A/N: I don't own Twilight, that's for sure. A huge thanks to my Beta the lovely gooseonline - check out her stories, they're awesome. Mistakes are my own and yes I am still an Aussie so sometimes my spelling may seem alien to non aussies!
btw this chapter got so long it was almost ridiculous considering the title is 'short but sweet' so I have split the chapter in two - but I won't leave you with a cliffie - I am posting chap 7 'delicious good-night kiss' at the same time.
Chapter 6 - short but sweet
"Yes Jess? What can I do for this morning?" I mock surprise at her call but she was calling me each morning since she knew I was stopping in here on my way to the office.
"Boss, can you pick me up one of those little ….," her voice tapered off and I could hear some chattering in the background.
"Jess?" Who was she talking to?
"Sorry boss, Angela, Emmett and Alec are giving me their orders too."
"Orders Jess? Are you giving me orders now?" I chuckled.
"Look boss you can't come into the office every morning with that stuff and not share, Esme would be very upset with you."
Oh now I know that blow came from Emmett.
"Jess, you tell Emmett that if he plays the Esme card again I won't get him anything!" I said it as sternly as I could manage around my smirk.
"Okay Jess, have you got your orders straight because I am almost at the counter and Bella is looking at me disapprovingly for talking on the phone like a yuppie prick".
Bella was smiling as she narrowed her eyes with mock accusation. I had learned a few things about my luscious brown haired beauty watching her each morning as she bustles around her bakery.
She greets all her customers with a friendly smile but her regulars, and there are lot of regulars, always received a genuine warm smile. She gives those to me now because I come in each morning and always have a small chat with her.
Apparently she does not enjoy the wet and cold, hello she lives in Seattle! She likes watching soccer but her favourite sport is baseball because her stepfather was a coach or scout or something for the Seattle Mariners. Her eyes look a little sad whenever she mentioned family. I am pretty sure she is a Democrat. She listens to music in the kitchen and even dances about a bit sometimes, which makes me smile.
Bella reads a lot, there are well loved books left with the pages dog-eared, dreadful habit, all around the shop, behind the counter and in the kitchen. An eclectic range of books too, cookbooks, novels, business books too I was pleased to see. She laughs a lot and it is a lovely sound.
She has at least eight staff that I have seen when I am in the shop and although she is friendly with all of them, she is especially close to a gorgeous, buxom blonde who seems to manage the busy front counter.
But one thing I had observed that Bella definitely did not like was when customers talked on the phone when they were at the counter placing their order, she really hates that!
"Morning Edward," Bella was smirking while giving me a light-hearted bitch brow while looking at the phone against my ear.
"Okay Jess, got to go or Bella will ban me." I said trying to end my call with Jess and giving an exaggerated sad face to Bella.
"Okay Boss, I don't want you to get banned from your favourite food porn," she teased.
I laughed my arse off at that, because she was more right than she knew.
"Just get a range of things but Emmett is threatening violence if he doesn't get a chocolate croissant. Ooh and we all want coffee too boss, please? Will you be right with all that - do you want me to text you what we want?" Now she asks.
"Yes Jess, Edward can order cake and coffee!" I said earnestly. "Tyler is outside to help me bring it to the office", which reminded me to get his brioche and a coffee, he loves that shit.
I ended the call and put the phone in my pocket, mouthing sorry to Bella.
Bella laughed shaking her head, "You're a strange CEO, Edward"
I love it when she says my name.
"Isn't your PA supposed to get you coffee?" she asked.
"Now when you say strange, you mean good strange right?" I teased her.
"Yes, Edward, you are definitely good strange," she said shyly, giving me that killer warm smile.
I really don't know what the fuck I am doing right now, I haven't flirted with someone like this in a very, very long time. I am loving it though, it is actually fun.
The gorgeous blonde rolled her eyes and lightly elbowed Bella in the rib and giggled at our silly flirting. Seriously the blonde was crazy gorgeous, slim but fully rounded, piercing blue eyes, tall as a statue and hair pulled back in a tight bun. If I wasn't completely intoxicated by the cinnamon sweetness that is my Bella I would definitely have gone for the blonde although there was something hard or austere about blondie.
"Anyway, Edward," Bella continued, giving back the blonde a playful elbow to the ribs, "what can I do for you today?"
I loved it when Bella asks me that. There are so many things she could do for me, I'd been composing a list! A seriously fucking sexy list and an oddly sweet list too. Fuck, this woman was killing me. I had to ask her out, time to man up, Edward!
"Well Bella," I said enjoying saying her name, "it appears my executive team are as addicted to your baking as I am, so if you could put a selection together for the five of us to enjoy over our morning briefing with a large coffee for each of us that would be perfection. Of course, I need a brioche and coffee for my driver Tyler too. We wouldn't want him feeling left out, it might dangerous for me."
She was watching my mouth as I was speaking and I just couldn't help teasing her a little by lightly licking and then biting on my bottom lip just a little before smiling at her.
"Bella!" The blonde amazon elbowed her again trying to break her out her staring at my mouth. I really like that Bella seems to like me.
"Oh, yeah. … of course, Edward…," she stammered a little breaking her gaze away from my mouth and smiling again. "I wouldn't want to be responsible for you having a hard ride."
Her eyes widened as she realised her accidental innuendo. The blonde burst out laughing and I bit down on my lip for real this time trying not to laugh and embarrass her further.
Bella dove behind the counter filling a box with treats for my team with a separate bag for Tyler's brioche and when she surfaced again her cheeks were a beautiful shade of pink. God she is gorgeous.
Do it Cullen. Ask her now!
"Here are the pastries Edward, I included some fruit tarts the pastry crust is short but sweet. Rosalie will get the coffees and put them in a carry tray for you," she said without making eye contact.
I handed her the money, she rang up the order on the till and gave me the change which I placed in the staff tip jar on the counter as I always did.
"Bella?" I said quietly, "Could I speak to over here for a moment?" I pointed to a corner at the front of the shop where there were stools and a bench which customers sat at to watch the outside world go by as they drank their coffee.
Personally, I preferred to face inside the store so I could enjoy watching Isabella greeting other customers and talking with co-workers. I hated it when she disappeared in to the kitchen when I could only see her through the small window opening behind the counter. Although I did enjoy watching her move around her kitchen, she enters a whole other state when she was in there. I couldn't hear it but I was pretty sure she listened to music in the kitchen because she seemed to sway and glide as though she was dancing around the room. My favourite part was when she emerged from the kitchen with a new tray of delicacies. The smell was mouth-watering.
"Okay," she said shyly breaking me from my musing, "can you cover for me for a moment Rosalie?"
Ah, Rosalie, that's the blonde's name.
Bella moved and looked up to me, she is so petite, so perfect, I took a nervous step closer to her so I could look down to her beautiful face. I love her looking up at me.
She spoke before I could begin my pitch for a dinner date. "Edward, I want to apologise for embarrassing you just now."
What was she saying? Oh that was too cute, she thought I was angry and moved her over to the side to reprimand her.
She was looking up at me with these big brown eyes and I just smiled at her. I wanted to get closer but I was as close as I dared. I reached out and did what I'd wanted to do since the first day, l took her loose curl and tucked it behind her ear running my fingers along her cheek and down to her chin. She smiled at me. Damn, I am lost, completely and totally lost.
"Bella," I said shaking my head slowly, "I'm not cross with you, sweet one, I asked you over here so I could ask you to have dinner with me…. tonight."
She looked surprised and blushed that perfect pink, I couldn't help it I licked my lips again. She just smelled so edible - cinnamon and something else - whatever, I wanted to taste her but thankfully I kept control of myself.
My fingers were tingling from when I'd brushed them down her cheek and I was trying hard not to do it again.
Finally she spoke, "Um… Edward… I don't know, if I can …."
Well that wasn't a no, time to get this deal sealed. "C'mon Bella, wouldn't it nice to have someone cook for you? I'll be a good boy and look after you, I promise. Won't you have dinner with me, please?"
I gave her my half-smile and looked into her eyes with the full force of my desire hoping my eyes would show her how much I wanted this.
She gasped a little. Her eyes locked on to mine and glazed over a little. It was like she was in a trance. Keeping eye contact with her, I nodded my head slowly hoping she'd follow and nod agreement. She started to nod and I smiled leaning my face down to her, just one little kiss, that would be okay wouldn't it?
Just at that moment Rosalie came up to me with the coffee tray, which she placed on the bench behind me next to my box of pastries. She lightly tapped my arm and gave me a bitch brow, "Don't dazzle the poor girl" she laughed.
Dazzle her? Yeah, I guess that is what I was trying to do. Wow, I didn't think it would work this well, oops.
Bella shook her head and started to mumble in the cutest way, "oh.. sorry… um… Edward I would really love to go to dinner with you tonight but I…. "
What's this? Was she going to say no? She seems to like me and she said she wants to go out with me so what is the problem? I'll just have to "dazzle" her again.
Before I could push Bella again, Rosalie spoke up.
"S'okay Bella," Rose touched Bella lightly on her arm and gave her a reassuring look, "I'll look after everything. I'll crash in your spare room tonight. You go out with Edward and have some fun for once." With that she turned and went back to serving behind the counter.
Bella smiled after her friend and then turned back to me with the most brilliant smile. I smiled back. We were just two grinning idiots standing in the middle of morning bakery chaos. I really had no fucking idea what I was doing but in that moment I just felt happy.
"So Isabella, can I pick you up at seven tonight?" I decided to just take her smile as agreement that she would go out with me.
"Yes, Edward, I would love that. I live upstairs so just come here and I'll be ready," she looked up to me and giggled lightly.
She reached for one of the bakery's business cards sitting on top of the counter. She took out a pen and scrawled her mobile number on the back of card.
"Here's my number to call me if you need to change plans. Okay, I need to get back to it, morning rush and all, and you need to get that coffee to your PA or she might take her revenge out on your diary and you'll be late for our date."
I laughed and told her I'd see her tonight. I grabbed the coffee tray and all the delicious goodies to head out to the car.
I handed the brioche and coffee to Tyler who smiled. "Satisfied your fix Mr Cullen, shall I take you to the office now Sir?"
Cheeky bastard.
"Yes, Tyler I think I can handle the office now that I've had my morning fix, thanks." My Bella fix, that is. The cakes and coffee are great but she is like my own special drug. His teasing couldn't spoil my mood, I had a date with Isabella.
In the privacy of the back of the limo after checking that Tyler wasn't watching me, I stuck my nose into the top of the carry bag filled with Bella's sweet temptations and I breathed in the delectable scents of cinnamon, sugar, caramel, chocolate and buttery goodness and something else that was uniquely Bella. I leaned my head back against the seat and moaned. That scent just overwhelmed me.
Looking out the window of the limo I realised it had been a week to the day since I literally dumped Tanya on her arse. In that week I had been thinking a good deal about my conversation with Emmett and I realised that he was right, expect the worst and you won't be disappointed. He was also right about wanting more. I wanted the whole fucking brass ring. I wanted to love someone who loved me. Watching Bella each day as she worked in her bakery I wondered if maybe I could have it all with her.
Thanks for reading and thanks for reviews - it is so lovely hearing your thoughts and theories. Click next for the big date!