Chapter 3

"So, where are you from?" Bella asked Paul when they were walking toward the movie theater. He grimaced inwardly; he couldn't tell her the truth, not now when he had finally persuaded her to go on a date with him. Paul had to lie or be vague enough that maybe she wouldn't ask more questions about his whereabouts. He wasn't sure why he hadn't told her right from the start how he ended up in her bookshop: that he'd seen her with Embry and wanted to know her better. But whatever the reason, he hadn't, and now wasn't the time.

"I was born in Tacoma," he said, fingers crossed. It wasn't a lie but didn't answer her question either, not exactly.

Paul hated to be anything but honest with Bella. But not wanting to risk anything now, he wanted her so bad. It had taken him by surprise how hard it had been to get Bella on a date.

"That's pretty vague. But you don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Bella said.

Shit.

"Have you always lived here in San Francisco?" Paul asked and tried not to feel the fucking moron he was.

Bella looked at him like she was thinking should she let the thing slide.

"Yep, born and bred," she said. "All my life in that same place, first with my grandparents and parents and now just me and Beth."

He had learned that Beth was the older lady who took care of the B&B and lived in a small apartment in the same building as the bookshop and the B&B and Bella's apartment. The place was fucking cute and homey. He had made the shop his regular coffee spot even though it was pretty far away from the shit hole he was staying at. He was trying to find something affordable closer to Bella. But it was a damn expensive area.

"Your place is very special. I wouldn't have moved away either," Paul said.

"Yeah, it is. I couldn't think of living anywhere else," Bella sighed, glancing at him, having a smile on her face that kept him on his toes. Paul could not remember if he had ever been this nervous around a girl. Damn, it was hot and irritating at the same time.

"You work very hard to keep it, though. Have you ever just thought about selling it and getting easier life? Live like a normal 20-year-old?"

"Sure, I have. But it's not like I can have a normal life for a 20-year-old anyway. My parents are dead, and I must make a living," she told him. "But I've got many offers after my parents died, and still, maybe every three months, someone comes around asking if I would sell it. But I just can't do it. I know that many things could be easier, but I think it is worth all the hard work. It is my home."

Paul took Bella's hand and squeezed it. Bella let him hold her hand, so he didn't let her hand go. Her skin was so soft, and he was aching to touch her more, every inch of her body.

"You are pretty amazing. You know that, right? Many would have sold the place and took the money," Paul said.

"I guess. But as I said, keeping my place is the only option for me. And many good things come with that; I always have work, I don't need to be afraid of losing my job, I can do what I love, I mean love, and the people who work with me are more like a family. And I love my customers. I love people in general."

Paul smiled; it sounded great when she put it like that, and he adored her for feeling so strongly. The only downside was that she was too damn busy all the fucking time. If not because of some shit at the bookshop or café, it was her studies. It hadn't been an ego boost to be turned down a few times before she'd accepted, but he had some spare, so no harm done. But it kept him on his toes.

It also seemed that she had built a wall around her to keep her unattached, needing to have everything under control like she was afraid of letting go for a bit to have fun. Not to mention letting anybody in, letting someone love her and take care of her. Paul saw it because he was the same. For different reasons, perhaps, he didn't let anybody close, not that he had ever met anybody he wanted to get close to. Not until Bella.

But Paul was adamant about breaking that wall, crumbling it down. Get in, not just to get his dick wet, but into her heart. Damn, Paul Lahote was falling for a woman.

They got to the movie theater, and Paul bought them some snacks. He had the tickets already on his mobile.

"Gosh, I can't remember when I was last time in a movie theatre," Bella said when they took their seats.

Yet another sign, this girl wasn't living everyday life for a 20-year-old-girl.

When the lights went off, and darkness surrounded them, Paul felt a strong need to touch her, lean close, capture those plump lips, and never let go. The light from the screen illuminated Bella's face. She was so beautiful that it almost hurt to watch her and not touch her. She glanced at him, smiled, and turned her eyes to the screen.

Paul's heart started to beat faster. Could he hold her hand? What the fuck! Paul Lahote debated whether he could hold a girl's hand in a movie or not. This was bullshit. But for some reason holding her hand felt too intimate just now. But fuck how he wanted.

He tried to concentrate on the movie, but he was too aware of Bella's arm that touched his making his side buzz. Hopefully, Bella wouldn't want to talk about the film because he didn't have a fucking clue what happened in it.

Thank fuck the movie finally ended. Paul didn't know how much longer he would have been able to keep his hands to himself.

"That was good," Bella said. "And it felt so good just to sit and watch, not having to do anything else."

"You work too hard. I'm going to make you relax more. You need it," Paul said. Now he grabbed her hand and helped her through the crowd out of the theatre.

"What do you want to eat?" Paul asked.

"Those tacos are pretty good, aren't they?" Bella pointed nearby food truck.

"I don't know. I haven't tasted them. Let's have some," Paul said.

Paul liked the area where Bella lived. Everything one needed was within walking distance. They could go to the movies, have dinner and walk back to Bella's place in a few minutes.

Bella insisted that she would pay for the food. And Paul could see that she wasn't going to change her mind, so he let her. They ordered a few different kinds of tacos and drinks and went to sit on a bench.

"Hmm, these are good, or I'm just so hungry," Bella moaned and took another big bite.

Paul loved watching her eat, enjoying the food. So often, women ate like mice and always complained about food being too fat or some shit. Bella had a healthy appetite. He loved that in a woman.

He took a bite, and damn, it was good.

"Yeah, these are good."

For a while, they ate in silence. Paul hadn't realized how hungry he was.

"So, how did you become a chef?" Bella asked as she was wiping her mouth with a napkin.

"I've always made the food I eat myself. If I was going to have something to eat when I was a kid, I had to make the food myself. I've learned by watching cooking programs on tv. My mum or dad didn't think it was important to feed their kid. They spent their time drinking and taking drugs. The good side was that we always had money, I don't know how they managed to keep their jobs, though, but I was able to buy whatever I wanted to make."

"Oh, that is horrible. I'm so sorry you didn't have loving parents," Bella said, patting his knee.

"Yeah, it sucks, but I had a lovely neighbor who taught and brought me cookies, and I often spend time with her. And one of my teachers encouraged me to apply to a culinary school, but my parents didn't give a shit. But I don't want to learn in the school, so I quickly did the certification, got myself a job, and moved out to my place."

"You've done well despite having terrible parents," Bella said.

"That's true," Paul admitted. "My parents didn't manage to fuck me up, totally anyway." Although he was probably more fucked up than he was ready to show Bella. He was adamant about being better for her; he wanted to change.

"You are a great guy; you gotta know that," Bella said and yawned. "Hey, I should probably go home. I need to answer a few emails today before going to bed."

Images of Bella in bed started to flow, and he mentally shook the image away and his boner down.

"Can I walk you home? My car is parked nearby."

"Sure."

They took the wrapping papers to the garbage can, and Paul grabbed Bella's hand, and she let him hold it.

Paul's mind was reeling. He wanted so bad to spend the night with Bella. Would she be ready for that? How the fuck he was so nervous about this. He had never before been uncertain if a woman wanted him because they always did. He wasn't sure what Bella wanted.

It didn't take them long to get to Bella's place. Too soon for Paul's liking. He didn't want this night to end.

"This was fun. Thank you so much for taking me out. I know I get wrapped up with work and all that is going on around here and forget to have fun," Bella said, smiling that heart-melting smile.

"I'm ready to have fun with you whenever you want," Paul said and looked into her eyes. He was soon drowning in her brown shining orbs. He leaned down to kiss her, and she didn't move away.

Damn, she tasted good.

"I want you," he said, his heart pounding furiously in his chest. All these feelings were so new to him.

"Paul, I'm not looking for a boyfriend," Bella said quietly.

"Bella, you are overthinking. I'm not asking you to marry me." Yet. "I only want to have some fun with you. You are the most beautiful and sexiest girl I've ever met, and I want to have sex with you," Paul said with all the honesty he had. There was no need to hide his intentions, which went beyond having sex with her, but having sex was a good place to start.

Bella smiled. "You think I'm sexy?"

"Fuck yeah, the sexiest ever," he kissed her neck, and she shivered.

"Well, you are very sexy yourself, but I'm sure you've heard that before," Bella said with amusement.

"I might have," he said, smirking.

"You're an ass; you know that?" Bella laughed.

"Hmm..." he hummed, nipping her earlobe. "You want this sexy ass?"

"Yes."

Paul crushed his mouth against Bella's and pressed her against the door. The kiss was fucking hot. She sucked his tongue into her mouth, and his knees went soft. Never had a kiss made him feel this way.

He was so hard it was almost painful.

"Take me in," he whispered into her ear.

Bella nodded, and he moved so she could open the door. As soon as the door was closed, he pinned her against it, helping her wrap her legs around his waist. He ground his painfully hard dick against her. She arched her back and made noises that were driving him crazy. He had never wanted anything this bad.

"Bedroom," she said, moaning loudly, "is that way." She pointed behind Paul's back. He looked around and saw a door that was slightly ajar.

He grabbed Bella's ass and carried her to the bedroom. She weighed nothing. Bella was kissing his neck, and when she nipped his earlobe and sucked the spot behind his ear, he saw stars and groaned.

"Fuck Bella!"

They got into the bedroom and tore the clothes out of each other. Paul just looked at her for a while. She was gorgeous.

"You are fucking beautiful," Paul said.

Paul pushed her down to sit on the edge of the bed and knelt between her thighs. He kissed her hungrily while his hands roamed her body, yearning to touch all of her. Her breasts were just the right size for his big hands, nipples hardening under his touch. He leaned down to kiss her other breast, sucking her nipple, and Bella moaned, throwing her head back.

"I want to taste you."

Bella laid on her back, and Paul took each of her feet, kissed her feet' instep, and placed them on his shoulder. Kissing and licking her thighs, he got closer to where he wanted to be.

He flattened his tongue and licked her wet folds. Bella's whole body jerked on the contact. She was so fucking responsive to him. This was going to be mind-blowing. He just felt it.

"Oh, Paul... mmm..."

Paul licked and nipped, and he pushed one finger inside her. She was so tight that the mere idea of getting his dick inside her almost undid him. He added another finger and pumped and licked.

Bella grabbed his head and pulled him closer to her pussy, scraping his skull with her nails, and he moaned into Bella's wet folds earning a loud breathy moan. Fuck he loved this. Paul ate at her and sucked and licked. He couldn't get enough. Her whimpering and moans and the wet noises her pussy and his mouth made were making him crazy.

He felt she was about to come.

"Ah... Paul!"

"That's right, baby, come to my face," he grunted and plunged his tongue into her tight pussy

And then she exploded to his tongue, and her wetness pooled on his mouth and face. He tortured her sensitive flesh a bit more while Bella moaned his name.

Fuck her moans were the most erotic sounds he had ever heard. He couldn't wait to be inside her. Make her scream.

"Dear Lord Paul, that was amazing," Bella breathed when her body stopped coming.

"You are fucking amazing," Paul said and kissed her belly button.

He needed a condom.

"Wait a sec. I need my jeans to get a condom."

"I have some in my drawer by the bed," Bella said, moving to take one.

"Let me," Paul said and ragged his body against hers, kissing and nipping his way up to her lips.

He opened the drawer and gasped.

"Damn, girl! For a woman who says she doesn't know how to have fun, you have loads of condoms," Paul said, not wanting to think about her using them with anybody else.

"They were on sale," she giggled and grabbed his dick.

All thoughts disappeared from his head, and he thrust into her hand with a loud moan.

"You're huge," she said, pumping his dick.

Paul got to his knees and tore the wrap. His dick was pulsing with need, and his balls were already throbbing, telling him this wouldn't last long. He had waited for this moment so long, and it's been weeks since he last had gotten laid. He hadn't wanted anybody else than her since he saw her.

Bella scooted up in the bed and looked at him, licking her lips.

"This will be over too soon. I almost get off by looking at you. You are the most gorgeous woman I've ever seen."

"What if I do this?" she asked seductively and moved her other hand to her nipple and twisted it between her fingers while her other hand traveled south between her legs.

"Oh, you like to tease," Paul breathed.

"Hardly teasing when you're just about to come," Bella said with a mischievous glint.

Jesus, fuck was she trying to kill him. He groaned, pulled her closer to him, and spread her legs wide apart. He lined his dick with her wet entrance and rubbed his dick over her slit. Bella's eyes turned into her head, and he was shivering with anticipation himself.

"You like this baby?"

"Oh yes, fuck me, please."

"First round will be quick," Paul panted, breathing heavily as he pushed inside, slowly at first; as she had pointed out, he was a big guy and didn't want to hurt her. She was all slick and wet. Her warm tight pussy was pulsing around him, and he had to squeeze all possible muscles and eyes shut not to shoot his load right away. He had known it would be good with her, but fuck, this feeling was insane.

"How … ah … many rounds do you have in mind? Ah …"

"Loads," he said and started to move.

"Oh, God!" Bella moaned and thrust her hips to meet his.

Shit fuck fucking shit, this was going to be over too soon. "Oh Fuck, Bella. I won't be able to hold long. You feel too damn good."

He pinched her clit, and as she started to clench around him, his balls tightened, and he slammed a few more times before coming hard. Bella's tight walls sucked him deeper, and he kept thrusting. His whole body was trembling.

"Sweet Jesus, woman, you feel good. I've never come this fast," Paul said, breathing heavily.

"That was a quicky if there was one," Bella giggled, "But very, very good one." Bella kissed him, and he felt a jolt of lust going straight to his balls, and he knew he would be ready for a second round soon.

"Let me get rid of this, and we can start over," Paul said, taking off the condom he hoped was the first of many that night.

"I don't know, Paul, what your normal way is but "love 'em and leave 'em" works for me if that is what you want. I'm exhausted anyway, and I probably sleep better than if you stayed and we'd continued doing this. Not sure I'm up for more rounds tonight," Bella said and kissed him lightly after coming down from their high of the round four.

Paul couldn't believe his ears. Was Bella kicking him out after having the most incredibly hot sex?

"But I don't mind if you stayed either, one more round couldn't hurt, and it is quite late; I'm not that heartless to make you drive through the city unless that is what you want to do."

Paul was confused. She would be the death of him, that was sure. He wanted to stay; more than anything, he wanted to sleep next to her and make love to her all night if she let him.

"I'm getting mixed signals here," Paul chuckled nervously.

"Probably because I'm giving you very mixed signals," Bella giggled. "I just don't want you to feel obligated to stay if it makes you uncomfortable. That's all," she smiled and moved to get out of the bed.

Paul grabbed her waist, pulled her back under him, and kissed her. He put all the passion he felt for her into that kiss. She needed to understand that he wanted her not just for sex but all of her.

Fuck she tasted good. The kiss left them both breathless and him hard, again.

"I would like to stay," he whispered into her ear, making her shiver.

She scraped her nails on his scalp and kissed him lightly. Paul was shivering all over. Fuck, this was nirvana. He had never felt this good in his life.

"Okay. Would you mind showing me some of your culinary skills too? There are some ingredients in the fridge. You made me hungry, and the dinner we had was quite light. I need to send those few emails before tomorrow before today morning, that is," she said as she got up from the bed. "But first, I'm taking a shower. You can go after me if you want."

"Can I come with you?" The idea of Bella naked in a shower made all kinds of things to his body and mind.

"No, I like to shower alone," she smiled and went to the bathroom, closing the door and leaving stunned Paul to stare at the red door leading to her bathroom.

He groaned and fell back to the bed. He covered his eyes with his hands and rubbed his face. This woman was something else. He knew that she was all he would ever want now that he knew what it felt like to hold her, to fuck her, her fucking him, making love to him. Nothing he'd experienced before compared to her. He had tried to date with a couple of chicks a few years back, but he'd gotten so fucking bored that he had stopped even trying. But there was something about Bella that he knew he wouldn't get bored with her.