The Office Temp

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. Stephenie Meyer owns it all.

Written for the Office Romance Challenge on TWCS

Can you write a story about office love? Make it the hottest office romance you can think of and submit the challenge! I will read the entrees and decide the winner.

Rules:

(Deadline by Monday, May 10th.)

1) All entrees must contain at least 3,000 to 10,000 words.

2) Can contain lemons.

3) No celebrities.

It's always difficult to move away from your family and friends. I'm doing it for the first time. I've got a cute little apartment on the upper east side of Manhattan. I also have signed up at a temp agency and they've gotten me a job at a law office across town.

It's my first day working at the law offices of Cullen, McCarty and Whitlock. I walk in the doors and a beautiful blonde greets me.

"Hi, I'm Rose McCarty. Are you the new temp?" She asks.

I blush. "Yeah, hi, I'm Bella Swan."

"Well, it's nice to meet you. Let me give you the lowdown on things here. Mr. Cullen is the busiest, but my brother, Jasper…" She shows me a picture from her desk and points to the lean blonde on the right side of the frame. "That's Mr. Whitlock…He's close behind. My husband is Mr. Emmett McCarty. He's the newest partner here at the firm. This is him…" She points to the big man on the left side of the frame. "He's catching up to them quickly. Watch out for Cullen's sister, Alice; she latches on to people. She's very perky and she likes to shop… Bella are you listening to me?"

"Sorry, Rose…Who's the other man…there…in the middle?" I ask, mesmerized by the man's emerald green eyes.

"Hmmm…? Oh, that's the senior partner…Edward Cullen." She says.

"T-That's Edward Cullen…My b-boss?" I stutter.

"Yup…he's also the most sought after bachelor in NYC…He's dated so many women its ridiculous… Now, listen, Bella, to the partners, you'll be 'Ms. Swan' but I want to be your friend." She says. "So, I'm going to warn you…the guys prefer to keep romance out of the office, so no flirting or anything…so, if you want this temp thing to turn into a permanent position, its just business in here." She says sternly as she gives me a grand tour of the office, showing me each of the partner's offices and my desk.

I'm instructed to answer the phone by saying, 'Thanks for calling the law offices of Cullen, McCarty and Whitlock, how may I help you?'

"Now, I'll just stay for an hour or so to make certain that you can handle this and then you'll be on your own." Rose says.

For 30 minutes we sit and chat. I find out that the partners had been friends since high school and went through college and law school together. Cullen and Whitlock are single, but Cullen's sister has her eye set on Whitlock. She is 5 months pregnant and has decided to stop working, so that's why a temp was called in.

Then the phone rings. Rose motions for me to answer the call.

I pick up the phone and say, "Thanks for calling the law offices of Cullen, McCarty and Whitlock, how may I help you?"

"Who the Hell is this?" A man's voice demands.

I sigh. "This is Isabella Swan, the temporary receptionist here at Cullen, McCarty and Whitlock. May I ask who this is?"

"This is Edward Cullen, where's Rosalie McCarty and why isn't she answering the phones?" He asks angrily.

"Sorry, sir, she's training me. I'll put her on now, sir." I say quickly handing the receiver to Rosalie.

"Hi, Eddie, what's up…what do you need?" She takes some notes and hands them to me.

~He's just piss-y because they lost the case today. He'll be coming into the office in a bit. I'll show you how each of them like their coffee or tea as the case may be. ~

"Ok, we'll see you soon and listen, be nice to Ms. Swan. She'll probably be here for a while." She tells him before hanging up. She hands me a small pad of paper and a pen. "You'll want to remember this… If they win, they all go out for dinner and drinks and they'll invite you. If they lose, they come back here and have tea. Edward likes to sit and brood over chamomile, Jasper likes this one called 'Southern Mint', and Emmett likes straight Earl Grey. In the mornings, they take coffee. Edward takes his black, so he's easy…but Emmett like his extra sweet with just a touch of French Vanilla creamer. Jasper's a real pain. He likes his coffee with chocolate flavored half and half, two packets of Equal and whipped cream on top…"

I look at her strangely as I start the hot water.

"He's my brother and I have no idea what he's thinking half the time." She laughs as the elevator dings and the doors open. "C'mon, I'll introduce you then you'll get the teas."

I follow after her and find my gaze drawn to his sharp green eyes.

"Edward, Emmett and Jasper, as you know, I'm not going to be working for much longer, so this is Isabella Swan from the Infinity Temp agency. She'll be taking care of you all, so be nice…" She stares pointedly at Edward.

"I'm very sorry for the way I behaved on the phone, Ms. Swan. Has Rose filled you in on everything?" Edward asks seeming apologetic.

I blush and look away. "Yes, she told me everything she thinks I'll need to know."

"Like what…?" Jasper asks.

"Well, she told me how to answer the phone and she informed me of the way each of you takes your coffee and tea. She also taught me your filing system and how to transfer phone calls." I say. "I know how to take dictation and notes for cases and such. I know how to use the fax machine and the copier. I also have been shown the layout of the offices and informed of the rules. I promise not to cause any drama, sirs."

Edward nods. "Then if you wouldn't mind bringing us some tea, please, it would be appreciated, Ms. Swan."

"Yes, sir, Mr. Cullen…" I nod and go back to the, now boiling, water. I fill the 3 cups (each cup has a name on it) and place the 3 very different teabags into the proper cups. I set the cups on the tray and set about carrying it into Mr. Cullen's office first. They are all there. I hand out the cups and wait.

"Very good, Ms. Swan…Thank you. We have no other cases today so you can just clean up and go." Edward says.

"Thank you, Mr. Cullen." I say as I turn to leave.

Jasper calls out, "By the way, Ms. Swan, there's a charity dinner at the Waldorf in 6 weeks. The entire office attends, so make sure you get some formal attire."

"Yes, sir, Mr. Whitlock…" I say

I hear Mr. McCarty say, "That's a fine ass she's got, Cullen, don't you think?"

I bite my lip and wish that I could be desired by a man such as Edward Cullen, but I'm just a small town girl from a tiny Podunk town in Washington…not to mention that I work for him. We're off limits to each other…so I just clean up the office and go home to my little apartment.

Week after week I serve the men their coffee and tea. Having nothing else to concentrate on, I get better and better at filing and helping with the partners cases. We go out for dinner and drinks much more often than having tea in the office. Edward constantly watches me but, for some reason, I'm not creeped out…I'm flattered. Could he really want little, old, boring me?

By the time the charity dinner arrives, Alice has 'advised' me right into a gorgeous floor-length, one-shoulder gown that flares out and kind of bubbles at the bottom. I can barely afford it but she's the same size as me and offers to pay for half and keep it after the dinner. I graciously accept her offer and once I saw Edward in his tux, I was ready to thank the little pixie and beg forgiveness for ever doubting her advice.

While at the dinner, I become increasingly drawn to the faces of the children at this hospital, so I donate a few hundred dollars and 5 volunteer hours per weekend. I dance with Jasper and Emmett a few times but Edward never asks me to join him on the floor.

Although he's sitting right next to me, Edward barely says 2 words.

I shrug it off. 'He doesn't want drama at the office, and that's all there is to it.'

It's now about 3 months in, I get a phone-call while at the office. I pick up the phone and say, "Thanks for calling the law offices of Cullen, McCarty and Whitlock, how may I help you?"

"Bella, its Edward…We won the case…meet us at P. F. Chang's for dinner and drinks."

"That's wonderful, sir…I'll be there shortly." I hang up and fix my hair and make-up as well as throwing on the new blouse I'd bought at Macy's on my lunch hour. After locking up the office, I run out and hail a cab. The 5 minute ride to the restaurant seems to take forever. I refresh my make-up and pay the cabbie before hurrying to the entry. I open the door and look around for my bosses and their client. I get to their table and see that I'm the only woman.

Edward is staring at me and I feel his gaze travel up and down my body. He very gallantly stands and holds a chair for me to sit… next to him…of course.

"Thank you, sir." I say quietly.

"Enough of the 'sir' crap… You're 'Bella'…I'm 'Edward' … You've been in our employ for almost 4 months now and you call the others by their names. It's way past time for you to do the same with me." He snaps.

"I'm sorry…it just helps to remind me that there is no romance or drama at the office." It's then that I notice the extra chairs. "Are we expecting others, Edward?" I ask trying out his given name.

"Yes, Alice and Rose are on their way, as is Alec's wife Heidi. You were just closest to the restaurant." He says.

"Here we are, boys!" Alice yells from the doorway.

Rose is waddling toward us, in her 8 months pregnant glory, and Emmett gets up to help her to a seat. Jasper takes Alice in hand.

Only moments later we see a lovely blonde walk gracefully over to our table. She sits beside Alec but starts to flirt shamelessly with Edward. Without any proper introduction, I must assume that this is Heidi and take an instant dislike to her.

Dinner goes on without too much excitement and Edward offers me a ride home. I'm very quiet and he notices. "What's wrong, Bella?"

"Will we be doing much business with Alec and Heidi? She's really rather blatant in her interest in men other than her own husband…" I say. "I don't like her."

"Yes, Alec is a big fish and we caught him. We're on his retainer. He's a very nice man. Unfortunately, that means that we also have to deal with her…the barracuda…she's rather crass." He answers. "Bella, what did you mean before…about drama and romance at the office?"

"Just that Rose filled me in on the rules of the office, and 'no romance or drama' was number one, she was especially adamant when I showed an attraction to you from just a picture." I say blushing at the memory.

"Well, Bella, did you ever ask Rose or Alice how they met Jasper and Emmett?" He laughingly asks as we pull up in front of my building.

"No…I guess not…Why?" My head tilts in a curious expression.

"Because they met through the practice…" He chuckles.

"Are you kidding me?" I ask in shock.

"No, we had just started and couldn't afford a secretary. I asked Jasper if he knew anyone in need of a job doing office work. He brought Rose in and she met Emmett, flirted outrageously and eventually married him." Edward explains. "Alice had met Jasper at the office when she came and filled in during Rose and Emmett's honeymoon. Rose came back to her job after that but Alice stuck around to flirt and distract Jasper. Now they are both taken and busy with other things and here you are…I can't believe that Rose would give you a rule like that, when she had no such rules!"

I whip out my phone and text Rose one word. –Hypocrite!-

"Can I walk you up?" He asks.

I nod.

"So…you saw me in a picture before I even knew you existed?" He inquires as I unlock the first of the 3 doors that lead to my apartment.

"Mmmmhmmm…" I mumble.

"…and you…" He starts.

I blush and sigh. "Yes, Edward I was very attracted to you…If I knew flirting wasn't against the rules I would more then likely have been a bit less business-like. I might even have hit on you…at the very least I would've encouraged you to get a little closer to me." The second door is now unlocked. It closes behind us.

"Then I'm glad Rose set that rule." He says, surprising me. "Your professional behavior in the face of my previous, playboy-like behavior made you a mystery…That made me want to learn about you and try to get closer…Each time I tried to ask you a personal question and you gave a short succinct answer, I thought to myself… 'This woman is not only beautiful but has respect for herself…She has integrity.' I wanted you even more…"

I look up at him as we stop next to my entry. "You think I'm beautiful?"

"Bella, how can you doubt your loveliness? I've seen you with our clients, and no matter how they treat you, you are always nice to them." He points out. "At the charity dinner last month, you not only donated some money, you signed up to volunteer at that children's hospital on the weekends. That was very sweet of you."

"I've always had a soft spot in my heart for kids…" I say softly.

"Could you find a soft spot in there for me…?" He asks leaning closer.

"I know just where that spot is, Mr. Cullen…" I unlock the last door and kiss him as I pull him into my apartment by his lapels. "I noticed how nice you looked in formalwear at that charity dinner…"

Hi lips graze my neck as he says, "The gown you had on that night was perfect for you. It showed your curves without revealing too much skin…It was teasingly tasteful and I was hard pressed not to drag you home with me and ravish you…"

"Oh, Edward…please…" I whisper.

He holds me close and kisses me deeply. His hands on my hips feel amazing. My lips under his creates an electric feeling that sets fire to my body and soul alike.

Suddenly my cell rings. Its Rosalie's ring-tone; 'Something to talk about' by Bonnie Raitt.

"Ignore it…please, Bella…?" Edward asks.

"Its Rose, what if she needs me?" I ask.

"What could she need at midnight?"

"I'm her Lamaze partner! What if she went into early labor?" I ask opening my phone. "Hello…?"

"Bella…? Why am I a hypocrite?" Rosalie asks.

I roll my eyes. "Is that the only thing you need?"

"Yeah, why…?" She asks.

"Then I'll tell you all about Edward taking me home…tomorrow…Good night…" I say hanging up. "Now where were we…?"

Edward smirks and leans in. Our lips touch and the fire re-starts in my belly. Edward's phone rings and he groans as the lyrics to 'Who let the dogs out?' play.

"It's probably just Rose…Ignore it…" I say.

"Actually, its Em…We have an early meeting with Alec tomorrow…I should get this…I'm sorry, Bella." He opens his phone and walks to the other side of the room. As soon as he comes back, I sense the professional distance again. "I'll see you at the office in the morning?"

I nod as he leaves and sit on my bed to cry myself to sleep. I call Alice and Rose the next morning. Alice covers my hours at the office and Rose insists on coming to my place to cheer me up.

"What happened, Bella?" Rosalie asks.

"We were having such a nice talk and he kissed me… I kissed him back and we had a real fire going…" I sigh.

She frowns at me. "You let him kiss you? I thought I told you no romance in the office!"

"Yeah, this coming from the woman who met her husband in that very office! I can't believe you gave me a rule that you, not only didn't follow yourself, but you didn't even have!" I say indignantly.

"I did that to try to protect you! I thought that if you didn't let him get too close, he wouldn't hurt you!" Rosalie says defensively. "So you kissed…Anything else?"

"He had his lips on my neck and hands on my hips…I was so hot for him…" I glare at her. "And then you called and ruined the mood…"

"I'm sorry; I just wanted to know why you called me a hypocrite! I didn't realize that I was cock-blocking!" Rose retorts looking down at her phone. Her eyes just about pop out of her head as she reads a text and snaps her phone shut. "Bella, I gotta go…See ya later!"

I watch her run out the door at the speed of light and wonder what bug crawled up her ass. I sit around my apartment feeling sorry for my self until the doorbell rings. I buzz the person into the building and soon find Edward at my door.

"W-What are you doing here?" I ask in shock.

"I had a talk with Alice…and Rosalie…I'm sorry if you felt me leaving last night meant that I didn't want to finish what we'd started…I did…I desperately wanted to help you out of those clothes and into your bed…I just…" He pauses as he walks into the room fully. "I want us to know each other…at least a little…before I jump into bed with you. You're not just a secretary and you're not just a beautiful woman… You're an intriguing combo of beauty and brains and emotions… and I want to know everything about you from the color of your eyes to what you ate for breakfast this morning."

I give him a shy smile. "Can't the questions come after what I'm sure will be mind-blowing sex?"

"God, Bella, you're not making this easy!" He chuckles pulling me close.

I savor the feel of his arms around me. "So, let me get this straight…You're saying you want to date me…before we fall into bed together."

"Yeah, that would be nice…" He says as I step away from him.

"Hmmm…Ok, I'll trade you…personal information about me for personal information about you…and kisses…" I suggest.

"So I get to ask a question, but I have to answer it and kiss you too…? Is that right?" He asks.

I nod waving him to follow me.

"I was born 30 years ago…give or take a month or five…How old are you?" He asks as he watches me open my bedroom door.

I lean forward. "I'll be 26 in September." I touch my lips to his.

"My parents are both still alive and they live out on Long Island. I have one sibling…a sister…her name is Alice…and you know her." He says. "What about your family?"

"I had a sister named Angela…she died in a car wreck with her husband 3 years ago…our father, Charlie, and our mom, Renee, divorced a long time ago. Dad's in Washington…a little town north of Seattle, called Forks. Mom's in Jacksonville, Florida." I wipe a tear away as he stands at my bedroom door.

He kisses me. "My favorite color is blue. My favorite book is 'Under the Dome' by Stephen King. My favorite song is 'If I were a Boy' by Beyoncè."

"Color: green…" I say kissing him. "Book: 'The Da Vinci Code' by Dan Brown…" I kiss him again. "Song… 'Everything I do' by Brian Adams."

One more kiss and then I ask my own question…in his format… "Edward…I-I've only done this twice…with my ex-boyfriend… How- what I mean is… Have you done this many times?"

He kisses me. "I've had sex quite often…But, I've only made love a time or 2…" He brings his lips to my ear and whispers. "My favorite person is you and I think that's enough questions for now…"

Our lips crash together and his tongue teases its way into my mouth. I feel his hand on my hip and savor the sensation if it skimming over my back and into my hair.

"Your hair is so silky…" He whispers, stroking it. "Your skin is like satin…" he says, dragging two fingers over my collarbone and across my throat. "Your eyes are like pools of milk chocolate…and I want to drown myself in them…"

"Make love with me, Edward…Please." I beg.

His hard erection presses against my stomach.

I drag his hand up to cup my breast and moan as he squeezes slightly.

"Off…This top needs to come off…" He demands.

I back up and pull it over my head.

"Do you have any particular attachment to his bra?" He asks.

I shake my head.

He rips the flimsy thing off and stares down at my half naked body with a smile. "Beautiful…Can you feel what you do to me, Bella." He takes my hand and brings it to cup him.

I nod.

As he brings his mouth to my breast, there is no need for more words. His hands once again grace my body with affection. For a moment the only sounds in the room are our breath and our heartbeats. He lays me on my bed.

I whimper at his touch.

Edward takes my nipple between his fingers and pinches lightly.

I moan.

His kisses travel down my neck and he settles for a moment as he suckles my nipple.

I writhe in pleasure as his mouth and hands bring me to a height I've never reached before.

He spreads my legs and I feel the moisture on my thighs.

His fingers graze my core.

"In me…I need you, Edward!" I whine.

"Patience, love…" He says.

"Edward…may I…?" I touch his chest and run a finger over his hardened nipple.

He groans and gets his own clothes off quickly.

Upon seeing his lithe body, I beckon him closer. I kiss his chest and move on to his belly.

He takes my hand and says, "I want to feel your touch here, love." He guides my hand to his groin and teaches me how to stroke him.

The sight of our hands moving over him gives me the urge to kiss an unusual place on his body.

He gives a strangled cry as my lips touch the shaft of his cock.

I open my mouth and take his manhood inside…as much as will fit anyway.

His hands in my hair feel great. I stroke what doesn't fit in my mouth and he moans. "No, Bella, I don't want to finish there!" I lift my mouth from him and after he kisses me, he whispers, "I want to be inside you when I cum, love." I lie back and let him get between my legs. He pauses at my entrance. "Are you sure, love?"

I nod and grin. "Make love to me, Edward?"

He slowly pushes into my core. He stops as soon as he's all the way in. He's letting me get used to the feel of him.

"I feel so filled…So much sensation…Please, Edward…? I want to feel you moving inside of me!" I plead.

He doesn't answer…he just groans and begins to rock forward and back…in and out… My legs wrap around his hips and I try to move with him. Our mouths meet and our tongues dance. We lose ourselves in each other until He grips my waist and thrusts in earnest. I am overtaken by a wave of such pleasure as I've never felt before! He cums a moment later and we collapse together onto my mound of pillows…

1 year later…

I'm sitting at my desk when the elevator doors open to reveal a young woman. She's holding folders and a clipboard. I grin. "You must be Vanessa Redgrove…from the temp agency. I'm Isabella Cullen. How do you do…?"

"I'm great…thanks."

"We have a new partner and we need a permanent secretary so if you think you can handle dealing with 3married men and a newbie lawyer who's just starting out, then…have a seat and I'll tell you what you need to know." I pull out a picture we took of the partners last week. "This is my husband; Edward Cullen…this one is Jasper Whitlock; he's married to my sister-in-law…Her name's Alice, watch out for her, she's perky, likes to shop and she kind of latches onto people. That's Emmett McCarty. His wife Rose is my best friend." I point to the offices new addition. "That's Jacob Black, the newbie. He went to Harvard…the senior partners' Alma Mater. He seems about your age and he's very sweet."

"T-That's who I'm going to be working for?" She stammers.

"Yup…Listen, the girls and I all met our husbands through working here…So feel free to flirt with him a little…just don't let it create too much drama, ok?" I smile at Vanessa.

She just blushes…