Page 100 of Balancing Act
Sarah sighed, glancing toward the hallway Lily had disappeared down.
“Take care of them,” Sarah said quietly, her voice a little raw. “Beth and Lily—they mean everything to me. I know it’s not my place anymore with Beth, but I’ll always care about her. I want to know they are both safe and loved.”
Jamie reached out, reassuringly touching Sarah’s hand. “You don’t have to worry about that. I care about them both so much.”
Sarah nodded. “Good. I’m glad to hear it.”
The heaviness of their conversation settled between them comfortably as they changed topics. Jamie asked Sarah about her most recent case, and Sarah asked Jamie about her upcoming move and Empwr Ventures. By the time Jamie finallystood to leave, there was a genuine warmth between them, an unspoken understanding that they were on the same team and wanted the best for the people they loved.
Jamie felt a deep sense of peace as she drove to Beth’s house. She was confident she genuinely had a place in Beth and Lily’s lives. Sarah’s acceptance felt like the final piece falling into place, affirming the sense of family Jamie had been building with Beth. She knew challenges would still be ahead but felt ready for them.
As twilight deepened, Jamie pulled into Beth’s driveway, the soft glow of the porch light welcoming her. She slid Beth’s key into the lock, a tiny thrill passing through her as the door clicked open. Stepping inside, Jamie breathed deep in the foyer. The faint scent of lavender and the quiet hum of the house made her chest tighten in the best way. She felt that familiar sense of peace she always found in Beth’s house. It was a feeling that had started small but had quickly grown into one she craved—a place where she belonged.
TWENTY-ONE
BETH
It was after midnight when Beth quietly unlocked the front door and stepped inside, the house bathed in stillness. She slipped off her shoes and quietly placed her keys in the dish by the door next to Jamie’s. She smiled at the thought—their cars next to each other in the driveway, their shoes beside each other by the door, their keys paired together in the dish. She liked all those things.
She padded softly through the darkened hallway, her bag hanging from one shoulder. Exhaustion clung to her, but it was a good kind of tired. Between traveling for work and the stunt Lily had pulled the day before, Beth couldn’t wait to crawl into bed and sleep—even more so knowing who was waiting for her. As she entered the bedroom, her eyes adjusted to the dim light streaming through the skylights, and she smiled faintly at the sight of Jamie curled up under the covers, her chest rising and falling in the deep rhythm of sleep.
She quietly slipped into the bathroom and quickly ran through her nightly skincare routine before climbing into bed with Jamie.
Beth moved carefully, not wanting to wake her, but Jamie’s voice broke through the quiet right as she thought she’d succeeded in her stealthy entrance.
“Careful,” Jamie murmured, her voice low and tinged with a teasing smile. “My girlfriend might see you and get jealous.”
Beth froze, Jamie’s word choice stopping her in her tracks.Girlfriend.The word echoed in her mind as a quiet thrill coursed through her. Her smile spread slowly and involuntarily before she’d even fully registered the word. Nestling closer to Jamie, Beth propped herself on one elbow as she gazed at Jamie’s face in the silver moonlight. “Your girlfriend, huh?” she echoed, as if testing the word to see if it was real and she had heard Jamie correctly.
Jamie’s eyes fluttered open, a cheeky smile curving her lips as she whispered back. “Yeah. Girlfriend.”
She grinned, feeling that small, traitorous flip in her chest at Jamie’s voice, so soft, so sure. The word didn’t just linger between them—it reshaped the space. Her arm slid instinctively around Jamie’s neck as she drew closer, her voice dipping to match the moment’s intimacy. “Mm-hmm,” she murmured, brushing her lips against Jamie’s in the lightest of kisses. “Girlfriend does feel pretty perfect.”
Jamie laughed against her lips, and it was impossible for Beth to not feel that surge of affection she always felt when Jamie laughed. She deepened the kiss, letting it linger, her fingers threading through Jamie’s hair as her heart raced. The world outside the room faded, leaving only the two of them in this fragile, breathtaking moment. The tenderness between them began to shift, melting into a different type of depth and commitment. Beth felt the faint press of Jamie’s hands on her waist, grounding her even as the spark between them flared, igniting with a quiet intensity that stole her breath.
She broke the kiss momentarily, her forehead resting against Jamie’s as her voice dropped to a whisper. “You have no idea how much I love hearing you say that.” She didn’t wait for Jamie to respond—she couldn’t. Her lips found Jamie’s again, moreinsistent this time as she poured everything into the kiss: her affection, longing, and gratitude for the woman lying beneath her.
Shifting her weight slightly, Beth slid on top of Jamie, blond waves falling around their faces like a curtain, casting them in their own private enclosure. Gentle hands slid up her back, under the loose-fitting T-shirt she had changed into. They were warm against her skin, the feeling pulling her further into Jamie.
She paused, catching Jamie’s eye. Jamie, who looked at her in a way no one ever had before, like she was in awe of her. Slowly, she traced her fingers along Jamie’s jaw, marveling at how natural and easy this felt. Her lips found Jamie’s again, trailing a path of soft, lingering kisses down to her collarbone. “Do you think your girlfriend would mind if I did this?” she teased, her voice a low murmur against Jamie’s skin.
Jamie let out a quiet laugh mixed with a sharp gasp as Beth found a particularly sensitive spot, the sound vibrating through her. “Oh, I think she’d be okay with it,” Jamie replied, threading her fingers threaded through Beth’s hair, pulling her closer.
Their laughter melted into silence as their kisses deepened, the moment between them building like a tide, rising and enveloping them completely. Every touch was a conversation, every kiss an unspoken word. Beth felt Jamie’s hands move down her back, her fingers tracing tantalizingly slow, deliberate lines that sent a flush of heat pooling low and urgent. Jamie’s fingers tugged at the thin fabric of her T-shirt, pulling it up and over her head.
She discarded the garment as Beth kneeled between Jamie’s legs that were spread for her, inviting Beth in. Reaching out gently, she traced the curve of Jamie’s jaw with a delicate finger, her eyes never leaving Jamie’s. They had had enough sex at this point that Beth knew precisely how to drive Jamie crazy, butthat wasn’t her goal tonight. Tonight, she wanted Jamie to feel absolutely adored.
She hooked her fingers into the waistband of Jamie’s pajama shorts and, with some help, tugged them off. Her hands found Jamie’s silky thighs and spread them as she situated herself lower on the mattress. Jamie’s fingers tangled deeper in her hair, the sensation of nails scraping against her scalp heightening her own desire.
Beth smirked as she pressed her lips to Jamie’s inner thigh, letting out a long hot breath that spread across the sensitive skin. “How about this?” she breathed, her voice lower now teasing as her fingers brushed against Jamie’s damp heat. Her pulse quickened at the quiet gasp that escaped Jamie. God, she loved how responsive she was to every touch. A quiet moan escaped her as Jamie’s grip on her hair tightened, and her eyes fluttered shut. Beth pulled her hand back, and Jamie snapped her gaze back on her at the loss of contact. “And this,” she murmured, dropping her head and leaning closer as her tongue darted out to tease Jamie where her fingers had just been. The tang of her meeting her tastebuds as she circled her clit. “Would she be okay with that?”
“Fuck.”
The word escaped Jamie in a moan as she wiggled her hips, searching for more contact.
But Beth withdrew, kissing the soft skin of her inner thighs instead. She knew how much Jamie enjoyed being teased, and she’d be lying if she said she didn’t get great pleasure from being the one to do the teasing.
Jamie’s whine was needy. “Please,” she whispered.