A/N Huge thanks to August Shaffer, Feebes 86, MoonWolfRunner, and Mist for all their help with this chapter. Their support helps keep me motivated and their wisdom keeps me from sounding like more of an idiot that I am. Hugs girls!

I am astounded at the amount of feedback I received from the last chapter, or for this story in general. Each and every review warms my heart and if I haven't responded to you personally, I will be. I heart you all for sticking with me.

Warning! This chapter contains sexual situations that are intended for mature audiences of 18 years only.

I am not Stephanie Meyer, so I don't own Twilght or its characters. Its a little long, but I hope you guys enjoy.

Previously on Breath of Life:

Shit! I eased my way to the other end of the small tent, peeking between the folds of the opening.

My breath hitched at the sight before me.

~B of L~

Chapter 14: Fireworks

BPOV

Paul.

There stood Paul on the far side of the clearing in all his unspeakable glory. He looked unusually dangerous. A fifty-fifty mix between the good kind of dangerous and the bad kind. The difference between flight and flirt.

As I frantically put on some shorts to wear with my oversized nightshirt, I watched as Paul growled at Jax. And I was positive it was a growl. His lip had risen on one side and his eyes almost glowed, making me want to cower like the dog in front of him.

To my absolute astonishment, Jax rose from his cowered position and ran off. Ran off! He left me and I was going to get eaten by a fucking bear.

Of course, maybe Paul could eat...

Stop right there Bella!

After Jax was out of sight, Paul's eyes had locked on mine.

His gaze was fierce, predatory. His dark-grey eyes almost looked through me, and a chill ran down my back.

I couldn't help the second of lust that burst from me. He was gorgeous. Like a frightening Greek god or maybe even a gladiator, with bulging muscles and rippling abs clearly visible beneath his shirt. If the thin article of clothing was supposed to hide his physique, it was failing its office deliciously.

It was a disconcerting mix to have, fear and lust. I had always been attracted to him, ever since the night of that bonfire. His sculpted physique turned many heads, mine included.

All I could think about was me being the defenseless maiden he was going to ravage. Ugh! So not the time.

But the rage and violence that seemed to be radiating off him was almost palpable. This was not a friendly visit, no matter how much my libido wanted it to be. He had been avoiding me for close to a week, and his sudden appearance tonight was not a good sign.

Perhaps a bad moon had risen.

A romantic campout seemed as likely in our future as Charlie and me sharing a hug. Okay, maybe a little more likely.

Like I had thought before, he was dangerous. If I had any sense of self-preservation, I would run away from the feral animal glaring at me. For a split second, I thought about zipping the tent like the coward I was feeling. Like dog, like owner.

But trouble seemed to smile at me wherever I went, the least I could do was grin back.

I knew retreating now would erase any ground I had ever won with him. In many ways, we were equals. He had learned fairly quickly that I wasn't some ditzy girl like he had been used to. I gave as good as I got.

But the sheer look of dominance that seemed to roll off him in waves, just made me want to submit. It was unsettling and made me anxious.

I had always been independent. My mothers... neglect had forced me to be self-reliant at far too early an age, in order to survive. I could handle almost any situation, as I had proved throughout my life. An absentee sperm donor, a selfish mother, and the loss of my grandparents and close friend had left me independent. Jaded. Alone.

Finally realizing that neither of us had spoken for well over a minute, I stumbled out of the tent.

Approaching him apprehensively, I finally found my tongue, "How are you doing?" I tried to sound cheerful, but it came out a mumbled mess. I was as skittish as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs.

And I was still half asleep.

"I've been better. I just came back from the ICU in Forks. You know, where you left my sister." His voice was cold, detached.

Menacing.

"Makala?" I bewilderedly asked, ceasing my advance toward him. He didn't respond; just continued to glare at me.

"You're Buddy?" I asked incredulously. Then I thought, Duh! Why else would have Makala been waiting at the beach for her brother if she wasn't Paul's sister.

I'm an idiot!

But no one had mentioned that he had a sister. I knew he had never once spoken about it. I had run out of Hank's house before I could look at all the pictures. But now I could see Paul in the features of the boy in the picture on the mantel. Although, the hardened mask he was wearing was a far cry from the smiling face of the toddler on a tricycle.

It was the eyes that couldn't be concealed with Paul's indignant expression.

They were why the boy was so familiar to me. Regardless of the fact I had been stalked by hallucinations and dreams of another boy who looked quite similar but different. Another boy with piercing dark-grey eyes, Chase.

"Don't call me that!" he snapped at me, pulling me from my thoughts. "Only family can call me Buddy."

I bit back the apology on the tip of my tongue before it could pass my lips, but I'm sure I couldn't hold the surprise in my eyes to his remark. It wasn't my fault that I didn't know.

I could be sweet and accommodating with the best of them. My grandmothers had seen to that. But if you pushed me, watch out. I could go from nice to nasty in the blink of an eye.

I narrowed my eyes at the man in front of me. "I didn't realize you were her brother. She never referred to you as Paul."

I crossed my arms across my chest as the dubious expression appeared on his face.

"You expect me to believe that? You were at my Grandpa's house. You would have seen my pictures."

"I don't expect you to do jack shit. If I say I didn't know, I didn't know. I have had a lot on my mind lately. So excuse me if I didn't catch that you were Doris and Hank Wilde's grandson."

My words seemed to shock him for a second. Mistaking his silence for calm, I asked about Makala's condition. "How is she?"

Big mistake.

I wasn't quite prepared for the sneer he shot me, or the sound of rumbling thunder that seemed to radiate out of his very being. He had been hostile since he had arrived, but that one question seemed to set him off even more.

"Oh, you care now? You endanger her life and leave her in that hospital, and now you care? What, you want to finish what you started?"

I stood there in the moonlight, completely gob smacked at his cutting words. No one had ever said anything that hurt quite like that. To question my intentions toward a precious soul I had fought like hell to save. Leah had said hurtful things to get a rise out me, but she didn't believe them. Not really. But I could tell by the set of his jaw that Paul believed his angry words.

I suddenly felt like hunting Charlie down and giving him a hug. Ugh!

I fought my penchant for tears when I am consumed with anger and hurt, and instead I chose screaming at the prick in front of me. "Who do you think you are? You can't talk to me like that!"

"I saw you on the water while she was on the beach by herself!"

"Bullshit" I snarled.

The tremors that had seemed to plague him went up a couple of notches in intensity, and he took a menacing step toward me. "What?"

"I was there for a fucking hour and never saw you. And even if I hadn't seen you, neither did Jax as I was watching the entire time I was out there."

It was a small lie, but a lie nonetheless. I doubted anyone would believe my encounter with the whales.

"There is nothing I could have done about that wave. By the time I saw it, it was too late." I defended.

He clenched his jaw tight, as if to prevent his next words escape. He took another deliberate step toward me; his incensed expression had me taking an uncharacteristic step back.

"What gave you the right to take her there?"

"Where?" I said, confused. I had no idea what he was going on about.

"The hospital. You had no right to go against the tribe's wishes!"

"No right?" I looked at the giant in disbelief. "I fucking dragged her out of the fucking ocean. I worked CPR on her for ten goddamn minutes before she began breathing!" I screamed, my chest heaving. Turning my head quickly to the left to peer at the moon over the ocean beside me, I quietly whimpered as hot, traitorous tears ran down my cheeks. "The longest ten minutes of my life."

This unimaginable bastard was berating me for taking his sister to the hospital after a near drowning.

What. The. Fuck!

"You were told that she was supposed to go to La Push. You ignored it."

"Okay, first thing asshole, they didn't tell me shit. They were just going to bring her to the clinic. Your reservation did not have the personnel to deal with her. She would have had to go to Forks anyway, perhaps after her condition worsened or you showed up to pussy-foot around for half a day before allowing her to go. I was there, I made the executive decision."

"She's MY sister!" He growled, vibrating in his anger. Shaking so much that it even looked liked his image was blurring. Of course, I was dead tired and had been seeing hallucinations of a toddler for better part of the month.

The thought crossed my mind to ask what was so wrong with Forks General, but I remembered that I didn't give a flying fuck. If it had been something important enough, Old Quil would have told me when I had called him from the ambulance.

"Then fucking act like it!" I turned around to go back to my tent. The jackass made my headache return, and now all I wanted to do was find that fucking shine and pass out.

This day needed to be over.

But before I could drown my sorrows, a blazing hand caught my arm. "Where do think you're going? I'm not finished with you."

Oh yes you are, I thought. We were finished long before we ever even started.

"Let. Go. Of. Me." I hissed, venom dripping in my voice. I wrenched my arm out of his blazing grip, and made to slap the cocksucker but he fucking caught my hand mid-swing.

I looked into his eyes with barely contained rage. He released my hand from his iron grip and I pushed away from him. I turned again and could see the Promised Land that was my tent, beckoning me like an oasis in the Sahara.

"Who the fuck do you think you are? You don't know me. All I have ever done is protect her," he angrily said from behind me.

I turned to face him again and met his hard eyes. "And don't think for a second that I didn't fight as hard or harder than you would have. You don't know me either."

"I thought I knew you. I guess that was my first mistake. Trusting you with my sister today was my second."

I winced despite myself at the sting of his vitriol. I was clearly wrong with my estimation of him. If he could be so hateful when his sister had lived, I could only shudder what he would do if she had actually died.

"Well, your mistake will be short lived."

He looked at me questioningly, eyebrow raised, while his frame vibrated slightly in his anger.

"I'm leaving. I don't belong here, never did." His trembling stopped abruptly as he looked at me in surprise.

"But thank you for being so very welcoming," I sarcastically added. "La Push should totally advertise their hospitality in a brochure or something. Steal some of those tourism dollars from the South." I knew it was an unfair statement. Most of the tribe was friendly. But the animosity I seemed to inspire wherever I went just proved to show that I truly didn't belong anywhere. La Push being no exception.

"Fuck, you can be a bitch."

"You know, as much as I'd like to play our little game at throwing daggers at each other, I'm not in the mood. Night, asshole." I turned and started back again to the tent, determined this time to actually reach it.

But in the blink of an eye he was before me, thwarting my escape. Fuck my life!

"What are you hiding? What makes you avoid talking about yourself? I've spent weeks with you and don't feel like I know you at all."

Did he hear himself? I should demand his man card now. He sounded like a female lead in a made for TV movie. I looked around for the Lifetime TV crew, but they must have been well camouflaged.

"What the hell, Paul? What about your family? You never once talked about a sister or that your mother died. Don't stand there and look down your nose at me when you're no better."

There were so many little things that just didn't add up with him and the others. I looked down at the large hand on my upper arm. He wasn't hurting me, but his touch was like fire. As if he was slowly branding his handprint on my flesh.

I couldn't smell the fire, but the slow burn was starting to spread all over my body. I shook my head to not think about the ache that his touch elicited in the pit of my stomach.

"What is with the heat, Paul? You should be dead at that temperature." I did a little fist pump at the flash of panic that briefly crossed his face before his scowl covered it like a shadow. I could tell I was a helluva lot closer to his secrets than he ever would get to mine.

"You don't know what you're talking about," he replied. I could tell he no more believed the words than I did.

"I didn't raise myself to be a fool. Sell that shit someplace else. What is with the growling and throwing people into walls?"

He glared at me, his mouth opening like he was going to pop off something at me, but he decided to switch the subject instead. "Why are you here?"

"Old Quil said I could stay here," I said defensively.

"No, why are you in Washington? Why are you even here?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why come back after so long?"

I looked at him for a moment, his stormy-grey eyes bearing down on me. Daring me to lie. I didn't owe him shit, but the words tumbled out of my mouth nonetheless. "I came back to say goodbye."

"So school was bullshit?" He said, annoyed.

I huffed. "No, it was not. Charlie wanted me to get my diploma and signed me up without asking. I am going to take the GED. No one knows yet, so I'd appreciate you not mentioning it to anyone."

A small smile flashed on his face, but he quickly hid it. He nodded his head in acknowledgement at my request. But I couldn't figure out for the life of me why that would have made him happy.

"Why stay gone so long? Jake said you haven't been back for four years."

I shrugged, "I wasn't welcome."

"What do you mean you weren't welcome? You have family here. This is your home."

"I don't have anything here." I replied blankly, my mind wandering to my grandparents faces. If they were still alive, my life may have been so very different.

Happy.

"What are you talking about, most of the Pa… guys think the world of you. Jake, Billy, and the Quils, they all love you. How can you say you don't have anything here?"

"You know what, just forget it. Okay?" I demanded, trying to end the conversation before more memories could threaten to pulverize me.

"What are you hiding from me?" I huffed in annoyance.

"First, I'm not the one hiding the secrets. Someone else decided to… withhold information from others and I have chosen not to disclose it. Second, people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

"I'm not the only one keeping secrets. I'm sure it may be a shock to you, but life doesn't revolve around you. You are not meant to know everything about me. Like I said, I don't belong here."

"What are you afraid of?" he stepped closer to me. "Is it about Leah?"

I laughed humorously at the thought that the Clearwaters could force me into anything. Why should it? I didn't do anything. They reminded me of an older movie I had watched with a friend in Phoenix called "Inventing the Abbots". If I didn't exist for them to hate, they would have had to invent me.

"Well, we can't have Flowers thinking she ran me off. There would be no living with her after that." I grinned at him, but his face only showed concern... and confusion. "I call Leah Flowers after the skunk in Bambi. Her name and beauty can't hide the toxic shit hiding underneath the surface. Plus she was sprayed by a skunk as a kid and I do love to piss her off."

Again, Paul didn't say anything. He just took two large steps until he stood directly in front of me. I looked into his fathomless eyes that seemed to swirl with emotion, noticeably softer than a moment ago.

This man confused the hell out of me. His mood swings were going to give me whiplash.

"I'm sorry that I haven't been around lately, but I couldn't help it," he apologized as he inched closer to me.

And... I quirked a brow at him, waiting for him to go on.

He didn't.

"Noted. Well, thanks for stopping by," I replied in a clipped tone. He looked at me like I had grown a second head, completely clueless that he might need to be apologizing for something else as well. Typical.

"What?" he asked as he backed away slightly, my dismissal producing a scowl on his face.

"I'm tired. I'm going to crash."

"You're pissed." Paul LaHote, Captain Obvious.

"Well, why do you think, Paul?" I glared at him as I crossed my arms across my chest. "You come here and bite my head off for something completely out of my control and then apologize for ignoring me for a couple days. What the hell?" I asked rhetorically. "Do me a favor. Ignore me for a couple more days and come back and apologize for tonight." I turned on my heel, prepared to stalk off, but was kept in place by his next words.

"I found your board."

Confused, I looked over my shoulder, noticing he was facing the sea. The moonlight illuminated the serious expression on his profile.

He continued, "I got home late this afternoon and went straight to the beach, not even stopping by my house. I didn't have my phone with me so I was not prepared for the what I found. As soon as I saw the damage, I panicked. Within seconds, I was in the water looking for Makala... and you," he said, meeting my eyes. "Wondering how the hell you could live through it. And just as I realize that you guys may have been long gone went the chaos hit and I begin walking out of the water, I saw it. Your board. And I lose my fucking shit because that proved you were in the water when it happened. And she was on the beach."

He paused, looking back over the water of the inlet. I shuddered at the thought of what he must have went through, alone on that beach.

"Quil showed up at some point and dragged me to see the hospital. I don't even remember the drive. One minute I'm on the beach, the next sliding doors are opening as I run into the hospital. I go inside her room, and I'm not sure whether to be horrified at seeing her in that condition or thankful that she is even alive. Its been only Max and me for so long. She is all I have left, besides Grandpa. And the longer I sat there, holding her hand, the angrier I got. Why was she in there? Who could I blame? And I realize you're not there." he said as he turned back to look in my eyes.

"Am I an asshole? Yes. Am I sorry for what I said? Yes. But I was half out of my mind at seeing Max so vulnerable that I lashed out. I needed someone to blame, even though there was no one to blame. You weren't there, so I blamed you. And I'm sorry," he finished, his expression truly repentant.

I closed my eyes, contemplating his words. I could tell he was sorry, but damn. What does he want from me? "Don't EVER speak to me like that again. I'm not your punching bag. Don't take your shit out on me and expect me to be forgiving. I am sick and tired of being everybody's fucking scapegoat." Been there, done that.

"I won't. Bella, I am truly thankful for your saving my kid sister. She means the world to me. Your important to me too," he declared as he began to drift towards me again. I took a hesitant step back, trying to keep a safe distance away.

"Well, I need to get some sleep. Goodnight, Paul." I awkwardly said, moving slowly toward the tent.

"May I have a kiss goodnight?" he asked with a playful grin.

"I... I don't think that would be a good idea, Paul."

He looked at me with, honest to God, puppy dog eyes. Was he is trying to make this harder? "Bella, I'm sorry..."

"I know, but I'm not looking to get involved with anyone. I'm going to be leaving town..."

"Bella, no one wants you to go," he interrupted.

"Paul, this isn't about anyone but me."

"What about me?"

What about you? What a loaded question that was.

"You're a friend that helped me learn to surf and that I helped to learn to cook." A friend that makes me weak in the knees when you smile at me. That I can't stop thinking about. And who it is going to hurt like hell to walk away from.

"Is that all I am?" I felt like I was being hypnotized by a snake. A muscular, gorgeous, warm blooded male version of Medusa, sans the slithering hair. Not good. Not good.

"Paul, I don't want to lead you on. Why start something if there is no future?"

"Are you attracted to me?"

Stupidest question ever! "You know I am," I whispered as he closed the distance between us, pulling me into the wall of his chest as he ghosted his lips along my forehead. "I don't want to do anything to you that I wouldn't want done to me. Guys do that shit all the time." I've heard, I thought to myself. "I don't want to be a regret of yours."

My legs began to tremble as his soft lips kissed me to my ear, his delicious scent invading my senses.

Testing my resolve.

"That could never happen," he declared as he hugged me to him tightly in his arms, moving his nose up and down my neck.

"I'm not staying, Paul." The statement would have been convincing if not for the the shake in my voice.

I heard him breathe into my skin a husky, "We'll see."

I laughed at the smugness in the words, but then I wondered if maybe he knew something I didn't. I squeezed my thighs together at the thought of what he could do to me to change my mind. "Paul, did you hear me? I. Am. Not. Staying. In. Washington."

"Believe me, I heard you," he whispered in my ear.

I had wanted him to look into my eyes when he said it. I needed to know he understood. I didn't want to sleep with him and then just leave. But as his lips started trailing down my neck and his teeth nipped at my collarbone, all coherent thought went out the proverbial window.

What were we just talking about? But as I felt Paul's lips on the skin just behind my ear, sucking softly, I lost the will to care. And the ability to breathe.

His large hands slid down my back and cupped my ass cheeks firmly, almost painfully. I squeaked slightly as my bare feet left the ground, and I quickly wrapped my legs around his hips, hooking my feet together.

While holding firmly with one hand wrapped around my waist, he brought another up to cup my cheek. As his handsome face stared into my eyes, I swooned.

Who was I kidding? I was crazy about him.

Bringing a shaking hand up to his cheek in return, I leaned forward and began to kiss him softly. He tasted every bit as good he had a week ago. Was it only a week ago?

Paul raised one hand up to hold my head steady while he deepened the kiss, weaving itself into my nest of hair. I felt him pause as his fingers brushed against my scalp.

Fuck! This is what thinking with my hoo-ha gets me.

I cringed internally as his heated fingertips brushed over the raised scars. I fought to hold myself still, praying his hands would roam somewhere else. That he wouldn't notice. But lady luck abandoned me long ago, and his hands drifted over my scalp again. Softly roaming over the scars as if it was Braille disclosing my life's story.

I had always tried to cover the scars the best I could with ball caps, ponytails, French braids, and my hair carefully pulled back in a barrette so that I could hide them and the thinner patches of hair surrounding them. Covering them up had become habit, to dodge both the stares and questions. The damage wasn't that bad, but I was self-conscious about it regardless.

I had hoped to avoid my their discovery in Washington. Charlie had withheld the information from Old Quil and the rest of his acquaintance for whatever reason. And although it hurt me that my misfortunes had not concerned him enough to speak to them about, I couldn't ignore the merits of the omission.

No one knowing here was just cleaner.

But that hope is now shot to hell, I thought as I felt his hands stop over one of the larger scars, rubbing it softly. He pulled back and I could feel his eyes on me. I slowly pried mine open so that I met his expectant gaze and softly said, "Car wreck."

He merely nodded and didn't say anything, just brought his lips back to mine in another toe curling kiss.

I felt him walking, presumably to my tent. I didn't care if we walked me to the cliff and threw us off if he kept kissing me like this.

Every step he took caused our groins to rub together in the most tantalizing way, and I was swallowing back the moan it was producing. I could feel myself getting wet, and prayed that he couldn't feel it through my panties and shorts.

I chuckled to myself at my stupidity. As wet as I was getting, he could probably smell it. As if to prove my right, I saw his nostrils flare and him groaning into my mouth.

His next step caused him to hit me where I needed most, causing me to throw my head back and say, "Oh, God."

Crashing my lips back to his, I returned the favor by rubbing against the massive bulge in his jean shorts with abandon.

Paul's hands quickly moved around to my hips to hold in a tightening grip. "Bella, you have to quit. I can't take much more," he begged, as he pulled away to allow us much needed air.

But you feel so fucking good!

"I can't help it. I need, I need…" I didn't finish. I wasn't sure what the hell I needed exactly, but I was certain that Paul could provide it.

"You are going to kill me," he said as he caught my lips again. He pulled me closer to his body as he started walking again.

A moment later, I was being laid down on the blankets of my tent. Paul hovered over me, his eyes hooded with lust and a cocky smirk on his face. As nice as that smirk was to look at, I had better uses for his mouth. I grabbed the fabric of his shirt and forced him down to me. Although, I didn't have to pull too hard.

We continued to kiss, our lips and tongues dancing, as his right hand traveled down the length of my waist to my hip. He gripped it tightly, eliciting a shiver from me.

I clung to his broad shoulders as he hovered over me, trying to anchor myself to reality. The whole thing felt so surreal; I couldn't think straight.

When his hand traveled back up my waist and brushed my breast, I couldn't hold back the moan that escaped into his mouth. I heard and felt a low rumble come out of Paul in reply, that only seemed to spur my lust farther.

Encouraged, my hands began to travel as well. First squeezing the biceps I was gripping tightly and then moving over to his chest. I silently cursed the piece of fabric between my hands and the contours underneath it, and I began to tug on it. I felt the smile on Paul's lips before he rose slightly and gave me his gorgeous grin. Much to my disappointment his wandering hand reached up behind his head, seizing the offending garment. Without his eyes leaving mine, he pulled it off in one fluid movement, flinging it to the side to be forgotten.

I smiled at the resulting bare pectoral and abdominal muscles, and my hands greedily stretched to grab his sides, pulling him back to me. His grin was radiant and when his free hand sought my side again, he slipped his hand underneath Quil's shirt that I was wearing.

His blazing fingers slid slowly up my waist until just below my breast, causing me to arch toward his welcomed touch. His large hand cupped my heavy breast, while his thumb brushed over my erect nipple several times and I arched farther into his palm. My breath hitched when he rolled my hardened peak between his thumb and finger, applying just the perfect amount of pressure that caused a volt of electricity to go straight to my core.

Oh My God!

He lifted up and switched arms, moving to my other breast. Desperate to feel more of his skin next to mine, I gripped the bottom of my shirt and swiftly pulled it over my head. His eyes widened in shock at my bold move and then darkened in lust as he took in my naked torso.

Before I could even register the movement, his mouth was on my breast, suckling hungrily, while his other hand tended to my long forgotten breast. I cried out in unadulterated passion as his teeth lightly brushed against my nipple.

My chest was heaving, labored by my heavy breathing. I closed my eyes in euphoria as his warm mouth kissed down the valley of my chest and up to the waiting peak above and sucked in as much of my breast as he could, deftly flicking at my rock-hard nipple with his tongue.

My hands roamed his strong shoulders, and I gripped what I could of his short hair.

My hands started to pull at his head, needing to kiss him. Catching on, his mouth traveled up my body, stalling slightly on my neck, and then crashed into mine again. We kissed hungrily, my mouth submitting to his. One of my hands gripped onto a bicep of the arm that supported his weight while the other found purchase on his back, trailing up and down, as he continued to kiss.

With each pass, my hand traveled farther down, and finally a lone finger brushed against the waist of his low riding shorts. The answering growl that caused, just spurred me on, and I ran my finger along the edge of the waistband to his hip, gripping it tightly.

I dipped my hand farther into the material, moving my thumb along the trail formed by his V, causing his breath to hitch. He released my lips, kissing along to my neck, his hand skimming along my side to my own shorts. Emboldened by his reaction, I kept my hand moving in a slow, sensuous motion toward the front of his shorts. When my thumb met the treasure trail that had been torturing me for weeks, my fingers explored it in a deliciously slow pace. I felt Paul shudder beneath my touch, and then jerk as my hand traveled down over his shorts and cupped the tent that was stretching the material to its limit.

My God, he is huge!

I heard an animalistic growl again and before I even realized what had happened, he pushed up from me, gathered both my hands and restrained them over my head. He kissed me again, hard, while his empty hand seemed to be everywhere. Minutes later, he allowed us to catch our breath, trailing kisses down to my neck. He sucked and nipped at it before he took my earlobe into his mouth, doing the same. His hot breath washed over me and caused a delicious shiver to crawl down my back. The smell of sandalwood and cinnamon enveloped me, and I breathed it in greedily.

"You feel what you do to me, Bella?" he asked, pressing into my throbbing center a little harder, pulling a moan from my lips. "Do you feel how much I fucking want you?" Once more, he thrust against me, pressing his erection to my swollen clit.

I nodded my head, not knowing what to say.

His hand moved down, dipping under the shorts I had thrown on hastily. As he cupped me over my panties, I could feel them dampening even more. I moved a hand down, tugging my shorts down. Granting him permission to remove them.

He took the hint, smirked at me and wasted no time in complying. He leaned back to sit on his heels, gradually peeling the shorts off me as he did.

I lay there, nearly naked in his presence, as he peered down on me. He leaned forward again, hooking a finger of each hand on the sides of my white, cotton panties, while he looked in my eyes. The dark-grey orbs never left mine as he painstakingly, slowly stripped me of my last article of clothing.

When he was finally sitting upright again, he looked over my nudity, his eyes darkening as they drank me in. I wasn't sure, but I thought I heard him say, "You are so beautiful."

He made to hover over me again, but I stopped him. "You are wearing too many clothes, Paul."

He smirked at me, nodding his head. I propped myself up on my elbows, watching, transfixed, as his hand moved to the zipper of his cutoffs. As he lowered the zipper, I heard as each tooth separated their hold on each other. When he finally unbuttoned the top, his massive erection jumped out, making my breath hitch.

Dear God, please save my vagina. I have grown quite attached to it.

His cock was gorgeous. And fucking huge! Not only in length but in girth too. The work of art was slightly darker than the rest of his lovely copper skin tone, and his head was glistening in the moonlight with precum.

It occurred to me that sleeping with Paul might be a bad idea. If he didn't split me in half, as I was quite concerned he might, I was sure he would probably set the bar so high that no other man would ever be able to satisfy me. I pondered that all of two seconds before my tongue licked my lips on their own volition, and I felt myself begin to rise so that I could touch it.

"No, no Baby. Ladies first," he said as he pushed me back to lie down. He removed his cutoffs and moved over me again. Pressing his cock against me, he caught my lips in a brief kiss before he began to trail his lips south.

After a short visit to my breasts, he lingered at my belly button, dipping his tongue inside. From there his tongue trailed down to my hips, and he bit down playfully causing a giggle to escape me. He continued his titillating torture as he kissed all the way down my knee, only to switch and start back up the other leg.

I closed my eyes as a strong hand urged my thighs apart, opening my dripping pussy to his darkened eyes. The heat that had settled weeks ago in my stomach had traveled south and was now a raging inferno.

"Bella. Bella, look at me." My eyes snapped open to lock onto his. "I want you watch me. I want you to see as I give you your next orgasm of the night."

I wasn't sure how to tell him that those words alone could probably give me the next orgasm of the night. He was so fucking sexy. I am way out of my league here.

I tried to clear the thoughts in my head as I watched him lower his mouth to my waiting sex, his intense eyes never leaving mine.

I could feel his warm breath against my skin, causing me to shiver. I gasped as his lips ran along my folds, then cried out as his mouth surrounded around my clitoris, sucking on it lightly. Oh, hell that feels amazing!

"Fuck! You taste so good," he growled into my center, the vibrations causing me to arch my back.

He began to work a steady rhythm, dipping his tongue in and out of me, while his thumb rubbed diligently around my hardened nub.

My eyes never left his, until he introduced a large finger to the mix. I moaned loudly as he began to slowly work the digit into my wet core.

I was going into sensory overload and began shaking my head, back and forth. So, so fucking good!

"Paul," I shrieked as he picked up his pace, adding another finger to the fray. I was so fucking close!

"I want you to cum in my mouth, Baby. I want to taste your delicious cream."

With that, he curled his fingers, hitting my g-spot while he seized my swollen clit into his mouth and sucked, hard.

"Yes!" I screamed, my body shaking under the onslaught of the orgasm. Color exploded behind my closed lids, like fireworks on the Fourth of July. Paul's mouth quickly replaced his fingers and he proceeded to lap at the flowing juices, devouring every drop my body offered him.

"You are absolutely delicious," he said as he finally traveled back up my body, licking his fingers. He hovered over me as he looked down on me hungrily, causing another shiver to run down my back.

I didn't say anything, certain that I was too high to be intelligible. I merely just smiled at him, and lifted up to capture his lips in a slow kiss, tasting myself on his tongue.

He rose and moved a hand to his penis and began to rub the head of his cock, back and forth, along my wet folds, pressing hard against my swollen clitoris with each tantalizing stroke.

I arched up and grabbed one of his nipples between my teeth. "Stop... teasing me," I growled.

Paul merely chuckled and moved his erection to my opening. He looked down at me, his dark-grey eyes silently asking for permission. I merely wrapped my legs around his waist, pressing the heels of my feet into his tight ass, begging for him to take me.

In one swift movement he thrust forward, taking my virginity, as he sheathed himself fully within me. I cried out in pain, hot tears welling in my eyes. He was massive. I could feel every bit of him as he stretched me far beyond my limits. The burning pain from my lost innocence was almost unbearable, and I could feel the blood trickling down my thigh.

I had heard that the first time could hurt, but I thought maybe people were exaggerating. How could something that is supposed to feel so good, be painful? However, I stood corrected. It fucking hurt like hell!

I could feel the tension in Paul's shoulders and back and was sure there was a panicked expression on his face. He pulled back slightly and his anxious eyes locked onto mine. I gave him a weak smile, but I'm sure that it was belied by the tears streaming down my face.

"I didn't... I didn't know. I'm so sorry," Paul stuttered, as realization came over him that he had just tore through my hymen like a wrecking ball, his husky voice lost to his alarm.

"I'm not," I breathed into his ear. I took his earlobe in between my teeth and nibbled hungrily. The shiver that elicited in the large, masculine frame between my legs made me smile. Not bad for a virgin. Not bad at all.

"Bella, I… I…" he started again backing away from me, his large cock slipping out of me. I whimpered, half from the pain and half from the loss. Unbelievable! I am being cock blocked by the guy with the cock. I sighed.

I sat up slightly, grimacing from the ache between my legs, so that I could see him better. He was sitting back on his heels, eyes closed and his hands clenched. He was shaking, almost violently, and I would have thought he was sobbing if not for the look of rage on his face.

Feeling the need to console him, I scrambled to kneel before him, careful not to look down at the battering ram at his groin, lest I lose my nerve. I raised my hand and grabbed his strong jaw and lifted his face so that he would look into my eyes, willing him to see my longing, passion.

For him to see how much I really wanted this. Needed it.

He opened his mouth again to spew more unnecessary apologies, but I stopped him by placing my finger firmly on his lips. I looked meaningfully into his worried eyes and spoke with as much conviction as I could muster, "Paul, don't ruin this."

And then I crashed my lips into his. At first he was hesitant, but then his frame seemed to rumble with the sexiest growl I had ever heard and he started battling me for dominance again. Hell yeah!

I wrapped my arms around his neck and started climbing up into his lap like the lust-filled monkey I was, wrapping my legs around him.

His burning hands seared the flesh on my hips, as he moved his mouth into the neck again, concentrating on a spot at my shoulder. I began rocking myself back and forth against his shaft that was nestled on my clit. The friction that my wanton movements caused made me moan in pleasure.

"Paul, please!"

The grip on my hips tightened as he lifted me. I brought my hand down and grabbed his throbbing cock and guided it to my entrance. When he was lined up, Paul slowly lowered me onto his shaft, inch by delicious inch. The pain returned, but not as bad, and I kept my big mouth shut, focusing on Paul's eyes, as his looked into mine.

My eyes closed when he was fully seated in me again, but not quite as deep as he had been before. Paul remained still, waiting for a sign from me to continue. I kissed his cheeks softly to try to take the pained look off his face. If I was even half as tight as he was big, then I must have been constricting the hell out of his cock.

His mouth found mine again and he began to kiss me, almost chastely. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, and deepened the kiss while I breathed him in. His scent was so intoxicating, so male.

I carefully rolled my hips, causing Paul to groan. It still hurt, but a sliver of pleasure was present as well. I began to rock against him, causing him to jerk upward involuntarily.

"Fuck, Bella!"

He began to move inside of me slowly, causing my stomach to tighten. I rose slightly with my knees, so that I could lower down as he thrust up.

"So… fucking… tight," he growled into my ear. The pressure was building inside of me, but was hindered by the burn between my legs. He was so fucking big that not even the slow pace he was moving could avoid the pain.

After a while his thrusts became harder, more random. I could feel him twitch inside of me, and I knew he was close.

"Paul…"

As if he could read my mind for something more, he slipped a hand between us, taking my pulsing clit in-between is nimble fingers. The sensation caused electricity to shoot up my body, and my nails dug into his flesh, trying to hold on.

I was panting, uncontrollably, his ministrations pushing me toward a precipice. A peak I just could not quite reach through the aching in my core.

I hugged him to me and he latched on a rock hard nipple, suckling it into his mouth greedily, causing me to throw my head back in pure ecstasy.

"Paul… " Paul, don't stop. Don't stop! For the love of God. Don't. Stop!

"Now, Bella. Cum for me now!" he ordered as he squeezed my clit firmly and bit, lightly, on my nipple.

And I went soaring! "Fuck, Paul!" I screamed, as white light blinded me to everything.

I shuddered around his massive dick, drowning him in my orgasm, and I could feel as his cock throbbed in reply. He thrust two more times before he erupted inside me, screaming my name as he shot his warm seed into me with long, streaming pulses.

He buried his head in the valley of my breast, as he breathed deeply several times, trying to catch his breath. I opened my eyes, straining to see him in the moonlight.

He pulled back slightly, looking at me with an intensity I was not prepared for, his dark-grey eyes almost shining unnaturally. He was so fucking gorgeous. His expression turned tender and he cupped my cheek and kissed me sweetly on the forehead. "Mmmmm."

The action seemed so foreign to him, or at least my idea of him in these situations. I didn't know how he acted with others after sex, but that lone action was definitely not what I had envisioned.

I smiled at him and laid my head on his broad shoulder, hugging him to me. We remained silent, each lost in our thoughts.

Running my hands down his back, I could feel the raised scratches I had left with my nails. I probably should have felt bad, but I couldn't muster the sympathy. I felt a smug satisfaction of that, a small bit of vengefulness for the sake of my poor vagina. But not only did he not seem affected, my actions had only seemed to drive him crazy. Something I had very much benefited from.

But I was exhausted, so I would give him my half-hearted apology tomorrow. Maybe.

I stifled a yawn, causing Paul to chuckle. He laid back into the nest of blankets and pillows, pulling me along with him, his now flaccid cock slipping from me. I stretched out on top of him, like a cat preparing for its nap.

I hoped I hadn't completely fucked up, but I almost didn't care if I had. I could never regret this evening.

But the repercussions of it? That was a different matter.

I hoped Paul heeded my warning that I gave him. Although I could almost see a life with him, snuggling like we were after passionate sex, I had vowed that Washington was only a temporary stop.

I drifted off to sleep to the soundtrack of his strong heartbeat, as Paul's rugged hands glided lazily up and down my back.

A/N Thanks for reading!