Izzy groaned and sat up rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Brown orbs searched out the numbers on her alarm clock and she scowled in annoyance. Nearly 9pm on a Friday night and she was holed up in her apartment. She rolled her eyes and climbed out of bed. Why was she asleep in the first place?

She didn't want to be stuck inside all night. It was ladies night at Lux Lunae. She'd head there for a couple hours. At least until the idiots started to pour out of the woodwork. Maybe she'd invite a certain walking god.. She inhaled and then released her breath slowly as her eyes closed in memory of his lips against hers.. The kiss had been perfect.. Hot, sexy, domineering, all the things that had her wanting more from him.

Her shower was quickly set to the right temperature and she sighed when she climbed in under the pounding waterfall of relaxing heat. It took her next to no time at all to shower and shave before she was out with a towel in her hair to soak up the extra water. Her body was dried and she donned a robe before moving out of her bathroom to stand in front of her closet..

She needed something bold tonight.

Ugh… her clothes… what. the. Hell?

It looked like she was staring into her grandmother's closet. Oh, wait… there they were. She smirked when she found clothes much more suited to HER style. Low rise denim blue jeans, those would look amazing paired with her black halter top with the deep v in it. If she moved just right it showed off little glimpses of skin that had men retreating into fantasies.

She only wanted on man's attention right now.. She'd not known him that long, only a couple weeks or so now.. But she knew he was someone she could picture herself with in the long run.. He challenged her, kept her on her toes.. And what's more, he protected her from the insanity of her own mind.

It took her mere moments to find the discarded jacket and then seconds to retrieve the number from inside the front pocket. With a deep breath and a once over in her mirror, she dialed the number provided for her.

A hesitant voice answered the phone. She could hear angry shouting in the background and wondered if it was a good time to talk now.

"Paul?"

"Um… no, sorry, Paul is a little…" She could just imagine the wince on the man's face when she heard something crash in the background.

"Paul's a little preoccupied right now. Can I take a message for him?"

"It's Izzy. Can you tell him I called?"

"Will do. I'll have him call you back soon."

There was no polite goodbye..

A loud click on the other end told her that whoever she had been talking to had hung up in a hurry. She wondered what was going on, but then reasoned that they were men. She didn't want to know what went on with them sometimes.. She had enough issues in her own mind- her dreams of the woman Bella were becoming more and more frequent and it was beginning to annoy her.

Izzy was NOT a Stepford wife nor did she wish to be.. Creepy, plastic smiles and fake personalities. No thank you. Not it.. Not for her.. NOT the life she wanted to have.

A shiver ripped it's way down her spine before she could quell it. She shook her head to clear the thoughts and made her way to the kitchen. Now that she had a little bit of time (the club didn't even open until 10 and it was only just 9:30) she decided on a light snack to hold her over.

She was sure she'd see Paul at some point. If he wasn't at the club, he was at Downtown Underhill- a coffee house owned by Jared's mother. If he wasn't there.. He was either in his garage with his head buried under the hood of a car getting greased up, or he was at a house party enjoying the night life. He'd told her all of this one of the last times they were together.. She still wasn't sure if it was in an effort to impress her or not- not to say she wasn't.

Her phone buzzing on the kitchen counter drew her from her musings. She arched an eyebrow at the unknown caller before shrugging.

"Hello?"

"Izzy?"

"Hi Paul." She smiled.

"I wasn't sure you were going to call or not." He teased lightly.

"How about I make it up to you?"

"How are you going to do that?" She could just picture his arched eyebrow and amused eyes.

"I'm going out tonight. It's ladies night at Lux Lunae…I'm tired of staying in the house-"

"I'll be there." He said cutting her off.

"It's 9:45 now. I can catch a cab and be there by 10, just in time to get in when the doors open." She told him.

"How about I come get you? It'll save some of your money. And I'll get to have your riding on my bike."

"Is that all you want me to ride?" She purred.

A groan was what she got in reply. "Fire, Izzy. Fire."

"You like it."

"I'll be there in ten." He promised before hanging up.

It gave her just enough time to find her shoes- peep toe, 4 inch, stiletto pumps- stick her money into her back pocket along with her I.D. and attach her apartment key to the chain around her neck. She grabbed his jacket when she heard the distinct rumble of a bike in front of her stoop. Making her way down to him after locking her door, she couldn't help but take him in.

Black boots, long legs clad in low rise jeans with a small hole on one of the knees, a skin tight black muscle shirt and a black leather jacket and riding glasses completed his outfit. He smirked as he openly allowed his eyes to rake over her form. As soon as she was in reach, he grabbed her to him in order to place a kiss to her lips.. Sure he was taking advantage of the situation and invading her personal space.. She'd either kiss him again or slap him- he prayed it was the first of the two options.

Izzy grinned and kissed his lips gently when they broke apart from their heated kiss. "Hi."

"Hi."

"You're all alone.." She observed.

Paul shrugged. "Jared rode with Embry and Sam to the club. They'll be there though when we get there."

Izzy hummed in reply.

"You ready?"

She quickly braided her hair before securing it with a hair tie. Her hand was on his shoulder as he stood to keep the bike steady while she climbed on behind him. Her arms snaked around his waist when she was ready and then they were off.

( ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ )

Sam shook his head at Jared as he absentmindedly rubbed his sore jaw. He'd gotten in some good punches to Paul's ribs before Paul had made a connection to his jaw with a solid right hook. It was a wonder to Sam and Embry that they two didn't kill each other.. All the fighting.. Over a chick.. Sam shook his head again.

"You still sore about it?"

"I wouldn't be if he would just LISTEN! That girl is bad news! I know what I saw."

"Are you sure it couldn't have been someone who just LOOKED like her? I mean, Isabella isn't THAT uncommon of a name. And, for Christ's sakes, you were saw the girl on a CHRISTIAN college campus…. If THAT doesn't give you pause to think… well… I don't know what else to tell you."

Jared rolled his eye. "Sam… haven't you ever heard the saying, 'it's always the quiet ones who are the most prone to mischief' or some shit like that?"

"So you don't want him to be happy?"

Jared leveled his friend with a cold stare.. That was a low blow if ever he'd heard one. Paul was his brother.. Had been since they were infants almost.. Which is why he was pissed that they were fighting over a chick.

"You know damn well that's all I want for him. He's my brother in every way that counts. But I don't want to see him USED. And if I find out that's what this chick is doing as some sort of…release from an oppressive high society life… well.. She'll hate me in the long run."

Sam shook his head. "There they are." He said after a few minutes.
"She sure as hell doesn't look like a damn Christian college student."

Jared watched Izzy grinding against Paul, her back to his chest. He couldn't help but picturing her as a prim and proper lady complete with a pencil skirt and blouse that was completely buttoned up with low heeled pumps on her feet.

He shuddered.. He didn't want to think he was right. But he had called her name a good seven times just that morning.. She kept walking.. Didn't even turn around to acknowledge him.

…maybe it hadn't been her…

Sam grinned when Paul and Izzy walked over to them. "Having fun?"

"We were until Lauren found us." Paul whined. He sat down and tried to subtly readjust himself.

Izzy saw it and smirked. She perched herself in his lap, shifting to get comfortable- so she said. Her eyes closed when she felt him.. He. Was. Huge! She shivered when his hands splayed over her hips to pull her body back flush to his chest. His lips found a tender spot on her neck and attacked it with vigor causing her to moan.

"I told you. Fire, little girl. Still think you can handle it?"

Paul smirked when a feint dark bruise started to form on her neck. He just hoped it'd be gone by morning. Izzy apparently had a thing against marks on her body where others could see them.

Izzy turned to him after a few minutes. "You ready to dance again?"

"Lead the way."

She lead them to a darkened corner just in time for a remix of one of her favorite songs to come on. Paul was in heaven as her body began to move against his. He peered over her shoulder and smirked when he got an almost crystal clear view of her mostly covered cleavage. His hands moved to her waist, his fingers dipping just below the band at the front of her jeans.

Izzy shivered. She looked over her shoulder at him and smirked. "Now who's playing with fire."

One of his arms ran across the front of her body to cage her to him. His lips moved to her ear. "I can handle it." He promised.

By the time 2am rolled around, Izzy had wormed her way that much more into Paul's mind. He wanted to know her.. He wanted to be with her.. He'd wait for two more weeks he mused. After that it'd be a month that they'd known each other- granted nothing happened to push them away from each other. Izzy was a different breed. Underneath it all.. He could see that she wanted something more than the parties.. But nothing as dramatic as marriage and a house full of kids.

She needed her freedom, but she wanted someone to share it with- just like him.

They nearly missed the gasp of surprise from the open window of the car beside them at a red light when Izzy began nipping at Paul's neck. Izzy didn't look to her left, she merely pulled Paul's chin to the side to kiss his lips before the light changed green. She smirked when the car behind them honked once and Paul shifted gears to drive towards her home.

He yet again pinned her to her front door, her body caged in between his arms. He worked one of his thighs between hers and smirked when her breath hitched. He'd have her addicted to him before too long..

Izzy's hands moved to the waistband of his jeans and pulled him that much closer. She shivered when his nose skimmed the line of her jaw to her earlobe, gently drawing in between his teeth to tease her.

"Not fair." She pouted.

"What's wrong, Izzy?" His lips barely brushing against the shell of her ear.

Her eyes locked with his as she leaned her head back against her door. "Kiss me." She whispered.

He smirked. "Gladly."

Their lips crashed together in a flurry of teeth and tongues. They echoed the others groans of passion before Paul ripped his mouth from hers in an effort to breathe. Izzy's left hand moved up his body slowly, her nails dancing over the skin of the back of his neck gently.

"Night." He whispered kissing her again. This one was sweet.. Completely different from the passionate lip lock they had just shared.

"Night."

He made it to the bottom of the steps before turning back to her. "Hey Izzy…"

"yeah?"

"Do something for me?"

She eyed him curiously. "Ok?"

Paul smirked. "Dream about me."

She inhaled sharply, watched him climb back onto his bike and then waved as he drove off.. She'd have no problem fulfilling that request.

She locked the door behind her and stripped her clothes off of her body as she walked through her apartment to the bedroom. She'd clean everything up in the morning. Her last thought before she succumbed to sleep was what it would be like to have Paul in her life on a permanent basis.. As a friend.. As someone to talk to.. Maybe even one day as a lover. Sleep took her in its arms and left her cradled under the covers of her bed with a smile on her lips.