By the third round, the edges of everything had blurred pleasantly. Their shoulders brushed when Jamie leaned in to emphasize a point, and neither of them shifted away. The banter slowed, stretched out between them, until it wasn’t about jokes anymore but about lingering. Erin turned her glass slowly between her palms, her voice quieter now when she said, “See? Told you this place had no cameras.”
Jamie tilted her head, heart tripping. “Shame, really. You’re wasted on the private audience.”
Erin’s eyes flicked to hers, sharp and searching, but softer than at any podium. “Not if it’s the right audience.”
The words landed with a heat Jamie didn’t bother to hide. She let the silence breathe between them, feeling it spark, and it carried them out of the booth, onto the street, and into the October night.
The air cut sharp against Jamie’s cheeks, but it didn’t matter. The warmthof the bar clung to her skin, made stronger by Erin’s nearness. Their footsteps fell into sync without either of them trying. They talked less now, but the silence wasn’t awkward. It was full, carrying everything that hadn’t been said out loud. Jamie kept sneaking glances. Erin’s stride was steady, her hands shoved into her coat pockets, but there was the smallest upward curve at the corner of her mouth, like she knew Jamie was looking.
By the time they reached Erin’s building, Jamie’s pulse was a drumbeat in her throat. Erin slowed at the stoop, turning toward her under the wash of the streetlamp. For a moment, neither moved. Then Erin leaned in, not all the way, just enough to make Jamie meet her halfway.
The kiss started as a goodnight, meant to be simple, but it caught fire faster than either of them expected. Jamie’s hand found the line of Erin’s jaw, Erin’s palm pressed firm against her waist, and the space between them dissolved. Erin broke away just long enough to catch a breath, her forehead resting against Jamie’s, her voice unsteady.
“Do you…” She swallowed, words almost lost in the night air. “Do you want to come inside?”
Jamie nodded almost instantly, the word yes already spilling from her lips. Erin turned quickly to unlock the door, and Leo met them with an eager tail wag. Erin crouched just long enough to scratch his head and murmur a promise that she’d take him out soon, if he could just wait an hour or so. The softness in her voice made Jamie’s chest ache, though that might have been the drinks still humming through her system.
Inside, Erin’s hand found Jamie’s, warm and steady, and Jamie let herself be pulled down the short hall into the bedroom. The door clicked shut behind them, and before Jamie could take in more than a glimpse of the space, her back was against the wood. Erin’s pupils were blown wide, so dark that the warm brown of her irises was almost gone.
“Is this okay?” Erin asked, her voice tentative despite the rush between them.
Jamie’s lips curved into a smile. “I’m not going to break, Erin.”
She slid her hands to Erin’s waist and tugged her closer, capturing her mouth in a heated kiss. When Jamie traced her tongue along the seam ofErin’s lips, Erin parted for her, and Jamie’s fingers fumbled eagerly at the buttons of her shirt.
Erin broke away only to press kisses down Jamie’s jaw, lingering before trailing lower to the side of her neck. Jamie let her head fall back against the door, breath catching as Erin’s mouth moved against her skin.
Jamie felt the whimper in her throat seconds before it slipped out into the quiet of Erin’s bedroom, and heat immediately rose to her cheeks. Embarrassment hit fast, sharp enough that Erin noticed.
She stilled, pulling back just enough to search Jamie’s face. “I’m sorry, did I do too much?” Her hands hovered like she might retreat altogether.
Jamie shook her head quickly and caught Erin’s shirt to keep her close. “No, it’s not that. I just—” Her fingers picked nervously at the fabric, buying time. “I’m, um… how do I put this delicately?”
Erin’s eyes softened, wide and patient, which only made Jamie squirm harder. She clenched her eyes shut and rushed the words out before she could second-guess herself.
“I tend to be… loud. Vocal. In bed.”
Silence stretched for a beat, and Jamie cracked one eye open, bracing herself. Erin’s expression had shifted, not to judgment but to a slow, knowing smirk.
“It’s a good thing my neighbor works nights then, isn’t it?”
Jamie’s mouth fell open at the sudden shift in confidence. A minute ago Erin had been tentative, asking permission with wide, careful eyes. Now the cocky PIO was here, the one who commanded a podium and spoke in clipped tones and steady soundbites. Jamie had seen that side before, but never this close, never aimed at her.
And yet, beneath the smirk and the teasing words, she could still feel the softness that had been unfolding between them all week. That was her Erin, the one who let her guard down in quiet moments, who laughed over whiskey in a dim booth, who let Jamie see more than the badge and the uniform.
The contrast sent a shiver through her, equal parts nerves and thrill.
Before Jamie could answer, Erin lowered her head again and found the sweet spot just behind her ear, teeth grazing the soft skin there. Jamie moaned, letting herself give in to the moment and follow what her bodywanted.
Her hands moved back to the buttons of Erin’s shirt, working them open with quick, eager fingers. When the fabric fell loose, the black sports bra underneath came into view, simple and striking against Erin’s skin.
“Can I ask you something?” Jamie managed, her voice unsteady as Erin’s mouth traced kisses along the line of her neck.
“Mhm,” Erin hummed against her skin before lifting her head. Her big brown eyes met Jamie’s, and the intensity of the look made the flutter in Jamie’s lower abdomen grow stronger.
“Fuck,” Jamie breathed, dropping her head back against the door for a moment, trying to collect herself. When she looked at Erin again, her voice was softer, careful. “I just… I want to make sure. Are you okay with me touching you? I know you carry yourself pretty masculine sometimes, and I don’t want to assume what feels good for you.”
Erin blinked, the surprise flickering first, then something warmer settling in its place. She pressed her forehead lightly against Jamie’s and let out a breath that sounded almost like relief.
