BETWEEN OUR LIPS. paige bueckers

thirty one

Kai's chuckle is the first thing Paige hears, a low, almost smug sound that makes her groan before she even opens her eyes. Her body aches in ways she didn't know it could. Every muscle screams at her as she shifts slightly under the covers, and it takes her a moment to remember why she feels like she's been hit by a truck.

Then it hits her.

Her face burns as images from the night before flood her mind—Kai, relentless and smug, knowing exactly how to push Paige to her limits and keep her there. The memory sends a shiver coursing through her, but it only amplifies the soreness in her body.

A loud groan escapes her lips. "Fuck," she mutters, trying to stretch, but even that feels impossible.

Kai, perched on the edge of the bed, looks over with a grin so wide Paige wants to smack it off her face. "Good morning, sunshine," she says, her voice dripping with amusement.

"Shut up," Paige mumbles, her voice muffled by the pillow. She doesn't dare turn to face her. She can feel Kai's smirk without looking.

"Oh, no. You don't get to be grumpy after last night." Kai shifts closer, her weight dipping the mattress. "You weren't grumpy then. What was it you said? Oh yeah—'Kai, please, I can't take it anymore,'" she mocks, her tone high-pitched and breathy.

Paige's cheeks go nuclear as she groans louder, dragging the pillow over her head. "I hate you so much right now."

Kai laughs, pulling the pillow away effortlessly. "Hate me? Really? You sure about that? Because last night, you were crying for me to keep going." She leans closer, her breath warm against Paige's ear. "And I mean crying. You're lucky the neighbors didn't call the cops with the way you were screaming my name."

"Fuck off," Paige grits out, her voice lacking any real heat.

Kai doesn't miss a beat. "Oh, you're so cute when you're embarrassed." She runs a hand down Paige's arm, her touch featherlight, sending a fresh wave of shivers through Paige's body. "What's wrong? Too sore to even argue properly?"

Paige finally cracks one eye open to glare at her, but it's a weak attempt. "You destroyed me," she whines, her voice softer now, almost pathetic. "I can't move. I can't feel my legs. My back—" She cuts herself off with a hiss as she shifts again, pain shooting through her lower half. "My fucking back, Kai!"

Kai's grin widens. "I told you to tell me if it was too much, but nooo. Miss Bueckers had to be a fucking overachiever. 'Harder, Kai. Please, harder.'" She imitates Paige again, tossing her head back dramatically.

"Stop!" Paige groans, smacking weakly at Kai's arm. "You're the worst!"

Kai grabs her wrist with ease, pinning it against the bed with no effort. "Now why you lying," she says smoothly, her voice low and teasing.

Paige's lip trembles, and she looks up at Kai with wide, hazy eyes. "You're mean," she murmurs, her tone soft and almost broken.

Kai falters for half a second, but then she notices the way Paige's body shifts beneath her. The slight arch of her back despite the soreness, the way her lips part just a little. It hits her—Paige is still in that headspace, needy and desperate, and it sends a thrill straight through her.

"Oh, baby," Kai says, her voice dropping an octave. She leans in, brushing her lips lightly over Paige's temple. "You're not mad at me. You're just mad you're too fucked out to do anything about it."

Paige whimpers, her eyes fluttering shut. "Kai..."

"Yeah?" Kai's lips trail down to Paige's jaw, her hand still pinning Paige's wrist to the bed. "You need something, sweetheart? Just say the word."