Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or characters, no income being made, only fulfilling a creative whim.

Chapter 3

Bella's POV

As hard as I tried I couldn't keep myself from bouncing my knee up and down. I hoped that no one would notice that I was on edge and did my best to keep from drawing attention to myself. I maintained my sense of calm although inside every nerve ending was screaming. How could a man that I had just met wreak havoc over every inch of my body, inside and out? What troubled me more were not just the effects physically but what I was feeling emotionally. I felt as if I couldn't breathe. During the course of the meeting I listened but offered very little in discussion. For starters, I was not leading this project and was only here at the request of my boss. More importantly, I was consumed by Edward's melodious voice as he explained in great depth what the process would entail as they moved forward with breaking ground.

"So Fred, the way I see it, we could get the foundation laid down before we begin to encounter any bad weather. I figure we can start the build by mid-October." Edward's fluid tenor coursed over me like a soulful stream. You would have thought he was reciting Shakespeare instead of discussing the plans that were laid out on the conference table.

This can't be good.

"Edward, so in your estimation if things progress as planned are we still targeting to be in the new building by March 1st? Fred asked as he sipped another mouthful of coffee.

"I don't see why not, unless of course we encounter some setbacks with weather or material. But don't worry. Emmett and I have been involved in similar situations with the buildup occurring in the last quarter of the year." Edward responded as he glanced over at me.

I felt my breath hitch. Crap, I didn't just make that sound did I? I felt my cheeks blush when he caught my eyes. Think quick Bella.

"Fred, would you excuse me for a moment?" I pushed my chair back and stood up just as both Edward and Emmett did the same thing.

God, you can't be serious?

I couldn't remember the last time I had been shown this level of respect. It was at that moment that I wanted to believe that I did deserve it. But I reminded myself that they were only being polite. If they really knew me they would have thought differently.

"Miss Swan, are you alright?" Emmett asked as I made my way to the door.

"Oh, yes. I think I have had too much coffee this morning. Excuse me for a moment." I replied quickly.

What the hell was that? Did I actually say that in front of not only my co-workers and boss but in front of Emmett and Edward Cullen? I didn't know what was happening to me. I had been involved in meetings before. I mean I met with our customers frequently. I was always well balanced. It's not to say that at times I wouldn't get nervous around others, especially men. But I always conducted myself professionally. I attended the SIA convention in Las Vegas the last two years and even had to get up in front of the entire sales force and give a small presentation. And yet here in this meeting I found myself all in knots, my stomach doing flip flops as if it was home to an Olympic gymnastics competition.

I walked quickly to the ladies room and the first thing I had to do was see my reflection in the mirror. Crap, my cheeks were as red as if they had been sunburned. The way his hand had felt in mine, it was as if I had been scorched by the sun itself. The surge of energy that cursed through my body singed me inside and out. Did he feel it too? No, he couldn't. Why would he even give me a second glance? Not with Jessica Stanley there. God, she was eye fucking him from the moment she sat down. I could have sworn she adjusted her blouse in a way to accent her cleavage. Yeah, she had quite the set of boobs. It made me sick. It's not that I wanted him. I mean I couldn't. My life was fine without the complication of a man. I would have been a liar if I didn't admit that once upon a time I did want the things that Angela wanted me to have. The type of relationship she had with Ben. I didn't see that in my future, no matter how hard Angela pushed me. And yet for some ridiculous reason I found myself getting angry. Why?

I decided I should at least pee since that was why I left the conference room in the first place well, that and my embarrassing heavy breathing. How could Edward's glance in my direction have such an impact on me? I shook my head to clear my thoughts, not wanting his image in my mind in here, of all places. I lined the seat with one of those paper covers and undid my belt before slipping everything down. Crap! My favorite panties were stained with blood. Could this day get any worse? Never set your calendar according to your menstrual cycle. Well, mine at least. Always unpredictable and flowing like a river. Did I mention I have a problem with blood? Yeah, a paper cut could turn my stomach to the point where I would nearly pass out. After Angela's insistent nagging, I had made an appointment with her OB/GYN which I was not at all excited about. But seeing my ruined panties made me less inclined to cancel. At the very least they could put me on the pill which would hopefully help keep things under control. I hated the idea of having a complete stranger examine me so intimately but something had to be done. Thank God Angela's doctor was a woman. It was going to be difficult enough to go through with this, Angela knowing me so well knew a male doctor would never be an option.

I had lingered long enough in the bathroom. Before Fred sent Jessica to check on me I decided it was time to get back to the meeting. I did take a moment and splashed cold water on my face and around my neck. I took another glance in the mirror and decided I looked as well as I could under the circumstances. It's not as if I wore tons of makeup, or that I had a real clue how to wear makeup. The extent of my cosmetic flair was a bit of mascara, some blush and maybe a touch of eye shadow if I felt like it. One thing I always did wear was lip gloss. Pale pink and strawberry flavored. It was the one essential I couldn't live without.

I walked back to the conference room. I opened the door to make my way back to my seat as I rounded the table my foot caught Jessica's chair and I stumbled. In a matter of what seemed like seconds Edward was up and grabbed my arm before my ass hit the floor. Oh God! Grace and poise were words that didn't exist in the Bella Swan Dictionary. I don't think I could have been anymore embarrassed. And then there was the feel of his hand as he held me up that made my body tingle. My pulse throbbed violently and I thought I was going to faint.

"Thank you Mr. Cullen." It was all I could trust myself to say without suddenly getting a case of diarrhea of the mouth. The blush that I had so quickly removed by splashing the cold water on my face had returned and with a vengeance. Edward Cullen up close and personal was beyond beautiful. I don't know what type of cologne he wore but it was all male and it complimented the man. Maybe I should have stuck with the ballet lessons! "Are you alright Miss Swan?" He asked me with a concerned look upon on his face.

"Yes, Mr. Cullen. I should have been paying more attention. Thank you again." I could only imagine what I looked like at this moment. Not to mention Edward as well as everyone in the room. As hard as I tried to not draw attention it never failed, my lack of coordination always came back to bite me in the ass.

"You're welcome, and please call me Edward." His eyes captivated me. It was as if those green eyes seared straight through to my soul.

I couldn't wait to sit my butt down before anything else happened. Jessica shot me a look that was something between annoyance and pure hatred. Are you kidding me? Could I peg this chick or what? She in her own subtle way was staking a claim on Edward. He had not given any indication that he was remotely interested in her. But then again he's a guy right? There was no way he couldn't see that she was interested. For all I knew he was too and he would bang her as soon as he got the chance.

"We will have the site prepped beginning the end of this week." Emmett said as he jotted down a few notes.

"Once the site is prepped then the next step will be getting the foundation down?" Fred asked.

I wanted to look at Edward again. What was it that attracted me to him? Okay he's gorgeous, no that wasn't right. He was beautiful. I didn't make a habit of calling men beautiful. Actually, I didn't make a habit of men period. Edward was like something you would find in a magazine. He was definitely model material. He had a profile that I swear begged my fingers to trace and know it as well as my own name. I was careful to not get caught staring at him. Not only Edward, but I definitely didn't want Jessica catching me. God she was so obvious with her flipping her hair over her shoulder and licking her lips. It was as if Edward was a meal and she couldn't wait to take a bite. She totally disgusted me.

"Yes, we will then begin laying down the concrete for the foundation." Emmett replied and brought me back to the present.

I was like a moth to a flame when Edward opened his mouth. I was just hoping that mine wasn't open catching flies.

"So to recap we are on target to prep the site by the end of the week. Once that has been completed we will then move forward with the laying of the foundation." I couldn't help but be drawn to his fingers which were now ruffling that hair even further. God to be his fingers right now.

I heard a buzzing sound and immediately looked down at my cell but it wasn't coming from mine. I lifted my eyes up scanning the room and noticed that it was Edward's. He glanced at the display and his face suddenly looked tense and irritated. As quickly as he had checked his phone he flipped it face down on the conference table. I wondered who it was that had called and obviously upset him.

After a few more discussions on the time table and setting a next date to meet we were finished for today. Edward and Emmett spent a few moments talking to Fred as they shook hands. I started to make my way out of the conference room only to be stopped by Emmett.

"Miss Swan, it was a really nice to meet you." He winked at me. I had only just met him for what maybe an hour but I sensed that Emmett had a way about making you feel comfortable.

"Thank you, it was good to meet you too." I offered my hand and Emmett shook it.

"You got quite a grip there Ms. Swan." Emmett replied as he flashed that dimpled smile.

"Please call me Bella." I nodded in response.

Edward was hovering behind Emmett. I felt him, he had not even touched me but it was as if his hands were on my body. The warmth was flowing through me again like a raging river. It had to be hormonal. That's what it was. After all my period had started right?

Sure, what else could it be?

Edward made his way around his brother and the next thing I knew he was standing in front of me. I felt my breath leave my body. My heart was beating so fast that I thought for sure it was going to explode out of my chest.

"It was a real pleasure meeting your Miss Swan." His eyes bore into mine.

"It's Bella, and it was nice to meet you too, Edward." There I had said his name. Edward

He smiled at me. I guess he liked the fact that I did remember to call him by his first name.

His hand extended towards mine and all of sudden I felt like everything was happening in slow motion. I reached my hand out to his and he took it gently. It didn't feel like a casual handshake in greeting. This felt much more personal. Again the electrical current sped through my body leaving every nerve ending turned over. Could I blame that on my hormones? I wanted to. I mean it was the only thing that made any sense. Because the fact that this man that I had just met could have such an overpowering effect on me was mind boggling.

"I hope we will have another opportunity to meet again." His hand was still encased in mine. Slowly he released it and started to make his way out of the conference room when is cell phone buzzed again.

"What?" The way he answered and in the tone he used he was pissed.

He walked a few feet away as he continued his call. I couldn't make out what he was saying but it was clear who ever had called him was getting an earful.

"Bella, isn't that Edward Cullen hot?" Jessica freaking Stanley, the last person on the face of the planet I wanted to talk to at the moment.

"He's handsome." I replied. I didn't, nor wanted to get into any conversation with her regarding Edward Cullen. No way did I want to hear her say how she was going to get her hands on him. Seriously just the thought made me want to empty the contents of my stomach all over Jessica's Manolo Blahnik's. No doubt a gift from one of the guys she banged.

"Handsome? God Bella the man is like sex on legs! I bet he knows what he is doing in the bedroom." Jessica was practically foaming at the mouth.

Of course if Edward needed some tips when it came to sex Jessica could certainly give him a few lessons. If I was Edward, I would be more concerned about picking up something more along the lines of an STD. Ugh! Just the thought of the two of them together really pissed me off. I didn't even know him and he brought all these feelings to the surface. And what scared me was that I knew I would most likely seem him again. Fred made it perfectly clear I was to be a part of this project. I knew that would mean more meetings and most likely traveling to the new site as the building progressed. God help me.

~SyP~

I was exhausted when I got home. My three babies were waiting for me at the door as they did every night I got home. Of course they loved me but it had more to do with the fact that their tummies needed to be fed. After I fed them I decided to crash on the couch in the living room before I made myself dinner.

So Far away, so far away…

I heard Nickelback's Far Away playing which indicated that my cell phone was ringing. I loved that song. I wasn't sure what it was about that it but it struck something deep inside of me. I dug my phone out of my bag and noticed it was Angela.

"Hey Ang, what's up?"

"Hi Bella. How was your day?"

"I just got home and my ass is dragging."

"Long day? Or a rough day or both?" Angela giggled on the other end of the phone.

"You could say both. We had the meeting with E & E Designs who have been hired to construct the new building." I replied as I attempted to stifle a yawn.

"Oh, now that sounds exciting." I could see Angela's eyes rolling through the phone.

"It was a little boring except for the fact that one of the guys was incredibly gorgeous." I replied.

"Wait a minute. Did you just say you found a guy gorgeous?" Angela sounded incredulous.

"Ha-ha, don't be such a smart ass." It was definitely out of character for me. Angela was my best friend and she knew everything about me. So commenting on the appearance of a guy was definitely unique.

"Bella, you are serious?" She asked again in shock.

"Yes Angela, I am serious. It was the strangest thing. I don't know how to explain it other than I felt some kind of connection. When we shook hands I felt something like a spark. That's weird right?" I wanted Angela to tell me that I was either imaging it or that it was just some kind of anomaly.

"When you mean spark what exactly are you saying?" Apparently I had roused Angela's interest.

"Well for example when we shook hands I felt as if I was shocked by some electrical current. It ran all through my body." Just listening to myself I sounded crazy, I was wondering what the hell Angela thought.

"Wow, that's so cool." She sounded so excited.

"Cool? It was far from cool. Angela I have never felt anything like this before. "

"Of course you haven't. You never date. Sounds like this guy and you have some chemistry."

"Ang, I hardly think a couple of handshakes which resulted in a physical reaction would constitute chemistry." But what the hell did I know.

"Okay, then what would you call it Bella?" I hated how she could turn things around and make me dig deeper.

"That's just it. I don't know what to call it. To make things worse, I nearly fell on my ass and if it wasn't for Edward, who helped me, I would have."

"Oh Edward is it?" Angela chuckled.

"Look he asked me to call him Edward."

"Back up what happened when he helped you from falling on your ass?" She was so into this conversation. Maybe I should have just kept my big mouth shut.

"I had gone to the ladies room. When I came back from I tripped on Jessica's chair. I was about to take a tumble in the most unladylike fashion when Edward was by my side in a flash. I was embarrassed to the say the least. And I could feel my face blush red and again the heat of his touch just ravaged my entire body. Do you think it could be hormonal? I mean I did start my period today." I was waiting for Angela to give some credence that of course that's what it was.

"Bella, I know that your period can wreak havoc on your body. I will say that it is hormonal. But not in the way you think. I believe you really connected with this guy. You physically connected. I have read about this stuff. And before you say that I have read it in a smut novel, shut the hell up." Angela started to laugh.

"Whatever Angela, it's not like I even want to entertain the idea of anything happening with him." I replied rolling my eyes this time.

"I know you are not going to want to hear this. But Bella you really need to talk to someone about your intimacy issues. Never mind whatever it is that you felt with this guy. You seriously have to address what you have been through. You know you are not alone in this. There have been plenty…" I just cut her off before she could go any further.

"Angela, stop. We have been through this before with a back hoe. No. End of story." With that Angela said she was heading out to dinner with Ben and ended the call.

I felt rotten once she hung up. I knew that she meant well. She always meant well. But no matter how many times she tried, I wasn't going to bear my soul to some stranger. My past was best kept in the past. I had for the most part kept it hidden deep within the recesses of my mind. It would still rear its ugly head and cause me troubled dreams, nightmares even. In the end it didn't matter. It was my punishment. After all, what had happened was my fault.

A/N: I apologize for the delay in posting this chapter. Real life always has a way of interfering with well laid out plans. At any rate here you go. I've not heard much from anyone so I don't know if you like this, if you hate it..should I bother? LOL Feedback is like gold...:)

Big thank you to Jlyn and DennaRose, their encouragement and advice has made all the difference. Love you girls...xo