Birds. Very loud chirping.

The sound didn’t fit. It had been quiet in the mornings the past couple of months, very little sound at all, especially on Sunday mornings. But today, the birds were cacklin’ up a storm. It was still dark in the room, so it would still be early. But soon, it would start to grow light.

Grace was still naked, her arms and legs entwined around Rory. He lay on his back, his arm stretched out beneath her head. His mouth was slightly parted, but no sound came from his lips. Grace was jealous. Everyone told her she snored like a trooper. Or a freight train. Or whatever. All those idioms that didn’t make a person feel better about their unclassy way of slumber.

Had she snored in the middle of the night? Had Rory noticed?

Her mouth was a bit dry, which was a good sign she had snored. Oh lawd. How embarrassing. Hopefully Rory was a deep sleeper.

His face was turned toward her. His forehead still had the scar from when she first talked to him on the side of the rugby field. She chuckled at the memory of the piece of paper stuck to his forehead. Her mother’s daughter she was not. Although the sheet and blanket were tucked just under Grace’s armpits, Rory had shifted his bedding down to his waist. His dark chest hair was minimal, but there, not too much or too little for Grace. Perfect.

She contemplated waking him. She felt selfish for last night, Rory having done all the work for her great orgasm. No wonder he still slept. He’d come too, but by his own hand while Grace had just kicked back and let him pleasure her. That was a first.

And friggin’ fantastic.

Grace flushed as she remembered the details. But as she recalled the specifics and the memory unfolded, it also turned her on.

Hoo-wee.

Grace laid her hand on his chest and subtly caressed him up and down, just to feel his warmth and body under her hand. She widened her circles to include his nipples that peaked under her fingers. He turned his away but didn’t waken. As she dipped lower under the sheet, his breathing became labored. But he still slept.

Grace peeked. His dick was hard and lay at an angle on his stomach. It was longer than she imagined. But Rory was tall, lanky with toned muscles so she should have suspected. When she touched the crown of his penis with her fingertip, it jerked in response. Rory groaned, not an entirely sexy sound. Maybe half sexy and half annoyed, as if she disturbed his sleep. Which she did. But she’d make up for it.

She took his length in her hand and pulled once. Rory grunted and then shut his gaping mouth. He licked his lips. Dayum, very sexy.

Grace quietly pushed the bedding back and shifted up so she leaned over his dick. Oh so gently, she took him into her mouth, licking the top before she did. His hips rose to meet her mouth as she slid down his cock. She squeezed his base with her other hand, creating a rhythm. She filled her mouth and then squeezed again. “Grace,” he moaned as his hips jerked. He caressed her back, and every time his hands slid down, he squeezed her ass.

After she increased her pace, he held onto the sides of her waist, pulling her closer to him every time she squeezed. “Grace, shit, I’m gonna come.”

Not yet. She stopped abruptly. “Condoms?”

She hated to stop their rhythm, but it was the only way. She wasn’t sexually active enough to be on the pill, and she didn’t have any of her own.

“Drawer,” he mumbled.

While ripping it open with her teeth, she repositioned, straddling herself over his lap. After rolling the condom on, she slipped down onto him, taking her time as she adjusted to his size.

The room had lightened, the birds still crazy chirping outside, the cacophony the only sound between them as she sat there a moment. He grabbed her hips, his dark eyes locked on hers, and then directed her up and back down.

She squeezed her eyes closed at the sensation, but then opened them again. She wanted to watch his face, his pleasure at what she was doing. His expression twisted in agony as he tried to control himself, as he lifted her hips up and down, but she removed his hands. “Just enjoy it. I’ll do it for us this time.”

He dropped his hands to his sides, palms up. “I’d like to touch you.”

Grace swallowed at the huskiness of his voice. “Not right now. After we’re done.”

She used her locked arms on his chest for leverage. She’d never been on top before. Seemed all the boys she’d screwed wanted to be all male dominant—humped her fast— and it was all over in a few minutes. Always Grace left panting, wanting more, but they’d never offered to fix her up. Usually conked out and started snoring first.

So she’d take her time, enjoy every up and down. She didn’t know if it was pleasurable for him, this pace, so she watched his face for signs. Was it painful for him instead? The way his brow furrowed, the way he bit his lip. “Is this good, Rory?” she said as she slid down once again.

“Aye.”

“Do you want me to go faster?”

He looked at her then, and at her next impale, he squeezed his eyes closed. “Whatever you want. I’ll hold on.”

Ah, he was waiting for her. As always, the gentleman. Her good man, Rory. She leaned over him, positioning her arms on either side of his face, her breasts swinging over his chest, and went faster. Up, down until there was nothing else but the sensation of sliding over him. Even Rory beneath her was only a vague image, an imprecise shape to the feeling that pulsed through her body. Her hair swung as she bobbed, the movement stirring the air around her so that she smelled the musk of their sweat and sex, but in a distant sort of way. Compounded with her vague impressions of the lightening room, she felt transferred to an alternate realty. Only pleasure. Only sensation.

“I can’t—” Rory grunted.

He grabbed both swinging breasts and pounded into her, jerking his hips, no rhythm, clashing with Grace’s stride a moment ago, but when he leaned up, sucked and bit one nipple, her orgasm came, a buzzing that traveled through her body to her toes until they curled with the energy.

She collapsed on top of him, his dick still inside her. He wrapped his arms around her, and she tucked her arms around his neck, their breathing loud in the quiet morning. After a few moments, Grace shifted so she could see his face. She smiled. “Good morning.”

Rory chuckled. “The best.”

He caressed her back with his large hands, his palms soft and comfortable against her skin. He gently moved her to the side, and as he did, slid out of her. He removed the condom, tied it at the top, and chucked it on the floor. “Don’t step on that side of the bed, ken?”

That made Grace laugh. “Nope, I’ll stay clear.”

He turned to his side so that they lay facing each other. “Are you cold?”

She was. “A little.”

Rory grabbed the blanket and tucked it around them until they were in a cocoon. A double caterpillar cocoon. Maybe they’d both become butterflies.

Lying on her side wasn’t Grace’s best look, her belly sagging onto the bed, her breasts not perky enough to withstand gravity and lying lopsided, one against the other.

What did she say to him? They’d had cosmic sex twice in the last six hours. Okay, technically only intercourse the once but still sexual intimacy. Grace reckoned that counted. She played it safe and made small talk. “Did you hear Del come home last night?”

Rory’s eyebrows rose, and he blinked as if not expecting that from her. Sheeit, maybe she’d ruined the moment by mentioning their roommate. Here he was looking lovingly into her eyes, and she wanted to rehash last night’s events.

“No, did you?”

“I didn’t. Maybe he got lucky.” She kissed Rory on the nose and then lips, just a peck, to try to bring them back to the way they’d been. That post-coital bliss and affection she’d read so much about but had yet to experience…until now.

“Not as lucky as me.”

Aw, shucks. Grace was going to cry again, like she’d done last night. She was being a complete girl about this all. But she was a lady now. A Lady Blues, at least. “The last I saw him he was dancing with Jenn. Maybe he got lucky with her.”

“It wouldn’t take much to get lucky with Jenn. Not even sure I’d call it lucky.”

“Yeah, she seems a bit needy.”

Rory snorted. “Just a wee bit.”

“But she is a Lady Blues now, so we should look out for her.”

“Grace, you are so lovely I feel like a wanker in comparison.”

Grace patted his cheek. “Yes, I am a lot to live up to.”

Rory chuckled, took her hand, and kissed her palm. It tickled, but she kept still. She didn’t want to offend the sweet gesture. “Seriously, she’s one of us, so let’s keep her so busy with the rugby, she won’t even think of men.”

He stopped his ministrations on her hand long enough to say, “We can do that. I’ll call a last-minute practice this afternoon. We didn’t get much accomplished last week.”

“Hmmm…not sure. Everyone is going to be hungover. No one would show up.”

“Give them a few hours. Then we can sweat these toxins out of us. It’s the fastest way to get over a hangover.” Rory smiled. Even though it was another gray day outside, his smile was better than any sunshine. “You barely drank anything last night, but the other girls were getting into it.”

“Well, I got there so late I didn’t have much of a chance. And really, I realized getting drunk is counterproductive to everything I want to accomplish in a day. Life is short. Carpe diem and all that.”

“Yeah, I got it.”

Grace twisted his nipple.

“Ouch! Dinnae do that.”

“Why did you say it that way?”

“What way?”

“Like you don’t believe me.”

“I do believe you. I also believe in you. It’s just…”

“I shouldn’t go all out and grab life by the cojones?”

“No…”

“I shouldn’t embrace life as if every day could be my last?”

He squeezed her. “Don’t say it that way.”

“I shouldn’t try new things, taste new food, listen to new music, see places I haven’t, try everything at least once, including things that scare me?”

“No…”

“I shouldn’t—”

“Hawd yer weesht, let me get my head around it so I can explain to you what I’m thinking.”

“Okie doke.” Grace mimed zipping her mouth shut.

“You should do all those things, but take care of your diabetes at the same time.”

“Argh!” She rolled away from him and flung her arm out to the side. Her hand hung over the side of the bed.

“I worry about it.”

“You worry too much.”

Rory pulled her back into his side again. “Yous don’t worry enough.”

“What do you propose, Mr. My-Dad-Helps-Me-With-Everything?” She kept her voice light and flicked his nose to show she was being lighthearted about it. If he was close to his folks, who was she to suggest otherwise?

“Aw, now, don’t be like that. Ever since I met you, I’ve been thinking on that. I need to do something about that, too…”

The floor boards from across the hall groaned in protest. Rory twitched his head to the side as if listening. “Over one hundred kilos, and he’s going to put a hole through this floor one of these days.”

Which reminded her… “I heard what you said to Del yesterday when you were in the kitchen before the banquet.”

Rory’s focus was still on the sounds of Del’s movements. A door opened, and footsteps moved from his room to the bathroom adjacent to Grace’s room. Maybe he was worried Del would barge in or something. But they were both consenting adults.

Grace moved Rory’s chin so his focus was back at her. “Don’t worry about Del.”

“I didn’t realize you were home.”

So he had heard what she’d just said. “Yeah, I was just coming in from Junette’s. It kinda bothered me so I didn’t come and say howdy to y’all.”

“I didn’t mean anything by it.”

Grace scrunched up her face in disbelief.

“Honestly.” Rory’s eyes widened in his defense. “I just didn’t want to get into it with Del. It’s none of his business. And I really didn’t know your feelings at the time.”

She pulled him close and kissed him, a long lingering one that he could take with him for the rest of the day. “Is that clear enough for you?”

Rory laid soft kisses to each corner of her mouth. Those small endearments made her melt, her heart seizing at each gesture. He kissed along her jawline to her ear and whispered, “Aye.”

The toilet flushed, and a few minutes later the bathroom door opened. At the sound of Del’s heavy footsteps along the hall again, Grace grabbed the blankets and pulled them over her and Rory’s head. She’d get him out practicing rugby later. Now they’d stay put. Just her and Rory. They could block out the rest of the world around them.

At least until she had to take her medicine.