I nodded, waiting patiently for any information pertaining to Edward.
"Well, my wife usually calls Edward every Saturday to check up on him. The call is usually rushed, and he answers questions in one or two words. However, this past Saturday, my son actually called us, and spent over an hour talking with his mother and me. He even made dinner plans with us for Wednesday. We haven't had dinner with our son in over two years, Bella, except for rushed birthday dinners and holidays."
"I don't think that has anything to do with me," I mumbled, a little shocked that Edward seemed so uncaring before. Surely he didn't ignore his family completely? It was as if he was a stranger to his own family.
"Maybe. Maybe not. I have a personal question to ask you, and please feel free not to answer if you feel uncomfortable." I nodded.
"Why do you do this?"
It was the one question that I have been asked more times than I could count. I had only told my story to Jacob, and only because of my cousin Nessie and his father's friendship with my father. I felt at least one of the Cullen family members needed to know why. I felt that Carlisle would respect my need to keep this between us for a while longer. There was another member of the family that knew a little of my past, but he hadn't recognized me yet.
"I have an older brother named Jordan. He was pretty much like your son, Edward, a womanizer – a playboy. He had a different woman with him every time I'd see him. It really bothered me how he treated women, but no matter what I said to him, I couldn't get him to stop," I said, a tear escaping my eye. Carlisle pulled out a handkerchief from his suit pocket, handing it to me.
I mumbled a feeble apology and thank you before continuing.
"My best friend Brianna was this innocent girl that had a major crush on Jordan. I made it clear to him that she was off limits, and he respected my wishes. That was until she was happily engaged and about to be married. He got her in bed and she got caught by her fiancé. Her fiancé broke off their engagement, my brother ignored her, and her parents disowned her. She lost everything. One night she came to where my brother and I lived with a gun."
I always hated telling this story. No matter how hard I'd try, the images and memories of that night were brought up to the surface.
"Her intention never was to hurt my brother; she wanted us to know why. My brother tried to stop her. During the struggle the gun went off and hit him in the back. Then Brianna shot herself."
I sniffled a few times wiping my face. "I lost my best friend and my brother that day. My brother is alive in a wheel chair, but he hasn't been the same. He refuses to try to walk even though the doctors think he may be able to. He doesn't think he deserves to walk."
"Well Bella, you have your heart in the right place. But this is hardly fair to you."
"Maybe, but I don't want something like this to happen to Alice or your family. You just never know how a woman could react to being hurt the way Edward has hurt them in the past. I didn't see that Brianna was that broken until it was too late."
"Thank you for telling me. I won't say anything to the others if that's what you wish."
"I'll probably tell Alice tonight."
Carlisle nodded, "Now get yourself cleaned up in Edward's bathroom before you face him again." I nodded walking into the bathroom and splashed my face with water. The face in the mirror was hard to recognize. The reflection wasn't the confident woman that walked into the office this morning; it was the face of a stranger. I wondered which one was the mask.
Edward
I waited patiently outside my office, pacing back and forth. Okay, maybe not so patient. What could he want to talk to her about? Why couldn't I be in there? And why was she on a first name basis with Black? These were all questions I hoped I could get answers for today during lunch.
I heard the tell-tale sounds of Bella's heels on my wood flooring in my office, approaching the door. I quickly ran to Bella's desk, grabbed a report, and started to skim over it.
"Well Bella, you certainly are going to be an asset to the company, and I'm looking forward to working with you in the future."
"Thank you, Carlisle. I'm looking forward to working with you and your wife, too." Bella smiled, but it barely met her eyes. In fact, she looked like she had been crying. What could've caused her to become so upset? My father nodded and left down the hall toward his office.
"Edward, can you give me a few minutes before we go?" I nodded and watched her grab a clutch from her desk and walk down the hall to the bathroom. A few minutes later, she returned looking refreshed and with a bright smile on her face. I gave her a questioning look, which caused her to frown slightly.
"Are you ready to head out?" I asked, noticing that she was not meeting my gaze.
"Yes," she whispered, her hands fidgeting again.
"Let's get going."
"Wait, are we going somewhere walking distance or are we taking a car?" Bella asked.
"We should take a car or maybe a cab," I said looking at her, while leading to the elevator.
"Can we take my car? I just got it, and this morning was my first time driving it. I'm dying for another spin in it." The excitement was evident in her voice and eyes.
"Sure, if that's what you'd like. May I ask what kind of car?"
"You'll see," she answered smugly.
We entered the elevator and when the doors closed, I became hyper aware of Bella's presence so close to me. I noticed we were alone, the heat from her body warming me. I chanced a glance in her direction, and noticed that she was staring at me from the corner of her eye. She smiled and looked down.
Who is this woman? First shy, then confident. Her moods were starting to give me whiplash.
We made it to the floor of the parking structure, the doors opening with a pronounced whoosh. I guided Bella out of the elevator with a hand at the small of her back. Guiding her—I mockingly thought—more like an excuse to touch her. I allowed her to lead the way, my hand still touching her softly.
She continued to lead until she was standing in front of a red 599 GTB Fiorano Ferrari.
Fuck, this can't be her car, can it?
Bella removed her keys from her purse and pressed a button on the alarm, and the Ferrari beeped, its lights blinking twice.
"This is your car?" I gasped in complete fucking awe.
"Yup, I was on the waiting list for eight months before I finally got my baby." Bella was sporting a smug look on her face. Show off. Then again, I would look that smug driving one of these babies.
"It has a twelve cylinder engine, an F1 transmission, it reaches two hundred-five miles per hour and it goes from zero to sixty-two miles per hour in three-point-seven seconds," Bella stated firmly. She was enjoying this, much to my pleasure.
"Climb in." Bella smiled then winked before sliding into the passenger seat. I opened my door carefully and slid in. The interior consisted of mainly tan leather, but was accented with black. On the steering wheel with the red push to start button was the unmistakable yellow emblem of the prancing pony.
"You are easily impressed, Edward," Bella indicated flatly.
"Excuse me?"
"You've said what, six words, since I showed you my car? You are impressed. Is it the car or my knowledge of the car that impresses you?" Bella cocked an eyebrow in question.
"Both," I answered honestly. I just didn't mention that I'd like to fuck her on the hood of her car while her heels dig into my ass, creating the perfect fucking memory of it.
Bella's laughter filled the car, causing me to laugh with her. I have to admit, her laughter made it seem like she may have read my mind. "You should see my other car." Bella winked. That simple statement led to me to imagine us in various states of undress all while we fucked like rabbits in every luxury sports car that came to my mind. "So where are we heading?"
"Do you like Italian?" I looked over at Bella who pushed a button to start the car. She nodded. "Then Assaggio Ristorante is the best place for Italian."
"I know where that is." Bella claimed, pulling out of the parking spot. It was quiet for several minutes as we made our way to the heart of Seattle. The purr of the engine was sweet and allowed me to relax as she drove.
"So, a doctor, huh?" I asked, still trying to wrap my mind around all the new information I had gathered. I'd have to look at her resume to get a clearer picture of just who this woman was.
"Yes. You're not going to be weird about it, are you?" Bella asked, her eyes pleading.
"Weird? Why would I be weird about it?" I asked, not understanding her question.
"Well, someone like your brother, I'm sure would have made some wisecrack by now. But I'm not so sure about you."
"And what are your theories on how I would react to this new information?" I asked, curious as to what was going through her mind.
"Well, like I said, either you'll be an ass and make fun of me, or you'll think nothing of it and not even bring it up again, or you're mildly curious about just what I do during one of my sessions."
Damn, she had me pegged with the last one.
"I'm leaning toward mildly curious?" Bella laughed lightly, trying to compose her face.
I didn't know what to say to that. I stayed quiet, lost in thought. Then Bella's laughter filled the car again.
"Now you're going toward 'not going to go there, but saving this conversation for later.'"
Bella pulled into a parking spot, putting the car in park. Her entire frame shook with laughter, and I joined her. "Men usually find my line of work intimidating. I think they assume that I'm analyzing everything they do."
"Do you?" I asked rhetorically.
"I try not to." Bella shrugged before turning off her car and exiting. I followed suit and went to her side again, leading her inside the restaurant by the small of her back. We were seated right away along a wall at a more private round table lit with candle light. I pulled Bella's chair out for her and she whispered a "thank you" before taking her seat.
Our waiter offered a wine list that we both turned away. Bella asked me to order for her. She said that she liked anything and everything, but that she didn't speak Italian.
I ordered Carta Musica and an Olivi Assortiti for appetizers, two Caesar salads and Gnocchi. After the waiter left, I turned to Bella.
"You own and drive an Italian sports car, but don't speak Italian."
"No, it's on my 'to do' list. So far I can cross out French, Spanish and German, but not Italian."
After that, our conversation was mostly about our educations and some of the places we had traveled to and places we'd like to visit. I found that we had many similar tastes. Bella expressed that she loved architecture and the places she wanted to visit had a broad range of different types. After a while, the conversation turned to favorite music and books. I also found that we had similar tastes. She enjoyed many genres of music: classic to hard rock, even country. But at the back of my mind I had a burning question. I wanted to know about her relationship with Black. I just didn't know how to bring it up.
"Bella is that you?" I heard an all too familiar voice behind me say. My blood was instantly boiling.
Bella looked up and behind me. Her eyes widened and she gasped. "Jacob?"
Bella
No. Not now. It was too soon for Edward to know about Jacob and me. Damn it! Not to mention that I had not had a chance to talk to Jacob about Edward, and that I needed his help. I had to find out a way for him to keep his mouth shut.
Edward
"Hey Bella!" Jacob walked over to Bella, pulling her up from the chair for an embrace. I wanted to believe that his over enthused hug was nothing more than friendship.
One of my hands clenched on my lap and one grasped the table. They knew each other personally; they were just friends, I told myself. When Jacob released Bella, he finally noticed me. He glared at me for a moment before looking at Bella, addressing her as if I wasn't even there. "What are you doing here with him?" I bit back a growl, glaring daggers at the man before me. It didn't go unnoticed, but his arm was still wrapped around her waist possessively.
"Edward is my boss, Jacob," Bella said and winced slightly, moving away from Jacob.
"What the fuck?" Jacob spat, his voice rising. Bella glared at him.
"Excuse me Edward. I'll be a moment." Bella said, grabbing Jacob by the arm and leading him to the hallway leading to the bathrooms.
I tried not to look but I couldn't help it. Bella was gesturing wildly with her hands; her skin flushed as she argued in rushed whispers with Black. I watched as Bella seemed to calm down with one hand on her hip and the other pointing to the exit. Jacob turned to look at me and scowled, but he quickly drew Bella closer and kissed her on the cheek. Bella pushed him away, glaring at him before he finally left.
Bella composed herself and came back to our table. "Sorry about that," she said calmly. "I knew you two didn't like each other, but I had no idea that he'd be that immature about it."
As she took her seat, Bella looked at my expression and rolled her eyes. "And apparently, you're going to be just as mature about it." Her sarcasm changed the atmosphere from the electrical charge between us to undeniably tense.
"Just get it off your chest, boss," Bella snapped, glaring.
"Just what the hell is your relationship with my company's number one rival?" I hissed through gritted teeth.
"My personal relationships are none of your business, Edward," Bella said with a cock of her eyebrow and a smirk. She actually had the audacity to smirk at me.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked, feeling a bit uneasy. I felt like she could read me like an open book. I felt exposed. She had totally disarmed me already.
"Are you jealous?" Yes.
I snorted. "Hardly Bella," I said in mock horror. As if I'd get jealous of something so trivial. Edward Cullen wasn't envious of anyone. I had to backpedal so I wouldn't look like an utter fool in front of this woman. For some reason, I felt that she'd take advantage of any vulnerability I'd show.
"Though, I'm starting to wonder if your coming to work for us has some ulterior motive since it's obvious you don't need to work."
Bella's head fell back as she started laughing. "You think I'm working for your company to spy for Jacob." I scowled. Her tone had a little taunt and teasing behind it; this was hardly a funny matter.
"You caught me, Edward," Bella said with her hands up in mock surrender. "I admit, I have ulterior motives, but they have to do with the project your father asked for us to work on." There was a flash in her eyes, one that I couldn't understand, but it was gone in a second.
"Then as your friend, what is your relationship with Black?" My face softened, and my breathing was starting to calm.
"Friends. Is that what we are Edward?" Bella asked, and looked at me through her long lashes with her observant brown eyes, momentarily stunning me. Bella smirked. Damn, she had to know what she does to me. And she was using that knowledge to her advantage.
"I'd like to think so," I admitted.
"So, as a friend, I will answer your question because otherwise, I would not. Jacob and I are just friends." Bella's face lit up with a lovely smile that caused my breath to hitch.
I was completely disarmed by her—fuck. This lunch was supposed to be another stepping stone toward seducing this gorgeous creature into my bed, but instead, she was the one dazzling me.
"Now," Bella whispered looking intently in my eyes.
Damn if that wasn't cryptic. I had chosen not to push the conversation further. It would only give away just how much it bothered me, but I knew that it would be brought up again.
We left the restaurant shortly after Bella complained about me paying for lunch. She was still mumbling profanities under her breath, something I wasn't sure she was aware of doing. I bit back a laugh when she handed me her keys.
"Here, you drive. I have a headache," Bella grumbled, walking to the passenger side. After unlocking the doors with her keys, I opened her door for her. She rolled her eyes, but chose not to comment on my attempt of being a gentleman. I was capable of being chivalrous.
I slid into the driver's seat and made a few seat and mirror adjustments before pulling out.
"We still have forty-five minutes until the meeting, Edward. If you want, you can put my car to the test," Bella said sweetly.
Can she read minds?
I grinned at her and she giggled with amusement in her eyes. I shifted gears and started switching lanes moving in and out of traffic. After several minutes, I noticed Bella leaning toward me. Her lips were well within my reach and quite inviting.
"A respectable eighty miles per hour," she mused. "I can imagine how much faster you'd be going if you had no traffic to worry about."
"I'd definitely be putting that two-hundred-five mph to the test." I smiled which she returned.
"I'm going to try to head out of town this weekend; do a little sightseeing. I'd like to see the Snoqualmie Falls. I haven't been there since I was a child." Bella's eyes saddened and she turned her gaze to look out her window.
"That sounds like fun. It's beautiful this time of year." For a brief moment, I pictured taking her hand and walking along the river, kissing her on the bridge. I wasn't about to ask if she'd like company, it would be too presumptuous.
We made it back to the office fifteen minutes before the meeting with the city officials. Bella sat through the meeting listening intently and taking notes. I would take a quick peek at her and couldn't help noticing her habit of biting her lower lip in concentration. She'd catch me staring and smile, closing her eyes with an audible sigh. After a couple of hours, we finished and were scheduling another meeting in another week. It was definitely looking good.
Bella and I walked back to our offices, the day thankfully almost over. "Edward, you don't have anything else scheduled for the rest of the day," Bella paused, looking at her watch. "It's almost four. Did you want to meet at the gym?" She stopped short when she noticed someone sitting at her desk.
"Jacob?" Bella's tone was murderous.
"Hey, Bells," Jacob got up from her desk and stalked toward us.
Now he called her by a nickname. They were definitely close – fuck.
"What are you doing here, Jacob?" Bella glared at him, and her skin was flushed as she crossed her arms in front of her chest, waiting.
"Well, you needed permission to alter my plans on your project, so I decided to drop off the form," Jacob indicated, handing Bella an envelope.
"That was fast. Thanks, Jacob." Bella looked at Jacob who was glaring at me, which I happily returned. Bella rolled her eyes and stomped off. "Men!"
"Jacob, Edward and I will look over the form, and I'll call you later about it." Bella stated before taking a seat at her desk. She turned her attention to her computer, blatantly ignoring us. She picked up a ringing telephone, and further pretended we were no longer there. Jacob and I glared at each other just a foot apart, both of our jaws clenched.
"Black."
"Cullen."
"Swan," Bella giggled, looking at the both of us. I couldn't help but laugh. Her laughter was infectious. "Edward, Mr. Knight is on line one and says it's important." I nodded before turning away from Jacob.
"I'll take it in my office, Bella. Thank you." I walked to my office door, but before walking in, I turned to see Jacob leaning over Bella's shoulder, whispering something in her ear. I growled and slammed my door closed.
There was something much more than friendship going on between them.
I spent about an hour in my office going through various things. My mind was not into it. It kept drifting to Bella's beautiful smile, her laugh and those fucking legs.
I gave up by five-thirty in the evening and decided to head home. I walked out of the office and found Bella sitting at her desk and typing away on the computer. She looked up and smiled, but it changed to a frown. I must have looked upset, but I wasn't about to tell her why.
"Are you heading out already?" Bella asked, her eyes widened and her lip curled under her teeth.
"Yes, it's been a long day. You can head out, too," I said, while closing my office door and heading toward the elevator.
"I'll see you later then," Bella whispered behind me. I felt terrible, but not bad enough to apologize for my behavior.
Ninety minutes later, I walked into the gym and spotted Bella. I took a deep breath and walked up to the treadmill beside her. "Hey," I said as I started pressing buttons to start my routine.
"Hey," Bella returned without looking at me. We stayed quiet for about an hour. Every once and a while I'd look at her, using the mirror in front of us. Abruptly, she stopped her machine and stalked off toward the private training rooms.
Should I follow her?
I turned my machine off and followed her to the same room we sparred in before. Bella smiled when she noticed me coming up behind her in the mirror.
"Are you ready for another session, Edward?"
"Yes." I kept my face composed. I was still upset about her and Jacob, and I wanted her to know it. It may have been childish, but these emotions were something I hadn't dealt with before.
I stopped a few feet from Bella and stood in a normal stance before bowing slightly. Our sparring was much like the last time. We remained quiet and the only sounds were our feet shuffling on the mat, grunts and skin-to-skin contact.
As time progressed, her movements became quicker and a little more forceful. I had given my slaps and punches a little more kick which she noticed. After another thirty minutes, Bella's skin was flushed and she looked livid. I slapped her right thigh so hard that it even stung my hand.
"What the fuck, Cullen?" Bella stopped moving, examining her leg, which I left a mark on. I shrugged my shoulders. She glared at me before taking a normal stance again. I came at her with a straight punch, but she stepped to her left and defended my strike with a right-handed outside parry. Then she delivered a roundhouse kick to my chest.
"Bella!" I rubbed my chest for a moment and decided to play with her. I pulled off my muscle shirt and examined the red mark that she'd left behind. I looked at Bella and the look in her eyes as they roamed my body caused me to adjust myself again.
Here we go.
Our sparring intensified with more aggression or sexual tension. I couldn't tell the difference anymore, not when I was with her. Most of our moves were in the blue and red belt area. I had no idea what she was capable of, so I kept things simple. I didn't want to really hurt her, but the memory of Black kissing and whispering to her kept me from holding back.
"What the fuck is your problem, Edward?" she asked after I parried and kicked her hard on her right hip.
"Nothing, I just want to see what you're capable of."
"Bullshit. This has to do with Jacob. Ever since you slammed the door to your office when he was there, you've been upset." I didn't admit it, and I just responded by a swift straight punch to her right arm.
"Fuck… damn it Edward. Fine. Jacob and I dated for about a year a few years ago. He's dating my cousin now. That's my relationship with him. Family." She defended another straight punch with another outside parry and a kick to my chest. I had enough.
Bella threw a straight punch to my chest that I blocked with an inside forearm block. I stepped forward slightly with my left foot and turned on my foot counter-clockwise. I took my right arm and wrapped it around her waist before bringing my feet together. I bent my knees and lifted her on my back before throwing her down on the mat and striking a light punch to the side of her chest.
Bella groaned slightly and winced. I felt a little smug as I stood up, but I regretted it instantly. She looked like I hurt her, but I didn't see her feet lock around my right leg, pulling it from under me as I fell back on the mat – hard. I groaned from the pain in my back then Bella mounted me in the same move from our previous session.
"Are you going to admit you're jealous?" Bella smiled smugly.
"I don't get jealous." I tried escaping but only half-heartily. I liked the position too much.
"Good, so then I can tell you about how the sex was with him. Friends talk about these things," Bella said with a devious smile. She was about to continue before I stopped her.
"Fine. I'm jealous," I growled, trying not to look at her eyes. That proved to be difficult to do since she was a mere inch from my face.
"Why?" she asked with a cocked eyebrow.
"I don't like him," I huffed in annoyance. I felt her nipples harden against my chest, and I had to bite back a groan.
She was just as turned on as I was. My raging hard-on was already painful, just inches from her sweet backside and warm pussy.
"That's all?" Bella asked. I nodded.
We stared at each other, and the angry tension was gone. It had been replaced with the electrical charge that I usually felt in her presence. Her eyes held a wild look for a moment before she harshly pressed her lips onto my own. I groaned in pleasure, lost to the taste and softness of her lips.
I grabbed her face with both of my hands and deepened the kiss as she granted me access inside her mouth. She moaned softly, grinding her hips against my erection. The friction was delicious, and the warmth and taste of her mouth was intoxicating to my senses.
We remained kissing for what felt like hours, only distracted when I heard a ringing from somewhere on our right. Bella pulled away, her eyes on mine for a moment before untangling herself and jumping off me quickly.
"Sorry, umm, time's up." And then—she was gone.
"Fuck!" I lay back on the mat trying to control my breathing and my body.
Bella Swan is going to be the death of me.
I headed home a few minutes later to take a cold shower, having to succumb to jacking off to the memories of Bella's soft lips and sublime backside. A few hours later I left to go to the club where the rest of my family already was with a full array of margaritas. Thirty minutes and three drinks later, the curtains leading to our VIP room opened.
In walked the woman that had starred in all of my dreams and fantasies since the moment I met her. Bella Swan.