Page 79 of Balancing Act
Blue eyes bore into hers as she gently squeezed Beth’s hip, leaning in and capturing her lips before her hand slid between her thighs, cupping Beth gently. She bit down on Beth’s lip with a moan at the feeling of her damp arousal soaking through the underwear she was still wearing.
“You’re so fucking wet,” she murmured into fistfuls of her hair, as they rolled so, once again, Jamie was on top of Beth. She applied more pressure with her hand, using the fabric to tease at her clit.
“It’s all because of you.” The words fell from Beth’s lips in whispers, punctuated between her moans of pleasure as Jamie teased her, and she rocked her hips. “God, Jamie, you do this to me.”
Jamie nipped playfully below Beth’s right ear, her teeth grazing the sensitive skin as a soft gasp escaped Beth’s lips. From there, Jamie let herself slide slowly down Beth’s body, her hardened nipples brushing against Beth’s torso, drawing a shiver from both of them. Beth’s hands pressed gently but firmly against Jamie’s shoulders, guiding her lower, as Jamie’s fingers hooked through the edges of the black lace that still separated them. She peeled away the last barrier, her gaze flicking up to meet Beth’s.
Jamie moved with a deliberate slowness, savoring every inch of Beth’s body as her tongue traced a lazy path. Her movements were focused yet unhurried. She wanted to savor this, to map every curve and reaction. She had nothing but time in this moment, and Jamie had no intention of rushing. Tonight was about worship, and Beth was her altar.
SEVENTEEN
BETH
Beth woke to a series of buzzing sounds coming from her phone on the nightstand. Blinking her eyes slowly, she adjusted to the gray light of the morning. A soft tapping caught her attention—the smooth rhythm of freezing rain rattling against the window was a steady backdrop to the warmth cocooning her. For a moment, she let the bed pull her back toward sleep. Then she remembered.
Jamie.
She closed her eyes as last night flooded back—hot, breathless, perfect. A warm, pleasant ache settled through her. Beth shifted slightly, her body deliciously tender from all the ways she and Jamie had explored each other last night.
Jamie was lying on her stomach, dark curls tumbling across the pillow, still fast asleep. The sheet had slipped low, barely covering her hips, exposing her back to the pale morning light filtering through the ice coated window. Beth’s eyes trailed over the intricate patchwork of tattoos that decorated Jamie’s back. She hadn’t noticed the details of them last night.
Her fingers itched to trace the ink, but she didn’t want to wake Jamie. She looked so peaceful—the steady rise and fall of her torso calming in a way. Beth suddenly felt overcome by asensation she hadn’t felt in years—that rush of affection she had been fighting—it was overwhelming. It was the feeling of falling in love. Jamie had wanted to take things slow, and here she was, jumping to falling in love after only a few weeks. It was way too soon for that. But it didn’t make her want it any less.
Her phone buzzed again on the nightstand, breaking the room’s quiet. Beth rolled over, reaching for it. It was a message from Lily—a series of photos showing a lineup of brightly colored ski jackets laid out. Beneath the pictures, Lily had written:Help me pick, Mom! I’m leaning toward the blue, but I’m not sure.
Beth smiled, instantly more awake now. She quickly replied with her top two picks—the deep teal and the bright bubblegum pink—and added,I’m team teal! But you’d look amazing in either.
After hitting send, she lingered on her phone, scrolling back through the recent thread of messages between them—pictures, silly voice memos, and I-love-yous. She sighed a long, deep breath, as a wave of gratitude washed over her. Things with Lily had been good lately—better than they had been in years. They were finally in a good place again, and she couldn’t help but wonder if that had to do in some part to Jamie’s presence in both of their lives.
It hadn’t happened all at once, and it certainly hadn’t been easy, but over the past few months, she and Lily had somehow found their footing with each other again.
Lily had grown up in ways that Beth couldn’t help but admire. She’d become more independent, more sure of herself, but there was also a softness that hadn’t been there before—a quiet resilience. And that strength wasn’t just Lily’s. Beth had felt it in herself, too. She was learning to let go, to trust that their life would play out in the ways it was meant to.
Her phone buzzed again, and Beth glanced at Lily’s reply:Teal it is! Thanks, Mama. Love you.
Those last two words hit her like a gentle balm, soothing the remnants of the ache she’d carried for so long. She typed back her reply and set the phone back on the nightstand, her attention turning to Jamie.
She couldn’t help but wonder how Jamie fit into all of this. Was Jamie even interested in having a relationship with Lily beyond what they already had? Beth added that thought to the list of things making her anxious.
Her fingers brushed against the sheet near Jamie’s hip, and for a moment, she thought about waking her up. But then Jamie stirred, her muscles shifting, her eyes blinking open, sleepy and soft. Beth froze, the questions retreating as she met Jamie’s gaze, letting the moment pass—again.
“Morning,” Jamie murmured, her voice still throaty from sleep, but a slow smile tugged at her lips.
“Morning,” she whispered back.
Jamie stretched, her body arching as she moved, and Beth watched how her muscles flexed beneath the ink. “Come here.” Jamie reached her arm out, pulling Beth toward her, draping her arm across Beth’s hip, placing a sweet kiss on the tip of her nose. “Sorry I slept so late,” Jamie said, her tone teasing and low. “Someone kept me up most of the night.”
“You didn’t seem to be complaining last night,” she teased back, her fingers tracing idle patterns down Jamie’s muscled arms.
Beth’s mind was still swirling with the things she wanted to ask, but she didn’t want to ruin this—didn’t want to risk pushing Jamie when things were so good. But still. She had told herself she was done with gray areas regarding relationships.
Jamie propped herself up on her elbow, eyes searching for what Beth wasn’t saying. “You okay? You’ve got that look.”
Beth swallowed, her fingers stilling against the sheet.That look.Of course Jamie would notice—she always did. There was no hiding anything from her.
For a brief moment, Beth considered telling her everything. The urge to blurt it out, to ask Jamie if they could define what they were, nearly overtook her. But then she saw the quiet contentment in Jamie’s eyes, and she couldn’t bring herself to disrupt it.
“I was thinking about you and me,” Beth finally said, a small smile tugging at her lips as she shifted the conversation away. “And how much I love this.”