“Feel okay?” Erin asked quietly.
Jamie nodded, reaching one arm behind her back, her hand grasping for Erin’s. Erin took it and held onto it firmly as she slowly began to find her rhythm. Soon enough, Jamie was pressing back into Erin, uttering a string of curses as she gripped Erin’s hand.
“Harder— Please.” She stuttered.
Erin complied, adding more force to her thrusts. Her free hand slid down Jamie’s back, and grabbed a fistful of blonde hair before pulling it.
Jamie moaned loudly, “Fuck yes, Er…”
Erin let her face break into a goofy grin. Her name? Abbreviated like that? On Jamie’s lips? An absolute yes.
Erin kept up her rhythm, almost completely losing herself in the sounds Jamie was making. When her body went taut and her mouth dropped open in silence, Erin held still. She held still long enough for Jamie to climax, before slowly pulling out of her. Jamie collapsed to the bed, her legs still shaking.
“Fuck,” Jamie said on a breathy laugh. “I have never, and I mean ever, let someone pull my hair.”
Erin removed the toy from the O-ring, setting it aside before settling in next to Jamie and pulling her close. Jamie melted into her without hesitation, her body fitting easily against Erin’s.
“I mean, truly…” Jamie murmured, her voice soft and a little dazed. “And that’s what I’ve been missing?”
Erin smiled, brushing a strand of hair off her forehead. “You seemed like you needed it.”
Jamie gave a small nod, a sleepy smile tugging at her lips. “Yeah. I did.”
They lay together in the quiet, the air still and warm around them. Jamie’s breathing had started to slow when a faint scratching came from the other side of the bedroom door. Erin exhaled a quiet laugh against her hair.
“Guess someone wants in,” she said.
Jamie didn’t move, just mumbled, “He’s persistent.”
“Always.” Erin leaned over and reached for her robe at the foot of the bed. She slipped it on, padded across the room, and cracked the door open. Leo trotted in immediately, tail wagging hard enough to thump the wall.
“Hi, bud,” Erin whispered, giving him a quick scratch before climbing back into bed. Leo circled once and flopped down at their feet with a sigh loud enough to make Jamie laugh softly.
Erin smiled. “Now it’s officially a full house.”
Jamie shifted closer, curling against her side again. “Wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Erin kissed her temple, her voice low. “Me neither.”
Fifty
Three weeks later, they had found a rhythm.
Most mornings started at Erin’s place. The coffee pot clicked on before sunrise, Leo wedged himself between them like he paid rent, and Jamie somehow always stole the pillow Erin wanted. Erin left first most days, hair still damp, tie crooked until she fixed it by the door. She would kiss Jamie’s cheek, promise to text on her break, and Jamie would pretend she wasn’t waiting for it while answering emails at the counter.
It wasn’t perfect. Work still tugged at them in opposite directions, but it was easier than Erin ever expected. They showed up. Sometimes with words, sometimes with food, sometimes just with presence.
Tonight was one of the easy ones. Erin got off early, and Jamie wrapped her segment before six. She showed up with Thai takeout, the smell filling the apartment before Erin even reached the door.
“Pad see ew,” Jamie said, holding up the bag. “Extra lime. And I brought the sesame cookies you pretend not to like.”
“I don’t pretend anything,” Erin said, already stealing the bag.
They ate at the counter because the table was buried under case notes and a half-finished puzzle. Erin passed her the broccoli she didn’t want, and Jamie slid the peppers onto Erin’s plate without a word. Leo sat at their feet, sighing like he’d been forgotten by the world.
“You can have a little rice,” Erin told him. “One bite. You’ve earned it.”
Jamie laughed. “Your negotiation skills are being wasted on press calls.”
