Chapter Eleven

Submissiveness Definitely Has Its Perks

Paul's POV

My mind wasn't on the right track, I was having a hard time keeping focused on the task at hand, and that could prove to be dangerous, to say the very least. This was the day that we would be facing off against the vampires, and when I say vampires, I'm not talking about the Cullen family, the cute and cuddly version of leech; I'm talking about the murderous variety that got their jollies by feasting on human blood. Bearing that in mind, I should have been on top of my game, disciplined and ready for battle, but my mind wasn't there...it was too busy replaying the night before...the mind-blowing night that I'd spent in Lilah's, in our,bed.

I should have known that things were going to be a little different when I saw the hot little number that she'd had on when she sashayed into the room. Usually she wore cotton nightgowns, pretty and feminine, but not the sort of thing that would make a man's dick stand up and say hello, if you know what I mean, but last night's ensemble hadn't just managed to bring my old boy to life with just one look, oh no, it had made him stand up and start turning somersaults.

I wasn't sure when, or where, she'd acquired her cherry red lingerie, but that hadn't meant much of anything to me. I'd been a little too busy taking in the silk and lace that had covered her boobs, the boobs I'd become more than a little fixated on lately, the lace showing just a hint of her nipples, which hardened while I stared at her. From there I moved to the slit that ran from the very short hemline, all the way to a spot right above her bellybutton, off to the side of the gown, trimmed in lace as well. This little peek-a-boo gave me a clear view of the panties, in the same crimson as the gown, and I'd been willing to bet that undies that tiny were bound to be a thong...a suspicion that I'd confirmed later that night.

She'd never been timid with me, not once in our relationship, and certainly not in the week that had passed since we'd started sharing a bed, but tonight she was more than just self-assured. She was brimming with confidence, almost aggressively so, as a matter of fact, and I wondered just how difficult it was going to be for me to keep my cock to myself. I'd done an admirable job so far, bringing her pleasure every night, falling asleep with her in my arms, but refusing to allow myself to take things any further. Her cries of release had been enough for me, when I was the aggressor, but how would I fare when she was the one in charge?

...I laid still on the bed, my arms crossed behind my head, doing my best to keep my cool and stop the shock that I was feeling from showing on my face, but there was a knowing look on her face as she reached up to unbind her hair, leaving it to flow, unfettered, down around her shoulders, the tips reaching her waist. She made her way to the bed, her hips swaying provocatively with each step that she took, her boobs jiggling in a way that did absolutely nothing to help my already heightened arousal...

Oh, wonderful...here we were, running at top speed to that clearing where the Cullen's had given their demonstration of the right and wrong way to approach the dismemberment of a ravenous newborn leech with unlimited strength right at their pasty little fingertips, and I was getting all hot and bothered. The worst part was that I couldn't mask the images that kept popping into my head, though thankfully I wasn't the only one.

Jared was thinking of Kim, and how pretty she was when she blushed, which apparently she did every time he kissed her. Quil was remembering a day spent with Claire at the beach, playing in the surf at low tide. Embry was randomly running through a variety of porn star action, concentrating most of his attention on the silicone enhanced boobs, though there was an occasional glimmer of some chick that sat beside him in his math class, one who looked remarkably normal, with no obvious fakeness or way too white teeth. Jacob, who'd just joined us, gifted us with a play-by-play of some cheesy romance novel BS that had just gone down between him and Bella Swan, concentrating on her declaration of love, which had been an obvious ploy used to keep him out of danger, and an overly wet kiss that had me gagging more than Embry's slideshow of two blonds muff diving on one another had...a few more moments of that and I might have offered myself as a sacrifice to the Seattle leeches, just to get rid of the images in my head.

...She climbed onto the bed, then straight onto me, one leg straddling each side of my body, placing the heat of her core firmly against my straining flesh. There were boundaries between us, my shorts and her panties, but as limits went they were pretty damned flimsy, and it was all that I could do to keep myself from thrusting against her. I ran my hand into her hair and cupped the back of her neck, bringing her close for a kiss. It should have been a simple thing, something I'd experienced countless times...a kiss...but with her it was so much more. At the risk of sounding like a complete douche, it was like our souls met each time, hugging one another like old friends, right before the rush of arousal took hold of us...shit...that did sound pretty freakin' corny, didn't it?...

I had to wonder if it was a sure sign that I was going loony, the fact that I was analyzing my behavior in a flashback/fantasy scenario. Maybe it didn't qualify as being certifiably nuts, but it had to be kind of weird, I would imagine. The better bet would be that I was off my rocker to be reminiscing when there was who knows how many bloodsuckers waiting to rip my damned head off and feast on my still beating heart. Besides which, sappy or not, that was the way it felt whenever I kissed her, there was no getting around that fact.

Sam glanced over his shoulder at us, baring his teeth in an action that clearly said that he wanted us to cease with the mind-numbing chatter and various picture shows, like he had any business whatsoever calling us out on that, when he'd been bombarding us with a near constant stream of him and Emily in various positions, on the bed, in the shower, laid out on the kitchen table...sheesh...I had just eaten on that freakin' table a couple of days ago. And let me just say, after I saw what she did with a can of Reddi-Whip and a bottle of Hershey's syrup, that it would be a good long while before I was going to feel comfortable looking her in the eye again.

...I placed my fingers beneath the straps of her gown, slowly drawing them off of her shoulders, knowing I'd get chewed if I was to tear this gown, considering the fact that it looked brand-new. I sucked in a deep breath as her boobs were gloriously unveiled, subtly thrusting against her, feeling an intense need to move, to communicate with her in the simplest way possible. I lifted my shoulders from the bed, my mouth teasing, and then capturing one nipple, then the other, until she was the one moving against me. This was the moment that I would have moved to lay her down on the bed, to continue my exploration of her, just as I always did, but for some reason she wouldn't cooperate with me. She tightened her hold with her legs on my body, smiling in a manner that sent a shiver of anticipation through me, a trembling that grew when I saw her small fingers travel to her nipples, still hardened from the attention that I'd bestowed on them, pinching them between her fingertips, tiny whimpers coming from her lips. "Oh, no you don't," she murmured, rocking her hips forward, once, then twice. "This time I'm the one who's in charge."...

I'd always been comfortable with my role as the aggressor. I'd never been content to be submissive, or to let a woman have any say as to how we'd get things done. I had always liked it in just about every way possible, but most of all I'd always preferred to be the one in the dominant position, so it had been more than a little out of my comfort zone to lay back against the pillows and give her free reign over me. It wasn't what I'd been used to, but I'd quickly discovered that being the one who was being seduced, rather than the one doing the convincing, wasn't half bad...not at all.

...She leaned forward and started pressing soft kisses to the side of my throat, delicate caresses that warmed each spot of flesh she touched. I tried to raise my hands to cup her breasts. "No," she whispered, slapping my hands away. I pouted, I actually freakin' pouted for a split-second, then lowered my palms to her waist, one on each side. "Huh-uh," she said, smacking me again, a little harder than the time before. "I said that I'm the one in charge, and if I want you to touch me, I'll tell you to, but until then, keep your hands to yourself...honey."...

It seemed to be taking us forever to reach the clearing, like we were running in slow-mo or something, though I knew that we were moving at top speed. All I could think of was that the faster we got there, the quicker we could get this over with and be done. Don't get me wrong...I was definitely jived at the idea of tearing into some bloodsucker flesh, but there was a girl waiting for me at home who held just a little more interest for me...one who was sure to be pacing the floor, worrying and imagining the worst.

...My hands were digging into the sheets, hard enough that it was painful, enough that I wouldn't have been surprised if I had torn them. She was running her lips down my chest, nuzzling me occasionally with her nose, taking my scent into her nose and sighing blissfully. I'd never really considered that she'd be that way too, that she'd be aroused by the way I smelled, but it pleased me that she was. I had just about gotten myself accustomed to the whole submissive thing...to a point...but what I hadn't expected was the brush of her lips across my nipples, or the warm flick of her tongue against them, making them hard, and I sure as hell hadn't prepared myself for the feel of her mouth closing around them, licking and sucking until I was moving almost desperately beneath her. No chick had ever done that to me before; I'd never even imagined such a thing. Sucking nipples was something that a guy did to his woman, not the other way around, or so I'd thought...apparently I'd been missing out all that time...

I think it was kind of confusing to her, the fact that I hadn't tried to move on from third base to home plate, when she'd made it clear that she was ready and willing to do so, and with my past, who could blame her for wondering? I guess it was kind of weird, considering that it had never mattered to me before, but there was something I needed that she hadn't done yet. I had told her that I loved her several times, but she hadn't said it to me once. I was grateful that she hadn't done that "me too" crap...that would have really pissed me off, but I needed to hear those words, that she was in love with me, like I was with her, before we took the next step.

...She made me crazy, made me growl and move upon the bed, against her, as I clawed at the sheets, then I stopped, sat completely still, holding my breath as she shimmied down to my legs, her mouth moving slowly, torturously down my stomach, straight to the waistband of my shorts. She looked up to smile at me, and I swore then and there that I'd never seen anything more arousing than the sight of her eyes, bright with excitement, peeking at me through her hair, or the thrillingly wicked smile that slowly grew on her face as she hooked her fingers into the waist of my shorts, slowly lowering them, baring me fully to her eyes...

It had been exhilarating, and a boost to my self-esteem, to watch her eyes grow big and round while she stared at me, obviously impressed with the sight of me in all my glory. I'd always known that I had nothing to be ashamed of, unless I'd found myself naked in a room alongside a bunch of male porn stars, but every compliment was different when it came from her, more important to me, and I was pleased to know that she liked the way I looked down there...and at least she hadn't giggled. I'd never had that reaction in the past, and it would have destroyed me if I'd gotten it from her.

...For what seemed like an eternity she just stared, then the smile, which had faded from her face returned in full. "Look at you," she breathed, slowly wrapping her hand around me, making me groan and hitch in a breath, my first since she'd pulled down my shorts. I had an idea, well, more of a hope, of what she'd do to me, and couldn't imagine how I was going to handle the sensation, when just the feel of her hand was nearly enough to send me over the edge. "He certainly seems happy to see me, doesn't he?" I couldn't utter anything that would have made any sense, making do with growling instead, a response that seemed to please her, an answer that became a groan, then embarrassingly a whimper of need as she lowered her head and slowly took me into her mouth, her hand wrapped around the base, the head and some of the length enveloped in her warmth...and then...oh damn...her tongue swirled around me, her mouth and hand moving simultaneously in a measured, maddening rhythm. When I couldn't stand it anymore I fisted my hands at my sides, my nails digging into my flesh, "Can I touch you Lilah?" I whispered desperately, my voice raw with longing. "Please let me touch you." She nodded her consent and I twined my fingers into her hair, doing my best to be gentle, losing myself in the moment...

We'd reached the clearing at last, where the battle was already in full swing, resembling something straight out of Braveheart, minus the swords and battle axes, of course, not to mention the dudes in skirts, thank God. Sam gave the order to charge and we gleefully leapt into the fray, our teeth snapping here and there, all of us relishing the moment, the opportunity to tear into some leech flesh. It was absolute insanity, all of the action, the pandemonium, and at times I found it a little distracting, the way that the Cullen's moved with a definite air of grace, especially the elfin one. I took the time to admire them for about half a second, and then returned my attention where it belonged. The fight went well, and may have lasted for just a moment, or maybe it dragged on for several minutes, but our side emerged victorious in the end...'til that dumbass Jacob went and got himself hurt.

...The moments afterward were magical and I couldn't remember the last time I'd felt so good, or if I'd even come close to this feeling, this closeness, this sense that everything was perfect. It was kind of embarrassing, the fact that I'd been so...vocal...about how good it had felt, I'd never been one for making a lot of noise when I...well... reached my pinnacle, but all of the past had gone out the window in that moment, along with the need to dominate and the idea that only guys sucked on nipples. I'd made a move to please her afterwards, but like I had a week ago she told me that she had everything she needed and we'd curled up and went to sleep, happy and content...

Lilah's POV

I couldn't think straight as I made the trip to Billy Black's house, all I could do was cry and think about all the things I'd never told him. Someone was hurt very badly, that was all that we knew, and it was all that I could do to keep myself from shouting at Emily to drive faster. I had no doubt that we were all in the same frame of mind, those of us who had someone near and dear to us in danger and I cursed Sue Clearwater for the umpteenth time for her annoyingly cryptic message that didn't tell us who it was that was hurt.

After what seemed like an eternity had passed we pulled up to the tiny red house. There was a throng of people gathered outside, but I didn't give them a second glance. I'd already made up my mind that it was Paul who was hurt, and knew that he had to be inside. Fighting back my hysteria, tears coursing down my cheeks, I battled my way through the crowd, ignoring the voice calling my name until a pair of hands, strong and calloused and very familiar, grabbed me around my waist, turning me and pulling me to a bare chest, comforting arms cuddling me close.

"Don't cry sweetheart," he whispered, stroking my hair, kissing my tears away. "Jacob's going to be just fine, Dr. Cullen is making sure of that, so there's no need for you to get so upset, okay?"

While I was happy to know that Jacob would be fine, he was the last thing that had been on my mind. "That's not why I'm so upset," I said brokenly, slapping him on his shoulder. "I didn't even know who it was that was hurt until now."

His eyes were confused for a moment, then it dawned on him why I was carrying on the way that I was and he started to smile, raising an eyebrow at me. "All of this drama is because you thought that I was the one who was hurt, isn't it?"

I resisted the urge to hit him again, making due with rolling my eyes at him instead. "Well, why else would I be so upset?" I hissed angrily. "I was concerned about everyone, of course, but you're a little more important to me than the rest of the pack, you know."

"Do I?" he asked softly, and once more I was plagued by the guilt of knowing that I'd never told him how I really felt. He told me every day that he loved me, and that I was his heart, but I'd never returned the sentiments, not once. I was always telling myself that it was too soon; that I couldn't possibly feel that way already, but that had been a lie.

"I hoped you would," I said, standing on my tiptoes to kiss him softly. "But I haven't been exactly forthcoming with the way I feel, have I?"

"No, you haven't sweetheart. You're good at showing me that you care about me, that you like to feed me, and that you find me irresistible, but as far as telling me, well; you've been kind of neglectful there."

Any other time I would have worried that telling him how I felt, after that kind of conversation, would look like I was only saying the words to appease him, but I could see that he really needed to hear the words, at that moment, and what's more was that I really needed to say them.

I reached up and took hold of his face, holding it still between my hands. "I love you, Paul," I said, feeling my heart clinch when he took a deep, shuddering breath at my words. "I may not be capable of imprinting, but I believe in soul mates, and I know that you're mine."

He stared down at me for a moment, then grabbed me around the waist, lifting me into the air as he laid one of those toe-curling kisses on me, the kind that I would swear he specialized in, they were that damned good. It took about a split-second for my blood to heat and race and then I was doing my best to climb him, not even thinking about the fact that I was already up in the air.

Everything around us had dimmed, but there was something in the background, piercing both my haze of passion and the slightly funereal feel that had been in the air-thunderous applause and hoots of laughter. I would have loved to have been able to disappear, or to order the ground to open up and swallow us, but there would be no escape...oh, well...at least we'd made them laugh.