Simple Math

Twenty-two. The number of times I'd passed his job site and partaken of the beautiful view his work jeans provided. Seventeen. The number of times we'd made eye contact during said passings. Fourteen. The number of smiles he'd offered in reference to my blushing cheeks. Zero. The number of times we'd spoken to each other like normal adults.

When construction began next door to my bakery, I was pissed. I mean, with all the noise and debris I was sure that they'd drive away business. I'd worked so hard to become successful, I wasn't happy about anything threatening my chances. That was until I saw him. It's true, Alice noticed him first, but seeing as how she was happily taken, she deferred to me. I know, the bitch is so generous.

I was working in my office one morning when Alice burst in. She was beaming at me, one hand clutching her chest and the other draped across her forehead.

"Dramatic much?" I asked.

"Bella, darling, I noticed they started construction next door."

"Uh huh."

"I also noticed a particularly stunning, sweaty young man lifting heavy things and whatnot. I've been watching him work for almost an hour."

My eyes shot up to meet hers as she slid into the chair in front of my desk.

"Alice! You were stalking construction workers?"

"Just one," she answered innocently.

"Oh, well, then that's okay, as long as you've narrowed it down to one." She rolled her eyes at me and folded my laptop closed on my still typing fingers. "What about Jasper?"

"What about Jasper? After today, I'm going to go buy him a hard hat just so we can play at home! Who knew that construction workers were so hot?"

"They're not, Alice. They are greasy, disgusting pigs who objectify women and smell like sweaty gym socks."

"Not this one. This one is beautiful, blue-collar perfection. Bella, this is Grade A, prime, man meat." I frowned at her and reopened my computer. "Okay, let me put it in terms you can better understand. He is a three-layer white chocolate amoretto cake with whipped vanilla frosting and fresh strawberry glaze."

"While that sounds amazing, I don't have time to go stalk some hunky Bob the Builder, Alice."

"Come on, B. You've got to tap that, so I can live vicariously through you."

"Seriously?"

She smiled her devious grin and batted her eyelashes.

"Don't you want to at least go see him? I mean, you can't take my word for it!"

"No. I want him to be quiet this early in the morning. I want him to clean all that dirt and dust off my windows and sidewalk. I want him to-"

"Take you from behind over the cement mixer?"

I groaned in frustration before letting her infectious excitement win me over.

"Okay, Alice. Let's go see."

She squealed and took my hand, pulling me through the bakery and onto the front walk. I watched as a few people entered the construction site, clothed in predictable button up shirts and khakis. They weren't there to get dirty; they had to be "the money".

"There he is," Alice whispered.

My eyes scanned the men, waiting for someone to catch my attention. It wasn't until the money men approached him did I see what Alice had been raving about. A small gasp escaped my lips when he turned towards us. She squeezed my hand in an "I told you so" gesture.

He was beautiful. Clad in a dirty white t-shirt, jeans, work boots and a hard hat, he was the sexiest thing I'd ever seen. He was Mr. October in my fireman's calendar hot. He was what wet dreams and pulsating showerheads were invented for. He was a red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting and sprinkles.

His muscled arms caught my attention as he shook hands with the guys in khaki. But it was when he smiled, that's when I knew I had to have him. His lop-sided grin did unnerving things to my insides and Niagara Falls type things to my panties. Moisture beaded on his skin from the heat and there were black smudges of dirt on his cheek. While they stood chatting, he lifted the bottom of his shirt and wiped the sweat from his face. Alice and I sighed simultaneously at the sight of the beautiful body revealed beneath.

He hadn't seen us, standing there, ogling him that day. It wasn't until two days later that we'd actually made eye contact. And let me tell you —those eyes—hinted at unspoken naughty promises and whispered fantasies.

It had been a month now. Four weeks and still I hadn't worked up the nerve to go over there. Or even wave hello. But, today was a new day. I woke this morning, after a very heated dream involving his talented mouth and a forklift, and decided that I'd at least learn his name today. I just needed a plan.

I dressed in my most ridiculous, sexy power panties and matching bra. I would need all the magic they could offer, and then some. As I passed the site today, I glanced into the almost completed building to see him standing with a clipboard, pointing out things to another worker. When he spotted me through the glass window, he stopped and offered a genuine smile. I returned it before dropping my head and hurrying into my shop. Twenty-three passings, eighteen eye contacts, fifteen smiles and zero points for playing it cool.

I nodded a quick hello to my employees.

"Good morning, Angela, Jessica."

"Morning, Bella!" Angela answered. Jessica just growled. I'd have to replace her soon; she was starting to scare my customers.

"Did you see him this morning?" Angela asked, knowing of my Mr. Construction crush.

"I did."

"And?"

"And then I came directly inside. I don't need to linger on the sidewalk like a stalker."

"Okay then," she sang, smiling coyly at me.

"Though, it would help if you actually spoke to him," Jessica said while pouring her coffee.

I huffed and proceeded back to the kitchen where I took inventory and made a shopping list for my supplier. Jessica's words echoed in my head, teasing my brain. I don't want to be this weak little girl anymore. I retreated to my office and closed the door behind me. Banging the back of my head on the door, I shamed myself for being such a pussy. Come on, Bella! Grow some balls!

A quick knock on my office door, startled me, breaking me out of my shame.

I spun around, opened the door and almost fell dead at the feet of my construction god. There he stood, in his usual uniform of sexy cotton and denim perfection, only he was drenched from head to toe. My eyes shot down to where the transparent material of his t-shirt clung to his beautiful muscled chest. An involuntary whimper escaped my lips when he offered his half smile and ran his hand through the mess of wet hair atop his head.

"Hi," he offered. His voice was smooth and silken, like chocolate fudge brownies straight from the oven.

"Hi," I answered in return, not even recognizing the sound of my own voice.

"We had a small accident next door and hit the water mane." Well, that explains his soaking wet, deepest fantasy appearance. Water dripped from the ends of his hair and I wanted to catch each one and taste it. "We have to turn off the main valve and unfortunately that includes your shop."

I just stood there staring, not really comprehending what he was saying and not even trying to pretend like I was. The way his beautiful green eyes danced when he smiled left me dizzy with desire. I willed myself to say something, but my brain was on autopilot, my mouth mute.

"I'm really sorry. We'll get it fixed as soon as possible."

I glanced down to his soaked boots and noticed the growing puddle of water on my floor. He followed my eyes and quickly misread the emotion there.

"Oh! I'm sorry. I'm making a mess. I'll just go now. Again, sorry for the inconvenience."

"No, wait!" Wow, thanks for finally kicking in, brain. "Here, let me get you a towel."

He nodded and followed me to the wash room in the back of the building. I threw him a towel and watched his muscled forearms as he scrubbed his face and hair. Without warning, he removed his t-shirt and wrung it out in my sink.

I knew he was beautiful with clothes on, but standing bare-chested in my kitchen, he was a fucking dream come true. I tried not to stare, I really did, but eventually my burning girlie bits overcame my will and reason. My tongue even danced along the edge of my bottom lip as I imagined licking each drop of water from his flawless skin.

"Well, thanks for the towel. I better get back," he said, breaking the uncomfortable silence in which I'd been mentally molesting him.

I nodded and followed him down the hall towards the front of the bakery. He stopped in front of my office and wiped up the water puddle he'd left there. Wow, a man that cleans up after himself? I'm pretty sure I'm in love now.

"Thanks, again," he said while handing me the towel. He slung his wet t-shirt over his shoulder and headed out once again.

"Hey!" I yelled.

He spun around, "Yeah?"

"What's your name?" I immediately felt like an ass and needed to reassure my professionalism. "You know, who should I hold responsible for this whole water debacle?"

"Edward," he answered, smirking. "Edward Cullen."

"You'll let me know as soon as the water is back on?"

"Of course, Ms. Swan."

My eyes widened in shock at the use of my name, and I fought hard to form a coherent sentence.

"How did-"

"Your employee told me," he answered, laughing.

"Bella. My name is Bella."

"I'll see you soon, Bella."

"I hope so."

He grinned again and left me standing there in the hall. I ran into my office and commenced with the "hottie-with-the-body-talked-to-me-and-took-off-his-shirt-in-my-kitchen" dance. Twenty-three passings, eighteen eye contacts, fifteen smiles and ONE soaking wet encounter.

I immediately called Alice and told her what happened. I swear that girl squealed more than I did. Then I had to answer three hundred and fifty-two questions about what I was wearing, was my hair up or down, did I put makeup on this morning, did he have chest hair, blah, blah, blah.

Finally, after getting Alice off of the phone, I joined my employees up front to share the news.

"Well girls, looks like we won't have water for a while, so I'll have to close up shop."

"Uh huh," Jessica replied.

"What?"

"Well, it's strange how Mr. McHottie construction worker was fully clothed when he went back to tell you the news, but when he emerged, he was minus one shirt. I'm not complaining, because let's be honest, I'd lick the skin off of that man. I'm just sayin."

"I gave him a towel," I said, knowing that it made no sense and did not explain his bare chest one bit. In fact, it was equivalent to the lameness of "I carried a watermelon."

With no further explanation, I sent my employees home and closed the shop. I told them I had no idea when the water would be restored, so I'd call when I needed them to come back. It's hard enough to run this business when we had water, even more so without it. I spent the day catching up on paperwork and accounting stuff. Though, I often found my mind wondering to thoughts of McDrippy standing in my hallway and I'd have to stand directly under the air conditioner vent to cool myself.

That night, I dreamt of Edward Cullen. And now that I had his name, I'm positive I called it out numerous times in my state of delusional sexual bliss. When I woke, I was so wound up that I had to use my vibrating boyfriend from the nightstand before I even got out of bed. Visions of his body on top of mine, his perfect lips on me, were better than warm apple cinnamon streusel with sticky sweet icing. As I showered, I briefly wondered if it would totally insane to nickname my battery operated boyfriend Edward.

I passed the building next door, vowing to not search for him. But when I saw movement out of the corner of my eye, my head snapped up, wishing desperately to see Edward in his morning glory. He sat, perched on top of a ladder, applying something to the ceiling. I stopped and watched as his t-shirt rode up, exposing his tight abs and waistband of his plaid boxers. I stood drooling, until someone else entered the room, then I hauled ass to my shop, feeling as if I'd been busted for peeping.

The water still wasn't on when I reached the shop, so I decided to stay and do some work I'd been putting off for weeks. I placed the closed sign on the door and started organizing our upcoming orders for the weekend. There were three wedding cakes, plus groom's cakes, a baby shower and a bachelorette party. Hopefully, we'd be able to get started today. Otherwise, we'd never make our deadline.

I stood, pinning the orders to our work board when I heard the bell ring on the front door.

"We're closed!" I yelled without turning around.

"That's too bad," a velvet voice called out. "I was hoping to deliver some good news."

I turned to find Edward grinning at me, wearing his fresh, white t-shirt and torn, work jeans slung low on his hips. I leaned over, resting my elbows on the counter.

"Oh, hi," I said.

"I was coming to tell you that the city employees are finally here working on the water. They said it should be fixed by this afternoon."

"Oh, great. That's great," I answered. "I really need to get to work on these wedding cake orders. Plus I have the groom's cakes and a baby-" I stopped myself when I saw him exhale quickly. "Oh, sorry. I'm sure you don't care."

"No, that's not it. It's just that, well," he almost stuttered, his eyes shot down to my chest and back up. "It's hard to concentrate in here."

I glanced down to find that my low cut shirt had been giving him an eyeful of cleavage. I stood up quickly and adjusted my shirt. I felt the heat in my cheeks and knew I must be as pink as my Valentine frosting.

"Are you hungry?" I asked, trying to avoid further embarrassment.

"Sure," he answered smiling.

I peeked into the glass case. "Let's see, we have some croissants and cupcakes and a few brownies…"

"I'll take a croissant. Those cupcakes look good though, maybe I'll come back for one of those later."

I smile, did an internal fist pump and I nodded. I handed him his breakfast and protested when he tried to pay me for it. Eventually he tricked me into taking the money and I giggled at his persistence.

The bell rang as I watched him leave the shop. Yum, yum, how I love to watch him go. Twenty-four passings, eighteen eye contacts, fifteen smiles and two flirtatious, promising encounters.

By the end of the day, my eyes and ears had been exhausted awaiting his return. After completing my paperwork, I decided it was time to finally head home. I tested the water in the kitchen and after a bit of sputtering, it flowed into the sink.

I was torn between excitement and disappointment. Edward hadn't come back, and now the water was fixed. I'd probably never talk to him again. I mean, I had no reason to anymore. Unless, I made a reason…

Working quickly, I shoved 6 cupcakes into a box, locked up the shop and headed to the building next door. The street was already dark, most businesses closed up for the night. This building's lights lit up the sidewalk and beckoned me in like a moth to a flame.

I pushed the door open and peeked in, not seeing anyone.

"Hello?" I sang loudly. "Anybody here?"

I heard a noise come from down the hall, so I proceeded, hoping to leave my cupcakes with someone who could give them to Edward. I followed the noise as it got louder and louder.

"Hello?" I yelled again. No answer.

When I turned the corner, I found Edward, on his hands and knees, nailing in baseboards with an automatic nail gun. I watched him work for a minute, loving how focused he was. His hair kept falling into his eyes and each time he'd blow on it, only moving it away for a few seconds.

"I need a fucking haircut," I heard him grumble.

I giggled as he jumped and spun his head around to catch me watching.

"Bella," he said, exhaling. "You scared the shit out of me."

"Sorry," I answered, laughing. "I brought you something."

I motioned to the box as he stood and dusted off his hands on his jeans. His stark white shirt from this morning was long gone. It was covered with paint and dirt and god knows what else. There was even a tear on the left sleeve.

"Rough day?" I asked.

"Yeah, I just sent everyone else home so I could finish this room in peace. They stop doing work around three o'clock anyway." He glanced in as I lifted the lid on the box. "Oh, those look great. I'm filthy though. Could you give me a bite?"

My heart started pounding, and I fought to maintain control of my breathing. Did he just ask me to feed him a cupcake? Dear baby Jesus, do not let me drop dead before he licks icing off of my fingers.

I took out one cupcake and peeled the paper cup away. I placed the box down on a nearby table and held the bright pink, frosted confection to his lips. His eyes held mine and we stared at each other as his lips wrapped around the cake, taking a huge bite. I smiled when his eyes rolled back and he moaned in enjoyment.

"Fuck, that's a good cupcake."

"You want the rest?"

He nodded excitedly and I finished feeding him the cupcake. With the last bit left, I tried to quickly place it in his mouth without touching him, but he closed his perfect lips around my fingers. I blushed when I felt his warm tongue lick the frosting from my fingers. When he finished, I drug my fingers from his lips and stood there dumbly. An excruciating fire shook my body, making me quiver and shake with need. This game we'd been playing, this torturous cat and mouse ended now.

I threw myself at him, attacking his lips with my own and clawing at his dirty t-shirt. He parted his lips and tasted my venomous need for him. He tasted of cake and sugar and something so pure that I ached for more.

Edward pushed me roughly against the wall, pressing his body into mine, allowing me to feel his hardened need for me as well. I slid my hands into his messy hair, scratching my nails along his scalp and pulling it from the roots. He moaned into my mouth and pressed against me even harder.

I broke our kiss to take a much needed breath, but he just slid lower, sucking and licking at my neck. His strong hands pulled both of mine over my head and held them tight against the drywall while he bit down on my earlobe and whispered desperately.

"I've been wanting to do this since the first day I saw you."

I moaned as his sex-filled words and heated breath caressed the wet skin of my neck.

"Me too, Edward. God, every day I wanted you."

His kisses continued and before I knew it, my shirt was unbuttoned. He released my hands and slid it off of my shoulders. I reached behind me and unclasped my bra, letting it too, fall to the floor.

"Perfect," he whispered as he leaned down to take one of my hardened nipples into his mouth.

He sucked and nibbled while gently rolling the other one between his thumb and forefinger. I let my head roll back against the wall in utter pleasure. Suddenly, he pinched down hard and bit at the same time. I screamed and grabbed onto his shoulder, reaching a surprising orgasm from his aggressive touch.

Allowing me no recovery time, Edward slid down my body, placing heated kisses on my stomach while frantically unbuttoning my jeans. He drug his tongue across the top of my panties while he tugged the tight denim down my legs. I kicked out of my flats, allowing him to pull them all the way off.

"Mmm, Bella, you smell so good."

He buried his face between my thighs and nipped at my wet sex through the cotton of my panties. I felt his teeth drag up the length of my slit and my knees threatened to give out. I grabbed onto his hair to steady myself and he took that as encouragement.

His rough hands slid up my legs, grabbing the side of my panties and ripping them down my legs and pulling them from my body. With intended slowness, he drug his tongue over my exposed sex and moaned into my skin.

"You taste even better than your cupcakes."

Edward slid his hand down behind my knee and hitched one leg over his shoulder. I leaned into the wall, needing to support my quaking body. He sucked my clit into his mouth and flicked his tongue over it.

"Fuck, Edward," I said between panting breaths.

I began rocking my hips while he devoured my aching pussy. His hands held onto my ass, pulling me tight against his hard working mouth. My moans filled the room in an echoing rhythm as he brought me to the edge of nirvana and back again.

When I thought I would pass out from the pleasure of his teasing tongue, he slid two fingers inside of me, immediately triggering the most intense orgasm ever. I screamed and pulled at his hair as my body convulsed. Every muscle tightened as the wave of tingling rolled through me, rocking me to my core.

Edward placed a small kiss on my clit, making me jump, and then kissed his way up my torso. With two fingers still inside me, he kissed and licked my stomach, then my hardened nipples, until finally reaching my lips. He slowly pumped his fingers inside of me while kissing my lips, allowing me to taste myself on his tongue.

I pulled away, gasping for air, feeling my body come down from his blissful spell.

"You have too much clothing on."

He smiled at me and reached behind him, pulling the t-shirt from his body. I slid my hands from his beautiful shoulders and down over his hard chest, eventually landing on the button of his jeans. While I worked the button and zipper down, he toed off his work boots, kicking them across the room.

I pushed on his jeans and boxers, letting them fall at his feet, freeing his perfect cock. My eyes took in his god-like appearance and I wondered what kind of attraction I possibly held to him. He leaned into my body now, skin against glorious skin, and in that moment I didn't care about my inadequacies. I needed him and he wanted me. It was that simple.

His hard erection was trapped between our bodies, pressed against my stomach. Edward bit down on my neck, causing a rush of pleasure shoot through my body. I pushed him back, forcing him to release my skin from between his teeth, and took his engorged length into my hand.

His hands held the wall on each side of my head as I stroked. His eyes closed, his breathing increased pace. His messy hair fell into his face as he hummed with satisfaction from my touch.

"Edward," I said as I traced the vein in his cock and spread the already leaking moisture over his tip.

"Hmm?" he answered.

"I need you to fuck me."

"Well, if you don't stop touching me, we'll never get that far," he said with a throaty growl.

"But, I like touching you. I don't know if I can stop," I said, teasing him.

He pulled away from me, grabbed his discarded t-shirt and the nail gun.

"What the hell?" I asked, scared for a moment.

"Be quiet, Bella." His voice was firm and authoritative and I could do nothing but obey.

I watched with fascination as he wrapped his t-shirt around both of my wrists, securing them tightly. He raised my joined wrists above my head, as high as I could reach and secured the t-shirt to the wall with three blasts from the nail gun.

"Now," he said smiling and dropping the nail gun.

I struggled to test my restraints and confirmed that I could not escape. The look in his eyes was primal and needy and it made me not care that I was his prisoner.

He stared at my wrists and slid both of his hands down my arms, along the sides of my breasts, around my waist, finally resting on my ass.

Edward lifted me up and I wrapped my legs around his hips. He used one hand to position himself at my entrance while supporting my weight with his other. The way his muscled shoulders, arms and chest flexed made me internally shudder.

He leaned his forehead against mine and looked into my eyes, silently asking one last time for permission. I gave a slight nod of my head and he entered me forcibly. My tethered hands balled into fists as I screamed out in pleasure.

He moaned into the skin of my neck as his body pulsed against mine. Entering me fully and pulling out again. The only sound was our labored breathing and the slick sound of our bodies colliding again and again.

Every time Edward entered me, my body was pressed hard into the drywall and I loved the way I felt trapped against his body. I leaned forward, needing to taste him. I nuzzled his neck, feeling the scratch of his stubble against my cheek. He smelled of sweat and sex and everything man.

I bit down on his neck, sucking his skin into my mouth and tasting the salt there. He must have liked it, because his pace increased, pounding into me with wild abandon, pushing me and pulling me and filling me completely.

I felt the familiar tingling start in my gut, it swirled and danced around, finally pooling in my core.

"God, Edward, I'm…so…close."

He opened his eyes and smirked at me, pushing into me harder as he slid his hand between our bodies and flicked my clit with his thumb.

"Aaaaargh!" I screamed out as I came hard around his cock.

His fast paced breathing, became moans as he too came, his hands digging into my ass as his entire body went rigid, driving me into the wall.

After a few minutes of recovery, I unlocked my legs from his waist and he withdrew from inside of me. I placed my feet on the floor and felt my legs shake with unsteadiness.

Edward began getting dressed, never letting his eyes leave my body. When he was completely dressed, he stalked towards me and leaned in, kissing me passionately. He drug his kisses along my jaw to my ear, where he whispered huskily.

"You look so beautiful, stretched out and attached to that wall. I want to leave you there so that I can take you whenever I want to." He bit down on my earlobe and I whimpered into the quiet room. "But I suppose I can't keep you here forever."

He reached up, grasped the t-shirt tightly and ripped it from the wall. He untied my restraint and kissed each wrist after rubbing them gently.

Eyeing the holes in the wall from our playing he shrugged. "Guess I'll have to fix that in the morning."

I redressed as he threw his t-shirt back on and cleaned up the room.

I tried not to notice the ripped holes throughout his shirt and how they revealed teasing bits of skin and muscle. I tried not to ogle his ass as he stacked pieces of wood in the corner. I tried not to think of his teeth clamped down on my nipple as I slid my bra and shirt back on.

I didn't want this to be weird now. I didn't know how much longer he'd be working on this building, but I didn't want that time to be riddled with awkward hellos and uncontrollable blushing.

When we were both dressed and ready to go, he picked up the box of cupcakes and led me to the front door.

"These," he said, motioning to the box, "are coming with me."

I nodded. "I'm glad you enjoyed them."

"I enjoyed them immensely, Bella." I smiled and blushed, knowing the look in his eyes and inflection of his voice referred to more than cupcakes.

"So, you're almost done with construction?"

"Yes, we have about a week left."

"So, then what? No more cupcakes?"

He shook his head, smirking at me crookedly.

"Oh, sweet, niave, beautiful Bella. Now that I've tasted them, I could never get enough." I bit my lip and looked up at him through my lashes. Was he saying what I thought he was saying? "In fact," he began, running his index finger along my collarbone and down between my breasts, "these cupcakes are mine. I don't share. Ever."

I smiled at him as we proceeded out the door onto the sidewalk.

"Goodnight, Edward," I said, feeling as though the words held too much finality.

"Goodnight, Bella. I'll see you for breakfast." He gave me a quick wink and a chaste kiss on the cheek before retreating into the darkness.

As I walked home, I grinned and did the simple math in my head. Twenty-four passings, eighteen eye contacts, fifteen smiles, two flirtatious encounters, three mind-blowing orgasms and a promise for endless cupcakes equals a happy Bella.