Five Days of Holiday Hell

Chapter Seven

Edward tried not to dwell on how soft Bella's skin was or how her hair felt like silk. He laser-focused on the fact her head hit the door handle to the restroom on the way down. Cursing himself for not being fast enough, instead, he'd been too busy undressing her in his thoughts as he sang Closer and watching through the reflection where their eyes met.

"I'm so going to hell for this." He swept her into his arms and headed toward his uncle's office. It was one of the few that had a nice couch. The two in the employee lounge needed cleaning after catching Jacob and Nessa fucking early one morning since he started. Mike had also taken a ride on it with one intern from another company in the building. There was no need to subject Bella to whatever lived on every horizontal surface in that lounge.

His uncle needed to remind his employees that while inner-office dating wasn't off-limits, they didn't allow fornicating in the office during business hours.

Edward was a stickler for the rules. Then again, Bella could change his mind. Her office desk appeared sturdy. The little demon on his shoulder reminded him it was no longer office hours.

"Not the time," he hissed at his inner devil.

Bella's limp arms twitched and slowly moved to circle around his neck and shoulders. Dark lashes fluttered over gorgeous multi-faceted eyes, a soft smile on her lips. "This is the part in the book where the heroine yells at the hero to put her down, all embarrassed and flustered."

He couldn't help the way his lips pulled up into a knowing smile. "Is that what you're going to do now?" She stretched as he set her down on the couch, one arm over her head, the other still around his neck, keeping him close. Not that he minded one bit.

"I will not yell at you if that's what you mean." Her grin grew, her tongue sweeping along her bottom lip.

A pair of lips he dreamed about every night since they met. "The question I should ask, is, what exactly is the genre are we in?"

Bella's gaze swept from the heavy boots on Edward's enormous feet to the disarray of gorgeous hair on the top of his head. "I'd say Erotic fiction, but I'm a good girl." The coy batting of her lashes almost made him believe her.

Before Edward suggested if she wanted to be bad for once, her stomach grumbled loud enough to send the poor woman to her feet and blushing scarlet.

"Have you eaten anything today?" Edward had to ask. "Is that why you passed out and not my rugged good looks?" He didn't blush a lot.

She pointed an accusatory finger at his face and glared. "You, beard, and Closer are much too potent for us mere mortals."

Edward thought she was no mere mortal, Demi-goddess at least. "I'm sorry?"

She rolled her eyes and scoffed. "For what? Being too good looking for your own good? Own it, Edward. If not, keep on doing what you're doing, because it's working for you. More than half the staff wish they were you and the other half want to be in you." Her hand flailed around for a second when he choked in surprise, "Or you in them, whatever. Never apologize for being you."

"How about I'm sorry for not catching you after making you swoon?" He almost batted his lashes too but thought it would be too much and it wasn't his style.

Bella looked up at the ceiling and counted to ten. Before Edward was potent, being all blush and smiles, his shy looks had her heart all aflutter. Now, flirty Edward with a touch of fluster and she was a goner. Cinnamon roll heroes were her favorite, and Edward was one sticky bun.

Hot and sticky, yum.

Her stomach decided it needed to make another announcement, rumbling with hunger again. "How about making it up to me with some dinner?"

Edward couldn't tame his smile and eagerly nodded, earning a soft giggle from Bella. "Um, let me clean up and we could head out." He lifted up his watch to check the time, a piece that made Bella salivate. She had a thing for men with watches. "In about five minutes?"

"You don't have to take me to dinner, I was just messing around."

"Well, now I'm offering." Edward smiled and shrugged. "Besides, I still feel awful about the head thing."

The reminder made her rub the sore area and grimace when her hand came back with blood on it. Her head spun along with the room. "I'm really not good with blood." She didn't even have time to warn him before she listed to one side. "Stupid fucking door handle."

Edward caught her and helped her onto the couch again. His hand slid up into her hair, checking the slight cut. "You hit your head harder than I thought. Maybe a trip to the hospital or urgent care before dinner would be a good idea."

"I'll be fine, it's nothing. Been through this before." She shooed him. "Go clean up and we'll leave."

He stood, sweeping her off her feet, and shifted her body until she lay comfortably on the couch. "As if I'd let you out of my sight after swooning twice."

Bella grumbled, "I'm never living this down, am I?"

Arrogant, Edward smirked in response. "Don't close your eyes and keep talking while I get this done." Better safe than sorry.

"Talk about what?" She asked, watching him walk around the room. He had a grace to him that enchanted her, and not because he had a great ass. Though his frame was larger, he moved with ease, as if he choreographed every move. He was fascinating to watch.

"I don't hear you talking."

That's because I'm trying not to drool. "I don't know what to talk about."

"That's not good. Dinner would be rather awkward and quiet."

She huffed in annoyance like Edward knew she would. "Well, you probably don't know this about me, but I don't talk a lot about myself to my colleagues. I'd rather keep to myself. When I talk, it's usually without a filter."

"Really? I haven't noticed, but a no filter Bella is damn cute."

She heard the sarcasm in his tone and watched him some more. "I'm not sure I like an Edward that teases me." Liar, she loved it.

The man sent her a look that upped the state of emergency of her underwear and just obliterated them. "For your information, I love to tease and you have seen nothing yet."

Bella's body trembled as her bra felt like it disintegrated because of his words. It was her favorite bralette, too. Then she groaned, "I'm so going to fail at my diet."

"I guarantee it'll be worth your while," Edward sang, humming Closer as he worked.

She knew that. "I have my reasons for said diet."

"I'm sure they're all good reasons, I have some hang-ups about relationships, too. I will not use the tired phrase, 'not all men' because I know well that many are quite awful. I've worked in IT departments for years, the things I've seen wealthy CEOs look up…" Edward shuddered. "Anyway, when you're ready, you'll tell me what caused you to go on that kind of diet. If what you need is friend, I can be that, I could use some in the area."

He was so sweet, meaning Bella was in trouble. "I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship."

Edward smiled and soon swept her into his arms and out of the building, enjoying being Bella's friend as much as her coworker. This is the part where the hero keeps the worry from his voice. Having dealt with minor concussions before, he knew he'd have to keep her with him for hours or the entire night. He had to convince her it was for the best and that he wasn't trying to get into her pants.

Yet.