Sunshine and Pine (A Sequel to Everything to me)

The Mastered Art of Charm

Beams of sunlight dance with shadow, the trees swaying in the wind. The pattern of it drifts across my eyelids. The longer I lay here, eyes closed to the bright light, the deeper I sink into my own mind. So much has happened. To be fair, a whole lot of it has been good. But that's not where my mind wants to linger. A pair of bright red eyes have burrowed themselves into the depth of my subconscious and they're all I see anytime my thoughts wander. Those same eyes had once been a comfort to me. Many years ago... when they had been blue. Not the horror show that was haunting me now.

Once my dad had had time to process everything I'd told him - You know, long lost mom is actually alive and has been living in a medevil sewer somewhere in butt-fuck no where Italy, as a professional hypnotizer for dracula and his army - he'd asked me if she still seemed like herself, looked like herself. One of the hardest things I've ever done to this point was tell him no. She seemed like her old self had been swallowed whole by power. Like she'd been forced to do terrible things to make it this far. It wasn't until she'd pulled me aside in the field that day that I'd seen anything but a high ranking member of the vampire dictators club. She'd been lost to the vampire world, and sucked into Aro's cult. I refused to tell him about the bloodbath that was her eyes though. Those I saved as my own form of internal torture.

I've been mentally staring into those eyes for so long that I'm startled when I hear the grass shifting next to me, until the familiar scent of Paul eases its way into my very nerves, effectively wiping my mind clean of my mom. It's all pine, faint campfire and something manly that's just Paul.

The comfort of Paul's scent demands happier thoughts, and a whole new parade of memories come front and center. Laying on my bed in my aunt's house, talking about nothing with Leah. Baking muffins the size of a small child with Emily. The pack of furry teeangers I call my family, inhaling those muffins like they hadn't eaten in weeks. Laying on a blanket in the forest with the love of my life, surrounded by the protection of the trees and the warmth of his arms. A place we frequented a lot in the time since we'd imprinted on eachother. Where we're laying right now.

The back of Paul's hand is on my face, sweeping the hair away and coaxing me out of my head.

"Hey beautiful, did you fall asleep?" the soft whisper of Paul's deep voice pulling my eyes open.

"Oh yeah. I have totally mastered the art form of turning off one's brain and drifting off into a peaceful sleep." I mumble, turning to him with a smirk.

"I'm so glad to hear it. You've mastered sass, sarcasm, and now this too. You truly are amazing." His mouth is slightly turned up in the corner, betraying the steadiness of his voice.

"Anything in particular on your mind?"

"Just the usual. Demon eyes... That feeling of being pulled away from you." I confess.

Paul wiggles his arm under my head and pulls me onto his chest. My favorite place to be. Wrapped up in the warm, strong arms of my love. After a moment of silence Paul's voice breaks into the air.

"Nothing will ever be strong enough to pull you away from me, you hear me? I will never let you go." The pure conviction in his voice has me shifting in his arms to look up at him. The fire in his eyes knocks the breath from my lungs. I can't help myself from pushing up the last few centimeters to close the distance between us, my lips meeting his in a hungry kiss.

It doesn't take long for it to turn into something heavier, needier. Flipping my leg up over his hips, breaking the kiss only to move down his jaw to the spot on his neck that turns him feral. "You're a real smoother talker, Lahote." I whisper, letting my tongue run over his racing pulse.

"I warned you, I can't control this charm. I'm just a natural ladies ma—" his breath catches, as I effectively cut him off with a nip to that spot.

I shift my hips in Paul's lap and the growl that rumbles up his throat sets all my nerves on fire. He sits straight up, me still in his lap and pulls away to rest his forehead on mine.

He pulls back to look me in the eye, silently searching for consent to continue. With a frantic nod of my head I try and pull him back in, but his hand on my throat stops me. Not squeezing, just holding, keeping me exactly where he wants me.

"Uh-uh honey, you know that's not how this works. I wanna hear that pretty little voice of yours. Tell me what you want." He demands, voice husky with want.

I let out a whimper that makes Paul twitch. "I want you baby. In every dirty way my mind can think of."

Paul's eyes go impossibly dark at my words. He flips me over with a smirk. "Well where should we start then hey?"

And we spend the rest of the morning in the middle of the forest, learning just how dirty my mind can be. Until the rain pulls us out of our beautiful bubble.