Paige snoozed her alarm. It was way too early. And she was alone in the bed, to her surprise. She looked up to see Emily flitting around the room, gathering her gear for the pool. It had to be adrenaline, she thought; the rush of getting back to swimming. If Emily turned out to be one of those perky early risers, it was going to be a long year.

Even though Emily hadn't decided whether or not to get back into swimming, they had agreed to start training together as if Emily were going to. At first, Emily agreed that it made sense for her to keep that option open, but, somewhere along the way, between the decision on Friday and their first session in the pool on Monday, she rediscovered her passion for swimming. "Rise and shine, McCullers," she called out, and Paige groaned, partially out of the realization that she was going to be "McCullers," now that her girlfriend was in jock-mode. Paige got out of bed and stretched, her eyes half closed until Emily smacked her across the backside. Paige let out a gasp, rubbing the spot in disbelief more than in pain, as Emily said, "Get it into gear! The early bird gets the worm!"

"Unless by 'worm,' you're referring to yourself, it's going to take a lot more than that to motivate me."

Emily moved her face tantalizingly close to Paige's and whispered, "Well, I guess you'll just have to find out what I'm referring to, won't you?" She brushed their lips before she took a step back and switched back into jock-mode. "Jeez, McCullers! Where's that Penn State superstar I've heard so much about? You've got to be able to move faster than that!"

Paige smiled to herself. We'll see how cocky you are once we get into the pool, she thought.


Emily was good. Really good. A bit rusty, Paige observed, but she kept that thought to herself. She knew that, once Emily regained her form, the recruiters would be drooling over her. "Emily - wow! You're really something special in the water!"

Emily smiled her shy smile and bit her lip. "I've been telling you," she said, trying to regain her swagger. Something about being complimented by Paige had made her melt, though. She really wanted to impress Paige, for some reason. There was a part of her that wanted to prove - to herself, if not to Paige, that she belonged with a woman like Paige.

Paige noticed a transformation in Emily. Emily had long-since shed her timidity around Paige, but, now that she was back into swimming, Emily was growing more and more flirtatious. She seemed to need to be touching Paige, and the touches were growing increasingly intimate. Thanksgiving wasn't too far away, and Paige thought back to Emily's joke from the discussion they had about sharing a bedroom when her parents came back to Rosewood. Maybe the question of whether or not Paige was a screamer would turn out to be relevant after all.

Paige wasn't going to push anything. She thought it wise to allow her newly cocky girlfriend to set the pace.


Emily got out of the pool feeling good. Especially good. After two and a half weeks back in training, she was beginning to feel comfortable in the water. It felt good to limber her muscles up again. Having her girlfriend with her supporting her as she trained felt particularly good. She thought about it in the shower as she worked her body under the hot, soapy water. Paige had been scrupulous in giving Emily her privacy, at home and in the locker room, but Emily had tired of that. She wanted Paige. All of her: Body, mind, and spirit. But at that moment, in the steamy heat of the shower, she just wanted Paige's body. Her left hand lingered lasciviously between her thighs as she smoothed the other one over her breasts, imagining that it was Paige's hands that were working her over.

Paige always let Emily finish up in the locker room before she went in. They had both had experience changing and showering in locker rooms, but given that they were involved and living with each other while remaining sexually chaste, Paige didn't want to add any unnecessary temptation to the mix, for fear that they would slip and do something on impulse that they weren't ready for. Paige began to worry, though, when Emily hadn't emerged from the locker room for so long. She decided that she had better go in and check, to make sure that Emily hadn't slipped in the shower or something similar.

"Emily? Are you okay? Emily?" Paige heard the water, but Emily didn't reply. She was too far gone. Paige's heart started beating faster in panic as she approached the showers. What she saw when she rounded the corner made it beat almost out of her chest. Emily's body was writhing wildly under the effects of the water and her own hands. She was biting her lips to stifle her moans. Her eyes were closed, and her long, wet hair was swishing back and forth as her head jerked in time with her hips.

Paige should have walked away. She wanted to walk away, but her feet were welded to the spot. Without realizing it, she began fondling her chest through her swimsuit, her eyes glued on the show in front of her. She wasn't as good at remaining quiet as Emily, and Emily's eyes opened when Paige let out a desperate moan. "Shit, Em – I'm so sorry! I just thought – "

Emily was looking at her with a wicked smile. She sauntered over as casually as if they were on the dance floor and slowly eased Paige's suit off of her, grinding into her as she kissed her deeply, exploring the depths of Paige's mouth with her tongue as her hands explored the rest of Paige's anatomy. "Emily… Em – are you sure?"

Emily pulled her head away so that she could look Paige in the eye. She nodded her head. "Oh, yeah, Paige. I'm sure!"

"Right now? Here?"

"Paige. I need you. I don't care. I just – I need you right now."

Paige was satisfied. Things had been progressing for some time, and she was sure that Emily truly was ready; that this wasn't just a moment of weakness. Paige had envisioned a more romantic first-time with Emily, but hot and dirty would do just as well.

It was still early, and there was little risk that they would be interrupted. Paige and Emily weren't thinking about that, though. Their minds were occupied with baser thoughts.

Emily tugged Paige by the hand, leading her under the shower. She stood behind Paige and washed her gently, giving special attention to Paige's sensitive zones. She turned Paige around and resumed kissing her and grinding her thigh between Paige's. Paige parted her legs and pulled Emily closer into her, breaking the kiss to allow moans to escape from her lips. Emily squeezed Paige's nipples, biting and sucking at her neck. Paige collapsed against the stall, reaching out to Emily for support. Emily reached her hand between Paige's legs, smiling at Paige when she felt how ready she was. "Fuck, Em" was all that Paige could say.

The water was bouncing off of Paige's skin, and Emily's lips slid around Paige's warm, slick breasts. "God – harder!" Paige pleaded, using her hand to push Emily's deeper into herself. When Emily found her clitoris with her thumb, Paige gasped, her legs turning to jelly.

"You like that?" Emily groaned into Paige's ear.

"God, Emily – please!"

Emily reached behind Paige with her free hand, ghosting her hands over Paige's ass and stroking up and down her thighs. When Emily sensed Paige starting to clench, she thrust her tongue into her mouth and moaned, the vibration tickling Paige's throat. Emily backed away and sucked on Paige's earlobe. "Come for me, Baby." That was all Paige needed.

"Holy fuck, Emily!" Emily smiled. She loved the effect that she had on Paige. She pulled Paige fully to her feet and was about to start in on her again, but Paige shook her head no.

Paige deftly flipped their positions so that Emily was against the wall. She turned the water off and reached for a towel, with which she lovingly patted Emily dry. She was kissing her shoulders and the back of her neck the entire time. She pulled Emily's damp hair out of the way and whispered, with her lips touching Emily's ear, "I don't want the first time that I make love to you to be in a public locker room. Are you okay to wait?" Emily nodded weakly and Paige sucked on her earlobe. Emily wanted to change her vote. Paige gave Emily's throat a gentle kiss and promised, "I'll hurry."

She and Emily got dressed in record time, not bothering with socks and undergarments that were going to be removed shortly anyway.


Paige was extra careful on the drive home. She was eager to get there, but she was concerned about her concentration, with her heightened state of arousal and anticipation. After what felt like an eternity, she was finally pulling into the driveway.

Paige took a deep breath once she put the car into park. She saw Emily frantically battling to get her seatbelt off. Paige realized that she needed to slow things down. She wanted Emily to savor her first time. Paige reached over and patted Emily's thigh, smiling comfortingly. Emily sighed and collected herself, finally able to free herself from the seatbelt. Paige gave her thigh a squeeze and exited the car, running around the front of it to Emily's side so that she could open the door and give Emily a hand up and out of her seat. Paige led her into the house, her eyes locked in a loving gaze with Emily's throughout. Emily suddenly felt a rush of warmth come over her. She felt unbelievably safe with her hand in Paige's.

Paige led her over to the couch and sat down with her, kissing her gently, persistently on her lips. She unzipped Emily's warm-up jacket and slipped her hands inside it, enjoying the feeling of Emily's silky skin against her hands as she pulled her in closer. Paige's kisses became more intense when she felt Emily's bare breasts come into contact with her own breasts, still covered by her jacket. Emily's nipples hardened as the brushed back and forth against the softness of Paige's jacket. Emily's hands were tangled in Paige's hair. She wrapped her long right leg around Paige's waist, straining to pull herself in even closer. Paige realized that they needed to get upstairs. She maneuvered herself to Emily's side and, putting one arm under Emily's across her back, and the other arm under Emily's knees, she lifted her off of the couch and headed for the stairs. Emily shrieked in delight. She would have protested, but she was completely undone by the sheer power of her girlfriend's arms that were cradling her so tenderly.

Paige tilted over and lowered Emily's legs to the ground so that she was standing next to the bed. She eased the warm up jacket off of Emily's shoulders and made a show of tossing it aside. She jerked the bottoms of the warm-up suit to the ground and Emily stepped out of them, kicking them over in the direction of the jacket. Paige began kissing Emily again, her hands roaming every inch of her naked body that was within reach. She sat Emily down on the bed, parting her legs slightly and standing between them as she slowly undid her own jacket and dropped it to the ground. Emily looked her over hungrily, impatiently pulling down Paige's bottoms. She reached behind to Paige's ass and pulled her closer, turning her face sideways and resting it against Paige's navel. They held each other like that for a bit, before Paige eased Emily down on the bed and gestured for her to lie face down.

Paige straddled Emily and began massaging her girlfriend's aching muscles with her strong hands. She enjoyed the moans that Emily gave out in response. It was just what Emily needed after a hard swim, but it wasn't all that Emily needed. She rolled over and looked up at Paige, her eyes darkened in lust and need.

Paige nodded. She slipped down to the foot of the bed, kissing each of Emily's toes, then sliding her lips slowly up the length of Emily's golden calves. Emily sat up on her elbows to look, but it didn't matter. When Paige parted Emily's legs to kiss the inside of her thighs, Emily wasn't able to keep her eyes open. Her head fell back, and she collapsed onto the bed. Her hands found Paige's head, and she roughly guided it where she needed it. Paige gently kissed Emily's lower lips, intoxicated by her freshly showered scent, before she curled a finger inside. It met with no resistance. She inserted another finger, capturing Emily's clit with her lips, and ghosting her other hand over Emily's heated body. That hand seemed to be everywhere. Emily's senses were on overload. She began desperately calling Paige's name, digging her nails into Paige's shoulder.

Paige slid up to eye level with Emily, grinding her knee into her. "I'm right here, Baby," she whispered into Emily's ear as Emily flailed beneath her on the bed, bunching the sheets inside her fists. Paige rubbed Emily's thighs inside and out as their bodies moved in rhythm. When she heard Emily plead, "Paige," she lightly bit her neck and pushed her fingers back into Emily. Emily clenched around them with a gasp, her hips thrusting high off of the bed before she collapsed into it. Paige lay atop her protectively, whispering "I love you, Em," as Emily came back from the edge.

Paige moved off of Emily, and Emily rolled onto her side. She pulled Paige's hand as she did, drawing her beside her. Paige lay there, her lips resting on Emily's shoulder, until Emily fell asleep.


Paige sat up reluctantly. She knew that Emily would be okay skipping a class, but she, herself, had to teach. "Where are you going?" she heard in a muffled whine.

"Emily, I'm sorry - I have to teach my section."

"No, stay with me," Emily whined, not moving from where she lay.

Paige felt horrible. She didn't want Emily's memory of her first time to be tainted by the recollection of the way that her girlfriend left immediately after. She sighed. "I'll call Pete. He owes me one. He can cover my class." She leaned down and kissed Emily's cheek. "I just need to make a quick phone call, Love. I'll be right back."

Paige found her gym bag and retrieved her phone. After some begging and a little bribery, the deal was sealed, and she jogged back into bed. "Ah! Paige! You're freezing!" Emily exclaimed when she felt Paige's body press against her back.

"Well, warm me up!" Paige teased, pulling a blanket over them.

Emily leaned back to give Paige's lips a kiss. "Mmmm - I love you, Paige! So much!" she said sleepily before she rolled over.

"I love you, too, Em," Paige responded, kissing the back of Emily's neck, sending a shiver through her.

Emily backed deeper into Paige's body. She knew that she was exactly where she was always meant to be.