A/N: Submitted to the We Love Mobward Contest put on by Pay It Forward. Much thanks to SunflowerFran for suggesting the contest. This was completely out of my wheelhouse... thus the lemony goodness sprinkled throughout. Oh, who am I kidding? It's drenched in the stuff. ;) Have plans to expand it, just not sure when...

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight.

BPOV

"You know he's in the mob, right?"

Bella shot Alice a dark look and hoped Mr. Cullen hadn't heard her from the hallway. Bella waited until the door fully closed before turning on her friend.

"Honestly, Alice."

"What?" Alice said with a shrug. "He is."

Opting to ignore her, Bella returned to her appointment book at the front desk and placed a neat check next to Mr. Carlisle Cullen's name. Her next client wasn't scheduled for nearly an hour but Mrs. Stanley suffered from a host of problems that would require a little more set up. Unfortunately for Bella, the physical therapy suite located within Forks County Hospital was small enough that Alice's voice carried to her perfectly well from across the space.

"Come on, Bells. He's just got that air about him. The kind that reeks of old money earned through questionable means."

Bella fought the smile threatening to emerge as Alice continued to pile fictional facts onto Bella's unsuspecting client. Once she got started there was no stopping her. Especially in an empty office.

"Bring me that foam roller would you, Al?" Bella tried to interrupt the diatribe.

"Blue or black?" asked Alice.

"Blue."

"And what's with that goon he always comes in with? The guy never says anything." Alice huffed as she took a seat next to Bella on the floor.

Taking the foam roller from Alice with a playful tug, Bella narrowed her eyes. "Jasper is perfectly nice. Just because he doesn't want to talk to the motormouth of Suite 189 doesn't mean he's a goon. And as for Mr. Cullen… the most nefarious thing about him are the eight rounds of chemo he just completed."

"Uh-huh," Alice hedged. She let Bella peruse her notes in silence for a minute before standing with a loud sigh. "Well, just so you know, I also happen to think Mrs. Stanley is the reincarnation of Zsa Zsa Gabor."

Bella smiled up at her friend. "Now that I agree with."

EPOV

"I heard you, Rose. Fine… yes. I understand." Edward hung up the phone and pinched the bridge of his nose.

In the ten months he'd been filling in for his father, Edward could count on one hand the number of good phone calls that came through. Each one was worse than the next. And here he thought the office work part of the job would be the easiest.

A knock sounded and the door opened a second later. "Did you need me, Boss?"

Jasper stood just inside the doorway, blocking out the light that shone in from the hallway. His size was just one of the reasons they'd taken him on when Edward's dad had gotten sick. The reference he came with was the other. And while his stature was indisputable, his loyalty was not.

"Close the door, Jasper." Edward said as he stood. His suit jacket hung open and Edward slipped it off before folding it over the back of his father's chair. He rolled up the sleeves of his crisp white dress shirt.

Why the hell did I wear white?

Jasper at least had the common sense to look nervous as Edward rounded the desk and came to stand in front of him. As hulking as the bodyguard was, Edward matched him for height. Although while his lean frame was well sculpted, he didn't have quite the bulk that Jasper did.

"Can I tell you something, Jasper?" Edward said, leveling a serious stare at the man standing before him.

"Of course, Boss." Came the mumbled reply.

"Ah, see that's just it. I never wanted to be the boss. Didn't want to take over the family business. I still don't. Which is why I need the old man safe and sound. Safe, Jasper."

"Boss," Jasper said with a nod, his eyes on the ground.

Edward snapped his fingers in Jasper's line of sight, forcing his gaze upward. Closing the little space that remained between them, Edward narrowed his eyes. "And that's not why you're here. Is it?"

Jasper's stoic silence was admirable. So was the offering of his square jaw. Edward's fist connected half a dozen times before Jasper moved. Even then he didn't fight back, just bent over and let his blood splatter all over Edward's dress shoes and the dark red carpet that had been chosen for that exact reason.

BPOV

Bella had one foot out the door when the phone started ringing. If Alice hadn't left an hour ago she would've dragged Bella away from the responsibilities of work and into a night at the club or some other place Bella had no interest in going. Instead she answered the phone.

"Forks Physical Therapy."

"I need to speak to Ms. Swan." The voice on the other end of the line was brooding with masculinity and a simmering anger.

"Speaking," Bella replied. "How can I help you?"

"You've been helping my father. Carlisle Cullen."

A shiver ran through Bella's body. Carlisle was soft-spoken and pleasant, the man on the phone sounded dangerous. "Yes, he's a-"

"We're going out of town," the man cut her off. "Tomorrow. I'd like you to accompany my father and continue your work with him."

Bella frowned as she listened to his clipped words. He sounded as though he was speaking through gritted teeth. She wondered what on earth had made him so angry. "I'm sorry but I can't just-"

"My father wants to dance with my mother at their fiftieth wedding anniversary at the end of the month."

"I know-" Bella tried to interject but was cut off again.

"And you're the one who's tasked with ridding him of that cane. I'm a man who expects people to keep their word."

With a huff, Bella raised her voice. "And I will. In my office. Now if he needs to reschedule his appointment, I'd be happy to arrange something for when you return."

Bella could've sworn she heard a growl in his angry exhale. His next words were rough and raw. "We won't be returning before the party. You need to come with us."

"Mr. Cullen," Bella began when the lone light still on at the desk flickered. The telephone line crackled and for a second she thought she'd lost him. "Mr. Cullen?"

"How many patients would suffer if your facility were to shut down indefinitely?"

Again, that chill ran down Bella's spine. "Excuse me?"

His voice lowered to graveled tone. "In exchange for your accompanying my father, I will personally see to it that not only does your office receive a large financial donation but the power will stay on and the hospital will stay in business."

Grasping the edge of the desk, Alice's words from earlier echoed through Bella's mind. She closed her eyes tightly against the notion that Carlisle or his son were involved in the mob. Taking a deep breath, she weighed her options as quickly as she could with the heavy pants coming from the other end of the line. Whether or not his threats were valid, she wasn't the only physical therapist in the office. Alice and the rest of the staff could cover any appointments she might miss. At least until she was able to talk some sense into Carlisle and his son.

"Fine. Of course, I will need more details."

A grunt that Bella could only guess was indicative of his satisfaction came through the line. "I'll send a car to your place within the hour."

"Wait a minute," Bella replied. "How do you know where I live?"

EPOV

The echo of a gunshot sounded from deep inside Edward's pants pocket where his phone was currently residing. It was the ringtone he'd dedicated to any and all communication from Rose and ignoring her was rapidly becoming his new hobby.

Turning back to the bubbling pot of red sauce on the stovetop, Edward dipped his spoon in and gave it a delicate swirl. He insisted on a family dinner the first night at the Cullen Estate, just like his father always did. Whether it was a nod to tradition or he was becoming more comfortable in his temporary role, Edward wasn't sure.

Of course, family dinner meant something different now that Rose had married Royce and their father had gotten cancer. For one thing, it would be a whole lot less family. Tonight the table would be surrounded by people on the payroll.

Including Bella Swan, Edward thought.

He hadn't yet met his father's physical therapist but was pretty damn sure he owed her an apology. For threatening her business, coercing her into coming to Connecticut and just generally being an ass. He could use his punishment of Jasper as an excuse but it wasn't like he'd killed the guy. Just gave him a proper beating and sent him running back to the Volturi family with his tail between his legs. It was unorthodox to leave a traitor alive but Edward wasn't his father.

"Is this for dinner tonight?"

Edward recognized the voice immediately. It belonged to the woman to whom he owed that apology. Turning to face her, he wasn't surprised to see how beautiful she was. After all, he knew what she looked like, where she lived, who her family was and what her goddamn social security number was. What he didn't know was that a slow burn would warm his chest when he laid eyes on her.

She crossed the large kitchen and came to stand beside him at the stove. Dipping her pinky into the sauce, she licked it off with a hum and looked up at him. "I'm Bella. Mr. Cullen's physical therapist. And while this is delicious, it's hardly the kind of thing he needs to be eating."

Her brown eyes bore into his, earnest and about as threatening as a puppy. He suppressed a chuckle and when he spoke he was surprised that she didn't appear to recognize his voice. "I'm glad you like it."

"I said it was delicious, not that I liked it." She returned his smile before turning back to the stove.

"So, what's wrong with it exactly… Bella?" He liked saying her name. How it felt on his tongue and suddenly it didn't seem to so strange that she didn't recognize his voice. He hardly recognized it himself. It wasn't often that he sounded so… happy.

"Well, in my experience, delicious is usually a result of butter and oil and everything else bad for you."

"Then I think you're doing something wrong," Edward said.

She smiled up at him again and then called his attention to the large pot of pasta boiling. "Is that homemade?"

"It is," Edward replied. He couldn't help the pride that leaked into his voice.

"What kind of flour did you use?"

Putting his spoon down, Edward crossed his arms over his chest, obscuring the words "Grillfather" that were emblazoned on the front of his apron. A gift from Rose several Christmases ago, Edward only wore it because he valued keeping his suit in pristine condition. A little splatter may be easy to hide on his black dress pants but his white shirt wouldn't fare so well. He made a mental note to have his assistant pick up some dark colored shirts soon.

"The delicious kind," he said.

Bella fought a laugh, biting into her lip and glancing up at him through long lashes. That heat in his chest crackled through his body and he realized in that moment that nothing on his stove was likely as delicious as the woman standing in front of him.

"Mr. Cullen needs to be cutting down on saturated fats and sugar. A diet high in vegetables and lean proteins will only aid in his recovery."

Edward waved a hand toward his sauce and noticed Bella's gaze tracking his forearm. His sleeves were rolled up just past his wrist and the edge of a tattoo peeked out. Clearing his throat, he called her eyes back to his. "What do you think is in the sauce? Tomatoes, onions, garlic…"

"Not to mention cream…" Bella interjected.

"Is dairy not important?" Edward teased.

Bella opened her mouth to protest but Edward cut her off. "I'm kidding. Of course, I understand you have my- Mr. Cullen's best interest at heart. And I truly appreciate that. He's very important to all of us."

A warm smile lit up Bella's face and she placed a hand on Edward's arm. He tensed involuntarily. Her touch was like a shock. It drew all that heat from his chest straight to his arm and he wanted to hold her to him. Feel that burn over his whole body.

"Boss?" The word was followed by a not-so-subtle throat clearing. "Dinner about ready?"

Emmett's timing was impeccable.

And punishable, he thought as Bella withdrew her hand.

Without turning to his bodyguard, Edward nodded and searched Bella's face for any signs that might indicate how she felt about him.

"Five minutes, Emmett."

BPOV

From where she sat, wedged between two behemoths, Bella still managed to have an unobstructed view of Edward Cullen.

He was listed as Carlisle's emergency contact but other than that Bella had never laid eyes on him. Until earlier that night when she also laid a hand on him after insulting his cooking. Not that her touch had been quite as harsh as her words. In fact, she couldn't stop thinking about the feeling of his thick forearm beneath her fingers. He'd tensed when she touched him and the charming smile he'd been offering her as she ranted about healthier food choices disappeared in favor of something a little dangerous and a lot sexier.

Much like the look he wore throughout dinner. The one she felt was directed at her even when he wasn't looking directly at her. From his position at the head of the table, he was the focus of everyone's attention. Conversations were offered and whenever he indulged someone, Bella could make out the low, rough timbre of his voice as it carried across the room. She wasn't entirely sure how she hadn't recognized his voice right away. He was definitely the same man who'd called her at the office and insisted she accompany Carlisle on his Connecticut retreat.

And despite how good he looked in a suit and how the deep green of his eyes made her weak in the knees, Bella needed to focus. And apologize to him. There was no way Alice's wild assumptions about the Cullen family could be true – despite Edward's surprisingly sexy apron – or even somewhat responsible for Bella's driving desire to make amends. The matter of the fact was that she had insulted a man in his home. And now she just needed to find the right time to say she was sorry.

She helped to clear the table despite vigorous protestations from the household staff and was making her way back to her room when the perfect opportunity arose.

The Cullen Estate in southern Connecticut was palatial and labyrinthine and Bella became good and lost on her way back to her room. If only she'd paid better attention to all the twists and turns Emmett had taken on his way in with her luggage. Then again, her lack of attention earlier was what now led her past Edward's half-opened office door.

Dim light spilled over the large mahogany desk he was sitting at, head bent over disappointing market share reports or whatever the hell rich people frowned over. Not that he was frowning exactly but his lips formed a harsh line across his handsome face. When his eyes looked up into hers, Bella realized it was probably just as rude to lurk in the hallway and stare at him as it was to insult his cooking.

"Lost?" He asked.

"Lost. Full. Sorry." She listed her sins with a shrug and a smile.

"What are you sorry about?" His lips shifted into a crooked smile and he gestured for her to enter.

Bella slipped in, turning to close the door behind her. Her hand came to rest on the expensive wood finish of the door for a moment. Why had she closed the door? Hell, she'd already apologized. There wasn't anything more to say. Was there?

Turning, she took a deep breath and tried not to let his smile rattle her. It was unlike her to be nervous or intimidated. Shy? Sure. But she was rarely intimidated. And yet this man with his broad shoulders and disarming grin and mop of messy bronze hair set her nerves on edge.

He leaned back in his chair, pushing away from the desk and his frustrations if the look on his face was anything to go by.

"So, what's the apology for?"

"Earlier," she said with a vague gesture behind her, as if that explained everything. "In the kitchen."

Edward waved her explanation away. "Forget about it."

Bella laughed and glanced down at her feet. Alice would have a field day with that.

"I'm Edward."

"Bella," she replied. "Although I think I already introduced myself earlier."

Edward nodded and for a second his gaze dropped. Was he checking her out? If the heat tracking over her body was any indication, he most definitely was.

"I appreciate you coming all this way to help my father. I know he's anxious to be back on his feet for the anniversary party."

"And he will be." Bella crossed the room to stand behind one of the chairs positioned in front of the desk. "He's making amazing progress and we all keep hearing about his famous foxtrot. In fact, the whole staff has offered to help him practice but so far he hasn't taken us up on the offer."

Bella laughed as she remembered the day they all tried to bribe him into just a few steps. Carlisle was a charmer. He had most of the therapists wrapped around his finger and he was known for trying to sweet talk his way out of the harder exercises which left Bella in charge of his treatment. Only Bella seemed capable of resisting his charms but it was all an act. An act she was failing at when it came to his son.

"My father won't dance with anyone but my mother," Edward said with a shake of his head.

"That's so sweet. He's an old romantic," Bella said with a sigh.

Edward rubbed a large hand against his jaw and lifted an eyebrow. "He's something all right."

His gaze wandered away from her and she took the opportunity to appreciate how good looking he was. He'd abandoned his apron from earlier and still wore dress pants and a button-down shirt but no jacket. His sleeves were once again rolled up and Bella wished he'd move his arm so she could glimpse the tattoo he had there again.

I wonder if he has ink anywhere else, Bella thought.

"Look, I'm sorry to force you to come all this way. I hope it wasn't too much trouble getting your work schedule sorted out."

Bella dragged her gaze up to his eyes and shook her head, more to clear her mind of lurid thoughts than in response to him. "No, it's fine. Like I said I'm the one who should be apologizing. It was rude of me to insult you."

Edward's perplexed expression turned to one of understanding and he shrugged with a small laugh. "How was dinner?"

"Delicious," Bella admitted.

"I don't know," Edward said with a sly grin. "I feel like it needed more… vegetables."

Bella laughed and just as Edward joined her, his phone rang, interrupting them both. With a surreptitious glance, he turned it over on the desk and looked back to Bella.

"I'm sorry, I can go if you need to get that." She made a move toward the door.

"No, it's fine." He continued to ignore the ringing plus the pinging tone indicating that a voicemail was left. When it rang again, he picked it up and shoved it into a drawer, closing it with a slam.

"Telemarketer?" Bella joked.

"Sister," Edward grumbled.

Bella couldn't relate as an only child but had her fair share of family drama. "Family can be stressful."

Edward's eyes shot to hers, that hint of malice buried deep in the emerald color. "I'm not stressed."

Everything about Edward's posture warned Bella to relent. Then again, everything about his posture also indicated that he was lying. The firm set of his shoulders and hard line to his jaw were all telltale signs of someone under great stress. And now that she really looked, it was hard to miss the bruising color beneath his eyes as well. He wasn't sleeping well.

Bella rounded his desk and came to stand behind Edward's chair. When her hands fell to his shoulders, he tensed and she couldn't help but laugh.

"Sure. You're not stressed at all." She kneaded her fingers into the firm muscles of his shoulders and up to his neck. "It's completely natural to be made of stone."

His muscles gave under her ministrations the slightest little bit and she warmed at the thought that she was responsible for helping him. After all, that was what she did. She fixed people.

"Maybe I am." There was that low and dangerous voice again.

Bella ignored the shiver that ran down her spine and continued to massage his back, not failing to notice how good it felt to have her hands on him.

"I find that hard to believe," she finally said.

She knew he was going to move a second before he did but it still didn't give her adequate time to prepare. Time to catch her breath and arrange a pleasantly distant smile on her face. Instead when he swiveled to look at her, she felt a rush of warmth color her face and the tiniest gasp fall from her lips.

"Do you, Bella? Do you find it hard to believe?" Edward trapped her in his gaze, those mesmerizing eyes growing dark with desire. "Because I can assure you, I'm hard everywhere."

He leaned forward in the chair and before she could step back, his hand was on her leg. She couldn't decide whether to curse her decision to wear a dress or celebrate it. The heat from his hand drove a rush of desire pooling between her legs. His long fingers skimmed along her thigh, brushing against the fabric of her skirt as he moved his hand higher with each pass.

"Tell me to stop, Bella."

Bella took a breath. "Would you?"

The corner of his mouth lifted in a crooked smirk. "Of course. Just tell me you don't want me to touch you."

She should but it was the last thing she wanted. At first glance Edward was handsome and charming and definitely worth having a naughty dream or two about. But then he touched her. His touch was like fire. It sparked a desire she'd never felt before and the tingling it sent through her body was begging her to follow through. See just how quickly this man could incinerate her if given free reign over her body. And that was just it. He would destroy her. A man as rich and powerful and controlling as she'd gleaned Edward to be in the short time she'd known him was sure to leave her life in ruin when he was done with her.

So maybe you walk away before he does. For once in your life.

"Bella," Edward's voice called her back to the present.

Her teeth bit into her lower lip as she tried to wrap her head around the dual sensations of his hand on her leg and his eyes on hers. "I don't want you to touch me…"

His hand stilled and Bella grasped the hem of her dress.

"…there."

Edward exhaled with a groan and his hands clasped Bella at the waist. He pivoted her and Bella found the desk at her backside all of a sudden. She leaned back against it. With the help of his large hands, Edward hopped her onto the edge of the desk and let his hands trail from her waist back down to her legs. His rough handling jostled her skirt so that it rose indecently high and Edward took full advantage.

While one hand resumed its careful circles on her over-sensitive skin, the other trailed between her legs and along the edge of her panties.

"Is this where you want me to touch you?" His voice was thick with lust.

Bella captured her lip in her teeth again and nodded as she splayed her hands out on the desk behind her.

"I need you to tell me, Bella." Edward ordered.

"Yes." Her lips formed the word but her voice was barely above a whisper.

A finger slipped beneath the edge of her panties and sought out her silken center. "What happened to the bossy woman I met in the kitchen earlier tonight?"

A glint of wickedness shone in Edward's eyes at the exact moment Bella felt his finger stroke between her folds. One of her hands shot out to grab hold of his shoulder. Whether it was the length of his finger or sheer intuition, Edward managed to find some magical spot within her that sent a jolt of pleasure rocketing down her legs.

"She's around here somewhere," Bella mumbled.

A low chuckle accompanied the next thrust of Edward's finger. "Well I hope she'll tell me if I'm doing this right."

"Y-you're doing it right." Her stammering could be blamed on both the rhythm of his stroking and the tension coiling low in her stomach.

Edward shifted Bella's dress higher on her lap, exposing the view of his finger buried beneath her panties and that knot in her belly suddenly tightened again. When he briefly withdrew his finger to slide her panties down, Bella barely managed to lift her hips from the desk long enough to assist his mission. Once the scrap of silk was dangling around her ankles, Edward's fingers resumed their slow torture.

"And to think I've been cooking for so much longer," Edward mused as he took in the sight of his finger disappearing into her.

"I didn't say you were a bad cook," Bella protested.

His eyes locked on hers and a satisfied smirk spread across his face. "No, but I don't think I made enough to eat because I am starving."

Bella's fingers dug into the muscles of his shoulder, pulling him forward. The grin didn't leave Edward's face as he ducked down to pepper kisses along her inner thigh. She shimmied her hips, trying to take his finger in deeper or urge his lips higher but he had other ideas in mind.

With a firm grip, he pried her hand from his shoulder and placed it back on the desk. "Brace yourself," he said as he withdrew his finger from her.

Edward dragged the tip of his tongue against his lip and then lowered it to stroke against her throbbing center. Her legs shuddered and shook and his large hands clamped down on her thighs, holding them steady. His tongue slipped between her folds and pressed against her clit. She moaned and dropped her head back.

When he echoed her moan, the sound sent a shock of vibrations running through her body. Her fingers clutched at the desk, crumpling any papers that didn't go fluttering to the floor. Edward's lips sealed against her, his tongue buried deep, drawing her orgasm forth. She fought the sensation, trying to hold back and enjoy teetering on the edge at the will of this man.

A faint hint of reality nagged at her. In a matter of minutes they would be done and there would be another round of apologies, followed by enough awkwardness to last the rest of her stay at the Cullen Estate. Bella wasn't entirely worried about how to face him after tonight but rather how to control her libido around him. Between the suits, the cooking, the mysterious tattooed forearm, sexy green eyes and talented tongue, he was the embodiment of her every fantasy. These sudden worries held her orgasm at bay despite Edward's best efforts.

"Stop thinking, Bella."

She snapped her eyes open to connect with the intensity of his gaze. It wasn't a plea, it was an order.

"I don't do things halfway. I want your orgasm and I want it now." His tongue lapped at her, probing her folds. His lips closed around her clit and drew it into his mouth, teeth grazing the sensitive bundle of nerves until her legs were shaking again. Pulling his mouth off of her, he shot her a dark look. "And just so you know, I'll take as many as I like."

If that wasn't a promise of more, Bella didn't know what was. With a sigh, she relented her control and let Edward resume his relentless pursuit of her orgasm. It wasn't far away and as Bella dropped her head back again, the slightest tingle of pleasure built in her toes and began rocketing up her legs at a pace that forced her eyes wide open. The next gasp to escape her mouth was one of shock.

From her perch atop his desk, with her head thrown back, she could just make out a sliver of light coming from the hallway through his opened office door. Her mind reeled, trying to recall if she'd closed it on her way in and that's when she saw him. One of the behemoths that had been sitting next to her at dinner was in the doorway. Only a few inches of his face were visible in the small space, as if he'd started to enter but stopped when the door was open just enough to see what was going on.

"Edward!" Bella hissed.

She tugged on his hair, trying to pry his mouth from her. Or hold him there, her hand was just as confused as her brain was. Because while this whole encounter was unexpected and Bella typically craved privacy in intimate situations, something about the silent man's eyes on her was making her heart race.

"Edward," she called again and this time he looked up.

He was on his feet in an instant, jaw tight and lips unmistakably wet with her arousal. His threatening stare shot from the door to her and his mouth softened ever so slightly. Bella reached for the man now towering over her and cupped a hand over the hard bulge at his crotch. The guttural moan that followed was only matched by the darkening of his eyes.

"Does that turn you on?" He spoke low and rough.

Bella's fingers sought purchase on Edward's trapped cock through his dress pants and when his fingers reached from her thighs toward her dripping center, she bit her lip and nodded. Edward groaned again and eased her back to lie on the desk with a searing kiss. His hands trailed over the soft fabric of her dress, her aroused nipples hard beneath, as he brought his lips to her ear.

"Then get ready to come," he spoke between kisses.

His mouth left her neck, hands dragging down from her breasts to push her skirt up. When his mouth touched her this time, there were no slow and gentle licks. Edward devoured her. Driving his tongue in, he stroked at her inner walls, twisting and reaching and searching for that elusive orgasm.

Bella's gaze sought out the watchful eyes from the hall at the same moment Edward's fingers pinched at her clit. She cried out and saw a flicker of light. Whoever he was, he'd moved. Didn't leave but moved. The idea that she might be turning him on was intoxicating. That he could watch and listen but not touch. He couldn't have her but could dream of having her. Touch himself as he thought of her.

Grasping for Edward's head, Bella's legs clamped around him as her stomach lifted and flipped. A wave of pleasure rode down from her chest and up from her toes until it finally crashed in a glorious explosion against Edward's tongue. A scream fell from her lips in gasping breaths as he lapped at her, prolonging each spasm until another wave rolled through her body.

The office door creaked and only then did Bella realize her eyes were closed. Opening them she saw the door was now closed. Their mysterious audience vanished. Closing her eyes again, Bella relished the myriad of sensations flooding through her body. The trembling and pulsing and quavering all focused to a single point where Edward's mouth was dutifully bringing her back down to earth.

His hands soothed the length of her thighs and up her torso to mold her breasts. When he finally withdrew his mouth, he smoothed her dress back down, dragging his hands down the length of her legs before standing. Hooked around his finger were her panties and he twirled them playfully while smiling down at her.

"I think I'll keep these," he said.

"What about me?" Bella murmured blissfully.

"I think I'll keep you too."

The dark desire in his eyes didn't quite match the devilishly crooked grin on his lips. And it was that odd dichotomy of dangerous and debonair that lured her in.

EPOV

Edward extended his hand to the goddess laid out all over his desk. The damn thing never looked better than when it was covered with a gorgeous brunette instead of paperwork and responsibilities. When her hand slipped into his, Edward's cock throbbed. It was a painful reminder of just how much more he wanted of her.

Up until the moment she'd walked into his kitchen, Bella Swan was a problem to be handled. The key to getting his father back on his feet and behind the desk. Once he convinced her to join them in their fast retreat to the family estate he figured he was done with her. But even their brief conversation in the kitchen had left him wanting more. Now that he'd tasted her there was no way he was letting her out of his sight. At least not for the foreseeable future. How convenient that she agreed to stay in his family's house for the next three weeks.

Hoisting her up from the desk, Edward swept her into his arms. A bright burst of laughter spilled from her lips as her arms wrapped around his neck. The sound softened something hard in his heart and his arms tightened around her. He wasn't used to being soft. She smiled up at him and bit the corner of her lip like she was about to launch into twenty questions about what happened next. But Edward didn't want to talk about sleeping arrangements or the conflict between business and pleasure or what would happen after the next three weeks. He didn't want to talk at all.

He captured her mouth, sucking at her lips and then sliding his tongue in and against hers. She moaned and his cock throbbed in response. Knocking his chair back and out of the way, Edward made his way across the room toward a hidden door in the back corner of the room. The same door that led to his bedroom.

Edward entered the room with far less finesse than usual, slamming the door into the wall before kicking it shut behind him and swiveling to press Bella back against the sturdy wooden surface. His hips rocked between hers. With a gasping breath, she broke away from his lips.

"Edward," she whispered.

He lavished dozens of kisses along the length of her neck all while enjoying the way her body fit perfectly against his. With her legs wrapped around him, she held him close.

"Where are we?" she asked.

"My room," Edward answered between kisses.

"So, there's a bed?"

Edward grunted and pulled back from her neck to press his forehead against hers. "I'll take you against the door and the wall of my shower and out on the fucking balcony if I want."

Bella needed to know who she was dealing with. Edward Cullen wasn't boyfriend material. He was good for a quick fuck and nothing more.

"What about what I want?" Bella asked, a challenge glinting in her eyes.

He dipped his mouth to hers again and drew back before her tongue reached his. "I know exactly what you want."

The rock of his hips was anything but subtle.

"And what is that?" Bella asked despite the gasp she failed to hide.

He brought his mouth to her ear, licking there as his voice came across low and rough. "To get good and fucked."

Any one of the whimpers and moans spilling forth from Bella's lips might have done him in but it was the wet heat between her legs that urged him on. She rocked against his trapped erection like she was trying to scale his body and he was sure her arousal was dampening the front of his pants. He growled and moaned and pressed harder against her.

"And if I want to be watched again…" The quiet curiosity in her voice belied the utter debauchery of her question.

Edward brought a rough hand down to snatch at the fabric of her skirt. It was one layer too many and with it out of the way, he glanced down to watch her wet folds spread over the thick ridge in his pants. Finally, he looked up and recalled the look on her face when she realized they had company. It wasn't much different from how she looked now. Breathless with anticipation and if the rosy pink hue coloring her cheeks was any indication, excited at the prospect of something new.

"I can arrange for that if you like." The thought of watching Bella explore her sexuality was making him harder than he thought possible. "But no one else touches you."

"There you go making more demands," she teased.

"And it turns you on," Edward replied.

He pried one of her hands from around his neck and brought it down to his pants. Her gaze followed and she tucked her fingertips into his waistband. Edward stepped back just enough to allow her to legs to unhook from his back so she could lower her feet to the floor.

"Take me out, Bella."

Her gaze shot to his eyes for a second before returning to the task at hand. Literally. She unfastened his pants and slipped her hand in to wrap around his cock. Edward hissed and clenched his jaw. If the lightest touch from her hand almost did him in, how would he ever stand to be buried inside of her?

"Bed. Now." He yanked her hand free and held tight to her wrist as he led her across the room.

Depositing her on the bed with a bounce, he retrieved a condom from his nightstand and turned to face her. The bed was high. High enough that she could be lip-level with his straining cock if she were lying down, her head tipped back over the edge. Edward closed his eyes tight. Images of her mouth wrapped around him assaulted his senses, forcing his eyes open. He would have her mouth later.

Pushing his pants down, Edward kicked off his shoes and allowed the rest of his clothes to follow. Stepping away from the heap on the floor, he stalked toward Bella who scrambled to her knees, backing away.

"Where do you think you're going?" Edward climbed onto the bed, kneeling in front of her.

The hard curve of his cock jutted towards her, drawing her gaze as it swayed each time he moved. A strangling sense of pressure forced a thin stream of precum to leak from him and he smeared it along his cock before rolling the condom on.

"For a ride," Bella answered. She placed a small hand to his chest and pushed.

Maybe if she'd put some effort behind it she might've moved him but Edward got the hint and laid down anyway.

"It's your turn to lay down," she explained.

The sight of her crawling over his lap and lifting her dress was a beautiful thing. When she was within arm's reach, Edward reached for the loose neckline of her top and pulled it down. Her perfect breasts were exposed with that one simple move, no bra to contend with. Her nipples strained toward him and he obliged by rolling them with his thumbs.

Bella lifted to her knees and grabbed hold of his cock, those hands sending shockwaves through him once again. She guided him to the warmth of her folds and slipped down over him, bowing toward him once he was all the way in. He took the opportunity to lavish her breasts with sucking kisses and generous licks, remembering how sweet she tasted when she fell apart on his tongue and relishing the opportunity to have his cock bathed in the same sweetness.

Edward thrust hard, lifting Bella from the bed as he set a pace that sent her hips rolling atop him. The tightness that surrounded him was almost too much to bear. Her breasts bounced with each move and Edward brought his hands down to splay over her thighs. Pushing at her skirt, he watched his cock sink into her on each thrust, groaning despite himself. His cock was slick with her, the wetness spreading to where her hips fell each time he drove back into her.

"You want someone else to see this?" Edward asked in a tight voice. He had to admit, the idea had merit. "Let someone see how much I turn you on? How wet you are for me? Watch my cock slide into you?"

Bella leaned over him, her hands pressed against his chest and her lips on his. "Your big, thick cock."

"Damn right," he growled.

"Let them see what they can't have," she continued.

"Fuck," Edward swore. "Ride me hard, Bella."

She smiled at his command and sat back up. Dragging her hands up to cup her breasts, she rolled her hips and lifted off him. When she lowered down, her inner walls clutched at his cock, squeezing and tugging mercilessly. She repeated the move, harder and faster each time. Edward moved his hips up to meet her, grunting with each driving push.

Bella brought a finger to her mouth and sucked it between her lips, barely stifling a cry. And then the spasms around his cock grew more intense as she released her finger with a scream.

Edward swore and clutched at her hips, letting her draw his cock in, urging his orgasm to burst forth with surprising speed. Twitching and jerking within her, a fine sheen of sweat covered Edward's bare chest where Bella's hands had fallen.

Finally, she collapsed onto him. Edward groaned as his cock slipped from her and he wrapped his arms around her petite frame. They were breathing hard and soon their gasps fell in sync with one another. Edward stripped the condom off and stared up at the ceiling, his mind following the intricate pattern carved there. Echoes of pleasure swirled through his bloodstream.

Bella shifted beside him and Edward's grip on her tightened reflexively. He wasn't usually the type to hold a woman in bed long after the orgasm faded.

Maybe I just want another one, Edward reasoned with himself.

"What's this?" Bella asked, tracing a finger along his forearm.

Edward turned his palm up, revealing the underside of his arm to her. "The Celtic Wolf."

She stroked his arm. His heart raced the longer she examined the dark blue lines of his tattoo. "What does it mean?"

"A lot of things," Edward said. "But mostly… family."

"You're close with your family."

It wasn't so much a question as it was a statement and Edward nodded in response. Bella turned her attention back to his tattoo and he watched her intense scrutiny of an act of teenage rebellion that had come to mean more than he could've ever expected. A fringe of hair fell over her shoulder and brushed against his chest. It also managed to cover her exposed breasts, a problem Edward was determined to resolve as soon as he regained feeling in his extremities.

"How is it that you're still dressed?" Edward's question drew Bella's gaze back to his face.

She glanced down and then smiled back up at him. "I'm sure you'll find a way to fix that."

Edward smiled back, just one corner of his mouth up to the task. With some effort, he lifted a hand to brush her hair back over her ear. The reappearance of her nipples was a welcome sight. He brought his hand to her shoulder and eased the strap down. With a light laugh, Bella shrugged out of both straps and pushed the dress down past her waist. She lifted to her knees and shimmied it down further. An act too good to miss. Edward lifted his head to gaze at her naked body.

"What happened to Jasper?"

The soft curls at Bella's center were glistening and Edward licked his lips. He needed her mouth wrapped around his cock but desperately wanted to taste her again. Maybe a little sixty-nine action was in order.

"Edward?" Bella's body shifted to stretch out along the bed, her hand falling to his stomach.

His hand covered hers, finally looking up to her eyes as she spoke his name again. "Yeah."

"Jasper," Bella repeated. "I haven't seen him here at all. He brought your father to all of his appointments, I just wondered where-"

"He's been let go." Edward cut her off. "Why?" A dark undercurrent seeped into his voice and from the look on Bella's face, she noticed.

"No reason," she said, dropping her eyes to his chest. "He was just nice, that's all. I figured he was a nephew or cousin or something. The way he was with your father. Plus I think my friend Alice had a little thing for him."

Edward directed his gaze back up to the ceiling. The sting of betrayal still fresh. It wasn't easy to forget things like that but for most of the night, he had. Somehow being around Bella, he could compartmentalize things a little better. It was a skill his father had mastered long ago but for Edward, a man who had no interest in following in his father's footsteps, it didn't come as easily.

With a light touch to her chin, Edward forced her gaze back to his. "He was nice." Edward tried not to picture Jasper's bruised eye and split lip. "It just didn't work out."

Pulling her toward him, Edward placed a soft kiss to her lips that remained chaste for only so long. When she opened her mouth to him on a moan, he drove his tongue in and rolled her to her side. Stroking the slim length of her body, his hand spread up and over her breast.

The sounds she was making were almost loud enough to mask the knocking at the door. And while Edward was confident in his ability to get Bella screaming loud enough to drown them out completely, he only had so many condoms.

"What?" he growled in the direction of the door.

"Boss, I've got Rose on the phone." Came a muffled voice.

"Goddammit." Edward nearly missed the flicker of uncertainty that passed through Bella's eyes as he rolled off the bed. "My sister," he reassured Bella as he strode the door.

Opening the door just enough to glare out at Emmett, Edward spoke through clenched teeth. "What the fuck does she want?"

"It's Jasper," Emmett mumbled. He wasn't the most eloquent in the best of times but right now he looked like someone had broken his favorite toy.

"I took care of Jasper," Edward seethed. There was a gorgeous, naked woman in the room behind him that was far more important than listening to Rose bitch about how Edward should've done more than give him a black eye.

Emmett shook his head. "That's just it, Boss. Rose called to tell you Jasper is dead."

Edward let the door fall open another inch. "What?"

Now Emmett nodded. "Said his body was found floating in the Quileute River a couple of hours ago."

"Shit." Edward ran his hand through his hair and started to close the door before realizing Emmett was still standing there. "Okay, Em."

"Boss…" Emmett spoke before the door fully closed. Edward looked up into the sad eyes of his father's right hand man. "…she said to tell you 'good work.'"

Edward clutched at the door, the hard edge biting into his palm and he wanted nothing more than to sooth it away against the soft warmth of Bella's body. Emmett ducked his head and turned to walk away.

"Emmett," Edward called after him. "Next time, knock."

"Boss?" Emmett's attempt at feigned innocence was a complete failure. It was all the proof Edward needed that it had been Emmett in the office doorway earlier. With a sheepish bow, Emmett mumbled an apology.

Edward nodded and gripped the doorknob in a tight grasp. "And Emmett? Don't call me boss."

A/N: Encouragement in the form of reviews is always welcome. ;) Thanks for reading!