This story started as a one shot that I wrote for the "Forbidden Affairs Contest." I placed third, so I decided to continue it. Please leave reviews, even if they're bad. I love em! Thanks so much for reading! Many special thanks to PTB, who has been my saving grace with this chapter. I hope you enjoy it.

Chapter 1

"Behind Enemy Lines"

It was two a.m. on Monday, and I lay alone in my bed, frustrated and restless. The newest edition of Money Magazine rested on my bedside table. I almost had the glossy image of the front page memorized.

Cullen Inc. names its new CEO. Can he fill the shoes left by his father?

Below these words was a picture of Edward Cullen holding a globe in his hands. I had come to know him as the beautiful face of the devil because his very existence threatened my own. Not only was he my newest competition, but his first day as acting CEO was tomorrow. Cullen Inc. was the only advanced technologies company in the world predicted to outsell Dyco Tech in ten years, and luck would have it that the headquarters of that company was right across the street from mine.

The worst part wasn't the fact that this man was destined to have my job one day; he was, without a doubt, the most gorgeous man alive. In fact, the only reason I was awake at the moment was because every time I tried to sleep, I envisioned doing horrible, horrible things to said devil -- things that were probably illegal in some states.

I hated him -- everything about him -- perhaps my fantasies most of all.

The first time I saw him was at the convention in Baltimore three years ago. He was eyeing me from across the room and when his brilliant green gaze met mine, he simply smiled and looked elsewhere. That was it. I never saw him again, except on the cover of any given financial magazine. He was always the unattainable, the enemy's son, the heir to the CEO throne threatening my own.

Such a beautiful foe.

I sighed at the workday ahead. Just how was I to get anything done with this distraction no more than fifty feet away from me? Six a.m. came too soon.

Monday mornings were typically the most boring part of my week. As if waking this early wasn't hard enough, there were insufferable board meetings to attend and excruciating sales reports to look over. My days were scheduled from the time I got to work until the time I left. It was this dedication that had gotten me where I was in the first place.

As the first female CEO of Dyco Tech, I had huge shoes to fill. I started here six years ago and had steadily worked my way to the top since then. Jason Jenks, the previous CEO and owner, had chosen me over his own grandson to take his place, indicating my headstrong work ethic and demanding presence as essential to the position, especially if we were to continue competing with Cullen Inc.

In the technology industry, there were only two corporations that led the way in developing and manufacturing advanced robotics: Dyco Tech and Cullen Inc. If one bought any type of electronic device from any major manufacturer in the last six years, chances were it contained parts that were thought up, designed, and brought to life by one of our two companies. Twenty years ago, it was just Dyco Tech. Cullen Inc. had sprung up rather quickly in the last decade, and the company's net worth was getting close to matching Dyco. It was bound to be a tough couple of months if I was to keep the lead over them.

"Good morning, Bella," Alice, my loyal assistant, greeted me as she made her way through my office door with two cups of coffee. She danced over to my desk, set the cappuccino down, and then slammed the latest edition of Money Magazine on top of my keyboard. "Did you see this yet?"

"Sadly, yes. I have a subscription," I said dryly. I picked up the magazine and leaned back in my chair, crossing my stilettos on my desk in front of me. Alice shifted her weight as she crossed her arms in frustration.

"Why didn't you get a feature in Money Magazine when you were the first female CEO of the top selling advanced technology agency in the world?" Alice pouted. "The best you got was Maxim."

"Because my daddy doesn't tie my shoes in the morning," I hissed acerbically, flipping through the thin pages. I pursed my lips and shook my head in disgust. "God, he's gorgeous," I sighed as I threw the magazine back onto my desk. I rolled my eyes and grabbed my binoculars from my top drawer, turning my chair slightly to the wall of windows behind me and adjusting my attention to the office directly across the street. It seemed that the new leader of the world, as it were, was late for work today.

Some leader.

Carlisle was at work every day at seven on the dot. I'd attempted to beat him a few times when I first took over the company, only to realize that his city residence was two blocks away. Carlisle ate, slept, and breathed Cullen Inc. Would Edward be the same? It seemed not.

I'd just begun to feel smug in my punctuality when the bastard walked through his office door. He was dressed in a gray suit which was elegantly tailored to fit him. My stomach fluttered and my jaw dropped. "Alice! Come here!" I waved her closer to me, refusing to take my eyes off this vision. Alice practically sprinted to the window and snatched the binoculars from my face.

"Ehh . . . He's alright, I suppose. Definitely good looking. I can see the attraction. But stunning? I wouldn't go that far."

"Who said he was stunning?" I asked, pulling my legs off my desk and swung around to face her.

"You did, just last week." She handed me the binoculars and turned to leave my office.

"I hate him," I grunted.

"Have fun, Harriet!" she called before shutting the door behind her. Keeping my eyes locked on Edward, I gave her the finger.

Harriet the Spy had become my nickname since Carlisle switched his office from the other side of the building to directly across from mine. Not that Carlisle was particularly interesting to watch; I just felt like I was eyeing up enemy territory. I would never intrude on his privacy or watch him when it was inappropriate, but seeing what he was up to was somehow empowering. Now, it appeared, I would have the luxury of spying on his beautiful son every day for the rest of my employment.

Edward walked over to his desk, threw down his jacket, and began working on his computer. A striking young blond walked in a few moments later with his coffee and a bundle of papers for him to review. He took the stack and waved her away, hardly giving her a second glance. She was beautiful, with shiny golden hair and legs that went on for miles. He'd barely looked at her. I turned to my phone and dialed Alice's extension.

"Yes, love?" she answered.

"I think he's gay," I said over the speaker.

"Why?"

"He just shooed the blond."

"The one with the nice rack?"

"That's the one."

"Ahh . . . Explains a lot," Alice said with a small giggle. "Maybe he's not a gentleman," she suggested, referring to my favorite Marilyn Monroe movie of all time.

"What time is that first board meeting?" I interjected, immediately changing the topic. I certainly did not want to begin thinking about which kind of women he may or may not prefer. Even if he did prefer brunettes, it was wrong, wrong, wrong to sleep with the competition. No matter how deliciously tempting it may be to have him throw me across that over-sized desk and --

Enemy, Bella. Off limits -- completely. You're supposed to hate him, you do hate him -- everything about him.

"Five minutes," Alice responded, breaking me out of my daydream.

"I'm coming." I hit the end button on my phone and turned to the window with my binoculars once more. He was standing now, facing me with a spying device of his own; a long telescope, pointed directly into my office. As soon as I realized he was returning the favor, I jumped with surprise and quickly turned back to my desk. I shuffled some papers around, pretending to be busy to hide my embarrassment. It was time to go.

I grabbed what I needed for the board meeting and stood. Adjusting my dress, I sneaked one more peek behind me to see if he was still watching. Of course he was, only he had begun to laugh at my frustration. My eyes widened as I stormed out of my office, slamming the door behind me.

Like I said, I hated him.

The entire meeting was a blur. I heard something about sales figures and adjusting our work flow to match the anticipated demand, but that was about all I remember. My body may have been in that conference room with my subordinates, but my head was in that devil's office. I couldn't seem to stop thinking about the way the fabric of his expensive, designer suit fell over his shoulders and arms, the way that he carried that just-got-out-of-bed look on top of his head, or the way he pretended not to care about any of it, as if he accidentally fell into those clothes and woke up looking that good this morning. His green eyes staring back at me from that damned magazine were etched into my brain like a bad accident: something you didn't want to see, but, for some reason, couldn't stop looking at. And then that smile, when he laughed. It haunted me -- damn near chilling my bones.

I managed to get through my presentations effectively, and when I announced the end of objectives covered, I couldn't get out of that room fast enough. Alice escorted me back to our office as she jabbered on about what she and her fiancée, Jasper, had done this weekend. Something about camping and tire swinging into a lake. I tuned most of it out. Again, my thoughts trailed to the embarrassment of being caught spying by Mr. Cullen. Once at my office, I walked in and took my spot at my desk. I resisted the urge to grab the binoculars and opted to pretend to type on my computer, just in case he was watching.

"What are you doing?" Alice smirked as she took a seat across from me.

"Pretending to work," I explained. "Why? Is he looking?"

She looked behind me and shook her head. "No. He's typing," she whispered. I whipped the chair around and snatched my spying tool from my desk. "Was he watching you earlier?" Alice joked with the slightest hint of a suggestive tone in her voice as she stood and sauntered to the window.

"He has a telescope," I answered, not even bothering to acknowledge her suggestion. "And yes, before you even go there, it was a big telescope."

She started laughing as if I'd taken the words right from her mouth. "You know me too well."

"Well, you're a sweetheart, but you're also a pervert."

She nudged me on my shoulder and snatched the binoculars from my face again. "Don't let this become your whole day, Bella. You do have presentations to write," Alice reminded me before setting the binoculars onto my desk and turning towards the door. "Besides, he's just a pipe dream, Bella. Anything you two could have would only end in disappointment."

I stuck my tongue out at her as she shot me a wink and walked out of my office. Childish, yes; fitting, much more so. I grabbed my spy gear and returned my attention to Cullen Inc. headquarters. Why in the world they had decided to purchase the tower right next to mine was beyond me, but they were there, nonetheless, and had been for a decade.

Edward was hunched over his keyboard, typing quickly, as if he only had a few minutes to get something done. The blond walked in again, and he barely moved. She got two feet into the room before he said something to her, and she turned on her heels, retreating as quickly as she'd walked in. He looked extremely dedicated to whatever he was doing, and it was absolutely uninteresting to the average observer.

Alice was right. I couldn't sit here all day staring at this stranger. If I got caught, I was in deep trouble. He was the enemy, the competition, the only company in the world that threatened to take my job from me. There was no way I'd let a smug asshole like Edward Cullen sit at my desk one day, tell my assistant what to do, and drink my mocha latte cappuccino vanilla blend every morning. If I didn't get back to work, that's exactly what would happen.

The day droned on. Meeting after meeting, boardroom after boardroom. Finally, the time came for my lunch meeting with Mr. Vanderhausen, a potential buyer. He had been expecting nothing more than a pretty face, but when I opened my mouth and started talking sales figures and projected monthly outcomes, he was completely smitten. He'd agreed to ten thousand units before I even mentioned the cost. Part of me wanted to believe that his trust in my product stemmed from the quality Jenks had demanded, but I knew I really was the best woman for the job, and I had the brains to prove it.

The thrill of landing a multi-million dollar deal racing through my body, I decided to return to my office and celebrate with Alice. She cracked open the champagne while I held my glass up for a toast. She snapped her fingers as if she'd forgotten something. "Napkins," she hissed as she ran out of the room, shutting the door behind her.

I brought my glass to my lips and instinctively spilled champagne down the front of my sheer white blouse.

KLUTZ!

"Damn it!" I shouted as I set my glass down and started to undo the buttons. I took my shirt off and walked to one of my counters, laying the blouse out to air dry. Suddenly, I felt eyes on me.

I slowly turned my head and looked over my shoulder, catching a glimpse of Edward Cullen standing at his window, staring my direction.

I froze.

Oh, thank God I wore my sexy lacey bra today. If he was going to see me in next to nothing, I'm glad it was this.

We stood idly for what seemed like an eternity. There was this connection between us -- in this very short moment together. I felt a rush course through me, my heart rate picked up, my breathing became erratic, I was all over the place. Something in his eyes was comforting, adoring. I seemed drawn to it.

He didn't react harshly or seem upset that he had been caught. He simply smiled sweetly at me. I returned the gesture and, for some reason, felt no shred of embarrassment. In fact, I was almost turned on. He tilted his head toward me, as if to say goodbye, and then threw his jacket over his shoulder, retreating from his office entirely.

"What is it with this guy?" I whispered in disbelief, pulling my blouse back on and plopping heavily into my chair just as Alice reappeared in my office.

"Why? What happened?" she inquired as she rushed back over to the desk. "Ugh! You got it on your blouse, didn't you? I knew it! Here." She handed me the napkins and poured a glass for herself. "So, what'd he do?"

"He saw me half naked, trying to get the champagne off my blouse," I answered, obviously flustered.

Alice started laughing. "Did you wear a good bra today?" I shot her an angry look as she continued. "Why don't you call him and ask him if it's policy to admire the competition on company time?"

"Yeah, and then he'll ask us if it's policy to be drinking on company time. I thought these were supposed to be one-way windows anyway."

"They are on sunny days. Welcome to New York, where it rains three hundred days a year." She paused to finish her glass and placed it gently on my desk. "If you're not going to do anything about it, then just leave it alone. So you guys stare at each other. There's nothing wrong with spy games every now and then." With that, she shot me a wink and walked out of my office, apparently deciding she had actual work to do.

I was left alone with my stained blouse and devious thoughts. I slumped a little in my seat and swiveled back and forth, trying to force myself to do work. It was pointless. All I wanted to do was stare at him and feel his eyes on me like they had been a moment ago. It was an insane rush, kind of like a drug.

Enemy, Bella.

I spent the rest of my day desperately trying to resist the urge to turn my chair around and see what he was up to. Why was I letting him get to me like this? He was just another stupid man I'd have to step over in order to succeed. I'd already stepped over hundreds, and this gorgeous creature would be no different. I promised myself that this infatuation had to end today. Tomorrow, when I came in, there would be no binoculars and certainly no spy games.

Alice had come in a few hours ago to let me know she was leaving, so I knew it was getting very late. It was probably close to nine or ten o'clock by now. I was positive that I was the only person left in the building except for our security guard downstairs. I pulled the pins out of my hair and ran my fingers through it, scratching the areas that felt the most tension during the day. I reclined in my chair and swiveled back and forth. I closed my eyes and pressed my knuckles against them, trying to relieve the tension. When I opened them again, I noticed that Edward's light was still on.

So, the spy games were supposed to end tomorrow, right? There was no reason why I couldn't just sneak a quick peek. I grabbed the binoculars and spun around in my chair. He wasn't there. He must have left the lights on by accident. Damn!

Just as I was about to throw my spy gear down in frustration, he reentered his office with a piece of paper in his hand.

"Yes! I knew you were still there," I whispered to myself. "A workaholic, huh? I can relate to that." He walked over to his desk and sat down, picking up the phone and dialing. "Ordering food? I wonder what the next leader of the world eats at nine o'clock at night."

Suddenly, my desk phone rang. I almost jumped five feet in the air from the noise. "Damn it, Alice! I gave you that freaking key for a reason," I muttered to myself before angrily picking up the phone. "Are you downstairs?" I yelled forcefully, assuming the identity of the caller without bothering to check the caller i.d.

"Umm . . . No, but I could be," the velvet voice on the other end responded. I swung my chair around to my desk and put my head in my hand.

Great, Bella. Freak out on a client. They're probably calling you from Guam to complain that their such and such doesn't work. This was definitely not Alice

"Oh, I'm so sorry, sir. I assumed you were someone else. This is Isabella Swan; how can I help you?" I retracted as innocently as possible, hoping that the client wouldn't just go ahead and send their order back because I'd been rude.

"I was wondering if you might stop spying on me. It's starting to make me rather uncomfortable," the soft voice answered. I stood up and whipped around so fast that I might have seriously hurt myself on any other occasion.

"M-Mr. Cullen?" I stammered, returning the binoculars to my eyes and peering around his office for him. He'd relaxed in his chair and propped his feet up on his desk, as if he wasn't talking to a person he could actually see right now.

"So you have been spying on me?" his voice was shedding the strangest mix of flattery and arrogance as he uttered his next statement.

"And I suppose you've just been enjoying the skyline?" I spat acidly.

"You can't imagine what it looks like from this side of the street."

"Is there something that you want?"

"I want you to stop spying on me."

Before I could think through an appropriate answer, the question, "Why?" flew out of my mouth.

Such a stupid thing to say. Why? Because it's creepy and it's against the law, moron! Surely, Edward would be on the phone with Jenks in the morning. Everything I've worked for would come crashing down around me because I couldn't stop being nosy.

"Well . . ." He seemed shocked by my response and unsure of what to say next. "Why not?"

"How did you get this number? It's unlisted," I hissed.

"I know a guy who knows a guy." He paused to laugh. I sighed in frustration as he continued. "But you didn't answer my question. Why do you stare at me, Isabella Swan? Do you have some particular interest in me?"

An abnormal interest is more appropriate. "I should think not. Do you have some particular interest in me?"

With that he stood up and turned, leaning against the window frame. "What would you do if I told you I did?"

Check mate, Cullen.

I felt the blood rush to my cheeks and the movement of my mouth stop. I tried to form words, only to find that there were no words to be formed. He had me. I could tell him I thought he was gorgeous and I found him unnaturally intriguing. Or I could hang up the phone and leave. Either way, I could not lie to him because he already knew the truth. Why would I want to spy on him, if not for those reasons?

"Hello? Is anyone there?" the sweet voice came again.

I hung up the phone and leaned against my desk for support. I gasped and looked over my shoulder at the villain who'd stolen my speech.

Suddenly, my phone rang again. I picked up the receiver without a second thought. "What do you want?" I hissed.

"Answer my question."

"You were spying on me when I was half naked, and now you're demanding answers from me? Have some decency, Cullen."

"Decency? Perhaps you should remember that the next time you prance about your office in your underwear," he taunted, attempting to see exactly how upset I was.

"Is there a point to this conversation?" I was growing tired of his games. I rubbed my hands on my forehead in frustration.

"I called back to apologize."

"For what?" I hissed.

"For spying on you . . . and for being so demanding."

"And I suppose you want me to do the same?"

"If you want." I could hear a hint of playfulness in his tone.

"Suppose I don't?" I answered quickly, pausing to catch my breath. "Want to, that is."

"Well --"

"You were eyeing me up this afternoon," I interrupted. "Weren't you?"

He paused and then answered, "I suppose you could say that," candidly.

"Did you like what you saw?" I teased. I should have hung up by now. I knew this was wrong, but it was so, so fun. It would never amount to anything of course, I was just batting him around.

"For the most part."

"Good to know. Will there be anything else?" I smirked, refusing to turn around to see if he was even looking.

"Allow me to make it up to you."

HAH!

"And how would you do that?" I joked, swinging my legs around and eyeing him in his office. He was standing at the window, leaning against it with his right arm, his legs crossed casually. His tie was loosened and the sleeves of his gray button-down shirt were rolled to the elbows. My heart almost skipped a beat at the mere sight of him. "Are you going to take me out to dinner? Wine and dine me? Add me to your little black book?"

"If that's what you want," he answered delicately. "What do you want, Ms. Swan?"

I sighed. All of you, the evil Bella thought. "Strip," I demanded. Again, too much fun.

"Excuse me?" Shock crossed his face.

"Yep. You owe me, buddy. You saw my goods, let me see yours," I replied. There was no way he would get out of this one.

A sheepish smile came to his face as he sat the receiver down on his desk and slowly unbuttoned his shirt. My eyes focused on the movement of his fingers as he slipped each button through it's hole.

One by one, he went slowly, teasing me with the snail-like pace. He pulled his shirt out of his pants and slid it down his arms, revealing a white undershirt beneath. He pulled that over his head and stood there like an angel fallen from the heavens.

What a sight!

Reaching back, he brought the receiver to his ear once again. "Am I forgiven?"

I really couldn't resist. "All the way, punk."

"That's more than I took from you," he reasoned.

"Consider it interest."

"You first."

My mouth dropped. There were no words. He had me again. For the second time tonight, this man had stolen my tongue. Where was the bite most men felt from me? Where was that Bella? Normally, I could walk all over men like him, beating them down with my quick wit and stubborn attitude. With him, I felt like I couldn't even move.

I turned to my desk once more and considered his offer. Would I do this? He was asking me to, so it wasn't like he was going to go call Jenks. There were no cameras in here, practically no one left in the building, no one to know. This started as a joke and had now backfired. I hung the receiver up and turned to look at him. He seemed confused at first but quickly caught on when I undid the buttons on my blouse and unzipped the back of my skirt.

I stood and allowed the skirt to fall to my ankles and the shirt to fall from my shoulders, revealing my matching lace bra and underwear. I primped my hands through my hair and let my dark curls fall around my shoulders. Stepping around my chair, I walked to the window and pressed my arms up against the edges, spreading my legs shoulders-width apart. I smiled at him and watched as he unbuckled his belt and tossed it behind him. He undid his pants and slid them to his ankles, stepping out of them and moving closer to the window. He mirrored my pose and smiled at me.

Teasing him, I turned and took a few steps in, reaching behind me and teasing at my bra strap. I looked over my shoulder to see if he would egg me on, and he did, nodding his head and slid his thumbs under the waistband of his boxers.

This was intense and the weight of the situation threatened to cut me off at the knees. His eyes assaulted my body in a mesmerizing way. They seemed to ignite something inside of me, some wild beast that had been frozen for eons.

A loud vibrating noise suddenly came from my purse, causing me to jump and glance at my desk. By the time I looked back to his office, he was redressing and getting ready to leave.

Why does he keep doing that to me?

The vibrating noise came again, so I rushed to my purse and grabbed my Blackberry, shoving it to my ear in dismay.

"Dammit, Alice. What?" I shrieked, sliding my skirt back onto my body.

"Whatcha doin'?" she asked as she crunched on a chip.

"What do you think I'm doing?" I answered as I grabbed my blouse and yanked it over my arms.

"Are you still at work?"

"Yeah, I'm just finishing that . . . Umm . . ." I glanced at my desk for a quick answer. "Vanderhausen . . . deal . . ." I added.

"What's the Pervy Sexmiester doing?"

"I don't know, Alice!" I sighed.

"Is he still at work?"

"Maybe."

"Are you staring at him again?"

"You could say that," I admitted reluctantly. She gasped, but I continued before she could. "Is there something you need?"

"No, just wanted to let you know that you're missing a great episode of Lost, and guess what? Sawyer and Juliet are screwing now. I mean, WOW! I totally saw that coming, but still, WOW!"

"What?" I was confused at first, but was instantly brought back to reality by the name Sawyer. Well, I couldn't fault the girl for interrupting. I'm sure she was sitting on her sofa with Jasper, waiting for my call. Once the show ended and I still hadn't contacted her, she decided to try me. On any other Monday night, when I wasn't at my office stripping for my competition, I would be sitting on my giant couch with a bowl of popcorn and my Blackberry glued to my head. Alice and I enjoyed rehashing the latest drama on and off the mysterious island immediately after the latest episodes. "Oh, I'm sorry, Alice. Of course. I, uh . . . I didn't see the episode yet. So, don't tell me," I explained as I put my blouse around my shoulders, rebuttoned it, and grabbed my jacket.

"Why did you think I was calling?"

"I . . . Uh . . . Something really weird just happened to me."

"Are you alright? You sound all shaky."

"Go to sleep, Alice. I'll talk to you in the morning."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Good night."

"Bells, I don't think --"

I pressed the end button on the phone and turned off the lights, immediately racing for the elevator. I hit the down button a thousand times, and finally the doors opened, allowing me my escape. On the ninety second ride down, my mind ran over what had just happened. I'd stripped for my competition, and he'd stripped for me. Then, when I was about to take it a step further, he ran away. I was thoroughly embarrassed. I'd just shown Edward Cullen my underwear, and he took off like a bat out of hell. Who was I kidding trying to be sexy like that? I was about as sexy as a trailer park stripper. Why would I do that? I beat my palm against my head in disgust. Stupid, stupid, stupid!!

When the doors opened on the lower level, I walked to the lobby and waved goodnight to Ollie, the night time security guard. Once I had circled through the revolving glass doors, I reached for my keys in my purse and began walking to the parking garage. It was storming outside. I hadn't noticed it upstairs, so perhaps it had just started. Of course, I wasn't paying attention to much besides my sexy competition, so it's possible that I simply missed it.

I turned the radio all the way up in attempts to drown out my thoughts of Edward Cullen, but every effort was in vain. The more I tried not to think of his eyes assaulting my body, the more I wished they still were. I felt objectified and, or some reason, I loved it. It was the first time in my life I'd ever felt desired, and it had been a long time since I'd felt anything that intense.

He had wanted me to strip, as if the short view he'd gotten earlier wasn't enough for him.

What if he wanted me as much as I wanted him?

As soon as the thought crossed my mind, I immediately disregarded it. That was foolish. A man like that could have any woman he wanted. I'm sure he'd prefer the stupid model type over . . . well . . . someone like me. Professional, dedicated . . . intelligent.

Once I'd gotten to my complex, I parked the car in my usual spot and rushed into the building, not wanting to get wet. I walked to the elevator and pushed the up button, patiently waiting for the doors to open. When they finally did, I walked in and pressed the button for my floor.

"Hold the elevator!" a voice shouted from the lobby. I immediately hit the button to hold the doors open and depressed it until the person caught up. Stunned, I realized I was staring at the six-foot bundle of temptation himself. The same look of shock crossed his face before he quickly regained his compsure, shooting me a simple smile while walking in.

"Ms. Swan." His voice dripping of pure silk.

"Mr. Cullen." I pursed my lips and adjusted my gaze to the floor. I couldn't help but glance up when his hand reached in front of me to press the button for his floor . . . which happened to be two levels above mine. Shocked, I turned to meet his gaze. "When did you move here?"

"Well, I leased the space about a month ago, before the promotion. But I had been renovating it. Just moved in two weeks ago."

"Funny, I haven't seen you."

"Perhaps we worked opposite shifts," he suggested, crossing his arms behind his back. His tousled bronze hair looked even more tempting in person, and the way his pants hung from his waist made me wish I had gotten those boxers off earlier tonight.

Damn Alice!

Suddenly, there was a loud jolt. The elevator stopped, and everything went black momentarily before the emergency lights came on, shrouding us in thick crimson tones.

"Oh, no! I think the electricity has gone out," I stated, trying to press the emergency button on the panel. He picked up the emergency phone to call for help, but apparently heard no dial tone because he placed back on the wall and frowned.

"Well, I suppose we're stuck for the time being," he whispered, taking a step in my direction.

I countered him and took a step back. "I suppose we are."

"You know, it's not nice teasing people like that." Edward bowed his head and looked up at me, taking yet another stride forward. That look I saw in his eyes earlier tonight had returned. Those irises were assualting me again.

I suddenly found myself pressed against the elevator wall. "Who said that playing spy games was supposed to be nice?" I whimpered, his beautiful face now inches from mine.

"Who said we were playing games?" With that, he grabbed the back of my head and brought his lips to mine.

I was caught off guard, I didn't know what to do. Should I stop it? No, certainly I can't do that. He tasted so damn good, like peppermints and pure man. But he was my enemy, I should stop this, I needed to stop this. But, for some reason, my hands couldn't resist the urge to climb up the side of his body and wrap themselves in his gorgeous hair. So soft, so thick.

His tongue tantalized my lips, his hands having the same idea as mine. He pressed my head to his with a certain urgency, a radiating need. Our bodies rubbing against each other created an electric pulse that shocked me to the core. I had never, in my entire twenty eight years of existence, felt anything like this. It was extraordinary.

But I needed to think.

I pulled his head away from mine and looked into his emerald forest eyes. I took a deep breath and really considered what the fuck was going on. Was I really in an elevator . . . making out with Edward Cullen?

I'm supposed to hate him, remember?

Then, why is every bone in my body screaming for this?

"Is everything alright?" he whispered.

When I didn't answer, he pressed his body tighter against mine and ghosted his fingers down my sides to my hips and over the back of my legs. He pulled and lifted me up, allowing me to wrap my legs around his waist. I felt his cock twitch against me, begging to be released from the confines of his dress pants.

"We could get fired for this," I whimpered. "It's wrong in so many ways."

His pelvis rubbed harder into mine, grinding against my clit. My grip on his hair tightened momentarily before he pulled his head away and brought those velvet lips next to my ear. "Tell me you weren't spying on me all day because you wanted me. Say you didn't like the way stripping for me felt. Tell me that, and it ends here."

Edward pulled back to see the look on my face when I responded. I tried my best to keep my composure, considering I was more than turned on right now. How could I resist him? After what those lips could do to mine, how could I not be curious as to what they could do the rest of my body? A part of me knew this was wrong and some part wondered if it was a scam, but the much bigger part screamed to feel those eyes on my flesh once more. I took a few deep breaths before wrapping my fingers in his hair and pulling his face to mine.

Fire me. It was worth it.

His fingers reached under my skirt and twisted around the lace holding my underwear together. He slowly dragged them down my legs, over my ankles, and off of my body completely.

I could feel his erection twitch between us, growing harder and fuller with each passing second, demanding my attention. I slinked off the rail and eased my body down to the floor, looking up and smiling at him while I unzipped his pants and freed the tension building there. I teased him by licking the head, slowly drawing him into my mouth. I sucked and I relaxed my throat, allowing his entirety to be engulfed by me.

He muttered something that sounded like, "Not fucking fair," and pressed his fist against the elevator wall, followed by his head. He looked down at me, those eyes full of yearning and feral desire, and I knew then that this was not a scam. He was into me -- and he knew it was wrong. We were completely on the same page. Maybe some part of him hated me as well -- it was only natural. The fact that there should never -- would never -- be a union between us was absolutely not fucking fair, especially because it seemed that we had amazing chemistry.

I stood, and when I regained my balance, he pushed me against the elevator wall again, kneeling down to bring my leg over his shoulder. He dove in with a passion, determined to outdo me yet seeming eager to return the favor. His tongue traced circles around my clit as his fingers found their way inside of me, locating my G-spot with pinpoint accuracy. It was as if he knew my body already, knew exactly which buttons to push and which to push at the same time. I locked my fists in his hair and rocked my hips against his face. His five o'clock shadow brushed against my thighs, mixing just the right amount of pain with pleasure. I was euphoric, almost certain that this was a dream.

Like I said, amazing fucking chemistry. A moan echoed from the bottom of my throat and my heart was damn near beating right out of my chest.

Suddenly, the lights flickered back on, and the elevator started moving again. Our floors were still lit, indicating we were headed to our original destinations. Edward immediately froze and looked up to me in complete shock. It was like our personalities had some how disappeared in the dark, but now that the lights were back on, who we were had returned. I was the CEO of Dyco Tech again, and he was the CEO of Cullen Inc and we were enemies. The crimson emergency lights had somehow cast a veil of amnesia upon us, and now that we could really see each other, a somber and shocking glow fell upon our newfound tryst. He stood and took a few steps back, running his hands through his hair nevously. I readjusted my dress and awkwardly picked up my panties from the floor.

"My loft is the first stop," I playfully whispered.

Edward's eyes widened as those lips twisted into a sheepish grin. A forced chuckle bellowed from his throat. "You're right. We could get fired for this." He rezipped his pants and picked up his briefcase. "I suppose it was a mistake," he stammered as the doors opened. "I'm sorry."

Blood rushed to my cheeks, fury swelled at the back of my throat, and the only thing I wanted to do at that point was smack him.

So I did. I slapped him as hard as I could.

"You called me, asshole!" I shouted as I stormed out of the elevator. I rushed to my loft, tears welling in the corners of my eyes.

Stupid! How could you have let that happen? Why would you let that happen?

"Ms. Swan," his voice came from behind me.

As much as I wanted to stop walking and slap him again, my feet propelled me forward, unwilling to allow another confrontation.

What the hell was wrong with me?

He'd taken advantage of me, but I'd allowed it to happen. I fumbled with my keys at the door, unlocking it in the nick of time and rushing into my loft, slamming the door behind me before he could see my embarrassment.

I leaned against the strong wood, collapsing to the floor and wrapping my hands in my hair.

How could I have been so foolish?

He knocked on the door a few times, calling my name from the other side. After a few minutes of silence, I guess he must have concluded that I wouldn't face him again tonight. I thought I heard him retreating down the hallway.

I couldn't believe I'd let that happen. A fantasy is one thing, but to actually act upon it?

I hated him. I was supposed to hate him. I needed to hate him, if only to keep myself from him. And as much as I knew all this, my body was screaming for me to open that damned door. But I wouldn't. I knew better.

A/N: Thanks for reading! Remember to review.