Explanations ... Part 1

Sam stood awkwardly at the door, moving from foot to foot, unsure of what to do. Eventually, he give it another go. Bella opened the door after a few minutes, that glare still set firmly on her face.

"What are you not getting? I said no! Now leave me alone!" she ordered as she slammed the door in his face again.

With a heavy sigh, Sam reluctantly left. He instantly called Paul as he left her building.

"I'm sorry man, she wouldn't come," he said.

Sam really felt bad for Paul as he could almost hear him deflate. Though he like to laugh and tease Paul it was the first time his friend had been so serious about someone. Even the bitch hadn't made him like this.

He had known Paul for years, seen him with many different kinds of women. When they were younger, Paul was the one that would have a different woman in his bed almost every week. He was known as a bit of a player, the women knew that when they slept with him. They knew he was good for a night or possibly two depending.

When he met Jessica she seemed to pull him out of that lifestyle. She was the first woman Paul took seriously. However, Paul hasn't been the same since. Sam took on that mantle, but he wasn't like Paul. He only ever did one-night stands, he never went for a second night. It was always just a bit of fun.

Sam returned to Paul, he was sitting at his desk looking through some papers. As he moved closer he recognised them as Bella's background check.

"I am such an idiot!" he said, Sam nodded in agreement.

"I could have told you that," he quipped, attempting to make his friend laugh, it didn't work.

"She hates me, doesn't she?" Paul asked as his wolf howled in pain.

Sam nodded and Paul sighed.

"What should I do?" he asked as he looked up at his long-time friend.

"All you can do is give her time. Give her some space for a couple of days, then, try again."

Paul nodded and looked back down, Sam took that as his cue to leave. Kim looked up and smiled at him as he left.

"Hold all his calls today and cancel any meetings he has. Also, leave him be, don't let anyone into his office except me or Jared. He isn't himself at the moment."

Kim nodded and instantly started making phones calls.

----

Several days had passed since the incident with Paul. She wasn't sure if she was happy or upset about the lack of contact. He seemed to have given up very easily.

Though her side still hurt, Bella headed back to the office. She hadn't been able to focus on work whilst she had been at home. Instead, she would binge watch TV shows she normally never had time for.

"Morning Bella, glad to see you back. How are you feeling?" Emily asked cheerfully as she walked in.

"I'm doing better, not fully there but working will help," she smiled.

Emily nodded and then blushed. Bella paused a little curious as to who or what could be causing such a sweet girl to blush like that.

"There was a man here a few days ago, looking for you," she told her, answering her silent question.

"What man?" Bella asked, half hoping it was Paul and half hoping it wasn't.

"I didn't get his name, but he was tall, very handsome, tanned with dark hair," she described the stranger.

'Well, that could have been Paul, Sam or the other one I had seen,' she thought to herself.

"He said he would come back," she finished sighing hopefully.

"Then I guess I will wait and see," she said as she made her way slowly to the office.

Angel practically jumped out of his skin when he saw her walk in. He looked like he had seen a ghost or at least was expecting one.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked as she sat down to work.

He stuttered and shuffled some papers on his desk. One's that Bella was sure didn't need shuffling.

"I just .... erm wasn't expecting you, is all," he looked like he was having trouble breathing.

"Are you ok? Do I need to get someone?" Bella asked.

Angel shook his head and moved towards the door before leaving. Bella stared after him in confusion, Emily walked in.

"What's eating him?" she asked.

Bella shrugged her shoulders.

"Beats me," she said, "Where did that box of files go?"

With a smirk, Angela walked back outside and came in a moment later carrying the box.

"Angel wanted me to send it back, saying you wouldn't need it anymore. Since you hadn't said you were done with it, I kept it until you came back, just in case," she explained as she placed it down on the desk.

"Why would he think I wouldn't need it anymore? I only just got it," Bella asked curiously.

Emily shrugged and left closing the door as she went.

After an hour of looking over spreadsheet after spreadsheet, there was a knock on the door.

"Sorry to disturb you Bella, but you have a visitor. It's the guy from before," Emily said with a blush rising over her cheeks.

"Send him in," she sighed. 'Might as well get this over with.'

Sam thanked Emily as he passed her, which caused the poor girl to go weak in the knees. Bella smiled slightly at that, remembering her first response to Paul.

"Hello Bella," he said as she motioned for him to sit down.

"I haven't got long Sam, so this had better be quick, If you are here to plead for Paul, don't! He needs to have the balls to face me himself," she really wasn't in the mood today.

Sam nodded, "Actually, Paul doesn't know about this visit, I would take it as a kindness if he never found out," he asked.

Bella's eyes grew wide and her heart fluttered a little.

"Make it quick," she didn't know what else to say.

"Look, I am not condoning what he did, but I want you to understand why he did it. He did it all the wrong way, but he isn't a bad guy, he's just scared. I know he won't tell you himself. The thing is, it will take a bit of explaining," he looked at her expectantly.

Bella sighed; she knew what he was implying, "Ok fine, just get on with it," she demanded.

"Good!" he exclaimed. "When we were younger Paul was a bit of a player, not because he had issues or anything, well he might have had some family issues. However, he just didn't want to get attached to anyone. Then he met her, Jessica."

Bella moved forward slightly, listening intently. She had figured he was a bit of a player in his youth, a guy that good looking usually was. Not always but usually.

"She was the daughter of a work contact. They met at a meeting at the client's place, she flirted with him. He wasn't as into her and she seemed to be into him. Plus, he didn't want to mess with her because of her father."

Sam rubbed his face, clearly uncomfortable. Bella had wanted to tell him to stop that Paul should tell her the rest but she couldn't form the words. She wanted to hear this.

"Somehow, she wormed her way into his life and then into his heart and for the first time ever, he fell in love. She seemed to fit in almost every part of his life, except, with us. We didn't get along with her, but she made him happy, so we kept quiet."

"They dated for a long time, they seemed to go together really well. The thing we didn't like was that Jessica always wanted to go out for meals or parties and he indulge her. He went to parties he didn't really want to go to. Paul's never been one to go anywhere unless it's for business or a special occasion. After a year and a half, he started talking to us about asking her to marry him."

Bella was at the edge of her seat as she listened talking it all in.

"Goes without saying that, we weren't thrilled with the idea, but we didn't say anything. Paul had the ring already, a gift from a grandmother he never knew. It was small and simple, beautiful in its own way, we knew she would hate it. One day, he lied to her saying that he would be working late and that he would see her the next day. Instead, he was going to go home, lite candles and do all of that romantic stuff to surprise her."

Bella had several ideas of what could have happened next. Either she didn't come over, she hated the simple ring or she dumped him. She didn't know which idea she hated the most.

"He had given her a key sometime before, but he didn't think she would be there. She was never a major fan of an old-style, historic house. So, when he saw his lights on, he was confused. Paul found her lying naked on his bed. He, eventually, told us that he thought she had figured out he had lied and was surprising him."

The solemn look on Sam's face set Bella's stomach swirling in knots.

"Paul was still out in the hallway at this time, the door was ajar. He was about to step inside when she started talking. At first, he thought she was speaking to him, but what she was saying didn't make sense to him. That's when he noticed the sound of running water suddenly stopping."

"Jessica apparently said some awful things about Paul. He wouldn't tell us exactly what she said but the basic gist is that she was only with him for his money. The plan was to get married, divorce him and take half or more if she could."

Sam gave a dark chuckle.

"Thing is, that plan would never have worked. Paul would have asked Jessica to sign a prenup. That was the only thing we said he had to do, to get our blessing. Sufficed to say he broke up with her there and then."

The wheels in Bella's head were turning so fast she couldn't keep up but Sam wasn't finished.

"When he met you, it was the first time since then that he has shown any interest in anyone," Sam leaned forward and took hold of one of Bella's hands. "He really likes you Bella, but he's scared of that happening again, of getting hurt or being used. He doesn't know how to trust anyone new, please give him another chance."

Bella sighed, "I already, figured he was a wealthy man. Just from where he lives alone and that he has a chauffeur, but he could have just talked to me. Asked me about my life who I am and all that," she was frustrated but less angry now.

"That's true and there is more to this story, but he really needs to be the one to say the rest," Sam said cryptically.

"I will think about it," she said to him.

Sam nodded and smiled.

"That's all I ask, now that I have taken up a lot of your time, I will leave you to it," he got up and left.

Bella slumped in her chair and closed her eyes.

"Everything ok?" Emily asked.

Bella nodded but didn't move. Emily came and patted her on the shoulder before holding out a steaming hot cup of coffee. Bella smiled gratefully up at her new friend, she hoped they kept in contact when she went home.

With a huge sigh, Bella decided to lose herself in her work. She vowed to work until the box was empty. After a few hours, she was now confident of how they were doing it, she just couldn't figure out who. Bella decided to call it quits when Emily came through to say goodbye. She walked out with Emily and smiled as she watched her walk away.

Bella sluggishly walked back to the apartment, however, once she reached Paul's street she stopped.

----

'Should I go see him?' she thought to herself.

Without realising it her feet had taken her up to his door. She hesitated for a second before gently knocking. As Paul reached the door, her smell washed over him. 'Bella' was his only thought as he quickly opened the door. There she stood shyly at his doorstep.

"Bella?" he asked.

For a moment he thought it might be a trick from the lack of sleep. Bella gave him a small smile as she nodded not quite believing she was there herself.

"Can I come in?" she asked him.

Paul nodded eagerly as he moved aside. Bella slowly passed him, it took all his willpower not to grab her and kiss her senseless.

"I thought I would give you a chance to explain," she said.

He couldn't believe his luck until he smelt Sam.

"Did Sam come to see you?" he asked, there was only a faint trace but still he had to know.

Bella looked surprised but nodded.

"He didn't want you to know he had come to see me a second time," she said.

Paul nodded as he shut the door and indicated she take a seat. Bella was thankful she didn't have a coat to give him, she wasn't sure what her body would do if they accidentally touched.

"What did he tell you?" he asked as he sat in the opposite chair.

She noted that they were sitting in the same position as before when she was calming down after being attacked the first time.

"He wanted me to understand your decisions a little bit. He told me about Jessica, not in great detail but enough" she answered. "He was just being your friend" she added in a whisper not wanting Sam to get in trouble.

"Was that all?"

Bella nodded, "Yes, he said you should tell me the rest."

Paul sighed, he should hate Sam for this but, it got Bella to speak to him so he might not be as angry at him for too long.

"He is a big part of the reason I've come over so, don't be mad at him. He was just trying to help" she pleaded to him, he smiled at her.

"Please Paul, I want to understand but I can't if you don't tell me" she lent forward and placed a hand on his.

They both gasped in shock, Paul was the first to react. He pulled her forward, forcing them both to now stand and crashed his lips on top of hers. It took a moment for her shock to subside. She moaned into him as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer.

Paul, in turn, wrapped his arms around her waist, pinning her in place. He stroked his tongue across her lips and she eagerly opened them. Paul moaned as he explored her mouth, her scent and taste filled his senses.

"Paul!" Bella moaned as he broke the kiss and lavished her neck.

She sighed into him; her sounds sent shock waves of desire down to his groin. There would be no way she would miss his obvious erection. Paul started to move them slowly.

"Bedroom!" was all he said as he guided her on.

Bella was too far gone to fully notice where they were until she felt the bed touch the back of her knees. She knew she should stop this, that they should talk, but when his hands slid under her top and caressed her skin. All thoughts of stopping flew out of the window. There was something about his touch that ignited a fire inside of her she had longed thought had flamed out.

Paul pulled her top up and whipped it off her body. Bella thought she heard him growl as he saw her exposed skin, the sound sent heat in between her legs. He pushed her back onto the bed, before pulling her skirt too. She had opted out of wearing pantyhose that morning, she was now glad she did.

He pulled off her shoes and stood staring up and down her body. Her black lacy underwear stood out against her pale skin. She should have felt self-conscious at his stare, it looked so primal, so hungry. However, she found she liked it. Her panties were getting wetter as his eyes grew hungrier.

Paul eventually started to undress, painstakingly slowly. Bella decided she couldn't wait. She knelt up in front of him and kissed him hungrily. She then took hold of his shirt between two buttonholes and pulled as hard as she could. She heard the ping of buttons flying but she didn't care. He took the hint and removed what was left of his shirt as she started on his belt.

He pushed her back to where she had been before as he pulled down both his trousers and boxers in one stroke. He now stood naked in front of her. His thick erection standing to attention.

His muscles rippled as he crawled over her and claimed her lips once more. Paul's hands were everywhere, whatever his hand touched. A blaze of heat ignited. Bella panted as he explore every curve.

"Bella?" he whispered as he hooked a finger around her panties.

She knew what he was asking her, but she was too breathless to speak. She nodded to him. That was all the encouragement he needed. Paul pulled them down her legs slowly, his fingers trailed over her skin as he did. Bella moaned and arched her back. When he removed her bra he latched onto one nipple as it puckered at him, gripping the other roughly. Soon, he turned his attention on to the other.

Bella couldn't remember how to breathe. No man had ever touched her like this, it was as if Paul was a man starved of water for years and she was the water he had yearned for. Paul moved lower and Bella gasped as she watched Paul's head move in-between her legs. He kissed her wet lips and Bella almost jumped in pleasure.

Paul gripped her hips to keep her steady as he licked up and down her folds, before circling her clit. Bella moans grew louder as he played with her, no longer able to wait he crawled up her body.

"Bella, I want you," he moaned into her mouth, Bella sighed blissfully.

"Take me," she moaned.

Paul lined himself up, rubbing his cock up and down. As soon as he felt his cock was perfectly coated with her juices he slowly pushed forward.

"Wait!" Bella called out ...