Chapter Ten

The Road To Where Is Paved With What?

Paul's POV

She was dead to the world, curled on her side, one hand resting against her cheek, murmuring every now and then, her forehead wrinkled in a way that suggested that she might have been having a bad dream. I wondered what it was that was disturbing her rest. Maybe she was remembering how angry I'd been with her earlier that night, surely she wasn't thinking about the kiss we'd shared...damn, that wouldn't be good...of course it could have been the blistering tirade that she'd endured once we'd reached Emily's, which had went on for a full five minutes, even after I'd told Emily to back off, stopping only when Sam stepped in on Lilah's behalf.

Everybody looked at Emily and saw this sweet woman who took care of everyone around her, but what they didn't know, unless they had witnessed it firsthand, was that while she was a loving and caring person, she also had a downright fearsome temper, and God help you if she got mad at you, because no one else would be able to. Sam was able to calm her down eventually, but you could be damn sure that it wouldn't be until after she'd chewed your ass until there was nothing left...I know this because I speak from firsthand experience, believe you me.

Poor Lilah...she'd held up admirably, all things considered, taking her licks and never once talking back, though it wasn't easy, there were a few times that her bottom lip would quiver, and those were the times that I spoke up on her behalf. Now I was standing in the threshold of her bedroom, watching and listening to her sleep, reminding myself that I had no business getting any closer to her, I hadn't been invited yet, but that line of thinking when right out the window when she started whimpering in her sleep, scared, helpless sounds, and before I could stop myself I was crossing the floor to her bed, pulling back the covers and sliding beneath them, curling myself around her body, warm and soft against me.

I knew in an instant, when she snuggled back against me and sighed my name, when her hair tickled my nose and infused my senses with her smell, when I felt her boobs, and oh crap, her nipples standing straight up, against my arm, I knew that I had made a terrible, possibly fatal mistake. I had to have known better, after all, I was the dumbass who went around with a semi-hard dick all damn day, I was the one who wanted her so bad that I could taste it every time we were in the same room, and I had just gone and climbed into her bed, the one place where her scent was the strongest, where she was laying, all sweet and warm and sexy, just waiting for me to seduce her...sheesh...what a freakin' idiot I was...either that or I had become an overnight masochist...the jury's still out on that one.

"Don't worry sweetheart," I whispered, kissing the back of her head and tightening my arm around her, doing my best not to cop anymore of a feel than I already had. "No one's going to hurt you, not while I'm here, so there's no need for you to be scared, ok?"

I was sure that it wasn't deliberate, after all, she was asleep, but she answered me by pressing her ass, that round ass that I'd held for the first time earlier that night, against a dick that had already gone from semi to full on hard, and my eyes slammed shut, and I placed my forehead against the back of her head and groaned deep in my throat. It was enough of a torture, feeling the curves of her body wrapped tight in my arms, at least I'd thought that was agony, but I'd been mistaken. Now I knew that the definition of misery was her soft and warm flesh pushed up snugly against me, inviting me to behave in a way that was the opposite of a gentleman, and then, just when I thought that things couldn't get any worse, they did...I ought to know better by now, shouldn't I?

She had wriggled against me several times, making me crazy, then went and sent me straight over the edge into complete mindlessness by turning over, replacing her ass with a spot that was even warmer, even softer, absolute heaven and sheer hell that was pressed intimately against the one part of my body that would have just loved to have been invited inside for a closer look around. That was bad enough, to feel the heat of her nestled so snugly against me, but did she really have to start her wriggling again, did I really need the added torment…..did I, huh?

She murmured something in her sleep, something I missed the first time that she said it due to the blood pounding in my ears, but I heard it clearly the second time, paired with her scent, the bouquet that wafted up to fill my nose, the flavor of her arousal, musky and spicy, accompanied by an increase in the heat pressed snug against my throbbing flesh. "Paul," she whispered, writhing more firmly against me. "Oh, Paul, oh honey, yes."

I was sure by this point that I was being punished, I had died sometime during the night, maybe at the hand of one of the leeches, and now I was in Hell. My punishment, it would seem, was to be plagued by the knowledge that my Lilah was resting beside me, was wriggling against me and moaning my name in her sleep, obviously turned-on, because of me, and there wasn't a damn thing that I could do about it.

At least, I was sure of that until the side of myself that was as big of a pain in my ass, maybe even more, as the bloodsuckers threw in his sanctimonious two cents, suggesting that I should leave the bed while I still had the chance, before I gave into temptation and had my way with my sweetheart. If I was truly in Hell, the one in charge would have allowed me to do my best to ravish Lilah, laughing at my growing frustration rather than telling me to leave while I could...oh crap...that meant that all of this...that her arousal for me...was very, frustratingly, real.

I should have listened to my conscience, it would have been the smart thing to do, but no one had ever accused me of being the most intelligent guy around, so why should I start then? I put my hand on her waist, slowly moving down over her hip, onto her thigh, bringing her leg up and hooking it on my waist, pressing myself more intimately against her and thrust my hips, placing my mouth against her throat, nipping at the spot where her blood surged beneath her skin, growling as she started awake.

Lilah's POV

I had been suffering from nightmares ever since I'd closed my eyes, images of crimson eyed monsters attacking a big grey wolf, tearing him to pieces before his brothers could reach him, their razor-sharp teeth biting into him again and again before turning on those who would rescue him, destroying them as well, leaving every human vulnerable to the inevitable doom that lay in store...and it was all my fault.

All I could hear was Emily's voice, telling me over and over that I was incredibly selfish, that she was disgusted with my lack of concern for anyone other than my own self, and surveying the ravaged bodies covering the floor of the forest, as death crept upon me, I knew that she was right. I'd brought this down on everyone, and it was a guilt that threatened to destroy me...I supposed that I should have been thrilled that I was going to die, rather than having to endure a lifetime worth of crippling self-reproach.

I'd tossed and turned, willing myself to wake up, praying that it had all been a horrible nightmare, but for some reason I couldn't awaken. It wasn't until a warmth had overtaken me, a strong warmth accompanied by a strong beating, that I had started to feel better, a bliss that slowly started to grow erotic as I lost myself in that cozy embrace, the death and destruction on the forest floor disappearing as what was comfort became desire, and I started moving myself against the heat on my bottom, against the pressure that was steadily growing against my backside.

There was a sound on the breeze blowing across my body, a deep groaning that sparked a memory in me, and I found myself longing for more, feeling that things weren't quite as they should be. I wanted to feel that delicious heat against my chest, on the nipples that were standing up like proud little soldiers, against the throbbing that had started between my thighs and I turned toward the source, writhing myself against the hard pressure, adding my moan to the other as the level of arousal inside me pulsed and grew.

The temperature, the enveloping heat, reminded me of a certain wolf, and the awakening within me swelled, and it became essential, rather than a mere longing, that I find a release to the pressure building in my core. "Paul," I moaned, moving more desperately against the heat, against the hardness. "Oh, Paul, oh honey, yes."

The embrace that had been holding me around my waist moved then, trailing down to my hip, then to my thigh, moving my leg up, pressing the part of me that was throbbing now in time with each beat of my heart more intimately against the stiffness that until that moment had only been teasing me, its warmth thrusting against me blatantly, bringing to mind images of something I'd only thought of in passing fantasy up until now. The forest, which had been so bright, so vibrant around me dimmed as my excitement grew stronger and stronger, propelling me toward the inevitable, and then I felt softness on my neck, strong teeth nipping at the spot where my pulse throbbed beneath my skin and in a rush of confusion and overwhelming desire I woke up, realizing that I'd been dreaming everything, yet at the same time all that I'd felt was real.

I didn't even allow myself to stop and think of the lines that we were crossing, ones that had been unconsciously and unnecessarily drawn, I couldn't think about anything else at that moment beyond what I was feeling and needing. Paul had noticed that I had woken up, and started to move away from me, so I wrapped my arms around him, holding him fast against me.

"Don't you dare," I hissed, tightening the hold of my leg on his waist for good measure. "I'll never forgive you if you leave me like this."

He started to smile, a slow, satisfied, knowing smile that was pleased beyond relief. "I'm just trying to be a gentleman sweetheart," he answered teasingly, rocking that part of him that was still a stranger against me once more, causing me to choke back a whimper of need. "I wouldn't want you to think that I'm trying to take advantage of you."

I would have let him know exactly what he could do with his good intentions, but was silenced by his mouth coming down on mine, stealing away all of my ability to chew him out. He had kissed me passionately before, glorious, toe-curling kisses that I had felt everywhere, but this time it was different. It wasn't until now that I realized he had been using restraint in all of our previous embraces, and just like in my dream everything seemed to fade, to grow dim, until all that was left was the two of us, and nothing else mattered.

His tongue was unrelenting in my mouth, plunging and searching, tasting me until I was breathless, while he ran his fingertips down my neck, caressing the spot where my pulse raced, then traveling down, skimming the fabric of my nightie, teasing and tormenting, slowly finding one nipple that strained against the binding of clothing, tracing its shape, then making me whimper into his mouth by pinching the flesh between his fingers.

He tantalized that point, until the throbbing grew until it was almost painful, and then moved to its twin, giving it equal, torturing treatment, and it wasn't long before I was thrashing beneath him, tearing my mouth away from his to whimper, to beg him to stop teasing me. If I'd expected him to show me any mercy I was sorely mistaken, knowledge that was made crystal-clear to me when he looked into my eyes, when I saw the passion there, and his intentions made me shudder.

He moved his lips, which had already been doing a damn good job of driving me crazy, down my neck, nipping here and licking there, not stopping until he reached my collarbone, traveling to the thin straps of my nightgown, taking them between his teeth and with a quick turn of his head tearing them, first one and then the other.

I would have been angry if I wasn't so turned-on at that moment, but as it was all that I could do was watch, torn between shock and desire, as he moved the gown out of his way, baring my breasts completely, and I suffered a brief flash of insecurity, wondering how I measured up to the other women he'd seen, that was until I saw the flare of heat that infused his eyes and the smile of satisfaction that curved his lips.

"Well now sweetheart, look at you." His voice was a low growl, filled with passion. "I knew that they'd be pretty little rosebuds, but I hadn't quite realized just how much it would affect me to see them after all this time. Would it be okay if I gave them a little kiss?"

Now he was asking permission...now, after he'd torn my nightie without any thought whatsoever? "One little kiss wouldn't be enough for me," I said a little breathlessly, arching my back to put the 'rosebuds' a little closer to him, pleased when I saw him swallow with some difficulty, his eyes growing darker as he slowly lowered his head to my chest.

His lips touched my right nipple with the gentleness of a lover's first, hesitant kiss of hello. Feather soft brushes of flesh against flesh, teasing me until I was writhing beneath him, and on the verge of telling him to stop tormenting me, when suddenly he opened his mouth and the tip of his tongue circled my throbbing nipple, tracing it before drawing the bud into his mouth, suckling it, biting it gently, while his fingertips manipulated its twin.

I had held on to the symbol of my virtue well into my adult years, to tell the truth I'd never really been tempted to sacrifice that delicate membrane up until this point, and now it was the dominant yearning coursing through me, to belong completely to this man. I wasn't apprehensive, I wasn't hesitant, I just wanted him, but he didn't seem to be picking up on that signal too clearly, so I did what I thought was best and ran my hand down the hardened plane of his stomach, marveling at his strength and beauty, then plunged my hand inside the waistband of his shorts, taking him in hand, quite literally, never expecting him to yelp the way that he did, while nearly leaping from the bed in shock.

I didn't think it was quite fair for him to reach down and take my hand away from his...well...you know. I'd barely had a chance to get a good feel of him before he rolled over onto his back, taking deep breaths while he stared at the ceiling. "It's not that I don't want that," he murmured, his voice raw with emotion. "It's what I've been dreaming of for a long damn time, so please don't think that I'm rejecting you, sweetheart. I just think that it would be better if we took things a little slower. Savor the moments and take our time, you know what I mean?"

I felt a small spark of anger take up root inside of me, elbowing aside the arousal that had taken over in my body. He was a tease, a damned tease, making sure that I was turned-on to the point that it was painful and now he was shutting everything down, leaving me mad and frustrated, more than likely intending to return to the couch and get a good night's sleep, the bastard, while I tossed and turned.

"Maybe you should have considered what might have been the outcome of crawling into bed with me before you made yourself at home," I hissed, reaching down to pull up my ruined gown, refusing to have a conversation like the one we were fixing to launch into with my breasts on display. "It's not like I asked you to come in here, you know?"

I struggled to sit up on the bed, infuriated and humiliated, emotions that grew even stronger when I saw that he was laughing at me. Oh, he was doing his best to hide the fact that he was finding so damned much humor in my injured feelings, but I could see the smile twitching around his lips, and his eyes, which were still hot with desire, were starting to dance mirthfully. "Bastard," I hissed, holding my gown to my chest with one hand and rolling over, only to have him grab me around the waist, pulling me back down on the bed, then moving so that he was laying half on, half off of my body.

"As far as I know, my parents were married to one another when I was conceived," he said, laughing as I continued to struggle against him. "So in the truest sense of the word, I'm not a bastard, and if you'd give me a chance to continue, instead of jumping to conclusions and throwing a temper tantrum, you'd see that I never meant to upset you."

He was serious then, watching me closely before bending down to kiss me. I didn't want to be taken in by him again, I wanted to stay mad, but I couldn't help but melt against him, my fingers twining into his hair as the fire that had still smoldered between us flared to life once more. He waited until I was thrashing upon the bed, moving myself against him and then he grabbed hold of the side of my gown, which was already damaged, and finished it off by ripping it completely off of my body, leaving me clad in just my tiny panties.

"I was never going to leave you in this state," he said, moving his mouth away from mine, kissing down the length of my throat, traveling once more to my bare nipples. "I just needed a minute to slow down...not to stop completely, just to get control of myself. This can only go so far right now sweetheart, you might think that it's time for the big event, but it's not. I made up my mind that certain things would happen between us before then and they haven't happened, so I'm not in any rush."

I whimpered as his lips grazed my nipple, followed closely by his tongue, first one side then the other, then froze as I felt the heat of his hand, the calloused fingers and broad palm, moving down my stomach in a beeline to the waistband of my panties, his fingertips teasing the soft flesh around that boundary before slipping underneath.

My shock must have been evident, paired with an overwhelming need for him to touch me. "There's no reason that we can't have a little fun along the way though, is there?" he asked, running his fingers back and forth just inside the waistband. "But we would only continue if that was what you wanted, of course."

It was a little wanton of me, I suppose, but I was beyond the point where I gave a damn about behaving demurely, or playing hard to get, and I answered him by reaching down, placing my hand on his, pushing him down to the place I wanted those fingers of his. His eyelids grew heavy as he watched me, stared at me, while he found and traced the part of me that was swollen and throbbing for him, growling deep in his throat as he collected the dampness that had flowed in and out of me. I was so sensitive by this point that this first exploration, just the heat of his fingertips caressing me started me climbing toward a pinnacle that I'd only scaled in a solo fashion up until now, and as I felt the first tentative stroke of his flesh against my straining bundle of nerves I dissolved, arching against him as I cried out my triumph, bringing tears of joy and of relief to my eyes.

It was ironic, I suppose, that I'd always assumed that I knew all there was to know about an orgasm, learned at my own hand, of course, but as the second wave hit me, a mind-blowing paroxysm that made the first, which I'd thought was more than I should be able to feel, seem small in comparison. I gave no thought to the fact that I was digging my fingernails into his shoulders, surely causing him pain, or that I was crying out directly into his ear, surely making him temporarily deaf, I was oblivious to anything other than the absolute pleasure of my release, and I wondered if it was possible for someone to die from this sort of thing.

He rolled over onto his back, snuggling me close in his arms, and while my senses returned to me, my self-conscious tendencies did as well, but he wouldn't allow me to cover myself. I found a spot against him that allowed me to shield myself somewhat, but which still pleased him because it meant that my bare boobs were pressed against him. I couldn't help but notice, as we laid there, the obvious swelling in his shorts, and realized that he had to be very much in need of a little release himself, but when I made a feeble move, an attempt, to touch him, feeble due to the fact that I felt as though my bones were made of jelly and all of my muscles were asleep, he stopped me, grabbing my hand and placing it over his heart.

"Don't worry about that, sweetheart," he murmured, closing his eyes and smiling. "There'll be plenty of time for that later on. I've got everything I need right now...everything's perfect, just as it is."