Rayonnante - Paul Lahote

Chapter 10

She felt warm. Opening her eyes, she whimpered as the sun shining through the window momentarily blinded her, turning back towards her pillow to bury her face in it. Except her cheek did not hit the soft material of her pillow case, but something hot and smooth that smelled incredible. Gasping as she felt it tremble, she pulled back and realized that what she'd just nuzzled into was actually Paul Lahote's chest. He was laughing, looking at her with such tenderness her breath caught in her throat. Last night's events came back to her. They'd started watching a second movie while both laying on separate sides of the pull out couch. She'd planned on leaving as soon as it was over and sleep in her own bed. But she couldn't remember ever doing so. In fact, she didn't remember the movie's ending either. Which probably meant that she'd fallen asleep early, giving Paul no choice but to share his sofa with her. She winced, embarrassed at the thought of basically forcing the poor guy to sleep with her. Heck, from what she could see she'd basically been glued to his side.

"Oh...sorry"

Grinning, he shook his head.

"Don't be sorry, you're pretty darn cute when you wake up."

And he meant it. Paul didn't know how someone could be just as cute as they were sexy. She was just the entire package. A sinful body and yet such innocence he sometimes didn't know if he wanted to have his wicked way with her or pinch her cheek.

"Thanks, I guess. But still, I'm sorry for falling asleep here last night. Did it bother you a lot?"

He wasn't able to stop himself from barking a laugh. Bother him? Hell, he'd probably spent the best night of his entire existence. Ever since becoming a shifter, Paul had suffered from insomnia. Not only had it taken him a while to wrap his mind around his new reality and the dangers that came with it, but it also meant that he had to adjust to new supernaturally enhanced senses that made him hear and see things a little bit too well. The smallest sliver of light piercing his curtains was enough to drive him crazy. Not to mention that he could basically hear what was going on all the way across the street. A neighbor coughing was enough in his first few days as a werewolf to keep him awake all night. Thankfully, he'd become better at tuning out his surroundings a bit. Still, that didn't mean that he slept any better. And yet, with Lena in his arms, her soft breaths tickling his neck, he'd fallen into such a deep slumber he'd actually missed two calls from his Alpha.

"It didn't bother me at all. In fact, I slept incredibly well."

Feeling relieved, she gave him a wonderful smile before sitting up and stretching. His eyes couldn't help but wander towards the smooth skin that the movement had revealed, her sweater rising up just enough to show a hint of her belly. She was a goddess and she didn't even know it.

"Sam just called me. He's inviting us to breakfast at his house. Want to come?"

She lit up at the thought of seeing Sam and Emily again. She'd really enjoyed spending time with them a few weeks ago when she helped Kim and Jared prepare for their French test. She'd hit it off really well with Emily. In fact, she'd promised her that she'd come visit her soon. Unfortunately, she hadn't been able to honor that promise these last few weeks so this would be a great opportunity to do so.

"Sure, just let me shower and get dressed real quick and I'll be ready to go!"

She jumped down the couch and headed towards the bathroom, missing the wide-eyed look that crossed Paul's face at the not so PG-13 thoughts running through his brain. He felt like he was fourteen years old all over again, struggling to control himself at the mere thought of a girl. This was different, though. It wasn't just some faceless model in a magazine or a hot girl he saw at the movie theater. This was his soulmate. He'd never wanted anyone more in his entire life. Sighing, he buried his face in his hands and tried to remember that he shouldn't rush anything, thanking the gods above that he hadn't impulsively asked her to let him join her shower.