Page 39 of Pyg

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HANDLE WITH CARE

A lice stirred, stretched and smiled, cosy in the afterglow of the night she’d spent with Ash.

Daylight strained into the room, but it felt far too early to be awake yet after the night they’d had.

“Are you awake?” she whispered.

“Yeah.” Ash squeezed her closer, hooking a leg over her thigh. “Are you hungry?”

Alice hummed. “Yeah, a bit. I think there are some biscuits by the kettle.”

Ash’s sleepy voice croaked with a laugh. “I was thinking more about proper food. They’ll be serving breakfast soon. If we go down early enough, we’ll avoid my family, and we can come back here for a bit until check-out. You know, maybe get a little more sleep?”

Alice twisted around in Ash’s arms to face her teasing grin.

“I can think of better things to do alone with you than sleep.” Alice traced her fingers over the small tattoo inked under Ash’s collarbone. Three words printed in perfect capital letters like they’d been stamped instead of tattooed:

HANDLE WITH CARE

“I got it as a note to self after Sam. A reminder not to be reckless with my heart again.”

“And do you feel like you’ve been reckless with me?”

“No, not at all.” Ash kissed the tip of Alice’s nose. “Even if you were just using me for a night of hot sex, it was worth it. I don’t really know why we wasted two weeks.”

“I mean, by lesbian standards, we should’ve already moved in together.”

“No, I’m never moving in with you.”

Alice gasped. “Why?”

“Because I’d die of sleep deprivation! You’d keep me locked in the bedroom, feeding me miniature packets of biscuits and demanding orgasms.”

Alice chewed her bottom lip. “Would that really be so bad?”

Ash answered with the sort of kiss that made Alice grateful she was horizontal.