Once again, thanks for taking time to respond and react to the story. These chapters have been pretty fun and light but there is more drama ahead. After all, "the course of true love never did run smooth."
I woke up slowly, half sure I might just go to sleep again. But then I opened my eyes wider, not quite sure where I was. I felt spoiled to not wake up to the sound of an alarm blaring, or knowing I had to go to work or school. I was facing the edge of the bed. I looked around at a desk, a picture. Then I remembered where I was, and rolled over. Paige was lying right next to me, her head propped up by one arm as she gazed at me. Sunlight was streaming in and I could swear she never looked more beautiful or happy. And although I had realized California was a big part of that, in this moment I felt like I was a part of it too.
"Hey." She said. I met her eyes, reaching out to trace the outline of her body with my hand.
"Hey yourself." I offered, drawing her into a quick kiss. That quickly became a longer kiss before Paige pushed away from me.
"Easy tiger. I had a different idea of a physical activity we could do this morning." She suggested, arching an eyebrow.
"Really? And what's that?"
"Well today is my active rest day from swimming, but I should still be conditioning myself. And since you got into running…I thought maybe we could go for a light jog around campus together?"
"Yeah right. I don't think you understand the idea of light jog." I said sarcastically.
"Neither do you. But we don't have to make it a race…" I just rolled my eyes in response before standing up and stretching.
"Let's do it."
We were proving to be quite the formidable opponents for one another. Despite the fact Paige was constantly training for swimming, I had an advantage in focusing on running and being a natural athlete. We ran all over the campus, passing buildings old and new as most people just began to start their days. Once we got to the sunny main quad, Paige pulled in the lead as we ran past students trudging along to weekend study sessions with their backpacks on.
Paige nearly ran into one student she didn't see, shouting a ragged, breathless apology, "Sorry but this crazy woman is following me…I simply must keep going!"
I started pumping my arms more, hoping they would propel me to passing her. Just as I was starting to inch past her, she broke into a jog and finally a walk. I quickly followed suit, screeching to a halt near a stone arch walkway, overhanging off the side of one of the buildings.
"Is there a reason we are stopping that isn't because I was gaining on you?" I asked between sputtering breaths. Paige was resting her hands on her hips, trying to regain her own breath.
"Well, two reasons. For one there's this…" She reached out and grabbed my hands, forcefully pulling me under the arch and against a supporting pillar. We were isolated by the shadows and the main quad being relatively empty. Our lips crashed against each other, tongue and teeth clashing as we fought for dominance in a completely different way. Soon my hand was ghosting up and down Paige's thigh, clad only in tight yoga pants that, when coupled with her ass, had given me reason to let her run in front of me half the time.
"Fuck Em. I'm so wet." She panted, her voice filled with a pained desire for my touch. I reached behind her leg and grabbed her ass, pulling her flush against me before craning my head down to lick the side of her neck. Her skin was salty with sweat, which only turned me on more. She grabbed my chin and kissed me again, biting my lip.
"Enough. We still have to get back to my apartment." She commanded. I broke away from her embrace, grinning smugly.
"What else?" I asked.
"What else what?"
"You said that was one reason you wanted to stop here, what's the other?" I asked.
"Oh! There's a drinking fountain." She said, pointing at the fountain I hadn't noticed earlier.
"Good enough reason as any…" I said, taking a sip.
When we got back to Paige's apartment, Alex was either still asleep or out somewhere. Paige came up behind me, gently wrapping her arms around me.
"Why don't you hop in the shower first, and I can start making us breakfast?" I smiled, leaning back against her body.
"You can cook breakfast now?" I said trying to look over my shoulder and give her some side eye. Not that I was one to judge, but Paige's cooking often left something to be desired. Namely fat and taste.
"Okay for starters I was always able to cook, and I think you will find I'm quite skilled in many areas." She said while letting her hands slowly slide down my stomach and rest against the top of my shorts. I didn't need any more motivation. I wanted to get clean and ready. I wanted Paige today.
When I got out of the shower, Paige had two omelets waiting on the table, with coffee and orange juice. She had even put a few flowers in the vase in the middle of the table.
"You had time to grab the flowers?"
"There's a store right down the block. And I remembered you tend to take long showers. Here I'll get that." She said as she pulled my chair out. I took a sip of the coffee before digging into the food.
"Paige this is fantastic." She smiled, seemingly to genuinely take to the compliment.
"Thanks! I've gotten better." She said between her own bites. She cleared our plates before excusing herself to shower. I checked my phone for any work or school emails I needed to respond to immediately. There were not. Only some text messages from Spencer and Hanna trying to see how the weekend was going, and how Paige was now. There was one from Hanna insinuating that we could do whatever we wanted as long as we kept it together during the wedding. I replied to each of them letting them know Paige was wonderful and I was enjoying myself.
I went into Paige's room and laid against her pillows, breathing in her scent. I remembered the stack of novels next to her bed, and decided to crack open a copy of Jane Austen's Persuasion. I sat back against her pillows, overpowered by her scent everywhere. I had recently read Pride and Prejudice for class, and had been surprised by how much I enjoyed the novel. I noticed Paige had highlighted portions of Persuasion's text, occasionally writing a one-word reaction or drawing a star next to something important. One page was dog-eared and worn, and I noticed a passage was highlighted and starred. I read it:
I can listen no longer in silence. I must speak to you by such means as are within my reach. You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever. I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own than when you almost broke it, eight years and a half ago. Dare not say that man forgets sooner than woman, that his love has an earlier death. I have loved none but you. Unjust I may have been, weak and resentful I have been, but never inconstant.
Was this highlighted just for class or was she thinking about us when she read it?
"You weren't too bored were you?" I glanced up and saw Paige standing in her doorway, casually leaning against it. She had dressed, but her hair was still damp from the shower.
"How long have you been standing there?" I asked, while making a come hither gesture with my finger.
"Not long. Persuasion huh?" She sat on the bed next to me. I was hyperaware of our proximity, my body starting to tingle at how close we were to touching.
"I figured why not? Besides, if the worn pages and highlighting are any indication, it's one of your favorites." I suggested, leaning over her to set the book back down on her nightstand. As I started to pull myself back, Paige held my arm, keeping me hovering above her. I almost asked what she was up to, until I noticed the earnest look of desire in her eyes as she looked from my eyes down to my lips.
"Do you want...I mean..." She started.
"Yes. I want." I replied, tucking my hair behind my ear before leaning down to kiss her. The room was quiet except for the rustling of the covers as we started exploring one another, but it was soon joined by small moans and gasps. Paige's body against mine, knowing we weren't going to be disrupted, was like hearing a favorite song from years ago. My memories of her simply did not do the feelings justice.
We went fast and slow in spurts, quickly removing each other's tops. Her strong hands ran up and down my body as I did my best to lick and nip at her exposed, creamy flesh. Soon Paige had my bra unhooked. Before she let it drop to the ground, she brought her mouth to my ear and grabbed some of my hair with her hand.
"I know what you need and I want to give it to you." She whispered. I mewled as she let the bra drop; covering cupped my breasts with her hands instead. I was sitting on Paige's hips, not yet rocking against her, wanting to savor this delicious, wet feeling.
"Paige-" I began, my words swallowed by a moan when her tongue brushed against my hardened nipples, her hands moving further down, lightly scratching my stomach. I was soaked, helpless. She rolled us over so I was on my back against her crisp sheets.
One of her bra straps fell down, hanging off her shoulder. I reached up, and she allowed me take her bra off. Then we were both completely topless. She made short work of the shorts I was wearing, running her hands and tongue up and down both my legs.
"Are you sure?" Paige murmured, her index finger moving agonizingly slow, up and down the side of my panties. Nearly there, but not quite touching me where I needed it the most. "I've missed you." She added, nearly groaning the words.
"I've missed you so much Paige." I said, feeling an overwhelming flood of warmth coursing through me. She was being so sexy yet so gentle, the combination a powerful aphrodisiac. She slid my panties down and off my legs. This time when her hands came back up my legs, she started to explore my soaked center.
"You're so wet." She whispered reverently, slipping inside me easily.
"That's what you do to me." I managed to say before she started moving in and out. I couldn't remember ever being more turned on. I bunched her sheets up in my fists when she started to curl her fingers, hitting a spot that had longed for such attention. I pulsed and tightened around her as she started to move faster.
I tried to use my wherewithal to pull her lips down against mine, enjoying her body laying flush against me, her muscles flexing as she set a rhythm.
"I need to taste you." Her mouth left kisses down my body, before her tongue took a first long and assured swipe against my folds. I squirmed against the sensation of her wet, hot tongue moving through my most sensitive area. Soon she began a confident pace, brushing her tongue against my clit in time with the stroke and curl of her fingers inside me. It struck me that this was light years better than high school, her hesitant touches replaced with a precise, skilled ability. But that moment burst away as the pleasure became too much to bear, and all I could see were stars as I cried out and convulsed under her ministrations. I cried so loud she half covered my mouth with her free hand.
I woke up minutes later, but it felt longer. Again I woke to Paige gazing at me, barely able to hide her grin.
"Why are you smiling like that?" I said in a sleep-coated voice, slowly coming to my senses. She stroked my hair with her hand.
"Hm…maybe because I just slept with a goddess?" I grinned back, before rolling so I was on top.
"We are just getting started." I said. She had been sitting up, but she settled down as I gently pressed my hands against her stomach. I could feel her ab muscles clenching under my hand.
"Fuck you are so hot. I am so lucky." I murmured. She grabbed my hand and pressed it against her mound. I could feel her wet heat through her flimsy boyshorts.
"We're both lucky. To feel this…to have this together." She whispered, before her eyes rolled back as I pushed her shorts to the side and entered her. She was slick, her walls accepting my fingers with an almost greedy anticipation. I started to move as she started to grind down on my fingers and palm. I used my thumb to start rubbing against her throbbing clit. I would soon replace it with my tongue; but I wanted to savor how beautiful she looked, writhing under me.
"Em…please…" She pleaded.
"Please what?" I asked. She rolled her hips against me hard, unable to form the words she needed to say.
"Please go down on me." She mumbled before grabbing the headboard behind her for support. I pulled her underwear off and obliged.
She tasted clean, almost scentless except for a salty hint that I eagerly sought out with my tongue. I eventually employed my unoccupied hand with holding her hips down as she frantically moved. Eventually, she held that hand tight with her own before coming hard, throbbing repeatedly against me as I stilled and let her recover. I licked my fingers triumphantly before curling up next to her.
"You are incredible." She mumbled, taking me into her arms.
"I needed that. With you. This feels like a dream." I tried to explain, nuzzling against her. We would still need to talk about our feelings, about where we saw this going. If we could do long distance. But for now I just left myself rest against her.
"It's our dream." She agreed. Our hearts slowed to a matching, steady rhythm as we rested in each other's arms.