Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 1

“She’s your boss, Jane. Your boss. Your superior. The one that signs your checks... metaphorically, of course. Safford signs your checks, but still. Your boss. Your very married, very straight, boss.” She repeated it like a mantra, over and over, hoping the repetition would convince her brain to relay the message to her heart, which was currently beating aggressively in her chest. 
 
Fashion week in Paris was unlike any other. The people, the architecture, the, well, the fashion. All of it so exquisite and beyond any of their wildest dreams. Speaking of wild dreams, Jane reached over the arm of the couch in the middle of the suite she was sharing with Sutton for the duration of the trip and took a few heavy sips of water, hoping to quench her thirst, literally and figuratively. Of course, her ever growing thirst for the blonde in question could hardly be quenched with a glass of water.  
 
The dreams were becoming more frequent, the activities occurring in said dreams becoming more exhilarating. The brunette was unsure how Sutton hadn’t noticed the number of times she’d woken up in a sweat, potentially moaning out the editor’s name. Scratch that. Clearly, the taller girl had noticed, as she ripped the door to the hotel’s bedroom open.  
 
“Jane? Are you ok?” Sutton asked, a very disheveled Richard sitting up in the bed behind her, unsure of whether he should get up or return to his sleep. 
 
“Ugh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you!” Jane apologized and cradled her face in her hands. Sutton waved to Richard to lay back down and closed the door behind her, striding to the couch and sitting beside her friend. 
 
“What’s going on, babe? That’s the third time this week... that I know of, at least. What’s up?” She ran her hand through Jane’s hair and gently rubbed her back.  
 
“It’s nothing, really. Don’t worry about it. Just a dream. I’m really sorry I woke you guys.”  
 
“Tiny Jane. I love you. You really suck at lying, and you talk in your sleep. They’ve very obviously been sex dreams and I’ve caught the name a handful of times.” 
 
Janes already flushed complexion somehow got redder as she turned white as a ghost. “Sutton-“  
 
The redhead lowered her voice. “I’m not judging. Hell, if given the opportunity, I’d try to hit that too.” 
 
“Sutton!” Jane furrowed her eyebrows and buried her face in her hands.  
 
“Jane, Jacqueline is a gorgeous woman. You have nothing to be ashamed of.” 
 
“Sutton, I... I’m... I just... I can’t.” Jane’s voice broke and the tears she swore wouldn’t appear began their sting.  
 
“Whoa, no no no. Tiny Jane! No tears!” The Ginger opened her arms and embraced her friend. “Why are you crying?” She asked gently after a few minutes of absorbing the sobs of her roommate. 
 
“I can’t have a thing for her, Sutton. She’s my boss. She’s married!” Jane’s voice rose as she angrily wiped her tears, then softened again, “she’s married.” She almost whispered. 
 
“I know it’s not my place,” the scruffy voice came from behind them, holding out two mugs of tea. Sutton took them from Richard’s hands, mouthing ‘thank you’ and offering him a small smile. “But for what it’s worth...and I shouldn’t even be telling you this at all, I could literally lose my job, but, the marriage? Not exactly water tight. And Jacqueline? Hardly an arrow.” Richard said as he placed a quick kiss on the top of Sutton’s head and stepped back into the bedroom.  
 
The young women, both of whom had been blowing on the tea to cool it, now sat with their mouths agape, processing this new information. 
 
“Wait, wait, wait, hold on! Richard Hunter, get your ass back here!” Sutton shouted, completely disregarding the clock that read 4:47am. “What does THAT mean?!” 
 
Richard sighed from the doorway. “It means that maybe Jane’s dreams aren’t so unattainable.” 
 
“What do you know, Hunter?” Jane held his gaze. 
 
Richard stepped forward and sat on the arm of the couch. “Look, Jacqueline and I are friends. Good friends. I’ve spoken with her in confidence about a number of personal things, and she’s shared some of her own. Not to sound cliché, but she’s kind of like a sister to me. So, maybe you’re not the only one that struggled while you were gone. And perhaps you’re not the only one that misses the direct eye line from one desk to another.” He took the cup from Sutton’s hand and sipped the tea. 
 
“Damn, that’s some hot tea.” Sutton tried to lighten the mood. 
 
“Did you just?” Jane looked at her incredulously. 
 
“I did.” Sutton smiled smugly and took back her mug. 

“Why are you telling me this?” Jane returned her focus to Richard.  

“You’re Sutton’s best friend.” He placed a gentle hand on the red head’s shoulder. “Seeing you happy makes Sutton happy, which makes me happy. Besides, Jacqueline deserves to be happy too, and I have a hunch you might just be exactly what she needs.” 

Jane gazed down into the mug of dark liquid warming her hands. “I really like her.” she whispered. The two nodded. “We have this great rapport and a mentor/mentee relationship. I’d be devastated if I lost that because I can’t keep it in my pants.” 

“Would you rather wake up in a cold sweat every night?” Sutton asked.  

Jane took a deep breath, put down her mug, and leaned into the shoulder beside her. Sutton wrapped an arm around the smaller girl and sipped her tea. “We’ll figure this out. I promise... maybe we’ll get you sweaty in a different way.”  

“I hate you.” 

---------------------- 

Jacqueline Carlyle didn’t run. Not from her problems, not from a challenge, and certainly not in a hotel gym at 6:07am while on a business trip to Paris. However, that’s precisely where she found herself. Running on a remarkably complicated treadmill, while peering down over the city just before dawn. She thought of the board, the future of the magazine, the future of her employees. One employee, in particular. She knew her people were capable. She knew they would land on their feet. She knew no one in that office needed her to hold their hand and guide them through their daily duties. Yet, there was a hand she had held on numerous occasions. A small hand, soft and delicate, perhaps slightly callused at the fingertips, a hand that fit so well in her own. A hand that wrote beautiful, profound, engaging pieces. Pieces Jacqueline was proud to stand behind. Pieces she would risk her position with the company for. She ran faster. 

She pressed the red button and felt the belt begin to slow. Her sprint became a jog, then slowed to a walk before coming to a halt. She grabbed the bottle of water from the cupholder and stepped down, wiping the sweat from her brow with the hand towel hanging from the arm of the machine. Catching her breath, she stepped closer to the immense windows and gazed upon dawn as it began to brighten the darkness. The slightest sliver of sun peaking over the horizon, welcoming a new day.  

The blonde was pulled from her moment of solitude by the opening of the gym door. “Oh, good morning. I didn’t think anyone would be in here this early,” Hazel eyes failing to meet blue. Seeing Jacqueline flushed, sweaty, her breath labored, her normally perfect hair held back by a sweatband, a few short pieces clinging to her forehead, Jane was suddenly finding it difficult to breathe. She unwittingly walked into a scene straight out of a dream. 

“Good morning, Jane.” Jacqueline smiled warmly and noticed the eyes that refused to meet hers.  “Seems we shared a common thought. I’m not usually one for a run while on vacation, but I figured I could use a little de-stress as much as the next girl. What are you doing up so early?” 

“Oh, I... Umm.. I wanted to be able to give Sutton and Richard some time to sleep in. I didn’t really get a lot of sleep. I was just wandering, more than anything.” The brunette was shocked she got through that statement without any major hiccups. 

“I see. Well, I was just finishing up, I was going to go downstairs and grab some breakfast. Would you like to join me?” 

Jane was sure Jacqueline noticed how difficult breathing had become, so she shook her head and pinched her leg to get her brainwaves working again. “Yeah, I—yes. Sure. Yes, I would love to.” 

Jacqueline smirked as she leaned forward, placing an arm beside Jane’s hip, halfway pinning her to the wall, their faces inches apart. Suddenly the wall behind the brunette began to move. Jacqueline turned the handle all the way and pushed the door open, motioning to the shorter girl. “After you.” Smooth, Carlyle. Very smooth.  

Jane took a deep, shaky breath, cleared her throat, and turned into the hallway. Jacqueline knew she was playing with fire. She appreciated the reemergence of the butterflies that had hibernated for so many years before Jane Sloan walked into her life. Something as simple as the brush of a hand, a smile in a meeting, a glance across the bullpen, something so minute could make the butterflies take off like birds on a wire.  

The women shared a silent elevator ride down to the lobby before settling into a table at the small café. Two café lattes and two croissants later, they enjoyed simple small talk. “I really do appreciate you posting my article. It means more than you know.” 

“It needed to be read, Jane. We’ve spent too long sitting idly by, letting the men upstairs dictate what we can and can’t do. Your article was concise, well written, honest, I was proud to stand behind it. I’m just sorry it took me as long as it did.” Jacqueline reached across the table and placed her hand over the younger woman’s, giving it a brief squeeze before releasing it and taking another sip of her coffee. 

“Still. Thank you.” For what felt like the first time in hours, Jane met Jacqueline’s eyes and smiled. She held her gaze for a few seconds before glancing back down and rubbing the kink in her neck.  

“So Richard and Sutton, huh? I’m glad they were able to work that out.” Chatting with Jacqueline about her roommate and her boyfriend. This was new. “You know, you mentioned that they’ve sequestered you to the couch. Forgive me for being so forward, but I do have a king size bed, and a pullout couch in my suite. You’re more than welcome to trade one couch for the other, if you’d so choose.” 

Jane’s eyes were the size of quarters as she nearly choked on her coffee. “You... I'm... you don’t have to do that. Oh my gosh. That's impossibly generous, Jacqueline, but I would never want to put you in an uncomfortable position or encroach on your space. That’s... Thank you, but it’s... I couldn’t ask you to do that.” 

“You’re not asking.” Jacqueline took a sip of her latte and held the young woman’s gaze. “Jane, can I be frank with you?” The brunette nodded. “I take care of my people. You know that. I care for every person that walks through the doors of Scarlet. That being said, not every person that walks through those doors has been invited to my home. Very few, in fact. I can count them on one hand. However, I trust you, Jane. I wouldn’t invite just anyone to my hotel room, and I realize that there’s a professional boundry to take into account. I’m simply offering a place to sleep for the next two nights. To actually rest. You have the luxury of not being forced to work while you’re here, and I know you’ve been under some personal stress lately.” 

Jane dropped her gaze and sighed. “We don’t deserve you.” she chuckled lightly before her tone turned serious. “I don’t deserve you.”  

Ah, that look. The Jacqueline Carlyle classic. It cuts right through you. It’s the spark that starts a five alarm fire deep in the pit of your stomach. A look that warms you and makes you feel safe, while ripping the air from your lungs and leaving you desperate. The warmth of the editor’s hand was the tether that brought her back to the surface. “I won’t stay in the room all the time. I can still hang out with Sutton and Kat and stay out of your way. You can just text me when you’re in for the night and I can run up there and sleep. I can even be out of the room before you’re up if you’d prefer.” 

“You’re not exactly a booty call, Jane. You don’t have to make yourself scarce. I think it’d be nice to spend some time together, if you didn’t mind, of course.” 

Jacqueline, booty call, spending time together, Jane’s brain felt like a frozen computer, the little wheel spinning away with no progress being made. Jacqueline gave her hand a light squeeze. “I wasn’t lying when I said I missed you, Jane.” 

“I missed you too.” The words just fell out. 

Jacqueline smiled warmly and released the brunette’s hand. “If you’ll excuse me for a moment, I'll run over to the front desk and pick up an extra key.” Jane watched the taller woman stand and effortlessly glide around the corner towards the front desk. She’d failed to notice the skin tight, black yoga pants and the nearly backless, flowing, black tank top Jacqueline wore over an olive green sports bra. Jane had caught herself admiring the woman’s body on more than one occasion, but today was different. Gym clothes were a whole new ballgame. New curves, new skin, new images to sear into her subconscious. Jane prayed tonight wouldn’t be the night for more dreams. There was a conversation she would rather avoid at all costs. 

Chapter Text

--------------------- CHAPTER 2-----------------------  

“She asked you to stay in her room? Are you serious?!” Sutton beamed from the sofa. Kat smiled from ear to ear and shook her head. “That’s major, Jane.” 

“It’s not even like that, I swear. She just... we had breakfast and I mentioned that I was sleeping on the couch and she offered her pull out sofa. That’s all!”  

“So, it’s just about the bed?” Kat pressed. 

“Yes. Just about the bed.” 

“You know, Adena’s staying with some friends the next couple of nights to have some space... I have a queen in my room. I’d be happy to share.”  

Jane blinked slowly as she stared at her friends. She struggled to find the words and the other two just laughed.  

“Yup. Totally about the bed.” Sutton threw a small sofa pillow and nailed the brunette in the chest.  

--------------------- 

The entire Scarlet crew was invited to an evening of runway shows. The festivities began at 4, and were scheduled well into the night. For those that slept well the night before, a cup of espresso or a generic energy drink was all it took to get them re-energized for the night. Those plagued by inappropriate dreams of their boss, however, were destined to bail before the 9pm show began.  

“I’m sorry. It’s gorgeous and you guys are amazing for getting me in, I just literally can’t keep my eyes open.” Jane told her friends as she hugged them goodbye and got into one of the cars designated for their team. A quick ride back to the hotel, Jane stopped in Sutton’s room to change into some PJ’s and grab her toiletry bag, then made her way up to the 36th floor. Stepping off the elevator, she saw only two doors; one labeled ‘vending’, the other ‘penthouse’. Jane took a deep breath and unlocked the penthouse door. Jacqueline had opened all the curtains, allowing the floor to ceiling windows to give an unobstructed view of the Eiffel Tower and the city lights reflecting off the Seine. “Wow” she whispered to herself. 

After staring out the window for a considerable amount of time, Jane took in the beauty of the large room before spotting a note for her on the counter of the kitchenette.  

‘There’s some food in the fridge, help yourself to the minibar, or call room service if need be. Make yourself at home. The TV is in the bedroom, but you’re welcome to watch it. Relax and enjoy your vacation, Jane. -J”  

Jane’s breath caught in her throat as the reread the letter. The thought of laying in a bed that Jacqueline had laid in only hours before was causing her blood pressure to spike. She grabbed a glass of water and bravely made her way into the bedroom. She knew she didn’t have the energy to stay up and watch anything, but she couldn’t resist the opportunity to lay in that bed. Placing the glass on the nightstand, Jane walked into the en suite bathroom, washed her face and brushed her teeth. She couldn’t help but notice the glasses case beside the sink. Cracking it open, she admired the tortoise shell glasses perched upon blue velvet. She smiled warmly as she pictured them on the blonde. Closing the case, she returned her toiletries to the bag and placed it on the nightstand. She grabbed the remote and turned on the TV, flipping it to a movie channel that was playing Les Miserables. “Typical.” she laughed to herself and put the remote on the bed bedside her before laying her head on the pillows, her heavy eyes finally getting the relief they needed. 

-------------- 

Jacqueline stepped into the Penthouse around 11pm. The shows would continue for hours, but she slipped out undetected. Seeing Jane’s key on the counter beside the note, Jacqueline smiled to herself and glanced over to the couch to see it still in its seating state. She raised her eyebrows and made her way to the bedroom, pushing open the cracked door and seeing an extremely adorable Jane Sloan curled up on the right side of the bed, her breath slow and even. Jacqueline couldn’t stop the butterflies and felt her smile start to sting the muscles in her cheeks. She changed into her own pajamas, removed the evening’s makeup, put on her glasses and walked back into the room in time for “A Little Fall of Rain” to begin on the TV. She reached for the remote and turned it off before turning her attention back to the brunette.  

“Jane. Sweetheart. Do you want to get under the covers?” Jacqueline spoke softly and gently brushed the hair out of the young woman’s face. Jane didn’t open her eyes, just grumbled and pulled the comforter down enough that Jacqueline could pull the rest out from under her before replacing it up to her shoulders. Jacqueline stepped to her side of the bed and got in, taking off her glasses and turning off the lights. She exhaled the breath she didn’t realize she’d be holding and began to rub her eyes when Jane turned into her side. “Thank you.” she whispered against the blonde’s shoulder.  

Jacqueline couldn’t help but turn and place a soft kiss on Jane’s forehead. “Sweet dreams, love.” she whispered and enjoyed the moment while it lasted. 

Hours later, a sliver of light began to peek through the curtains, and Jane awoke to a weight across her ribs. It wasn’t uncomfortable, but unexpected. She opened her eyes and found herself engulfed in the arms of the blonde, an arm under her pillow and another wrapped tightly around her midsection. Jane’s heart began to flutter and she had to actively control her breathing. She squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again just in case it was a dream, but the warm breath she felt on the back of her neck was an anchor to reality, and the reality was that she was currently Jacqueline Carlyle’s little spoon. The thought made her smile and she started to glance over her shoulder at the woman who began to stir, only to tighten her hold and pull the brunette closer. Jane felt the warmth radiate up to her cheeks and she allowed herself to relax into the arms around her, returning to the best night’s sleep she’d had in ages.  

When Jacqueline’s alarm rang at 7:30am she struggled to untangle herself from the brunette’s embrace. At some point during the night, she’d locked Jane in her arms, and when she awoke their fingers were laced together. The only thing pulling her from that moment was the fear that the alarm would wake Jane, and she’d panic finding herself in that position. Jacqueline reluctantly slipped her hand free and reached behind her, grabbing her cell phone and turning off the alarm. Jane didn’t stir, and Jacqueline felt the corner of her mouth twitch in a small smile, knowing that Jane was finally resting. She stood from the bed and watched the young woman for a few extra moments before slipping into the bathroom to get ready for a long day of meetings, runway shows and photoshoots.  

Jane stirred shortly after, to the aroma of fresh coffee wafting from the other room. She hopped in the bathroom and got herself cleaned up before walking into the kitchenette to find it empty, save for a new note on the counter.  

“Made some fresh coffee. Help yourself, and enjoy the day! I’ll see you at dinner. -J”  

Jane poured herself a cup and clutched the note in her hand. She needed to talk to the girls. Now.  

---------- 

“Tiny spoon!” Sutton exclaimed as she put on her make up in the bathroom.  

“That’s amazing, Jane. Really.” Kat grabbed the girl’s hands and smiled.  

“I don’t even know how to process this. I’m sure it meant nothing to her, I just... I’ve never slept so well in my life. It was the first night in months that I haven’t woken up from a dream with her in it and felt knot in my stomach.” 

“That’s because reality was better than the dreams.” Sutton said pointedly.  

Jane blushed and shook her head to herself. “I feel like this has all become about me, I’m so sorry. Sutton, how are things with Richard?” Jane tried to change the subject. 

“They're great, moving on. Are you staying with her again tonight?” Sutton finished applying her lipstick and stepped into the room.  

“I mean, I want to. She left me a note saying she’d see me at dinner tonight. But it’s a business dinner, so I'm sure it means nothing.” 

Kat and Sutton both looked at each other and rolled their eyes. “What are you so scared of, Jane?” Kat asked softly.  

Jane took in a shaky breath and tried to put her feelings into words. “I just... I know what Richard said, but she’s still married. And she’s Jacqueline Carlyle, for God’s sake. I can’t offer her anything. She lives this luxurious life and has the entire world at her fingertips. I live in a shitty one bedroom apartment with a roommate on a futon, no offense Sutton, and I make less than $30,000 a year. Even if she was single, there’s no reason for her to choose me. So why should I put myself through this? Like I don’t have enough shit going on in my life right now? Do I really need to add ‘falling in love with your unattainable boss’ to the list of things to cry myself to sleep about?” 

“Are you in love with her?” Sutton asked softly, placing a tender hand on her friends shoulder. 

“I’m trying so hard not to be.” The crack in her voice lead to both girls sandwiching the brunette in a group hug, letting her cry it out for a few minutes.  

“Listen,” Kat began. “You know we have work stuff today and there’s the Fashion Week farewell dinner tonight, but I couldn’t help but notice that there’s a little bar with live karaoke across the street. Maybe after dinner we can sneak out and go jam a little bit for our last night?” The young woman suggested, wiping residual tears from the other brunette’s cheeks. 

“That sounds perfect.” Jane smiled and sniffled.  

Chapter Text

-----------CHAPTER 3------------  

Jane spent the afternoon wandering the streets around the hotel, trying desperately to find an outfit for dinner. It was a casual dinner, Scarlet employees only, jeans were acceptable, but Jane wanted something to stand out, without blowing the entire $1,859 in her checking account. She was about to give up and just ask to raid Kat or Sutton’s suitcase, when she came upon a shopping plaza, complete with an H&M. “Finally.” She whispered to herself. Perusing the shelves, Jane picked out an army green, satin and lace camisole. The color reminded her of the sports bra Jacqueline had worn for her run the previous morning and Jane smiled to herself as she made her way back to the hotel.  

Black skinny jeans? Check. Satin and lace camisole? Check. Hair? Beach waves and braided back on one side? Check. Leather moto jacket? Check. Black ankle boots? Check. Make up? Check. Deodorant? Check. Perfume? 

 “...Perfume. Perfu—Check!” Jane said to herself as she sprayed her Victoria’s Secret Bombshell Nights perfume and stepped through the mist. Kat ran to her room to change, while Sutton and Richard dressed in the bedroom. Moments later, Sutton and Richard emerged in their own business casual attire and they gathered by the elevator as Kat jogged around the corner to meet them. They were sharing a laugh about Kat’s failed track career when the elevator bell dinged and the doors opened to reveal an always ethereal Jacqueline Carlyle. Jane’s breath caught in her throat as her eyes took in Jacqueline’s own black skinny jeans, Louboutin heels, and a nearly half unbuttoned, sheer, black and white, vertical striped button down French tucked into the front of her jeans.  

“Hi.” Jane breathed out, unable to move, or tear her eyes away. Jacqueline smiled and motioned for everyone to join her in the elevator, but Jane was frozen. Sensing her delay, Kat linked their arms together and discreetly dragged her into the lift, allowing her to stand beside the blonde.  

“You all look fabulous tonight.” Jacqueline said warmly, lightly bumping her arm into Janes. They all thanked her and returned the compliment before lightly chatting amongst themselves as more people entered the elevator. Jane and Jacqueline were nearly flush against the back wall, arms pressed against each other to make room, when Jane turned her head and caught those stunning blue eyes. “You look amazing.” She spoke, just above a whisper, but not loud enough for anyone other than Jacqueline to hear. The woman smiled and Jane was certain she saw her blush before she felt her squeeze her hand and whisper “Thank you, Jane” in response.  

The elevator doors opened and they began to make their way towards the hotel’s dining room when Jacqueline’s phone rang. “Give me just a second, you guys. I’ll be right in.” she spoke to the group and they nodded. Jane paused a split second longer and overheard her answer the call. “Hello, my love.” Jacqueline spoke and Jane forced herself to look away. The moment they shared in the elevator felt like filling her lungs with oxygen after breaking the surface of the ocean. The phone call felt like a rogue wave, dragging her under and ripping the air from those lungs. Jacqueline felt the hazel eyes on her and looked up in time to see Jane’s face fall before Kat linked their arms again and walked her into the dining room.  

Kat gave the girl’s hand a squeeze before taking her seat. Their reservation has originally been for 10, but with the recent addition of Jane and Richard, two additional places were added to the large, round table. Name cards were placed on each plate and Jane’s heart skipped a beat when she saw Jacqueline’s name with Jane’s placed upon the first plate to her left. Jane, Sutton, Richard and Kat to her left, with Oliver, Andrew, and three other Fashion department employees to her right. “Kat...” Jane spoke softly and Kat didn’t skip a beat. She rearranged the place cards before anyone was the wiser, placing Richard beside Jacqueline, followed by Sutton, Kat, then Jane. Jane let out a shaky breath and took her seat, mouthing “thank you” to her friend as the rest of the group began to arrive.  

Jacqueline proceeded to the table and couldn’t help but notice the change in her seating arrangement. She caught Jane’s eye and her expression flashed hurt for a brief moment before she put on her trademark Jacqueline smile and thanked everyone for their hard work this week. She took her seat and engaged in conversation with Richard and Oliver, her eyes continually trailing back to Jane, who tried desperately to avoid looking in her direction.  

Dinner was uneventful. Delicious, but Jane was growing increasingly uncomfortable and really just wanted a drink much stronger than the wine served with dinner. As the meal came to a close, she leaned over to Kat and their eyes trailed to the door. Kat whispered to Sutton, who in turn telephoned to Richard that they would be heading across the street to the bar. The two of the three women thanked Jacqueline for dinner and excused themselves, Richard and Jacqueline both watching them exit the dining room, Kat and Sutton’s arms wrapped around Jane, who had barely cracked a smile since exiting the elevator.  

“She heard you answer your husband.” Richard spoke softly, so as not to be overheard by the others.  

“My husband? I...” Jacqueline was confused before the realization sunk in and she sighed. “My son. My youngest called just before dinner.” Richard sighed. Jacqueline’s eyes were glued to the girls now crossing the street outside the window.  

“I may have shared a small amount of information with her.” Richard admitted. Jacqueline’s eyes never left the girls. 

“How small?” 

“Small enough for her to realize that her feelings may not be completely one-sided.” he sipped from his wine glass. 

Jacqueline saw Jane throw a quick glance over her shoulder, back to the dining room window and their eyes met for a split second before she walked into the bar. “Her feelings?” 

“You’re a smart woman, Jacqueline. I know the corporate bullshit is a lot to handle right now. But the one good thing that could come out of it all is that you could have a chance to be with her. Take it from me, I kind of understand what you’re feeling.” 

“I don’t want to hurt her, Richard.” Jacqueline exhaled as she closed her eyes. 

“Then don’t.” 

-------------- 

4 shots of Patrón Silver had Jane feeling pretty cozy. She brushed the remaining salt from her hand as she sucked the juice from the lime wedge. Kat and Sutton laughed as they mirrored her actions and returned to the book of music in front of them. “Alright, we’ve successfully reprised our amazing cover of ‘Mamma Mia’, I think it might be time for a Jane solo.” Kat said as she shifted the book towards the shorter woman. 

“Oh, I have a song, but I need at least one more shot before I get through that one. Can we do one more group number?” Jane asked and pouted for good measure.  

“You’re lucky you’re cute, Sloan. Alright, what’s next?” Kat chuckled. 

“Maybeeeee... some Walk The Moon?” Jane smiled and clapped when Sutton and Kat agreed. They approached the band and selected their song, waiting for the musicians to glance over the music, never noticing the two newest patrons entering the bar.  

Jacqueline and Richard slipped through the door and found a booth in the back corner, a great view of the stage, but tucked away enough to not be noticed. Richard ordered two beers and brought them back to the table just in time for the guitar riff to begin.  

Oh, don’t you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me.  

I said ‘you’re holding back’  

she said ‘shut up and dance with me’  

This woman is my destiny, she said oooh oooh 

Shut up and dance with me.  

Jacqueline had witnessed the friendship grow between the three young women throughout their time at Scarlet. She knew they were close, knew they had become each other’s family. She did not, however, know they could sing. Surprise covered her face as Richard glanced back at her and laughed, knowing all too well how often these girls sang karaoke.  

We were victims of the night.  

The chemical, physical kryptonite.  

Helpless to the bass and the fading light.  

Oh, we were bound to get together.  

Bound to get together.  

She took my arm, I don’t know how it happened.  

We took the floor and she saiddddd  

Jacqueline had never seen Jane so carefree. The smile never left her face as she sang and jumped around with her friends. The entire bar cheered them on and sang along, the girls feeding off their energy. Even the band was surprised at how well the girls commanded the room. They spent most nights plowing through the music while a singer tried to follow along and usually failed. Tonight was a pleasant surprise. 

The girls finished their song and the nearly full bar erupted with applause and cheers, none louder than those from the booth in the corner. Sutton noticed Richard’s whistle and spotted them, but chose not to divulge the information to her small, tipsy friend. Jane took another shot and shook it out before taking a deep breath. “I think I'm ready.” she spoke to the girls. 

“Jane Solo?” 

“Jane Solo.” the brunette nodded and approached the stage. 

“Do you have any idea what she’s singing?” Kat asked Sutton. 

“That’s a negative, but she’s got an attentive audience in the corner.” Sutton informed her and nodded to the booth. 

“Aw shit.” Kat smirked and offered a small wave to Jacqueline and Richard, who tipped their beers in her direction before turning their attention back to the stage. 

“So, um... hi. I’m Jane.” Jane spoke into the microphone as she sat at the piano. 

“Hi Jane!” the voices in the room boomed back at her. She couldn’t help but laugh and try to block the light from her eyes as she glanced out across the bar, trying to find her friends and swearing she saw a familiar blonde in the corner. She shook the thought from her mind and blamed it on the Tequila before returning to the mic. 

“Hi.” She spoke softly. “I hope you won’t mind if I slow it down a little bit. I really love this song and it’s one of only a few that I can successfully play on the piano.” she laughed lightly and began to stroke the keys, playing “I Should Go” by Levi Kreiss a step higher than usual.  

Kat and Sutton slowly made their way toward the booth in the corner, watching Jane and knowing this was something she needed.  

Here we are, isn’t it familiar?  

Haven’t had someone to talk to in such a long time  

And it’s strange, all we have in common  

And your company was just the thing I needed tonight.  

Some how I feel I should apologize  

‘cause I'm just a little shaken by what’s going on inside  

I should go, before my will gets any weaker  

And my eyes begin to linger longer than they should  

I should go, before I lose my sense of reason  

And this hour holds more meaning than it ever could  

I should go. I should go, baby, I should go.  

Jacqueline was certain she hadn’t breathed since Jane began to sing. A song she wasn’t familiar with, but one she’d never forget. Jane was sure she felt those piercing eyes on her, once again chalking it up to the tequila, she continued. 

It’s so hard keeping my composure  

I pretend I don’t see how your body curves beneath your clothes.  

And your laugh is pure and unaffected  

It frightens me to know so well the place I shouldn’t go.  

But I know I've gotta take the noble path  

‘cause I don’t want you to question the intensions that I have.  

Jane closed her eyes and sang the chorus again, tears stinging her eyes as she remembered waking up that morning with Jacqueline’s arms around her. The feeling of soft, tender fingers laced between her own, warm breath across the back of her neck, and a comfort she’d never felt in the arms of Ben, Pinstripe, or any other man she’d shared a bed with.  

By the time Jane snapped out of her reverie, she realized she’d finished the song and the bar was applauding. She stood and bowed before exiting the stage and accepting high fives from patrons she passed. “Tiny Jane!” Sutton and Kat both cheered to get her attention and the brunette started their direction. When they met her for a group hug, she peered over their shoulders and saw a glossy eyed Jacqueline offering a small smile back at her. Jane froze and the girls held her tighter. “oh shit” Jane whispered under her breath. 

“Don’t panic. Just sit. She was hella impressed.” they encouraged her. “I’m gonna go get you some water.” Kat said when they pulled away, Sutton taking a seat beside Richard, leaving an open spot beside the blonde. Jane took a shaky breath and sat. 

“That was beautiful, Jane.” Jacqueline spoke softly. “I had no idea you could sing like that.” 

“Thank you.” Jane kept a solid 8 to 10 inches between them and refused to meet her gaze. Jacqueline felt the disconnect and reached her hand across the seat towards Jane’s, which pulled away like it had been burned the moment they made contact. Jacqueline could’ve sworn she felt something inside her crack. 

Kat returned with a glass of water and gave Sutton a look. “You know, I think we’re gonna go wander around for a little bit since we’ve kinda had to work this whole time. Jacqueline, would you mind making sure Jane gets back to the hotel tonight?” 

Jane shot a look of terror to the director of social media and watched her take Sutton’s hand and pull her from the booth with Richard in tow. 

“My pleasure, you guys have fun and be safe. I’ll see you all bright and early tomorrow morning.” Jacqueline waved as they exited the bar, then turned her attention to the young woman beside her. “So, how long have you played piano?” she asked as she took a sip from her beer. 

“You don’t have to do this.” Jane stared at the glass of water between her hands. 

“Do what?” Jacqueline replied, angling her body slightly toward the girl. 

“This. Make small talk. Babysit me. I had some shots, I'm not trashed. It’s a short walk across the street. You don’t have to stay.” 

Jacqueline reached her arm across the back of the booth and began to lower it down onto Jane’s shoulders when she flinched again. Another crack. “I enjoy getting to know you, Jane. I want to know you. And right now I want to know why I can’t touch you without you pulling away.“ Jane had never heard Jacqueline’s voice waver with such emotion, which forced her to lower her walls and look at the older woman, whose eyes had moved beyond glossy and were now brimming with unshed tears.  

“I’m sorry.” Jane whispered an apology and fought the urge to touch the woman’s cheek.  

“Just talk to me, Jane. Please.” Jacqueline pleaded. 

“I don’t think I can. Not about this.”  

“Why?” 

“I think you know why.” Hello, tequila. Jane’s gaze fell to the blonde’s lips and it took every ounce of willpower to look away. Was there anyone else in the bar at that point? In the world, even? It surely didn’t feel like it. 

Jacqueline took a deep breath and slowly reached her hand to the young woman’s face, silently praying she wouldn’t pull away this time. “Jane...” Every time Jacqueline said her name, it sounded different than the last. Who knew four letters could sound so desperate? So painful? So heartbreaking, and earth shattering, yet so full of... Jane wasn’t sure, but she wanted to believe it was love.  

Jane closed her eyes as the gentle hand cupped her cheek and she leaned into it as tears she didn’t realize were here to visit came rolling down those flushed cheeks. “I’m so sorry.” Jane choked back a sob that appeared out of nowhere. 

Jacqueline shook her head softly, “for what?” 

“I didn’t mean for this.” 

“You didn’t mean for what?” the Blonde tipped up the brunette’s fallen chin and wiped errant tears. “Hey, look at me.” Jane tried to pull her face away to cover the traitorous tears. “Please?” Jacqueline whispered. Hazel eyes finally opened and met blue. “You didn’t mean for what, Jane?” the woman still held the younger’s face.  

Jane felt the fifth shot kick in, the warm buzz in her limbs, the lightness in her head and the heaviness on her eyelids. But worst of all, the dam that held back those sober thoughts had been compromised and she had no ability to stop them from spilling out. “I really wanna kiss you.” she whispered and let herself drown in blue orbs. Jacqueline felt the surprise cross her face as she inhaled a long, slow breath. 

“What’s stopping you?” Jacqueline whispered back, unconsciously leaning in closer.  Jane was certain she was dreaming, but at that point she didn’t care. She just hoped she didn’t moan Jacqueline’s name in her sleep. She pulled her gaze from Jacqueline’s eyes and let it fall to her lips before closing the gap between them. Jane had lost count of the number of times she imagined kissing her editor, but none of her dreams felt like this. A strong, yet tender hand slipped from her cheek to the nape of her neck, cradling the back of her head and gently grabbing a fistful of auburn hair after nails softly scraped her scalp. She involuntarily whimpered and brought her hands up to either side of the blonde’s neck as she felt a tentative tongue brush her bottom lip. The kiss deepened and Jane couldn’t help thinking that this was the best dream ever. She could taste the bitterness of the beer on the woman’s tongue. She could feel the warmth of Jacqueline’s left hand that came up to lace fingers between her own against the woman’s neck. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest and was sure she’d wake up in a sweat any second now. 

“I don’t wanna wake up.” she groaned when they broke for air. 

“You’re not dreaming, love.” Jacqueline smiled and pressed their foreheads together.  

Jane’s eyes fluttered open and she slowly pulled away. “I’m... Did I... Oh my god. Oh my god.” Panic. She was definitely panicking. “I didn’t- Jacqueline, i’m so sorry! I... oh god.” She started to scoot out of the booth but a strong hand caught her wrist. 

“Jane, please don’t run.” 

“Jacqueline, I’m so sorry.” 

Jacqueline grabbed her clutch from the corner of the booth and stood, keeping her hand on Jane’s wrist as they exited the bar, before linking arms in the street and crossing to the hotel. Neither woman said a word as they entered the empty elevator and began the ascent to the penthouse. It was a little after 10pm, and the elevator didn’t make any stops along the way up. Not that an additional rider would’ve caught them in a precarious position. The women stood about a foot apart as the lift climbed 36 floors, exiting silently, before Jacqueline unlocked the door and motioned for Jane to enter the room. Jane stepped in and sat on the couch while Jacqueline grabbed two water bottles, then sat beside her. She accepted the bottle offered and took a sip, once again avoiding those piercing blues.  

“You’re not in trouble, Jane.” Jacqueline spoke lightly.  

“I kissed you.” she shook her head. 

“I wanted you to.”  

Chapter Text

----------CHAPTER 4---------

Jane’s head shot up and she met those eyes. “I wanted you to kiss me, Jane. I enjoyed that kiss. Very much.” Jacqueline admitted.

“What about him?” Jacqueline sighed. “I heard you on the phone tonight.” Anger and bitterness slowly seeping into Jane’s tone.

“What you heard was me speaking with my son. My husband and I separated a few months ago.” Jacqueline sipped from her own bottle.

Jane’s jaw went slightly slack. “I... Jacqueline, I had no idea. I’m so sorry.”

“He’s my best friend, he’s the father of my children and I love him very much. I always will. But we’ve had an arrangement for a long time and it worked well for a while, however it no longer works for us. That being said, my son called to let me know he made it to his dad’s after a camping trip this past week.”

“I’m sorry I assumed otherwise.”

“I can’t say I wouldn’t have done the same thing if the roles were reversed.” Jacqueline took the girls hand in her own. “This isn’t something I take lightly, Jane. I hope you know that.”

“What do you mean?” Jane asked, watching the thumb softly rubbing her knuckles.

“I’ve been with other women in my life, but I've never had feelings for someone I’ve worked with. It does make things a bit more complicated.”

“Yeah, you’re not wrong.”

Jacqueline offered the young woman a soft smile and caught her eyes. “How do you feel about all of this?”

“Honestly?” Jane sighed. “I’m still not entirely convinced I’m not dreaming.” she chuckled, which earned her a laugh in return, a sound she was sure she'd never tire of.

The blonde looked at the brunette warmly and grabbed her other hand. “What do I have to do to convince you that this is real?”

Jane swallowed hard and shook her head. “Ohhh don’t ask me that, I had a lot of tequila, remember?” she laughed and ducked her head.

“That you did.” Jacqueline agreed. “How would you feel about getting ready for bed and maybe just watching some tv?”

“That sounds amazing.”

Jacqueline stood and offered her hands back to the girl who took them and followed suit. “My pajamas are downstairs.” Jane pointed a thumb towards the door.

“Why don’t you run down and get cleaned up, meet back up here in 10 minutes?” Jacqueline asked, running her fingers through auburn hair. Jane nodded and walked out the door, leaning against it from the outside once it closed. She breathed deeply and placed her hand across her heart, feeling it pump wildly in her chest. Maybe she wasn’t dreaming after all.

Dressed in a pair of sleep shorts and matching button down pajama shirt, Jane brushed her teeth, used extra mouthwash, washed off her makeup, moisturized, and took the small braid out of her hair before making her way back upstairs. She unlocked the door and stepped inside, the curtains open, exposing the city. She saw the bedroom door closed so she walked to the window to admire the view.

Jacqueline stepped out of the room in a navy henley with the long sleeves pulled to her elbows and a pair of charcoal pajama pants. She stepped behind the shorter girl and placed a hand on her shoulder as she moved to her side. “It’s so beautiful.” Jane said softly.

“Yes, it is.” Jacqueline replied, her eyes never leaving the brunette. Jane blushed profusely and felt a shiver run down her spine as nimble fingers ran through the tips of her hair. Jane turned to see the woman in her glasses and a smile broke across her face.

“Those glasses look great on you.” Jane reached up and touched Jacqueline’s cheek, earning her a small eye roll and a chuckle.

“You think so?” Jacqueline smiled.

“I do.” Jane answered and ran her fingers through blonde locks. Jacqueline closed her eyes and leaned into the touch. Opening her eyes, she searched Jane’s before closing the gap between them and placing a soft kiss upon her lips. The lights of Paris glistened behind them. Both women sighed into each other. “Shall we?” the brunette asked when they pulled away.

Jacqueline’s heavy lidded eyes fluttered open and she nodded, allowing herself to be led into the bedroom.

They returned to their sides from the night before, pulling back the covers and laying down, keeping some space between themselves. Neither one entirely sure what was allowed. Jacqueline propped herself up against the headboard and grabbed the remote, landing on an episode of How It’s Made. “I love this show.” Jane said softly, glancing up at the blonde.

“Me too.” Jacqueline smiled and put the remote on the nightstand. It took a minute, but she finally put her arm out and nodded her head. Jane smiled and curled her body into Jacqueline’s side, laying her arm across the woman’s stomach as she rested her head on her shoulder. They watched the episode in silence before Jane found her voice.

“Jacqueline?” Jane’s voice barely above a whisper.

“Yes?” Jacqueline ran her fingers across the young woman’s back.

 “What happens when we get back to New York?” Jane heard Jacqueline’s sharp intake of air and felt her fingers stop.

“Honestly, Jane? I’m not sure yet.” Jacqueline answered. Jane sat up and put some distance between them.

“I see.” Jane couldn’t hide the disappointment in her voice.

Jacqueline reached out and Jane pulled her hand away to cross her arms. The blonde’s face fell. “It’s complicated, Jane. More complicated than you realize.”

“So what happens in Paris stays in Paris?”

“Jane,” Jacqueline couldn’t hide the hurt in her own voice.

“It’s fine.” Jane put on a fake smile, shook her head and leaned back against the headboard.

Jacqueline sighed and ran frustrated hands through her hair. “They’re coming for my job, Jane.”

“What?”

Jacqueline battled with how much to share, but decided she’d withheld enough. “The board has been looking to replace me. It’s the reason why I was reluctant to publish your article this week. I didn’t want to give them a reason to push the button, but... being here, spending this time with you, I've realized that... it might be time.”

Jane sat forward, turning towards the other woman, this time reaching for her hand herself. “They can’t do that. You ARE Scarlet, Jacqueline. This magazine doesn’t work without you. We want you here. I want you here. Who’s spearheading this witch hunt?”

“Jane...” A gentle warning.

“Who is it?”

Jacqueline sighed. “If I had to guess? Cleo? But I'm not sure it’s just one person, Jane. I think the powers that be have wanted an excuse for a while. You don’t need to worry about this, though.”

“Yes, I do. I don’t want you to lose your job, Jacqueline!”

“If I don’t work for Scarlet then I can be with you, Jane.” The weight of the statement hanging heavy between them.

“So if you... If you stay at Scarlet... you can’t be with me.” Jane reiterated as it sunk in.

“We’d definitely have to be careful. No one could know, no one could suspect, it would give them the ammunition they need, and it could ruin your reputation.”

“And yours.”

“And mine.”

“What do you want?”

“I want you. I love my job, I love Scarlet and I love my life. But the thought of seeing you in the bullpen every day and not being able to touch you the way I’d like to might just be a little too much for me now.”

Jane swallowed hard and nodded. “I get that, definitely… but... we’ve worked this long without tearing each others clothes off, I think we might be able to handle the challenge.” She smirked, and Jacqueline’s perfectly shaped eyebrows lifted in amusement.

“Is that so?” she teased.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure it’ll be kinda tough, especially when you wear those sheer button downs like you had on tonight.” Jane’s smirk grew into a smile and she laced their fingers together.

“Oh really? A sheer shirt does it for you?”

“I think you do it for me,” Jane flirted and lowered her voice, feeling more confident than she had in days. “But the shirts don’t hurt.”

“So noted, Miss Sloan.” Jacqueline purred and captured her lips. The spent the evening tangled in each others arms, taking breaks from the TV to explore the others mouth, determining what she liked, what made her gasp, what made her moan, what made her almost cross a line Jane was sure she wasn’t ready for just yet. But they stopped, gasping for air like teenagers, knowing they needed to slow down before they went too far. Jacqueline was the one to pull away, placing a hand on Jane’s chest and putting an arms length between them.

“You’re really, very good at that.” Jacqueline chuckled as she ran her fingers through her hair and tried to regain some composure. She hadn’t made out like this since Jane was in grade school, a thought she tried to push from her mind. Not the image she needed at the moment.

“I would say ‘lots of practice’ but that’s not really true.” Jane laughed and laid back against the pillows, her chest heaving as she caught her breath.

“Well, you could’ve fooled me.” Jacqueline smiled and leaned back herself. “You ready to actually get some sleep, now that’s its…” she pressed the button on her iPhone, “Jesus. 2:27am. Ugh. We have to be up in 5 hours.” She threw herself back against the pillows.

“Ah, YOU have to be up in 5 hours. My flight’s not until 1:15pm.” Jane smirked and then her smile fell, realizing the metaphorical honeymoon was over.

“You couldn’t get on the same flight home?” Jacqueline turned her head to gaze at the brunette.

“I think the only seats left were in first class. Kat’s miles were for coach.”

Jacqueline nodded in understanding and grabbed her phone while Jane excused herself to the bathroom. Moments later, she returned as Jacqueline put her phone back down.

“Well, as your boss, if I have to be up at 7:30 for a flight, so do you. A first class ticket will be printed and left under the door before we check out tomorrow.”

“You… What? Are you kidding?” Jane asked, in shock.

“Call me crazy, but I don’t particularly like the thought of leaving you in a foreign country while the rest of us get on a plane 3 hours before you. I know you’re an adult, and more than capable of taking care of yourself, but I think I’d rather have you with me.” Jacqueline explained. Jane just blinked a few times before a smile broke across her face.

“You’re unbelievable.” She shook her head and placed a kiss on the blonde’s cheek.

------

The 7:30 alarm went off on her phone, but this time Jacqueline wasn’t as quick to break the embrace she found herself in. The weight across her legs belonged to the brunette, as well as the arm draped lazily across her hips. Jacqueline smiled and turned off the alarm before placing a kiss to the top of Jane’s head.

“Wake up, sweetheart.” She spoke softly, brushing the hair out of Jane’s face. Jane furrowed her brow and took a deep breath, a smile appearing across her face as the recollection of the night before flashed in her mind.

“Good morning.” She smiled and cracked open her eyes.

“Good morning.” Jacqueline smiled back, reveling in the sounds of Jane's sleepy voice. “As much as I hate to disturb you, and I really do because you look so stinking cute, I know you have to run back downstairs and pack. I didn’t really give you a lot of notice for your change of plans.”

Jane groaned and sat up. “Damnit. You’re right.” 

“I usually am.” Jacqueline quipped, which earned her a smirk and a side eye before a pillow connected with her stomach.

-----

Jane unlocked the door to the hotel room and was greeted by Sutton and Richard, sitting on the couch like two parents, awaiting the child home past curfew.

“Uhhh… morning?” Jane laughed as they eyed her from the couch.

“Good morning? We didn’t even receive a text last night that you got back to the hotel safely, we’ve been worried sick!” Sutton exaggerated.

“You have Find My Friends. You literally track my phone all the time.” Jane shook her head.

Sutton raised her hand to cut him off before Richard even began his statement. “That’s beside the point!” She paused, took a deep breath, and continued, “so did you do it?” she finished with a lewd smile.

“OH my god, Sutton.” Jane blushed and reached for her suitcase.

“Oh my god, You DID do it!”

“Nobody DID anything! We… kissed. A lot.” Jane fought the smile but it won.

Sutton squealed and jumped up, pulling the shorter girl into a hug. “I’m so proud of you!”

“Oh my god, please make her stop.”

“If only.” Richard shook his head and sipped his coffee.

“She also got me a ticket on your flight home, which means I need to pack… so… maybe we save the jumping for later?”

“She WHAT? You’re flying back with us? Like… in a couple hours, not in a lot of hours?”

“Yes, so, packing? Necessary.”

“I got you, girl.” Sutton said and began grabbing pieces of clothing to return to the suitcase.

20 minutes later, Jane was dressed in her best full length yoga pants, the ones that made her ass look good, a strappy bralette, a loose tank top, and an oversized, Victoria’s Secret Pink half zip sweatshirt. Her athleisure look was en pointe, the zipper completely unzipped, revealing the crisscrossed straps of her bralette. Sutton gave her the once over, added a thumbs up, and they rolled their luggage into the hall to meet Kat at the elevators. The doors opened and Jane hoped to see her standing in the back again. She wasn’t so lucky this time. They huddled into the elevator with their luggage and rode down to the lobby.

Stepping out onto the marble floors, Jane heard the woman before she saw her. Evidently the transportation for their group had arrived. Jacqueline turned to see who was ready and caught Jane’s eye, a smile immediately gracing her beautiful face. “Good morning,” she nodded and gave Jane a slightly longer stare than the others. “We’ve got two vans shuttling us to the airport.” Jacqueline glanced around, seeing Oliver step off the elevator with Andrew and two of his three assistants. “Ah, Oliver. The vans are here. If you’d like I can take this group with me in the first van, and you can chaperone the others?” she smirked to her friend.

Oliver agreed, noting that his last employee was getting his coffee, so it was only fair. Jacqueline nodded to the others, “Everybody ready?” they agreed and stepped out to the street.

Sutton and Richard were first to have their luggage loaded, therefor first into the van. They settled into the third row and spoke quietly to themselves. Kat volunteered to sit in the front seat, hoping for a distraction to keep her from texting Adena about whether or not she’d be meeting them at the airport. Jane and Jacqueline stood shoulder to shoulder before handing their luggage to the driver and making their way to the seats. The middle row had a smaller bench, one that sat only two, as opposed to the larger third row. Sutton gave Jane a quick wink and a smile before Jacqueline could see her and the two women took their seats. There was no way for them not to be firmly pressed against each other, not that either of them minded, but discretion was still a factor.

Jacqueline noticed Kat typing furiously on her phone, paying no attention to anyone around her. Sutton and Richard softly carried on a conversation, so she reached over and placed her hand on Jane’s spandex covered thigh. The barely audible gasp from the brunette filled the blonde with pride as she leaned over to whisper “those pants look incredible on you.”

Jane blushed furiously and placed her hand over the blondes. “I thought you might appreciate them.” She flirted back. Discretion might have to wait. Jacqueline knew everyone in the van, minus the driver, was aware of their situation. She hardly wanted to flaunt it, but figured it was a safe space.

She cleared her throat and addressed the group, “I’m not naïve enough to believe the three of you are unaware of current situation between myself and Jane, I’d just like to remind you that I expect the utmost discretion.” Kat turned and crossed her heart, Sutton and Richard agreeing as well. “Good.” That was easy. Jane smiled and rested her head on the woman’s shoulder as she heard the couple behind them resume their conversation.

“Another sheer shirt? Are you trying to make this harder for me?” Jane whispered.

“Challenge accepted, Miss. Sloan.” Jacqueline raised an eyebrow and lightly bit her bottom lip.

“Oh, now that’s playing dirty.” Jane let her hand slip to the inside of Jacqueline’s thigh, her thumb brushing lightly over the dark denim, not dissimilar to the outfit Jacqueline wore the previous evening. This time opting for a semi-sheer white blouse. Jane’s eyes wandered to the buttons of the blouse, noticing how little cleavage she could actually see. That was until Jacqueline rubbed a hand across her chest, discreetly giving her a momentary glimpse. Jane nearly squeaked, but squeezed the woman’s inner thigh a little harder. Jacqueline smiled and laced their fingers together as they enjoyed the rest of the ride to the airport.

After baggage check, customs ,and security, they finally settled in at their terminal and were joined by the rest of the group. Unfortunately, the arrival of the others meant Jane and Jacqueline had to keep a professional distance. Jane took that time to wander with Kat, picking out snacks for the flight and filling her in on the details she missed. Jane couldn’t resist stealing looks from across the terminal, and Jacqueline didn’t seem to mind. They received their boarding call and Jacqueline stood, giving Jane a small nod. Jane grabbed her carry on and followed the blonde onto the plane. The First Class cabin on this particular Virgin Airlines flight had two reclining leather seats per row, as opposed to individual, high walled seats that extended into beds. Jane and Jacqueline shared a row, and Jane was in awe of her surroundings.

“You know this was a terrible idea, right? I’m never gonna want to fly coach again.” She joked as she reclined her seat back.

“You never know, you may not ever have to.” Jacqueline said as she checked her phone before turning it off. Jane froze and failed to find any words in response. Jacqueline touched her arm lightly and nodded as the rest of their group began boarding. They all shot Jane jealous looks as they made their way into the economy cabin. Jane smiled at her friends as she sipped her champagne, which was then stolen from her hand by the passing Oliver. Jane’s jaw dropped and Jacqueline laughed as he continued his walk, draining the glass before he got to his seat.

With the rest of their party safely behind the privacy curtain, Jacqueline felt comfortable enough to take Jane’s hand. Jane removed her headphones and turned her attention to the woman beside her. “This really is amazing, Jacqueline, I can’t thank you enough.”

“You’re welcome, Jane. You know, earlier, you asked me what we would do once we were back home. I still don’t have all the answers, but I do know that I want to see you.”

“I mean, I’ll see you at the office tomorrow.” Jane joked, “I’d see you more if I had my old desk back.” Jacqueline rolled her eyes and gave the girl a look. Jane laughed and held up her hands defensively. “I’m just saying!”

“You think you could handle sitting at your old desk again? Now? After this week?” Jacqueline challenged her, leaning on the armrest between them, undoing an additional button on her blouse and exposing another inch of cleavage. Jane suddenly found it very hard to swallow.

“I think I like a challenge.” How she choked those words out she’ll never know, but she leaned closer to the armrest herself, using every ounce of self restraint to refrain from looking down.

“Perhaps we’ll have to see what we can do about that.” Jacqueline reached out and pulled a section of Jane’s hair over her shoulder, letting her fingers lightly tug on the ends, causing hazel eyes to flutter shut and goosebumps to rise upon her skin.

“You know, I think Sutton’s going to go back to Richard’s when we land. Do you want to come back to my place?” Who was this person speaking the words coming out of Jane’s mouth? She wasn’t sure, but clearly neither was Jacqueline, who looked as surprised as Jane felt.

This time it was Jacqueline’s turn to fumble over her words. “I- that’s- Jane, I would love to. But do you think that’s a good idea?”

Jane considered the implications and sighed. She knew she wasn’t ready. Jacqueline was the first woman she kissed and that happened less than 24 hours ago. Granted, it was all she could think about, but still. It was probably for the best that they not tempt fate. “What if I promise that we could just make out for a little bit?”

Jacqueline chuckled and held the younger woman’s face. “You’re not gonna make this easy on me at all, are you?”

Jane leaned in to Jacqueline’s ear and whispered “Game on, Carlyle” before taking the top of her ear between her teeth, grazing her way down before lightly licking the bottom of her earlobe. Now it was Jacqueline’s turn to have goosebumps. Jane couldn’t remember a time she’d ever made someone speechless in this way, but the fact that it was Jacqueline Carlyle gave her a sense of pride like never before.

Jacqueline crossed her legs tightly and leaned back against her seat. This was going to be a long flight.

Chapter Text

-----CHAPTER 5-------

As Jane suspected, Sutton decided to head straight to Richard’s after they landed. Jacqueline had her daily driver pick her up while the others waited in line for cabs or jumped on the subway. Once the group disbanded, Jacqueline was safe to escort Jane to the black town car waiting for them. Giving directions to Ricky, whom she learned had been Jacqueline’s driver for the last 14 years, they relaxed into the leather seat and let their hands connect between them.

“So, was Paris everything you imagined it would be?” Jacqueline asked.

Sighing out a smile, Jane met her eyes and gave her hand a light squeeze “More than you know.” Jacqueline returned the smile and they sat in a comfortable silence for the duration of the drive back to Brooklyn.

Jacqueline explained to Ricky that she needed him to take her luggage back to the condo, and she would call him when she needed a ride home in a few hours. The man understood and uttered a soft “Of course” to the woman as he pulled up to the curb. Jane offered the man a smile, which he returned before he stepped out to retrieve her bag from the trunk. Jacqueline gave him a gentle pat on the back and thanked him before following Jane toward the front door. Their conversation was light and effortless, both women laughing softly as Jane turned the key and pushed the door open. She flipped the light switch and found Ben sitting at the table with a vase full of Roses and a smile. It took him a moment to realize the woman behind Jane was not Sutton, but Jacqueline Carlyle herself, who looked equally surprised.

“Ben… what… what are you doing here?” Jane asked, suddenly feeling the apartment walls inching closer together.

He stepped to her and placed a chaste kiss on her lips before reaching his hand out to the blonde. “Ms. Carlyle, always a pleasure.” He shook her hand and placed a kiss on her cheek. Jacqueline’s real smile, the one she’d shown Jane more times than she could count in the last few days, was nowhere to be found. Instead, Jacqueline’s professional smile was on display. Gracious and warm, as always, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. Jane felt the room getting much smaller.

“I missed you, Jane. I was hoping we could catch up about your trip, maybe grab an early dinner.” He turned to the shorter woman.

Jane was afraid to look, but she felt Jacqueline’s piercing orbs on her. Finally met her eyes and saw an expression she couldn’t quite read.

“Well, then I will leave you to it! Ben, It was lovely to see you again. Jane, I’m glad you enjoyed Paris. It was wonderful having you there.” The grace with which Jacqueline presented herself was nothing short of majestic. Or perhaps she just wasn’t nearly as upset about the interruption, Jane couldn’t be sure. Jane reached out to give the woman a hug, the blonde accepting as Ben pulled the luggage away from the two and rolled it into Jane’s bedroom.

“Please don’t go.” The brunette whispered as she wrapped her arms tightly around the blonde’s shoulders. Jacqueline gave the girl a gentle squeeze and a brief kiss on the side of the head just before Ben turned the corner. Pulling away, she offered the brunette a tender smile and spoke softly, “I’ll see you tomorrow, Jane.” Her hands trailed down the girl’s arms and she looked up at Ben, discreetly squeezing Jane’s hand before taking a step back towards the door. “You two have a good night!” she waved and closed the door behind her.

Jane could swear she felt the weight of the Eiffel Tower itself bearing down on her chest. The room was stifling, despite the brisk temperature outside. She found herself wrapped in Ben’s arms, him hurling questions about her trip, where they stayed, where they ate, meanwhile, Jacqueline managed to catch Ricky before he pulled away from the curb. She opened the door and offered him a “change of plans, let’s go home!” and off they went. Jealousy wasn’t an emotion Jacqueline was all that familiar with anymore. It had been quite some time since she had felt romantic jealousy, however it weaved its way into her stomach, twisting and turning, like smoke filling a small corridor.

Later that night, the blonde had cleaned herself up after the nearly 9 hour flight and was getting into bed when the phone on the nightstand offered a short buzz. She reached over to check the message and couldn’t stop the smile that tugged at her lips seeing the sender: Jane Sloan.

“I am so, so sorry. Rain check?” the text read.

“Count on it.” Jacqueline typed back and pressed send, holding the phone to her chest for a moment before placing it back down and turning off the light.

The next morning, Jane ripped open her bedroom door and was thrilled to see Sutton lying in a heap of blankets. “Sutton, fashion emergency!”

The red head shot up, her hair pointing every which way, most of it plastered to her face by a thin layer of saliva and sweat. She was the epitome of class. “I’m up!” she shouted before opening her eyes.

“Help me, Sutton. I need something to wear to work.” The brunette bounced anxiously beside the bed.

Sutton cracked her eyes open and observed her roommate. “Babe, don’t you have a closet?”

Jane released an exasperated sigh and sat on the edge. “I need something to wear for Jacqueline. She brought me home from the airport and we were gonna hang out here for a while but Ben was here when we got home, so she left. I… I need something to wear to make up for it.”

Sutton’s eyes were now wide open as she processed the information. “Wow… kinda wish I could’ve witnessed that.”

“Sutton…”

“Did Jacqueline ‘ice queen’ him?”

Jane shook her head and closed her eyes. “No, she was perfect. She was gracious and fucking perfect and all I wanted was to spend the night with her,” that garnered sky high eyebrows from the red head, “but we were literally cock blocked.”

Sutton couldn’t contain her laughter as she reached out a hand to her friend. “I got you, tiny Jane. Come on.” They walked to Sutton’s closet and pulled out a knee length, long sleeve, semi sheer, navy and red dress by Ulla Johnson. The neckline plunged nearly to her waist, and she would definitely need some double sided tape, but it somehow still seemed appropriate for the office. She’d likely throw a coat over it anyway, but it would convey the message to the right person. Her hair was up in a high pony, the ends curled and cascading over her shoulders, and the strappy, red heels made her calves pop.

“Not gonna lie, given enough alcohol, I might do you in this dress.” Sutton offered to her roommate as she walked back into the kitchen to grab her water bottle.

“I’m touched.” Jane smirked, putting her earrings in.

“You’re gonna be.” Sutton wiggled her eyebrows, which earned her a laugh. They gathered their belongings and made their way into the city.

Walking through the Safford lobby, they met up with Kat, who handed them both their morning coffee before riding up to Scarlet. Stepping onto their floor, they were laughing loudly when Andrew spotted them. “Jane, you’ve been relocated.” He stated and motioned to her old desk, which now held all of her things. Jane was elated and hugged her friends as she walked to the familiar seat. Feeling the familiar stare, she looked up and saw Jacqueline watching her from over her computer screen. They both smiled Jacqueline offered a quick wink. Jane blushed and felt the warmth creep up her neck. Remembering her goal of trying to make sure Jacqueline didn’t forget their weekend in Paris, Jane slowly removed the coat from her shoulders, letting it slide down her arms before draping it across the back of the chair, her eyes never once leaving the editors.

Jacqueline couldn’t tear her eyes away and knew she brought this upon herself. Shaking her head slightly, as if to wipe the image from an etch-a-sketch, she was grateful for the reprieve of a phone call.

Jane smiled to herself and mouthed “thank you” to Sutton, who gave her a small high five before walking back to Oliver’s office.

The day progressed uneventfully. Jacqueline had spent most of the morning burying herself in her work so she wouldn’t be caught ogling her employee. She was minutes away from conference call when there was a soft knock on the doorframe, followed by a warm voice she hadn’t heard all day. “Thank you, for the desk.” Jane gave her a small smile.

Jacqueline returned it. “You made a good case. How are you?” she motioned for the girl to enter the office.

Jane stepped in and closed the door. “I’m good. A little jetlagged, but not too bad. How are you?”

“I’m well, thank you. Just a little swamped, getting back into the normal routine after being gone for a week.” Jacqueline motioned to the piles on her desk. Jane nodded and started to step back toward the door.

“Ah, I didn’t mean to distract you. I just wanted to thank you for the desk.”

“Oh, you’ve distracted me all morning.” Blue eyes met Hazel and held them there. “Not to mention last night.”

Jane swallowed hard and inhaled a shaky breath. “Is that so?” she choked out.

“It is. You can’t imagine how distracting it is to watch you slide your coat off that way, or how impossible it is to focus on work with you in that dress.” Jacqueline spoke low, but steady. To anyone passing by, it appeared as if the two were simply discussing an article. The tension in that room, however, could be cut with a knife.

Jane cleared her throat and tried to find her voice. “I can, actually. I think we’ve established how I feel about your button downs.”

Jacqueline smirked. Today she wore a simple, black pencil skirt with a red, satin, button down blouse, this time only the top three buttons modestly undone. She glanced down at her own outfit before returning her gaze to Jane. “I’d really like to kiss you right now.” She stated, barely above a whisper.

“You have no idea.” Jane stood frozen under her stare. Their only saving grace was Andrew buzzing in to announce Jacqueline’s conference call. They both held each other’s eyes a beat longer than necessary, then Jacqueline reluctantly looked away.

“I need to take this. Are you staying late tonight?” the blonde asked, reaching for the receiver.

“If you want me to.”

“I think that might be best.” Jacqueline gave the girl a look that Jane was certain screamed ‘fuck me’ before answering the phone. “Anthony, darling, how are you?”

Jane nodded and swallowed the lump in her throat before excusing herself back to her desk. Pulling out her cell phone, she shot a text to Kat and Sutton, “Fashion closet ASAP!”

“She asked you to stay late? Like, specifically?” Sutton asked as she thumbed through the rack of clothing.

“She said ‘I think that might be best’…” Jane said from her seated position on the floor.

“Ok, well first things first, we need to find you some dental dams.” Kat said, casually perched upon the burgundy ottoman.

The color drained from Jane’s face and she stared in shock. Kat and Sutton both cackled. “Kat, I literally don’t know if you’re kidding.”

“That’s the best part.” Kat said seriously, her curls bouncing as she nodded.

Sutton joined the girls in the middle of the room and sat. “Jane, seriously, do you really think Jacqueline Carlyle would let your first time happen in the office?”

“Probably not.” Jane lowered her head. “I’m just… I’m scared. What if I’m horrible and she doesn’t want to see me anymore? What if I do something embarrassing and then I have to quit my job? What If I never fly first class again?”

The girls shared a look before rolling their eyes and nudging the tiny brunette. Kat took this one, “Ok, first? Fuck you. Second, don’t be scared. You know she would never push you to do something you didn’t want to do. And when that time comes, whenever it is, you’ll just… you’ll know. Sex with a woman isn’t that much more complicated than with a man. Just… a better upper body workout.”

Sutton looked off into the distance before shaking her head in agreement. “Y’all are making me feel left out of all the lady lovin’ over here. I might need to find myself a chick to kiss.”

“Not it!” Jane touched the tip of her nose before Kat and they laughed, Sutton laughing through the mild offense.

“Damnit!” Kat exclaimed and shook her head.

“Wow! Make a girl feel special, why don’t you!” Sutton crossed her arms and feigned hurt.

“Hey, I love you, but I live with you. I have enough drama in my life right now.” Jane defended herself.

“True.” Sutton agreed and turned her attention to Kat, puckering her lips and closing her eyes.

“I hate you both.” Kat groaned and placed a chaste kiss on Sutton’s lips. “Nope. Nope. Nope. Weird. No. I gotta go.” Kat stood and walked out of the room, Sutton and Jane watching her aggressively texting on her way out.

“Was that gay panic?” Jane asked, pointing towards the door.

“Wow. And she’s licked a vagina. Good to know I haven’t lost my touch.” Sutton said proudly, garnering her a look of amusement.

The office was nearly empty at 7:17, only a handful of people still milling about. Sutton and Kat hung around to make sure there weren’t any lurkers. By 7:41 everyone had cleared out and the girls said their goodbyes, with promises to text details later. Jane took a deep breath and noticed that Jacqueline was no longer in her office, but her bag was still sitting on the credenza behind her desk. Jane grabbed a mint from her own desk drawer and tried to focus on the screen before her.

She never heard the heels approaching from behind, but suddenly there were nimble hands caressing down her arms and a warm breath beside her ear. “Did I mention how distracting you were today?” Jacqueline’s voice was lower than Jane was expecting, and it sent electricity through her entire body.

“You may have mentioned it.” Jane said, keeping her eyes glued to her computer screen. Jacqueline released a soft ‘hmmm’ and placed a kiss just below Jane's ear, her tongue brushing against porcelain skin and causing Jane to bring her hand to the back of the blonde’s head, holding her there.

Jane rolled her head back to give the woman better access, and let out a soft moan of approval while grasping a fistful of blonde hair. Jacqueline smiled against her skin and pulled her mouth away. “Come with me.” she held her hand out.

Jane turned in her chair and looked at the hand offered. Taking a deep breath, she took the hand and followed the blonde into the fashion closet, where Jacqueline swiftly took both of Jane’s hands, held them shoulder high and pinned her against the door, causing the brunette to gasp. Leaving merely an inch between their lips, Jacqueline spoke softly, “Do you have any idea how excruciating it’s been not to kiss you today?”

Jane nodded as her eyes slipped closed, closing the distance and capturing the blonde’s lips in a heated kiss. “I think I just might.” She said, pressing their foreheads together. Jacqueline released Jane’s hands and ran her own down the shorter woman’s sides, stopping at her hips and wrapping her arms around her. Jane brought her arms up around the blonde’s neck and held her there. “Is every day gonna feel like this?” she asked.

Jacqueline pulled back slightly and searched the hazel eyes. “What do you mean?”

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m surprisingly okay with the sneaking around. It’s hotter than I expected, and my expectations were already pretty high.” They both chuckled softly. “I realize that this is new and everything’s exciting, but I—” Jane stopped. Jaqueline arched her eyebrows to gently encourage the girl to continue. “I spent the entire day thinking about you.”

Jane watched the woman’s eyes sparkle as her cheeks flushed a hint pinker than usual and she ducked her head slightly. The brunette’s jaw dropped and she teased, “Ms. Carlyle, are you blushing?

Jacqueline laughed as she rolled her eyes. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Jane smiled wide and cupped the editor’s warm cheek before taking her hand and leading her to the ottoman to sit. “I’m serious though. I couldn’t focus on anything except you, which I realize isn’t that different than every other day,” Jacqueline blushed a shade deeper and held the smaller hand. “But instead of thinking about how I didn’t want to disappoint you professionally,” Jane took a deep breath, “I was thinking about how badly I wanted to hear those buttons roll across the floor after I ripped that shirt off you.” She said, easily the boldest statement she’d ever made.

Jacqueline’s grip tightened and she closed her eyes as the image filled her mind and the air left her lungs in a sharp exhale. When she reopened them, she found Jane worrying her bottom lip between her teeth as she very overtly unbuttoned the blouse with her eyes. “What are you doing this weekend?” Jacqueline breathed.

“I’m not sure yet.” Jane replied, her eyes still traveling downward.

“Come away with me?”

“What?” Hazel met blue again.

“I have a house in Montauk, right on the lake. It’s not extravagant, but it’s my private little getaway. It’s where I used to go to write whenever I felt stuck. I try to go out there every 6 weeks or so. Ina’s place isn’t far and if I give her a couple days notice she can usually convince Jeffrey to bring the helicopter himself so I don’t have to worry about driving three and a half hours on a Friday night. I’d really, really love it if you joined me.”

Jane brought a hand to Jacqueline’s chest and pushed her back an inch“…I’m sorry, are you telling me that THE Barefoot Contessa sends her personal helicopter to come pick you up and transport you to your lake house in Montauk like it’s a regular thing?” Jane asked, incredulously.

Jacqueline nodded. “I am. Will you?”

“Jacqueline—” Jane started.

“Please? It’s not—we don’t—” Jacqueline was rarely one to fumble over her words, but here she was again, a nervous wreck because of this girl. She sighed and tried to gather her thoughts. “There’s no pressure, Jane. I hope you know that. Sincerely, I just want to spend some time with you without having to look over our shoulders.”

Jane took a beat to consider the offer. “No Ben. No Pinstripe. No roommate…” she listed softly while Jacqueline looked at her nervously. “That sounds incredible.”

Jacqueline couldn’t contain her grin as she exhaled an anxious breath she didn’t realize she was holding. “Perfect. I usually use the helipad on the roof, so just bring an overnight bag with you in the morning. We can hide it in my office if we need to and sneak out of here after work.”

“The helipad on the roof?” Jane chuckled. “Who are you, Christian Grey?”

Jacqueline’s gaze darkened and her voice got huskier, “If that’s what turns you on, I’ll paint the whole damn house red.”

Jane’s eyes widened and she shook her head softly in disbelief, bringing the hand that was on the blonde’s chest up to the side of her neck to pull her closer, dropping her lips to Jacqueline’s pulse point, earning a purr of approval from the woman.

It had easily been 20 years since Jacqueline Carlyle had to cover a hickey. Tomorrow morning, that clock would reset.

Chapter Text

-----CHAPTER 6------

The Wednesday morning pitch meeting was the first time Jacqueline and Jane had seen each other all day. Jane, in her candy apple red, knit sweater, sat in her usual spot, adjacent to Jacqueline’s chair at the head of the table, and awaited the blonde’s arrival. When she entered the room, Jane felt every neuron in her body fire simultaneously. Like an electric shockwave hit the room, her skin erupted with goosebumps, her pulse quickened and her breath shallowed. Jacqueline offered a ‘good morning’ to the room, working her eyes around the table before landing on the brunette and offering a small smile. As she sat, she crossed her legs under the table and tentatively inched her foot closer to the denim clad calf beside her and ran her Louboutin’s up to the knee. Jane’s eyes fluttered shut momentarily before she remembered that they weren’t alone. Clearing her throat, she brought her pen to her mouth and casually let the end trace her bottom lip while she admired the fully buttoned blouse and blazer before her.

Jacqueline felt hazel eyes searing her skin and fought to keep her focus as she listened to Alex’s pitch. She must’ve said the right thing because he was eager to take the note, but she couldn’t have repeated herself. Once again, she was distracted. She finally brought her eyes to the young woman’s and swallowed hard. “Jane, what have you got for me?”

The corner of Jane’s mouth twitched in a smile but she held it back. “You know, I actually haven’t quite narrowed it down yet. I have a few ideas, but I was hoping I could meet with you later, if you have a chance.”

Jacqueline nodded and tore her eyes away. “Of course, come see me after lunch?” she tried to sound as normal as possible.

“Yes ma’am.” The brunette said softly, shooting a look to the woman who squeezed her eyes shut briefly and paused while writing a note in her planner. Her foot pressed firmly into Jane’s calf for the remainder of the meeting.

Jane knocked lightly on the frame of the glass door and Jacqueline silently waved her in, motioning to the gray chairs directly in front of the desk as she finished up her phone call. Jane closed the door behind her and sat across from the blonde, observing the goddess before her. The way her eyes sparkled as she looked out over the city, the fluidity of her fingers as she wrote a reminder on a post it note and stuck it beside her computer, the way the light caught her hair as she brushed an errant strand from her forehead, the way her lips, those lips that stole the very breath from her lungs, curled up into the tiniest hint of a smile. Jane was swooning and didn’t care who saw.

Jacqueline caught her eye as she wrapped up the call, finally returning the receiver to its cradle. “Hi.” She offered her a warm smile.

“Hi.” Jane smiled back. They sat in that moment for a beat longer than necessary before Jane’s eyes moved to her neck. “Buttoned all the way up? That’s very modest of you.” She teased, knowing full well reason for the blonde’s wardrobe choice today.

Blue eyes squinted slightly and Jacqueline could feel her pulse throb in the bruise upon her neck. “You’re quite proud of yourself, aren’t you?”

“Can you blame me?”

“I suppose not.” The sexual tension between them was palpable. Jacqueline was about to ask about the young woman’s article when a bouquet caught her eye. Beyond the glass doors, a delivery man placed a dozen red roses on Jane’s desk. Her words caught in her throat and her face fell.

Jane noticed the change and followed her stare to the flowers. “What?” she said softly, more of a statement than a question. She stood and walked to the desk, Jacqueline a stride behind. Picking up the small, white card, she read “I’m sure Paris wasn’t half a beautiful as you. Drinks this weekend? -Ryan” Jane’s eyes met Jacqueline’s, which seemed mistier than they were moments ago.

“He’s not wrong.” The editor smiled sadly and cleared her throat. “If you’ll excuse me.” Jacqueline walked past Kat and Sutton as they exited the elevator, not bothering to hide her disappointment from them. The girls walked into the bullpen and saw Jane looking equally conflicted.

“What’s up?” Kat asked Softly.

“Pinstripe.” Jane said, the roses in one hand, the card in the other.

“Shit.” Sutton breathed. “Should you…?” and looked briefly towards the elevator. Jane nodded and dropped the flowers on the desk, jogging to the elevator lobby just as Jacqueline stepped into the lift. She barely got her hand between the doors in time, but they opened and hazel eyes met ocean blue as a soft gasp escaped those breathtaking lips. Stepping in, the brunette stood on one side, the blonde on the other. To any passerby, it looked completely innocent. Once the doors shut and they began to move, Jane reached forward to press the Emergency Stop button.

“Jane—”

“I didn’t know he was going to send me flowers, I swear.” The smaller woman turned.

“Of course not, I wouldn’t have suspected otherwise.” Professional, concise, controlled, a tone Jane was used to after her 3 years at Scarlet, but not one she expected. It felt like a rock in her stomach.

“Jacqueline, I swear. I don’t want him.” Jane reached for the woman’s hand, which swiftly slipped into the trouser pockets before contact.

Jacqueline turned with her hands in her pockets, “It’s fine, Jane. Really.”

“I want you.” Jane’s eyes stung with frustrated tears as her hands clenched into fists. “I have never wanted anyone as much as I want you.”

Jacqueline took a deep breath and sighed, reaching for the brunette and running her hands down the young woman’s arms. “I know the feeling.” She worked her fingers into the tensed fists and felt them relax. “Jealousy isn’t a feeling I’m used to anymore, Jane. It scared me the other night when I left you with Ben, and it scared me thinking of you with Ryan.”

“What scared you?”

“This wanting, Jane. It scares me how deeply I want you.” Jane was certain she felt her heart stop. “So I needed to walk away and gather myself because I was ready to buy every rose in Manhattan. People might have started asking questions.” The blonde tried to lighten the mood.

“I don’t even like roses.” Jane stepped closer and wrapped her arms around the editors neck.

“I’ll have to remember that.” Jacqueline placed her hands on Jane’s hips, her thumbs slipping under the knit sweater to rub the skin beneath.

“Is it Friday yet?” Jane whispered, her fingers tangling in the blonde locks at the base of Jacqueline’s neck.

“God, I wish.” The blonde brought their lips together in a searing kiss. “Mmmm, I’m going to miss you tomorrow.” She breathed when they broke apart.

“You’re out all day?” Jane asked, her hands coming together to undo the top two buttons of Jacqueline’s blouse, revealing the wine colored bruise above a pristine collarbone.

“I’m afraid so.” A small shiver shot down the woman’s spine as Jane placed a feather light kiss over the love bite.

“So I’ll have all day to imagine the things we might do this weekend?” Jane purred.

Jacqueline moaned softly in response. “That makes two of us.”

After a few moments the women pulled apart, adjusted themselves and shared a brief kiss before pressing the button to return to their floor. “And just so you know,” Jacqueline began as their accent ceased, rebuttoning the top two buttons before her hand slipped up the back of Jane’s sweater “I do intend to leave my own marks.” She whispered in the brunette’s ear, dragging her teeth along her earlobe and lightly scraping perfectly manicured nails down her spine, just before the doors opened and she all but floated across the tile, leaving a speechless and incredibly aroused Jane Sloan in her wake.

 -----------------

Thursday seemed to crawl. Not having Jacqueline there to distract her in person did give Jane the time to work on her article, but she still couldn’t focus. All she could think about was tomorrow. She was sure it was at least lunch time by now as she reached for her cell phone. 9:07am. Damnit. She shot the woman a quick text. “I miss your mouth.”

Moments later it buzzed on her desk. “You’re not helping.”         

“How’s your neck?” she smirked.

“Get back to work.”

“What are you wearing?” her smirk grew.

“You’re killing me here.”

“Shouldn’t you be working?”

“I was, but now I’m a bit distracted.”

“Oh yeah? By what?”

“Thinking about how hard I’d like to make you moan this weekend.”

Jane gasped softly and suddenly needed to cross her legs. Almost immediately her phone buzzed again.

“Pretty sure I heard that gasp from across town.” Jacqueline teased her.

“You play dirty”

“You haven’t seen dirty.”

Jane sipped her coffee to suppress a moan.“You’ve got my attention.”

“I’ve got a meeting to focus on. Don’t worry, you’ll find out tomorrow. Until then, whatever you do, don’t think about my mouth or the things it could do with you bent over my desk.”

Jane didn’t need coffee, she needed a cold shower. Any chance of focus was gone. Checkmate, Carlyle.

“Fuck.”

“Patience, baby girl.” Long, long gone.

 -------

The remainder of Thursday seemed to crawl. Jane tried to keep her mind occupied with writing her article and talking to Kat and Sutton. More than once she caught herself staring at the desk beyond the glass doors and had to stop herself from fantasizing about her boss.

Neither of them slept very well, too preoccupied with the promise of the weekend. Jane’s alarm went off at 6:30 and she made sure her bag was packed with everything she could possibly need. She knew she wanted to give Jacqueline something extra to look forward to, so she wore her tightest black jeans and a floral, silk, v-neck camisole, topped with her leather moto jacket and ankle boots.

She managed to convince Sutton to stash her bag in the fashion closet, leaving no one any the wiser. Jacqueline and Jane spent the majority of the day sharing quick looks from across the bullpen. They did manage to both wind up in the kitchen at the same time, but since they were joined by a handful of other employees, they limited their interaction to brushing shoulders as they stood at the counter, both waiting to refill their water bottles. Around 5:45, as rack full of clothes rolled towards the lobby, Jane’s suitcase laid across the bottom. Her eyes shot to the blonde who offered a small nod and a wink. Moments later, her phone buzzed. “Ricky’s taking your bag up to the roof, but you’re adorable when you panic.”

Jane breathed a sigh of relief. “Good, I was afraid I’d have to spend the entire weekend naked.”

“That’s entirely up to you, but I wouldn’t be opposed.”

Jane blushed and glanced toward the woman behind the glass. The next 15 minutes would be hell. Making a point to lean farther over than necessary, Jane gave Jacqueline a lovely show as she stood and walked to Kat’s desk, hoping to get a few parting words of wisdom.

“Hmm… Honestly? Don’t think too much. You’ll know exactly what to do, and if there’s something you genuinely don’t know, ask. I’m sure she’ll be more than willing to teach you.” The young woman spoke candidly. Jane hugged her and promised to share all the details when she got back Sunday night.

Meeting Sutton in the kitchen, she asked the same thing and received a much different answer; “Don’t come back with carpal tunnel… or do! That would make for a great story.”

Jane glared at the redhead and gave her a hug. “I hate you, but I love you and I’ll tell you everything Sunday night!”

“I love you too, don’t break anything!” Sutton shouted after her. Jane walked to her desk and retrieved her jacket, sliding it on and pulling her hair out from the inside to cascade over her leather clad shoulders.

“Meet you up there?” She shot a quick text to the blonde.

“Right behind you.”

Jane’s heart fluttered and she picked up her purse, heading to the elevator as casually as possible. Luckily, she managed to snag one going up without drawing any attention to herself. She rode up to 55 and stepped into the hall, stopping at the door that said “Roof Access. Authorized Personnel Only.” Perhaps she’d just wait for Jacqueline.

She didn’t have to wait long. Less than 5 minutes later the elevator bell dinged and Jacqueline’s eyes met hers, a smile spreading across her face. The blonde stepped through the elevator doors in her own ankle high boots and black jeans, only she wore a semi-sheer, cream colored button down, with a knee length, plaid peacoat. Jane could hardly contain the butterflies inside her stomach as the taller woman strode toward her. “You ready?”

“Absolutely.” Jane smiled as Jacqueline opened the door, leading them onto the roof, towards a very kind Jeffrey Garten.  Their bags loaded into the helicopter, they sat inside and Jacqueline placed the large headphones over Jane’s ears, offering the young woman a gentle smile.

Once the chopper took off, Jane was enthralled by the lights of the city as the sun began to set. She felt Jacqueline take her hand and they stayed intertwined until they landed about 30 minutes later. Jacqueline thanked the man profusely, promising him she’d call Ina in the morning to discuss getting together as soon as possible. Jeffrey handed her the keys to the dark grey Mercedes e350 and helped them load their two bags into the trunk before heading off himself.

‘This is unbelievable.” Jane said softly as she sat in the car.

“Are you excited?” Jacqueline asked, sounding adorably hopeful.

“That’s definitely an understatement.” Jane smiled. She was suddenly keenly aware of the fact that it had been nearly 48 hours since she had kissed the blonde, and she felt herself ache to remedy the situation.

Jacqueline pressed the button to start the car and felt Jane’s hand catch hers before she could put it in drive. “How long is the drive to the house?” the brunette asked.

“About 5 minutes.” The blonde replied.

“Ok, good.”

“Everything alright?”

“Yeah, I just really need to kiss you soon.” Jane admitted, her eyes meeting blue.

Jacqueline chuckled. “You know, you could kiss me now.”

“Once I start I’m not gonna want to stop, so it’s probably safer for everyone if we wait ‘til we get to the house.”

Jacqueline opened her mouth the reply but realized she had no words. Jane dropped her hand to Jacqueline’s leg, lightly gripping the inside of her mid thigh, causing a quick exhalation from the blonde. Shaking her head and putting the car in drive, Jacqueline safely, but swiftly, navigated the roads to the house. About a mile down East Lake Drive, they came upon a gravel driveway, lined with spruce trees and nearly an acre of lush sod. At the end of the driveway stood a two-story lake house, brown shaker siding, floor to ceiling windows and 5 steps up to the frosted glass door. The privacy fence and landscaping obstructed the view of the lake, but Jane was certain it would be spectacular. “Oh wow.” Jane breathed.

Jacqueline smiled and pulled up to the garage without pulling in. They both stepped out of the car, Jacqueline moving to the trunk to grab bags, Jane slowly closing the car door and taking in her surroundings. “Jacqueline, this place is incredible.”

“Thank you. I wanted a place I could come to when I needed a break from city life. This place fit the bill.” She spoke as they walked to the front door. She input the security code and turned the handle, opening the door to the most amazing sunset Jane had ever seen. The open foyer had a direct sightline through the living area and out to the back porch, the entire back wall consisting of four massive sliding glass doors that stacked into one another to bring the outside in. Outside the sliders, the pink, purple, and orange rays of the sunset sparkled across the lake, casting a golden hue across everything Jane could see.

“Oh my god,” she spoke in awe. “I don’t know why you’d ever leave this place.”

Jacqueline smiled and placed their bags by the door. “Well, there are a few things in the city I prefer to keep close.” She purred, stepping behind the brunette and wrapping her arms around her waist. Jane blushed and tilted her head back slightly, resting it on the taller woman’s shoulder.

“This place is stunning. I’m still just trying to take it all in.”

“Darling, you are more than welcome to look around. I’ll go take the bags upstairs and I’ll be right back.” She placed a soft kiss on Jane’s cheek and retrieved the bags, removing her coat along the way.

Jane turned her back to the lake, afraid she’d spend the entire night admiring the scenery. She took in the dark hardwood floors, the modern farmhouse grey and white kitchen, the large kitchen island, the brown leather sofa, the stacked stone fireplace, the modest, 65 inch television, the walls of built in bookcases and framed photos. She couldn’t help herself as she stepped closer to the photos, smiling warmly at the images before her. Jacqueline as a teenager, ballet photos, candids with many a celebrity, family photos, even a few professional photoshoots. One photo in particular stood out, it looked to be from maybe 5 or 10 years ago. Jacqueline laying on a red and gold oriental rug, her long blonde hair strewn around her, her golden skin glowing across her bare shoulders, her blue eyes piercing. Jane’s breath caught in her throat.

Jacqueline caught the young woman admiring the picture and met her in the living room. “Vogue, 2012.” She offered softly from over Jane’s shoulder.

“I am living for this long hair.” Jane smirked. “I also think I want this plastered above my bed.” She joked and nudged the woman’s shoulder. Jacqueline blushed and grabbed Jane’s hand.

“It appears Ina sent a care package with dinner. Are you hungry?” the blonde asked.

“For something.” Jane said boldly. She smiled as she brought her hand up to brush Jacqueline’s flushed cheek. “I could eat, yeah.”

Jacqueline turned her head to kiss Jane’s palm before taking it and leading her to the kitchen. “Looks like we’ve got bread, always good. We’ve got some strawberries, some butternut squash soup, and my favorite chocolate chip cookies.” The blonde said as she perused the items of the basket.

“All sounds good to me.” Jane smiled as Jacqueline poured the soup into a pot and let it warm on the stove. Jane grabbed a strawberry and took a bite, hopping up to sit on the island counter.

 Jacqueline’s eyebrows raised as she eyed the brunette. “Make yourself comfortable.” She smirked, leaning against the opposite counter with her arms crossed.

“Oh, I will.” Jane chuckled. Jacqueline watched the berry disappear behind those lips and felt her need for soup diminish. She placed her hands on Jane’s denim clad knees and nudged them apart, stepping between them and pulling her to the edge of the counter, causing the brunette to release a  squeak as she wrapped her arms around the blonde’s shoulders. Jacqueline’s hands grasped the lapels of the leather moto jacket and pulled her a mere centimeter away from her lips before sliding the jacket off the young woman’s shoulders. Jane tried to meet her lips but Jacqueline pulled back with a sly smile tugging at her lips.

“Something you need, darling?” she asked, the huskiness of her voice setting Jane on fire.

“You. I need you.” Jane admitted, trying again to meet the woman’s lips, but facing another denial.

Jacqueline shook her head slightly and almost giggled. “Where’s your patience?” she teased before Jane grabbed a hold of her blouse.

“Fuck patience.” She breathed, ripping the material open, the sound of buttons bouncing across the wooden floor more satisfying than she imagined. Jacqueline’s eyes widened in shock just before Jane’s lips caught hers.

The moment their lips met, both women sighed. While 48 hours was certainly not a long time in the grand scheme of things, it was 48 hours too long to go without kissing each other. Jane’s hands slipped inside the now open blouse, letting her hands roam the blonde’s shoulders as she slipped the material down to her elbows. Jacqueline’s own hands untucked Jane’s floral camisole and explored the brunette’s back, dragging her nails lightly, leaving goosebumps in her wake, eliciting an arch and a delightful moan from the young woman.

“Jacqueline” Jane moaned into the blonde’s mouth.

“Yes, Jane?” The blonde spoke barely above a whisper, bringing her hands up to hold the sides of Jane’s neck.

“Take me upstairs?” The young woman asked, trepidation causing a slight tremble in her voice.

Jacqueline pulled back a few inches and searched her eyes. “We don’t have to do anything you’re not ready for, Jane. We can stop at any point.” She reassured her, tucking the brunette locks behind her ear.

Jane took a deep breath and steadied herself. “Take me upstairs.”

Jacqueline nodded and wrapped Jane’s legs around her waist, pulling her off the counter and carrying her a few feet towards the stairs before Jane shouted “wait!” causing the woman to stop and let her untangle herself, giving Jacqueline a moment to pull her shirt back over her shoulders.

Jane ran back into the kitchen and turned off the stove. “Sorry! Didn’t want to set this place on fire.” She explained as she returned to the blonde’s side. Jacqueline laughed and offered her hand, leading the brunette up the wooden stairs to the top floor, which broke off into a few different rooms. At the top of the stairs there was an open loft, looking out over the enormous sliding glass doors. To the left there were three doors, two bedrooms and a bathroom, to the right there was one closed door with a hint of light shining from the bottom.

Jacqueline brought her to the door and turned to face her. “You’re sure?”

“Absolutely.”

Chapter Text

-----CHAPTER 7-----

Jacqueline swallowed hard and turned the knob, pushing open the door to reveal a grey room with the same dark hardwood that flowed from downstairs, a large king sized bed with black sheets and a white comforter, lit candles peppered around the room, more of the floor to ceiling windows overlooking the lake, the sun fully set beyond the horizon, and a bouquet of dark purple calla lilies. Jane’s breath caught in her throat as she took in the scene before her. “Oh…” she whispered in awe. “You… how did you--?” Jane stumbled over her words, pointing to her favorite flowers.

“I did my research,” Jacqueline said confidently. “I asked Sutton.”

Jane’s jaw dropped and she made a mental note to thank her roommate. She turned back to the blonde and shook her head. “I don’t deserve all of this.”

“I think you do, Jane.” Jacqueline said, bringing her hand up to cup the young woman’s cheek.

“No one’s ever gotten me calla lilies before.” She said softly, leaning into the touch.

“They’re one of my favorites too. I’m a sucker for a lily.” The woman admitted, running her fingers through auburn hair.

“Can we put them in water?” Jane asked.

“Of course.” Jacqueline grinned as Jane picked up the bouquet and brought it to her nose, giving them a quick sniff before smiling and walking back to the blonde. “This is amazing. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Jacqueline took the bouquet and removed the ribbon, placing them into a water filled vase on the dresser.

Jane sat at the foot of the bed and slipped off her boots before Jacqueline joined her. “I’m sorry I ruined your shirt.” She blushed and nervously ran a hand through her hair.

“I’m not.” Jacqueline said softly, her hand placed on Jane's thigh, having removed her own boots moments before. They sat in silence for only a few lingering seconds before Jane stood in front of her. Gathering every ounce of courage she could muster, she brushed the bangs from Jacqueline’s eyes and gently held her face before pulling her into a kiss. Her hands moved from Jacqueline’s cheeks to her shoulders, slowly pushing the cream garment back down tan arms and letting it fall to the bed. Jacqueline sighed into the kiss and brought her hands to the bottom of Jane’s camisole, slowly raising it, causing them to break their kiss long enough for Jane to pull it over her head, her hair cascading down her shoulders. The brunette felt her heartrate increase as she pushed the woman back onto the bed. Jacqueline slid back until her head met the abundance of pillows stacked against the headboard. Jane ran her hand through her hair again, flipping it to one side before climbing up onto the bed and crawling to the blonde, placing a knee on either side of her hips. The older woman began to sit up when Jane grabbed both of her wrists and pinned them to the bed, a gasp escaping the blonde’s lips. Jane smiled and held her there, leaning impossibly close to those lips, but not touching, giving Jacqueline a taste of her own medicine.

The blonde felt the tables turn and she rolled her eyes, her mouth curling into a wry smile. Jane dropped her head and attached her lips to Jacqueline’s neck, returning to the bruise she left earlier in the week. “Jane…” the blonde warned. Jane chuckled to herself before moving to the other side. Jacqueline hated not being able to touch the younger woman, her hips beginning to roll as the brunette continued kissing her way down her chest. Jane released the woman’s wrists and slid her hands down her bronzed side, cautiously running over the nude bra separating them from one of few lines they had yet to cross. Both women knew once they crossed that line there would be no turning back. Even if it never went any further, Jane would have seen her boss’ boobs. At any given moment, she could see Jacqueline from across the bullpen and accurately picture what was under her blouse. Jane decided then that was precisely what she wanted, and slid her hand under the woman’s back, who arched to help her reach the clasp. Jane shocked them both when she pinched the two sides together with one hand and undid the hooks on the first try. She sat straight up and raised her fists in the air.

“Oh my god, I’ve never done that! Kat’s gonna be so proud of me!” she exclaimed.

Jacqueline shook her head and laughed propping herself up on her elbows. “You know, it only half counts unless you completely remove it.”

Jane brought her hands to the woman’s shoulders and slid the straps down, then off as Jacqueline returned to her prone position. “Wow.” She breathed, gazing down upon two mounds of perfection. Jacqueline watched the myriad of emotions cross Jane’s face and saw her internal struggle of whether or not she should touch. Taking the reins for a moment, Jacqueline grabbed the girl’s hand and placed it over her rapidly beating heart.

“Feel that?” Her voice thick with desire. Jane nodded. “I’m nervous too.”

Jane exhaled and leaned forward, placing a slow, languid kiss on the blonde’s lips. Her hand inched lower, daring to travel over the breast before her. Both women moaned as Jane’s thumb brushed over the rapidly hardening nipple. Her hand continued lower until it reached the waistband of Jaqueline’s jeans, coming to rest on her hipbone. Jacqueline slid her hands up Jane’s sides, reaching around and undoing her black bra, sliding it down the brunettes arms. Jane lifted herself slightly to release the garment and threw it to the floor as Jacqueline’s hands tenderly traced her breasts. “God, you’re stunning.” She whispered, pulling the brunette back to their kiss.

Jacqueline could feel Jane’s anxiety rising and could practically hear the questions spinning in her brain. Keeping their kiss unbroken, she effortlessly flipped them over. Jane tangled her fingers in blonde hair as a sunkissed hand descended, a thumb brushing over her nipple this time. The men she’d been with had only ever palmed her breasts and squeezed, the tenderness Jacqueline showed causing butterflies to swarm lower in her abdomen. Much, much lower.

The blonde broke their kiss and peppered feather light kisses down Jane’s neck, starting below her ear, pausing at her collarbone to leave a small bite of retaliation, before dropping to her chest and taking the nipple between her lips. The sensation was gentle, but effective, as Jane began to writhe beneath her. The woman showed the same attention to the other side before returning to Jane’s eager mouth. She let her hand descend again, reaching the button of Jane’s jeans. She felt the younger woman gasp into the kiss and she pulled back. “We can stop—” the blonde began.

Jane brought her hand to Jacqueline’s lips, “please don’t.” Jacqueline nodded and kissed her fingertips as her own nimble fingers released the button of Jane’s jeans, sliding down the zipper.

Jane was hardly an expert when it came to the art of sex between two people with vaginas, but she knew what she liked, so she slid her thigh between the blonde’s, coaxing out what she could only describe as a whimper. A whimper from Jacqueline Carlyle. Her pride was at an all time high. The older woman slipped her hand inside the denim and elicited her own whimper from Jane Sloan. The scales were even once again.

“God,” Jane breathed as she felt Jacqueline’s hand slide across her black lace panties. The material was there for aesthetic purposes more than anything, so she knew Jacqueline would immediately know just how much she didn’t want her to stop.

The blonde started to slip the black denim over porcelain hips before she realized she would need both hands. Sitting up, she grabbed the waist and tugged them down, grinning when Jane lifted her hips to help. Tossing the jeans to the floor, she returned to her position, complete with Jane’s thigh pressed delightfully between her legs. The blonde ran her hand up the front of Jane’s other thigh and across her hips before tracing over the lace underwear again. The way the brunette writhed under her gave her the encouragement she needed to slip her hand inside the lace. She watched Jane’s face at first contact, the way her chest rose as she inhaled sharply, the way her mouth slipped open, and the way her eyes slammed shut as the palm of Jacqueline’s hand applied pressure to her most sensitive place. And to think, this time last year Jane had never had an orgasm.

Jacqueline’s touch was gentle, keeping a firm but steady rhythm as she tentatively slipped a finger inside the brunette and watched her arch high off the bed as her fists gripped the comforter.

“Holy shit!” Jane moaned loudly, her brain hardly having time to register the first finger before a second slid in beside it.

“Too much?” blonde stilled her hand.

“God, no. Jacqueline, please don’t stop.” Jane pleaded, her hands reaching up to bring the blonde’s lips to her own, her hips rolling to match Jacqueline’s rhythm. Before she knew it, she felt herself nearing the precipice. Whether it was the fact that it was Jacqueline touching her, or the way she was touching her, it didn’t matter, Jane was positive that this moment was the defining moment of her sexual life. She’d never been one to feel the urge to say ‘I love you’ after sex, but she actively had to fight words from spilling out of her mouth as the wave began to crash over her.

She’d orgasmed before, all of Scarlet and a however many millions of women that read her article knew that. But this? Thiswas the orgasm you write an article about. This was the one you remember for the rest of your life, and compare all subsequent orgasms to. The kind that starts with a buzz in your toes, the heat rising through your legs, up your spine, until every fiber of your being pulses, all of your muscles contracting and your vocal chords creating a sound you couldn’t recreate if you tried. This was perfection.

The buzz lingered longer than she anticipated and she tried to catch her breath. Jacqueline smiled as her free hand ran through Jane’s hair, anchoring her back to Earth. She admired the brunette’s face in this moment, committing it to memory before kissing her softly.

“Wow.” Was all Jane could manage at the moment, causing the blonde to laugh shyly and untangle herself, laying beside her. “That… I can’t… wow.”

“Good wow? Bad wow?” Jacqueline teased.

Jane turned her head and rolled her eyes. “Obviously, I hated it, couldn’t you tell?” she deadpanned, making the blonde chuckle. She rolled on her side and draped her arm over the woman’s hips. “That was… Nothing has ever been like that. Ever.” She mused, her fingers running up and down the valley from Jacqueline’s collarbone to the button of her jeans.

“Well I’m glad you enjoyed it.” She placed a kiss on the brunette’s head.

“Maybe a little.” Jane smirked and stilled her hand. “Why are you still wearing these?” She said as she unbuttoned the woman’s jeans.

“I guess we got distracted.”

“I’d be happy to fix that for you, if you’d like.”

“Please do.”

Jane sat up and pulled the jeans off, tossing them into the pile with their shirts and her own jeans. “Can I just say how sexy you look in jeans, by the way? I know they’re not your everyday office look, but damn, they should be.”

“I can’t keep you distracted all the time. I do actually enjoy your writing.” Jacqueline smiled as Jane leaned over her. “There’s still no pressure.” She reached up and brushed Jane’s hair behind her ear.

“Oh, I want to do this. No question. I’m just… I can pretty much promise it won’t be nearly as enjoyable as my experience.” Jane chuckled to herself and dipped her head.

“Hey,” Jacqueline hooked her finger under the brunette’s chin and lifted it to meet her eyes. “You being here at all is satisfying enough. Anything else is just icing on the cake.”

Jane blushed and brought her lips to the blonde’s. She settled in beside her, mimicking the position Jacqueline had been in. Her hand trailed down the blonde’s side, dragging her nails across the woman’s ribs and hearing her breath catch. Jane chuckled into the kiss and Jacqueline pulled her lips away. “What!” she asked with a smile.

Jane smiled back and brought her lips to the woman’s ear. “The sounds you make are really sexy.” She purred, taking the soft lobe between her teeth, causing another sharp inhale. “Like that.”

Jacqueline blushed and turned her head to the side to give the girl better access. Jane’s hand continued lower, reaching the satin that separated them. She took a deep breath and gently ran her hand over the material, earning herself another whimper of approval. “Ugh, that one. That sound might be my favorite.”

Jacqueline blushed a shade darker and her hand gripped the comforter, watching the brunettes trembling hand explore on top of the material before daring to dive inside. Tentative fingers slipped beneath the waistband and disappeared, a moan escaping blonde lips.

Jane was intoxicated by the power she felt at that moment. The tiniest movement of her hand could pull these divine sounds from the goddess under her. The brunette wasn’t sure of how well she’d perform this first time, but she was committed to putting in the work to perfect her skills. However many times she needed to do it, she was willing, which caused a smile to burst across her face.

Jacqueline didn’t mind the teasing, but she was aching for direct contact. She rolled her hips to encourage Jane to apply more pressure, which the brunette noticed and in turn lifted her hand. “Uh uh, Carlyle. Where’s your patience?” she husked, echoing the words the blonde used against her downstairs.

Jacqueline recognized the phrase and nearly growled, “fuck patience.”

Something about hearing that word from the woman beneath her sparked another fire inside Jane. Despite how badly she wanted to tease Jacqueline, right now she needed to see her unravel. Dropping her palm back down, she placed a delightful amount of pressure exactly where Jacqueline needed it. She’d heard the woman say her name a thousand times, in various timbres, but the way she moaned “God, Jane” at that moment would be her own undoing for the foreseeable future. The brunette dared to let her fingertips wander down as the heel of her hand pressed gentle circles against the blonde. Jacqueline’s breath became more ragged as two tentative fingers slipped inside, adding a thrilling sensation to coax her towards the edge.

“Fuck, baby.” Jacqueline moaned and grabbed Jane’s face, pulling her into another searing kiss. Jacqueline found herself inching closer, the familiar buzz beginning in her toes. The wave rolled over her, arching her back, curling her toes, and pulling a moan from her deepest depths, lights bursting behind her eyelids as her body shook with aftershocks.

Jane removed her hand and laid it still on top of the satin as the blonde regained her composure. “Hi.” She whispered, her clean hand brushing the bangs from Jacqueline’s glistening forehead.

“Hi.” Jacqueline said softly in return. She searched hazel eyes for signs of regret and found none. Sighing in relief, she wrapped her arms around the brunette and let her rest her head on her shoulder. Jane smiled and did exactly that, draping her arm across the blonde’s hips.

“How ya doing?” Jane asked.

“I’m…” Jacqueline took a beat. “I’m still buzzing.” They both laughed. “How are you?”

“I’m perfect.” Jane sighed contently.

“And so humble.” Jacqueline joked, causing Jane to turn her head and bite the sunkissed shoulder.

“Hush.” She chuckled. “Was that… was that okay? For you, I mean.” She asked nervously.

“Jane, that was…” the blonde searched for the right word, “flawless.”  

“Really?” Jane beamed. “No notes?”

“None. Ready to print.” Jacqueline smiled, the familiarity of their writer/editor jargon helping to alleviate any awkwardness they may have anticipated.

They laid in content silence for a while, hands trailing over flushed skin. It wasn’t until Jacqueline heard the steadiness of Jane’s breathing that she realized the young woman was asleep. She could have stayed right there for an eternity, but she knew she had candles to blow out. Untangling herself from sleeping beauty, she walked around the room and extinguished each flame. Grabbing the satin robe that hung inside the closet door, she covered herself and made her way downstairs to lock up for the night. She turned to pack up the food they abandoned when she felt arms wrap around her waist. “Can I help?” Jane asked softly, trying to place her chin on the blonde’s shoulder but realizing she was too short without her heels on.

Jacqueline leaned into the girls arms and shook her head. “I’ve got it. Go back to bed. I’ll be right up.”

Jane released her grip and settled for a kiss on the cheek before making her way back upstairs. She cleaned herself up, put on new underwear, and got ready for bed, opting to leave her other articles of clothing behind. She turned down the bed and slipped between the sheets, waiting for her goddess to return.

Jacqueline slowly opened the door to the bedroom and found Jane leaning against the headboard, the comforter pulled up under her arms to keep herself covered. The blonde smiled and sauntered to her, giving her a quick kiss on the lips. “Let me get myself cleaned up and I’ll join you.” Jane nodded and watched the woman disappear behind the bathroom door. A few minutes later she emerged, complete with her glasses that Jane found so adorable. Walking to her side of the bed, she slid the robe down her arms and draped it over the foot of the chais lounge in the corner. Jane’s eyes memorized every inch of skin revealed to her, and stared at the new lace underwear Jacqueline had put on. “You’re gonna lay beside me wearing just those and expect me to be able to sleep?”

“I thought you were always up for a challenge.” The blonde purred as she slid into bed beside her. Jane groaned and returned her head to the woman’s shoulder, draping an arm and leg across her. Jacqueline sighed contently and ran her fingers through the auburn hair, lulling them both to sleep.

Chapter Text

---------CHAPTER 8--------

The sound of a boat motor caused her to stir, a sound she was certainly not used to. The brunette felt the warmth against her skin and her eyes fluttered open, finding herself tangled in a mess of beautiful limbs. Her head tucked under Jacqueline’s chin, resting on the woman’s shoulder, their legs intertwined, and golden arms wrapped snuggly around her, pulling the young woman as close as comfortably possible. Jane smiled to herself as memories of the night before flashed in her mind. She brought her hand up to rest against the chest before her, feeling the steady rhythm under her fingers. Her heart wanted stay just like that for the entire weekend, but her bladder was telling her otherwise. She fought the discomfort for a few more minutes before reluctantly detangling herself, leaving the most breathtaking sight in the bed. The both nights they shared a bed in Paris, Jacqueline was the first one up. Jane had never seen the woman in this particular state of peace. Her hair, perfectly tousled with strands hanging over her eyes, the muscles in her face completely relaxed with not even a hint of stress, Egyptian cotton sheets draped over her sunkissed skin, and a long, lithe arm stretched out, reaching for the younger woman. Jane wanted to commit this image to memory.

She lingered briefly before picking up the cream colored blouse on the floor, slipping it on and disappearing into the bathroom. Moments later, she re-entered the bedroom, walking to the other side of the bed and brushing the hair from the woman’s eyes. The blonde didn’t stir, so Jane placed a gentle kiss on her bare shoulder and made her way downstairs.

Jane wasn’t much of a chef, but she had a few things in her arsenal. Her ingredients were limited, but they did have a baguette from the night before, a handful of strawberries, what appeared to be a brand new, small bottle of cream, butter, and a small carton of fresh eggs. She pulled out the ingredients and got to work. While looking for a spice cabinet, she came across a container of ground coffee and some mugs. Setting them on the counter, she got the coffee brewing and returned to the food. Trying to make the least amount of noise possible, she pulled out a cutting board, a shallow bowl, a fork, a bread knife, and a frying pan. She sliced the bread, whisked together the eggs, cream, cinnamon, a pinch of salt and a touch of vanilla, let the bread soak in the custard, buttered the pan, and began frying two slices.

The smell of coffee and French toast wafted up the stairs and Jacqueline stirred with a smile on her face. She opened her eyes and sighed contently, also remembering the night before. She stood from the bed, pulled on a pair of grey sleep shorts and an oversized, navy cable sweater that hung slightly off her shoulder before padding downstairs. The sight before her warmed her to her core. Jane Sloan humming in her kitchen, auburn hair tied up in a messy top knot, one of the two buttons not ripped from her cream blouse loosely holding the material together as the girl placed the last two pieces of French Toast on a plate with a handful of sliced strawberries. Jacqueline leaned against the against the back of the couch with her arms crossed over her chest, admiring the scene with a giddy grin.

Jane poured coffee into the mugs, adding the perfect amount of cream and sweetener before turning around and placing them on the island. She had just released the mugs when she noticed the blonde a few feet away and gasped softly. “Morning, stranger.” She smiled, leaning on the countertop.

“Good morning.” Jacqueline spoke, her voice raspy with sleep as she stepped toward the brunette, pulling her into her arms. “What’s all this?” She asked before their lips met for a quick kiss.

“Well, I wanted to do something nice for you. I figured you’re always so busy, it may have been a while since someone actually made you breakfast.” Jane explained, wrapping her arms around the blonde’s shoulders.

Jacqueline smiled and tightened her arms around the shorter woman’s waist. “You’re amazing.” She said softly, bringing their foreheads together.

“Last night was amazing.” Jane said, matching her volume, tangling her fingers in the hair at the base of Jacqueline’s neck.

“Yes, it was.” Their lips met again in a deeper kiss.

When they broke away, Jane had to catch her breath while Jacqueline blushed and chuckled at the effect she seemed to have on the girl. “Go sit.” Jane shook her head and swatted her with a kitchen towel. Jacqueline sat at the island stool and cleared her throat, sitting up politely as Jane placed a plate and a mug in front of her.

“Thank you, m’lady.” Jacqueline smirked, watching the brunette place a plate and mug beside her, sliding onto a stool herself.

“You’re welcome. I know it’s not fancy, but it’s one of a few breakfasts I can make without too much effort. It also happened to coincide with what you had in the fridge.” Jane smiled.

“Well, French toast is my favorite, so I appreciate it.” She took her first bite and sighed contently. “It’s perfect.”

“Glad you think so.” The brunette blushed and took a bite herself. “Damn, I’m good.” She congratulated herself, earning a laugh from the blonde.

“Again, this humility you have is just so refreshing.” Jacqueline teased, receiving a side eye and smirk in return. “I must admit, I’m thoroughly enjoying your wardrobe choice this morning.”

“Oh yeah?” Jane raised her eyebrows with a grin.

“Yeah, looks good on you.” The blonde’s eyes trailed up and down the brunette’s body as she sipped her coffee.

Jane felt the blush creep up her neck and settle into her cheeks. She nodded and swallowed hard. “You’re looking pretty good yourself. Don’t get me wrong, I love ‘couture Jacqueline’, but this casual thing you’ve got going is really doing it for me.” Both women froze as the statement hung in the air. “I love couture Jacqueline”  Love. Love Jacqueline. I love Jacqueline. Shit. Jane felt her pulse quicken and she struggled to find her breath when a tender hand cupped her cheek momentarily.

“I’ll keep that in mind.” The woman spoke, not daring to unpack that statement at this present time. Jane was grateful and she exhaled. She was sure they’d circle back to it eventually, but for the time being, they enjoyed their breakfast.

Jacqueline dialed a familiar number and sat on the sofa as she talked to her friend, Ina. Jane wandered downstairs, making her way into the study. She found a modest, wooden desk with an iMac computer, walls lined with bookshelves, a leather chaise positioned with a lovely view of the lake, and a Taylor guitar case in the corner. Unable to stop herself, she opened the case and gasped. Cradled by crushed red velvet laid a Taylor K22ce acoustic-electric guitar, complete with the gold, filigree flourish running up the neck; the actual guitar of her dreams.

Jacqueline hung up the phone, promising Ina they’d get together for dinner that night, and made her way back to the study. She leaned against the doorframe and watched Jane ogle the instrument in it’s case. “So much for that surprise.”

Jane turned quickly. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to snoop, I just saw the case and… I love guitars.” She apologized, closing the case and sitting on the chaise.

“No need to apologize. I had hoped to give this to you later, but now is as good a time as any.”

“You—what?” Jane was sure she misheard.

“I told you I did my research, Jane.” Jacqueline said softly, taking a seat beside her. “I know how much you love guitars, and I know that you had to sell your old Taylor when you were freelancing. I couldn’t help but feel some responsibility for that. I couldn’t get your exact guitar back, however, I spoke with Kat and Sutton and they told me that this was a suitable replacement.”

“Jacqueline, you didn’t—I couldn’t—this is a $4,500 guitar! Mine was like… $800. This… this is incredible, but I can’t let you do this.”

“Why not?”

“I-- I don’t deserve this! I can’t… I can’t return the favor, I’m…” Jane stumbled and sighed. “It’s so pretty.”

Jacqueline smiled and rubbed a hand up and down the brunette’s back. “You do deserve this, Jane. You deserve this and so much more. You don’t have to return the favor, I don’t expect anything in return. Honestly. After that night in Paris,” their eyes met and Jane swallowed hard. “I never knew how talented you were. I mean, I knew you were a talented writer, but as a musician, I had no idea. And when I learned about the guitar, I just—” Jacqueline paused. “I couldn’t stand the thought that I took something from you. Or rather, that you lost something you loved because of me.”

Jane shook her head in disbelief and felt the slight sting of tears beginning behind her eyes. She held the blonde’s face and kissed her, unable to find the words. When they broke, Jacqueline brushed the tears from the brunette’s cheeks, and placed soft kisses on each one. “This is not a purely selfless act, however. I do have one request.”

“Anything.” Jane laughed.

“Play something for me?”

Jane’s glistening eyes widened and she nodded as she lifted the guitar from the case. “Okay,” she breathed nervously, wrapping her fingers around the mahogany neck and strumming softly, tuning the strings. “To be fair, It’s been a couple months since I’ve played. My calluses are gone, so I don’t know how well this will go.” She said more to herself than anything. Her hand in position for a G chord, she tapped the low E string and played the first song that came to mind. The familiar riff making Jacqueline smile.

I saw you on a Sunday, in a café,

All you did was look my way

And my heart started to race

And my hands started to shake, yeah

I heard you asked about me through a friend

My adrenaline kicked in

‘cause I’d been asking ‘bout you too

And now we’re right here in this room

I get a little bit nervous around you

I get a little bit stressed out when I think about you

Get a little excited, baby when I think about you, yeah.

I talk a little too much,

I get a little self conscious.

I get a little excited, yeah, when I think about you, babe.

She finished the first chorus and stopped, glancing up to see Jacqueline watch her. “You know, it’s really hard to focus when you look at me like that.” She cast her gaze to the instrument, avoiding the intense stare.

“Like what?” the blonde asked, her legs crossed, her elbow on her knee, resting her chin on her hand.

“Like you’ve seen me naked.” She said softly, her hand caressing up the neck of the guitar.

“Well technically, I’ve only seen you topless.”

Hazel met blue through heavy lids and the women shared a look of unrelenting desire. “It would be completely acceptable to spend the rest of the weekend in bed, right?” Jane asked, carefully placing the guitar back into it’s case.

“Well, Ina’s expecting us for dinner, but otherwise nothing’s set in stone.”

“Good.” Jane pushed the blonde back against the chaise and straddled her lap. Jacqueline hardly had time to take a breath before their lips crashed together.

They spent the majority of the day getting lost in each other, first in the study, against the wall of the foyer, eventually landing on the leather couch in the living room. “We should really shower before dinner.” Jacqueline said, sprawled on top of a sweaty and spent Jane Sloan.

Jane laughed softly and ran her fingers through blonde hair. “You wanna go first or should I?”

“We could always save water and shower together.” Jacqueline offered with a smirk. Jane’s hand stilled. The blonde felt the shift and sat up. “We don’t have to—”

“I just… I’m sure it sounds dumb because we’ve literally had sex all day, but we… I haven’t…” Jane sighed as she sat up as well.

“We haven’t seen each other naked yet.” Jacqueline finished for her and the brunette nodded.

“Right… I’m sorry.” Jane apologized, ducking her head.

“Baby,” the editor tipped the brunette’s chin. “you have nothing to apologize for. We’ll take this as fast or as slow as you want.”

Jane nodded shyly and met those ocean blues. “You know, I get butterflies every time you call me that.” She said softly, her fingertips trailing up the woman’s shoulder, to the base of her neck.

“I know the feeling.” Blue eyes fluttered closed as the brunette’s nails lightly scraped her scalp. “You should go shower before I cancel dinner plans and keep you here.” She purred.

“Mmm… yes ma’am.” Jane whispered and kissed the blonde, her teeth tugging gently on her bottom lip before pulling away, walking towards the stairs, leaving a speechless Jacqueline on the couch.

“I’ll get you back for that.” She shouted after the younger woman.

“Promises, promises.” Jane offered over her shoulder, undoing the button barely holding the cream blouse together and letting it drop to the floor before she continued up the stairs, her fingers sliding up the bannister.

“God.” The blonde exhaled, closing her eyes tightly and shaking her head. Continually surprised by the butterflies the 25 year old could summon inside her.

The women rode with their fingers laced together, resting on Jane’s thigh as Jacqueline drove home from Ina’s house. They enjoyed a wonderful dinner prepared by the chef, chatting easily about food, fashion, and French culture. Jane admired the grace Jacqueline always exudes, and Jacqueline found herself smiling the entire evening, watching Jane interact with some of her oldest friends. They returned to the house around 9:30, Jacqueline brewing some tea to bring to the young woman on the back porch. She brought her a mug and sat beside her on the white porch swing, wrapping an arm around her shoulders to help keep her warm.

“Ugh, Perfect, thank you!” Jane smiled, sipping the tea and letting the mug warm her hands that cold October night. “God, you can see so many stars.”

“Another one of the reasons I love it here.” Jacqueline smiled and sipped her own tea before placing their empty mugs on the small table beside them. They sat on the porch, wrapped in each other’s arms, staring up to the heavens when a small streak of light shot across the sky.

“Oh my god!” Jane exclaimed and pointed. “Did you see that?!”

Jacqueline smiled at the brunette’s excitement and leaned close to her ear. “Make a wish.” She whispered.

Jane turned her head to look back at the woman and brought a cold hand to her cheek. “I don’t think I could wish for anything better than this.” Causing a flush of warmth to the blonde’s face.

They met in a tender kiss before cuddling closer together. “Not even for a blanket? You’re freezing.” Jacqueline quipped.

“You’re keeping me warm.” She snuggled into the woman’s shoulder. They lay there in each other’s embrace a little longer before it became a bit too much. “Alright, now a blanket would be nice.” Jane shivered.

“Come on.” Jacqueline smirked and lead them inside, closing the slider behind them. Jane sat on the couch and watched the blonde rinse the mugs before walking to the fireplace and striking a long match, dropping it to the log that went up in flames. Jane smiled and shifted slightly as the blonde sat beside her before laying her head on a denim clad thigh. Jacqueline ran her fingers through the soft curls of auburn hair, coaxing out the softest hums of contentment.

“Do we have to go back to the city tomorrow? Can’t we just stay here?” Jane almost whined.

“God, I wish.” Jacqueline sighed. “I’m not looking forward to sleeping without you tomorrow night.”

“Really?” Jane asked softly, turning to look up at the blonde.

Jacqueline nodded as she peered down at the brunette. Her face turned serious and she squinted slightly as she began, carefully choosing her words, “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but it appears that I may have developed some feelings for you, Miss Sloan.” She smirked.

Jane blushed and gazed up at the blonde. “Is that so? Hmmm… you might wanna get that checked out.” She joked, feigning concern. “Now that you mention it, I’ve enjoyed sleeping with you too. Maybe I should get checked out!” They shared a laugh.

“Jane,” Jacqueline’s tone turning a bit more serious. “About what you said earlier…”

Chapter Text

----CHAPTER 9-----

Jane felt her stomach drop and she sat up slowly, her words echoing in her head: ‘I love couture Jacqueline’.  “Jacqueline, I’m sorry. I…”

“You don’t have to apologize, Jane.” the blonde stopped her and grabbed her hands, almost as if she was afraid the younger woman would disappear.

“I don’t want to ruin this.” The tremble in Jane’s voice causing a fissure in Jacqueline’s heart.

“You’re not ruining anything!” The editor assured her, taking the brunette’s face in her hands. “I care so deeply for you, Jane. I need you to know that.” Glassy blue eyes boring into terrified hazel. Jane closed her eyes, feeling too vulnerable under her stare. “Hey, look at me.” Jane sighed and met her eyes again. “Nothing’s changed. If anything, my feelings for you have only increased being here. But…” she paused. “Our situation does make this more complicated.”

“I know.” Jane whispered.

“I’d like to think I know you well enough to assume that you’re not the type to throw ‘I love you’ around without weighing every outcome.”

“I've never—” she caught herself and Jacqueline’s expression changed.

“Oh” the word was barely audible from the blonde’s lips. She closed her eyes and pulled the younger woman into her arms. They sat in silence, Jane’s head resting on Jacqueline’s shoulder, her forehead pressed to the woman’s cheek, both afraid to say anything more.

Hours passed before Jacqueline stirred, realizing they had fallen asleep on the couch. She felt the weight of the brunette against her side, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. “Jane?” she asked softly.

“Hmmm?” the younger woman mumbled.

“Come on, sweetheart. Let’s go to bed.”

Jane’s eyes fluttered open and she watched the taller woman stand. She accepted the outstretched hand and laced their fingers together as they padded upstairs and into the bedroom. They both casually changed into their sleep clothes, the grey shorts and navy sweater for Jacqueline, black shorts and a purple tank top for Jane. They spent as little time as possible doing their own nightly bathroom routines before settling under the sheets. Jacqueline felt the small shiver beside her and opened her arms, allowing Jane closer. The brunette turned into her side, slipping her arms under the material of the sweater and tucking her head under the blonde’s chin.

“Oh, so now I get to be the cold one?” Jacqueline teased, feeling the younger woman smile against her chest.

“You’re too hot. We gotta cool you down.” Jane said sleepily, her thumb lightly rubbing against the blonde’s shoulder blade. Jacqueline shook her head and gave the girl a gentle squeeze before they drifted off to sleep.

The buzz of her cell phone on the nightstand stirred the blonde from her slumber. Her eyes fluttered open to find the herself the little spoon this time, a position she hadn’t found herself in for years. She sighed contently as she focused on the warm breath against the back of her neck, then chuckled as she went to run her hand up Jane’s arm, only to find it tucked under her sweater, with a hand securely cradling her breast. The blonde shook her head and pulled the girl’s hand away slowly, trying not to wake her. Once free of her delightful confines, she rolled from the bed and turned back to place a tender kiss on the porcelain cheek before heading downstairs.

The text she received moments before was from Ina, letting her know she’d dropped off a box of Jacqueline’s favorite pastries from Montauk Bake Shop; two Almond Croissants, two Raspberry Scones, and two Chocolate Chip Muffins. Jacqueline smiled at the box and shot a text of gratitude to her friend as she made her way back inside. Brewing a pot of coffee, she warmed the croissants and placed the scones and muffins on a serving dish, waiting for the coffee to finish. Two satin covered arms wrapped around her waist from behind and she smiled, turning around in the embrace.

“I see you’ve hijacked my robe.”

“I was cold and it was comfy.” Jane smirked up at the woman. “I’m glad you’re here. I was having terrible flashbacks of Paris.”

“Terrible flashbacks? I didn’t realize Paris was terrible for you.” The blonde’s brow furrowed.

“Waking up without you is always terrible.” She explained, earning an understanding, yet sly, smile from the woman.

“Ah, well I certainly couldn’t let you starve.” She kissed the brunette’s forehead and pulled away, presenting the plate of baked goods.

Jane’s eyes widened and she reached her arms out. “Gimme gimme gimme gimme!” Jacqueline laughed and handed her the plate, watching with adoration as the brunette practically bounced to the island stool and perused her selection. “Did you leave to go get these?”

“Ina dropped them off about 10 minutes ago.” She poured them both a cup of coffee, doctored to their shared preference, and placed the mugs on the counter in front of the stools.

“Ugh. What a gem she is.” Jane placed a hand over her chest and shook her head as she gazed longingly at the box. Jacqueline’s smile grew and she shook her head at the brunette.

“I’ll let her know you think so. Help yourself.” The each picked an item; an almond croissant for Jane and a raspberry scone for Jacqueline. They both decided to save the muffins for the ride home, agreeing that a muffin was a perfectly acceptable dinner/dessert, before discussing the fact that the only difference between a muffin and a cupcake is the frosting. “So in that vein, since buttercream frosting is just butter and sugar, if I were to put butter and sugar or butter and honey on a muffin, does it then become a cupcake?”

Jane eyed the woman in awe. “You’re so right. Why the hell haven’t I been putting butter and honey on my muffins?” she sipped her coffee.

“So we’ve established that a muffin can be a cupcake, but can a cupcake be a muffin?”

“You ask the hard questions, Carlyle. I don’t know if my brain can process all of this new information!” Jane held her own face in her hands, staring at the blonde with a look of consternation.

They shared another laugh and Jacqueline couldn’t resist leaning over and pulling the brunette in for a kiss. They both knew this time alone was precious. They didn’t know the next time they’d get to be like this and they tried to keep each other laughing in hopes to avoid the weight of their predicament.

Not too long after breakfast, the women changed into real clothes. Both opted for dark denim and boots, Jane wore an oversized, quarter zip Victoria’s Secret hoodie, the blonde donning an oversized, red Burberry hoodie. Jacqueline walked out of the bathroom with her hair perfectly tousled as Jane tied hers up in a high ponytail. Jane was just sliding on her boots when she noticed the taller woman’s fashion choice. “I don’t know what it is about you in street clothes, but I’m so turned on right now.” She purred as she pulled the woman into her arms.

“Keep it in your pants, Sloan.” Jacqueline chastised her jokingly and kissed her neck.

“You’re making it really hard.” Jane moaned, fingers tangling in blonde locks.

“That’s what she said?” The editor whispered beside her ear.

Jane pulled back and gave her a look. “Did you just?”

Jacqueline chuckled and took her hand, leading them downstairs and out the back porch.  Off the back deck and through the yard, they reached the fence and passed through the gate, stepping out on to the sand. They walked hand in hand down the beach, the fall air weaving around them, the trees shining in various shades of red, orange and yellow. “I love fall.” Jane spoke softly.

“Me too. People say Spring is when everything comes to life, and I get that, but for me Fall is the most beautiful. The trees that survived last year’s winter, the new birth of spring, the harsh summer heat and storms, they finally get to shine for a few weeks. The leaves, the crisp air, the way everything kind of smells like apples, it’s just…” Jacqueline inhaled deeply. “The best.” Jane smiled up at her. “I’m also a sucker for a Chestnut Praline Latte, so Fall and I get along great.”

Jane squeezed her hand a little tighter as they continued down the beach.

“Jacqueline?” Jane asked as they returned to the back porch.

“Yes?” The blonde responded, taking a seat on the bench.

Jane sat beside her and found her own fingers fascinating as she avoided the blue eyes that sparkled in the autumn sun. “This weekend…” she struggled to find the right words. “This weekend has been perfect.”

The corners of Jacqueline’s mouth turned up into a small smile as she took the young woman’s nervous hands in her own. “Yes, it has.”

“Going back to work makes me a little nervous.” Jane admitted.

Jacqueline sighed. “Me too.”

Jane met her eyes. “What are you nervous about?”

Choosing her words carefully, the blonde began. “I’m nervous about what this week will bring in terms of my future with the company. I’m nervous about my meeting with the board.” Jane gazed out at the water. She’d completely forgotten about the editor’s job situation. “I’m nervous that someone will catch me staring at you from across the office and realized that my intentions may not always be so innocent.”

Jane’s serious look faded into one of shyness, ducking her head as a blush crept up her neck. “Yeah, I definitely understand that.”

“What are you nervous about?” Tan fingers worked their way through the auburn ends of the ponytail.

“Pretty much the same thing. I’m nervous that I’m not going to be able to keep myself in check at the office. Nervous that I’m going to get needy and desperate because I can’t touch you the way I want to when I want to. Nervous that you might think this was a mistake.”

“Hey,” Jacqueline grabbed the younger woman’s hand. “You never, EVER, have to worry about that, okay?” Jane nodded and leaned back into the blonde’s arms. “We’re both adults, I think we’ve proved that we can manage to keep our hands off of each other most days. At least during work hours. Luckily, I happen to know of a few tucked away corners of that building, if we need them.” They both smiled. “And it’s not like I hardly speak to you when we are working, so if I needed to call you in for a private meeting or said that I needed to speak with you, I don’t think any heads would turn.”

“That’s true.” Jane agreed.

“We’ll make it work, Jane. I promise.”

They spent the afternoon curled up on the couch, binging both seasons of NAILED IT! On Netflix. They finally enjoyed the leftover soup Ina had made for them on Friday and eventually packed their bags. When Jane had stepped into the bathroom, Jacqueline removed her Burberry hoodie and slipped it into the younger woman’s bag. They’d both expressed how much they weren’t looking forward to sleeping away from each other, she hoped the hoodie might help. Pulling on a slightly dressier red sweater, the blonde grabbed her coat and draped it over her arm as the girl returned to the room. Jane offered her a small smile and placed her toiletries into the top zipper pocket of her carry on bag. “Shall we?” she offered.

Jacqueline nodded and they made their way downstairs, making sure to lock up on their way out to the Mercedes. The drive to the airport was quick and they loaded their bags, including Jane’s new guitar, and into the helicopter. They spent the ride hand in hand, gazing out over the ocean as the sun set. When they landed back at the Safford building the women both bid farewell to Jeffrey, promising to visit again soon, and handed their bags to Ricky, who took them down to the car. It was a Sunday evening, the building was practically deserted, so they were able to sneak out without raising any suspicion.

The women spent the ride to Jane’s apartment with hardly an inch between them. As they pulled up to the curb, Ricky retrieved Jane’s bag and guitar and walked them to the door, giving the women some privacy in the backseat. “Thank you again for this weekend.” Jane whispered as she placed a lingering kiss on Jacqueline’s lips.

“Thank you for joining me.” The blonde replied, pulling her into a long embrace. “May I walk you to your door, Miss Sloan?”

Jane chuckled as they broke apart. “Of course, Jacqui.” Trying, and failing, to suppress a smile at the look she was met with.

The blonde’s jaw dropped and her face was a stunning combination of shock and amusement. She rolled her eyes and breathed out a rueful laugh before exiting the car, taking Ricky’s offered hand. She walked Jane to the door, still shaking her head. Jane just laughed and made her way up to the door. She unlocked it and carried her bags inside, silently praying not to be greeted by Ben or Pinstripe. Instead, a very excited Sutton Brady bounced off the couch. “TINY JANE!” she exclaimed before she saw the blonde. “Jacqueline! Hello!" She quickly straightened her t-shirt and clasped her hands together at her waist, clearing her throat, her voice dropping to a very professional tone, "Hello. Good evening.”

Jane’s head cocked to the side and she laughed at her roommate as they walked farther into the apartment. “At ease, Sutton.” Jacqueline chuckled and almost expected the red head to salute. She grabbed the brunette’s hand and pulled her back towards the door, placing a soft kiss on her lips.

“Text me to let me know you get home?” Jane asked and Jacqueline nodded, giving her one last kiss and a wink as she opened the door. “Have a good night, Sutton.” She offered over her shoulder.

Sutton shouted “Thank you! You too!” and watched the door close. Jane turned around with a giddy smile on her face and Sutton squealed. “TELL ME EVERYTHING!” She pulled the brunette onto the couch.

 ----------

That night, Jane unpacked her suitcase and saw the red Burberry hoodie, smiling to herself and taking it into her arms, inhaling the lingering scent of the blonde. As she got ready for bed, she opted to only wear boyshort underwear before pulling the hoodie over her head and wrapping her arms around herself. If she tried hard enough, she could almost convince herself that she was there. Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind. A thought she normally would have dismissed, but something about this woman made her do things she otherwise wouldn’t. Pulling the hoodie off, she laid back against her pillows, strategically draping the sleeve of the hoodie over her naked breasts and snapped a quick picture, showing just enough to remind the woman of the weekend they shared, but not enough that she would be mortified if the photo ever fell into the wrong hands. She inspected the image and captioned it “I miss you” with the text turned to run up her inner thigh. Biting her lip nervously, she pressed send.

Moments later, her phone vibrated. “I’m glad you found my surprise, but now I’m distracted. Might need to trade this bubble bath for a cold shower.”

Jane all but whimpered in response, the mental image almost enough to lure her hand into those boyshorts. The second buzz a minute later did just that. Taken from a similar angle, Jane saw Jacqueline’s breasts, strategically covered by bubbles, a mass of bubbles over her torso and down into the water, and her long, glistening legs resting at the end of the tub, crossed at the ankles.

“That’s just MEAN!” Jane texted back, her unoccupied hand gripping the soft cotton across her hips, fighting the urge to tend to the ever growing need between her legs.

“You started it, darling.” Jacqueline replied. Before Jane could form a response her phone buzzed again. “Oh no. The bubbles are washing away.” Another picture. This time, the suds covering her breasts were rinsed clean, and a tan arm disappeared into the water under the much smaller mountain of bubbles that remained low across the blonde’s hips. There was no denying where that hand was currently placed, which sent Jane’s mind reeling.

“You’re killing me.” She texted back, staring intently at the photo as her hand dipped beneath the cotton.

“What’s the matter, baby?”

Jane’s eyes squeezed shut. “You know exactly what you’re doing to me right now.”

“What are you gonna do about it?”  Was that a dare?

She took a deep breath and her thumb just typed. She didn’t quite realize what she had written until after she pressed send. “God, I want to fuck you.” Jane Sloan was sexting. Not only was she sexting, an act she had never partaken in before, but she was sexting Jacqueline Carlyle. If you had told her 6 months ago that this moment was going to come, she would have laughed in your face.  

“I want you to fuck me.” That time, Jane was sure she whimpered. Luckily, Sutton was a pretty heavy sleeper.

“Well, I know how I’m dealing with the fact that you’re not here. How are you handling it?” Jane didn’t know where this boldness was coming from, but she was committed.

“I thought that photo made it pretty obvious where my hand was right now.”

“I wish it was mine.” Jane replied.

“That makes two of us.”

“I miss the way you moan my name.” The sound echoed in her mind.

“I miss feeling you writhe under me.”

“I miss your fingers inside me.” Her hand trying to mimic the movements the blonde had used against her.

“I miss that whimper.”

“Jacqueline, I want you so bad.”

“I want to taste you.” Yup, that’ll do it.

“Fuck.” Was all Jane could muster at that moment, the familiar wave crashing over her.

“and I miss that look on your face when you come for me.”

A few minutes passed before Jane could see clearly enough to text back. “You’re so proud of yourself, aren’t you?” She smirked.

“Knowing I can unravel you like that is certainly a high point for me, yes.” The blonde smiled as she texted back. “I’m just glad I was in this tub to begin with, otherwise I’d need to take another bath.”

Jane felt a final tremor of pleasure course through her. “Ugh. Now I need to change.”

“Go change, darling. And sweet dreams. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Wear something opaque so I don’t hurt myself.”

Jacqueline laughed out loud. “You got it. Goodnight, my darling.”

“Goodnight, gorgeous.” Jane texted back and sighed, clutching her phone to her chest.

Chapter Text

--------CHAPTER 10-------

As with most Monday mornings, the girls met downstairs at Safford to grab some coffee before heading up to the office. Jane finished filling them in on the events of the weekend, saving a few of the more… colorful details for the fashion closet. As Jane walked to her desk she caught the blonde out of the corner of her eye. Jacqueline sat at her desk with her phone at her ear, dressed to the nines in her black dress pants, black and gold blouse buttoned all the way, and her black blazer. Their eyes met briefly and the blonde offered a wink and the slightest twitch of her fingers. Jane blushed and tried to supress the memory of those fingers so she could focus on her work.

 ---

“Was it everything you dreamed?” Sutton wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

Jane sighed and rolled her eyes. “Better.”

The girls squealed and laughed. “But you did it! I’m so proud of you. Were you nervous?” Kat asked.

“I was terrified. But she… she took the lead and I basically just did the same thing when it was my turn.”

“Did your tongue start to cramp? I’ve heard that’s a thing.” Sutton asked. Kat just closed her eyes and shook her head.

“My… Oh. Oh! No! I…We… we didn’t…”

“I thought you said-“

“I mean, we DID! We just… didn’t… do that. Is that bad?” The brunette asked, suddenly very concerned.

“No! Of course not. So you just… went the digital route. That’s totally cool.”

“Ha. Digital.” Sutton chuckled, wiggling her fingers.

Jane and Kat shook their heads at the redhead and focused on their conversation. “It still counts, right?”

“Of course it counts, Jane. You’ve had sex with a woman! This is fantastic.” Kat smiled and offered the girl a hug.

“It was perfect.” She mused, the memories replaying in her mind. “All 6 times.” She blushed and covered her face while her friends laughed and celebrated with her. The slight upturn of her lips never faltered through the entire day.

---

Around 6:15, the office was empty, save for the blonde and brunette, who hadn’t actually spoken all day. Jane made her way to the glass door and leaned against the frame, observing the blonde furiously typing on her computer.

“Hey, stranger.” Jane offered softly, her arms crossed and a small smile on her face.

Jacqueline looked up and sighed, the weight of the day visibly releasing from her shoulders. “Hey, you.” She smiled back and motioned for Jane to enter the room. Jane stood beside her chair and leaned against the front of her desk.

“Rough day?” She asked, her hand cupping the blonde’s cheek.

“Not anymore.” She leaned into the touch.

Jane glanced back to the bullpen, one last check that they were alone, before pushing the blonde back from the desk and swinging her leg over her thighs, straddling her lap. Jacqueline smirked and ran her hands under the skirt of Jane’s dress, gripping her hips and pulling her closer. Jane wrapped her arms around the blonde’s neck and pulled her into a long, slow kiss. “I missed you last night.” She whispered when they pulled apart, resting their foreheads together.

“I missed you too. No one was there to grope me in my sleep, it was very disappointing.” The blonde joked.

“Hey, any time you need a good fondling you just say the word.” Jane quipped back

Jacqueline pulled her in for another kiss before abandoning her lips and moving to Jane’s neck, leaving a dark hickey where her neck met her collarbone. Jane pulled away with a shocked and amused look on her face. “Did you really just mark me?”

“I told you I would.” Jacqueline smiled smugly. Jane bit her lip and undid the top three buttons of the blonde’s blouse. “Don’t you dare, Sloan. You already had your chance.”

Jane growled and ran her tongue up the side of the blonde’s neck, finally landing with the top of her ear between her teeth, earning a sharp intake of breath and a soft moan from the editor. “So, where exactly are these hidden rooms you mentioned.”

Jacqueline’s eyes, which had fluttered shut at the first touch of Jane’s tongue, suddenly shot open and she moved to pull the brunette’s lips back to her own when they heard the ding of the elevator. Both women froze before Jane jumped off of the blonde’s lap and straightened her dress. Jacqueline’s hand caught hers and their eyes met. “Come on.” The blonde whispered, and pulled her toward the rack of clothes in front of the glass wall. Jane began to protest when she saw Jacqueline pull a small handle that blended into the picture lined wall behind her desk. A hidden door popped open and Jacqueline pulled the brunette inside with her, just as the wheels of the Janitor’s cart squeaked by.

“You have a secret coat closet?” Jane whispered, her body flush against the blonde.

“I rarely use it, but it’s here.”

Jane laughed quietly as the dim light above them faded to black. “So I take it this is one of those hidden rooms you told me about?”

“It wasn’t my first choice, but I supposed it’ll do.” Jacqueline held the girl’s face in her hands and pulled her into a heated kiss, guiding them back until Jane was pressed up against the wall. The closet could probably fit three full sized adults, so they didn’t have a lot of room, but they would make it work. Jacqueline’s hands dropped from Jane’s face as the brunette’s arms moved to wrap around her neck. The blonde caught her hands and pinned them to the wall beside her. Jane let out a whimper and fought to keep herself composed. When Jacqueline’s grip loosened slightly, Jane reversed their positions, grabbing the taller woman’s wrists and pushing her back against the wall, pinning her there and earning a gasp.

“This is payback for last night.” Jane whispered as her hand undid the button and zipper of Jacqueline’s slacks. Her hand disappeared inside the material and the blonde moaned a little louder, forgetting they weren’t entirely alone. The wheels of the janitors cart were still a few desks away from the office, but they were getting closer, as was Jacqueline. Jane’s hand was giving her exactly what she needed and she couldn’t contain the sounds spilling from her mouth. Jane, on the other hand, knew exactly where the janitor was, and didn’t want to get caught in the closet with her boss. She slowed her ministrations and felt a strong hand grip her forearm.

“Don’t you dare stop.” Jacqueline breathed and Jane smiled in the darkness.

“Then you have to be quiet.” She whispered back, her hand beginning again, her rhythm painfully slow. Jacqueline’s nails dug into the brunette’s shoulders as she felt the wave building. Her breathing ragged, her hips rolling to match Jane’s agonizingly slow pace, she knew she was close. The janitor had begun whistling a few minutes before, suddenly the whistle was right outside their hidden confines.

“Oh, God.” Jacqueline breathed. If she made a sound, they were caught, and there was no denying what they were up to. The excitement of their risky location and the feeling of Jane’s fingers was enough to take her to the edge. Jane was sure there was no way Jacqueline would come quietly, so she clamped her hand over the blonde’s mouth as she felt the tremors begin. Jacqueline’s leg wrapped around the brunette’s waist in an attempt to keep herself steady as the wave crashed over her. The whistling faded and the squeaky wheels made their way back to the elevator. The familiar ding their cue that they were alone once again. Untangling themselves, they laughed as Jane turned the handle and they entered the now dark office. Jacqueline left the top three buttons of her blouse undone as she returned to her desk. Jane sat in the grey chair opposite the blonde and adjusted her ponytail.

“How late are you staying?” she asked, leaning forward to rest her elbows on the desk.

“Ricky should be downstairs at 7. I just need to finish up this email and get my stuff together.”

“Would you mind if I stuck around? Just to make sure you get to the car.” Jane asked nervously.

Jacqueline smiled warmly at the brunette. “I would love that.”

Ricky opened the door for the women as they slipped into the backseat of the Town Car, neither one noticing the eyes watching them from across the street.

“You can come in for dinner, you know.” Jane said, holding the blonde’s hand in her own.

“I don’t want to impose.”

“Jacqueline,” Jane started, running her fingers through blonde locks. “You’re never an imposition. Please?”

Jacqueline sighed before nodding. Jane smiled and gave her a chaste kiss before Ricky opened the door to let them out. Unlocking the apartment door, Jane pushed it open and motioned for the editor to enter, following closely behind. “Sutton?”

“Late again? The boss grinding you har—Jaaaacqueline, hello!” Sutton caught herself, garnering a laugh from the women across the room.

“Hello, Sutton. Jane asked me to stay for dinner, if that’s alright with you?” Jacqueline asked.

“You... yeah! Of course! Totally. Totally cool. Um… We didn’t take anything out, so we can either UberEats it or if you want something close I can run and pick it up.” The redhead said, leaning against the kitchen counter.

Jane took the blonde’s hand and lead her to the couch. “You guys in the mood for anything in particular?”

“I’m up for anything.” Jacqueline said, sitting beside the brunette.

“Rocco’s Tacos?” Sutton offered.

Jane looked to the blonde, who nodded in agreement. “Works for me.”

“Me too! You sure you don’t mind picking it up?” Jane asked.

“Not a problem, just let me know what you guys want.” The redhead grabbed her phone to take note of their orders.

“I know it’s not terribly far, but Ricky’s outside. I’m sure he’d be more than happy to drive you there.” Jacqueline offered.

“That would be amazing!” Sutton beamed.

Jacqueline tried to hand her some cash but both Sutton and Jane pushed her hand away. “No way. My treat.” Jane said, handing Sutton her debit card. The redhead took their orders and bounced outside into the waiting town car. Jane and Jacqueline just smiled.

“So, do I get a grand tour?” the blonde asked as they re-entered the apartment.

“Of course.” Jane smiled, taking her hand and leading her around. “This is the living room/Sutton’s room.” She pointed to the bed tucked into the corner behind the couch. She pointed across the room, “The kitchen, where I do 90% of the cooking on any given day. And then there’s my room.” She finished, slowly opening the door and motioning for the blonde to enter. Jacqueline stepped through the French doors and took it all in. The exposed brick wall, the purple headboard, the grey, purple and white comforter she had seen in the photo Jane sent her last night, the memory of which caused a blush to creep up her neck. Jane started to pull her toward the bed and Jacqueline paused. “You know what’ll happen if I sit on that bed with you.”

“Do I?” Jane teased, pulling the blonde closer as she sat on the bed herself.

“Sutton will be back soon and we’ve already almost been caught once tonight.” Jacqueline’s resolve was crumbling as Jane slid farther back, propping herself up on her elbows.

“I mean, we could always just make out for a little bit.” Jane said, crossing her ankles, the hem of her dress having slid up dangerously high.

Jacqueline pretended to linger in thought before sliding off her blazer and letting it fall to the floor. “I suppose that’d be alright.” She crawled up Jane’s body, straddling her hips and trapping her in a long, languid kiss.

 --

Sutton bellowed “Taco time!” from the front door, the two women finally coming up for air. They laughed and tried to make themselves presentable before casually opening the French doors. The three of them sat at the kitchen table in an awkward silence for a few minutes before Sutton finally spoke up. “So Jacqueline, how long have you known Ina and Jeffrey? Jane told me you guys had quite the weekend.”

Jane turned beet read and buried her face in her hands. Jacqueline gazed at the brunette with a smile and placed a hand on her shoulder. “We had a lovely weekend. I met Ina my first year as a journalist. I did a piece on the Barefoot Contessa storefront and we hit it off.” The three fell into a comfortable conversation as they ate, eventually retiring to the couch.

It was after 9 when Jacqueline shot a text to Ricky, alerting him that she was ready to go home. “You sure you don’t want to stay?” Jane pouted as they walked to the door.

“Oh, I’d love to, but it’s probably safer if I head home. Otherwise, I’m afraid neither of us would make it into the office tomorrow.”

“You’re not wrong.”

Jacqueline smiled and give the shorter woman a soft kiss. “Have a good night, Sutton.” She called back into the living room. “I’ll text you when I get home.”

“Yes please.” Jane gave her one more kiss and opened the door, watching her get into the car and drive away.

“Yeah, I totally get it.” Sutton said, taking a sip of her wine. Jane smiled and collapsed onto the couch with her roommate, cuddling the pillow Jacqueline had on her lap moments before, the scent of her perfume still lingering.

Chapter Text

---CHAPTER 11----

Tuesday was an uneventful day at Scarlet. Sutton was running around town, in search of whatever rare couture item Oliver needed for this week’s shoot. Kat was working on a new social media campaign, and Jane was racking her brain, trying to figure out a piece for this month’s issue. With Jacqueline out of the office for the day, she was forced to actually focus on her writing. Knowing that Jacqueline was meeting with the board today, Jane had to keep her texts to a minimum. She’d reached out to say good morning, which Jacqueline replied to immediately and promised to touch base when she got a break in her day. It was just after 3pm when her phone buzzed.

“I’ll be so happy to go home tonight. This day has been exhausting.” The text lit up Jane’s phone.

“I’m sorry, babe.” she texted back.

“’Babe?’ That’s new. I like it.”

“I thought I’d give it a try. Glad it didn’t backfire.” Jane smirked at her phone.

“I just wish I was there, rather than being stuck in a conference room with 12 men that have never read a single word of the magazine, yet they control my position with the company. It’s incredibly frustrating.”

“I’m so sorry you’re having to go through this, Jacqueline. I wish there was something we could do.”

“It’ll all work out the way it’s supposed to, I’m sure. How’s the office today?”

“Pretty boring without you here. The view is certainly less exciting.”

Jacqueline smiled down at her phone as the men filed back into the room after their brief break. “Well, I’ll have to make up for that tomorrow. The boys have returned, so I should get back. I’ll text you later, baby.”

“Have fun, babe ;)” Jane smirked at her phone before returning to her computer.

Jacqueline sighed as she hung her coat on the hook by the elevator door and flipped on the lights. The condo was quiet, something she still wasn’t entirely used to, even after 3 months without Ian, James and Connor living there full time. No sports paraphernalia strewn about, no clicking of Frieda’s nails on the concrete floor or tails wagging to greet her, just silence as she stepped into the contemporary space. The view of Madison Avenue and the Upper East Side never got old, and she knew they made the right choice for their family when the boys moved to Greenwich Village with the dog, but the silence always ate away at her.

Stepping into the living room and undoing the top three buttons of her blouse, she collapsed onto the cream colored couch with a loud exhale. Her day had been mentally and emotionally exhausting, her future with Scarlet in the hands of men that cared so little about real quality and only about their bank accounts. Bringing in someone younger, with a fresh vision and a much smaller salary was very enticing to them. Jacqueline knew she had to fight to maintain her position, but she had no idea where to start. For the first time in a long time, she felt powerless. The circumstances were different, of course, but she recognized the dull ache in her chest. She hadn’t realized that tears had escaped until the buzz from the intercom shook her from her daze. She wasn’t expecting anyone so she wiped her tears and cleared her throat, approaching the speaker. “Yes?”

“I have a special delivery for Ms. Jacqueline Carlyle.” The voice was a welcome relief from the chaos in her head. She pressed the button to unlock the door downstairs and walked into the kitchen to open a bottle of wine. Moments later, the elevator door opened and the brunette stepped inside. “Hey stranger.” She said softly, her heels clicking as she crossed into the kitchen with her hands in the pockets of a black, knee length trench coat tied at the waist.

“Not that I’m not thrilled to see you, but what are you doing here?” Jacqueline asked as she met her on the other side of the island and pulled her into her arms.

“I know today sucked for you, I thought maybe you’d like some company.” Jane said, placing a soft kiss on the blonde’s lips before pulling back and searching her face. “Jacqueline?” she whispered as she saw the taller woman fighting back tears. “Hey, shhhh. It’s ok.” She pulled the blonde back into a hug and held her. “What’s going on?”

Jacqueline couldn’t fight the tears as they spilled from her eyes. Jane led them to the couch and let the editor break down, a sight she never thought she’d witness, and one she was sure she wanted to prevent seeing ever again. Jacqueline untangled herself from Jane’s arms and tried to pull herself together. “I’m sorry, you don’t need to deal with this. I’m fine.” She lied, starting to stand before Jane’s hand caught her wrist and pulled her back down.

“I don’t think so, Carlyle. Spill. What happened?”

“Jane, really. I’m fine.”

Jane grabbed the blonde’s face and held her gaze. “Jacqueline, please? Talk to me.”

Jacqueline didn’t have the energy to fight the brunette and finally let her walls down. “I’m worried, Jane. I’m worried about Scarlet and I’m worried about my future there. I know we haven’t discussed it since before Paris but I’m worried about you and your BRCA status. I’m worried about people finding out about my marriage, I’m worried people will find out about us, I’m worried about what they’ll say and how it’ll effect you. I’m just… I’ve got a few things on my mind right now.” She finished with her head in her hands.

Jane ran her hand across the blonde’s back. “I wish I could tell you that everything is going to work out the way you want it to. All I can say is that I’ll be here as long as you want me. I understand why we have to keep this quiet, I do. And I’m not worried about what people might say when the truth does come out. I’m not ashamed of this, Jacqueline. Not for a second.” She said, taking the woman’s hands in her own.

“Neither am I, but people can be cruel, Jane. I don’t…” she paused, fighting a wave of emotion. “I don’t want you to be a target. I don’t want you getting hurt, especially not because of me.”

Jane brought the blonde’s hands to her lips and placed a tender kiss on the knuckles. “Don’t worry about that, okay? I’ll be fine.” She ran her thumbs across the knuckles.

Jacqueline squeezed the brunette’s hands and shook her head with a groan. “I can just hear Chloe’s voice. ‘I’m sure you could’ve found a girlfriend anywhere, why did you have to choose your employee that’s half your age?’”  

Jane’s thumbs froze and the air escaped her lungs. It took a moment for the statement to process. “Girlfriend?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Jacqueline’s eyes shot up and the panic set in. “Oh god, Jane. I—” she started and was silenced by a soft hand over her mouth.

“Jacqueline Carlyle, am I your girlfriend?” Jane tried to lighten the mood, a smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. She dropped her hand and watched the blonde try to compose herself.

“I—if you… I thought that—” she sighed, noticing the look on the younger woman’s face, and cleared her throat. “Jane Sloan,” she began with an added hint of faux seriousness, “Will you be my girlfriend.”

Jane couldn’t contain the grin that broke across her face. “Yes, Jacqueline. I will be your girlfriend.” She teased and kissed the woman beside her. Jane leaned back against the arm of the couch and pulled the blonde into her arms, running her fingers through the editor’s hair. They laid in silence for a few minutes before Jacqueline spoke up.

“Not that I’m not enjoying the current position we’re in, but may I ask why you’re still wearing your coat?” she asked, her fingers playing with the belt wrapped around Jane’s waist.

“Umm… Well, I came over with one intention but that kind of took a backseat once I got here.” Jane admitted.

“Oh?” Jacqueline asked, sitting up and letting her eyes rake over the brunette as she stood from the couch. The black trench coat and high heels were the only items of clothing visible, causing the blonde’s eyebrows to raise as she reached to undo the belt. Releasing the knot, she let Jane’s hands take her place. Jane slid the two sides of the coat open to reveal the navy blue, satin and lace teddy before dropping the coat to the floor. Jacqueline’s eyes trailed up and down, her breath catching in her throat. She motioned with her finger for Jane to come closer and pulled the brunette down to straddle her lap.

Jane laughed as she wrapped her arms around the blonde’s neck, her fingers tangling in blonde hair. “I thought perhaps I could help you forget about a stressful day.”

“I certainly appreciate it.” Jacqueline smiled up at the brunette and ran her hands up the bare thighs before settling on her hips. “Will you stay here tonight?” she asked, her voice more timid than Jane had ever heard.

“If you want me to.” Jane agreed, her hands coming to the sides of Jacqueline’s neck, her thumbs resting on the woman’s jaw.

“More than anything.” The blonde breathed closed her eyes. Jane leaned forward and captured her lips. This kiss was different. This wasn’t a kiss of desperation, lust, or desire. This was possibly the most intimate kiss they had shared up to that point. This was a kiss of comfort, of understanding, of pure vulnerability. The kind of kiss that rips the air from your lungs, but you’d gladly suffocate if it meant your final moments were spent pressed against the woman before you. The kind of kiss that made your heart want to beat out of your chest as time stood still. The kind of kiss that screamed ‘I love you’ even if the words hadn’t been spoken.

When they finally pulled back, Jane ran her fingers through the pristine blonde hair, messing it up just a touch. Jacqueline closed her eyes again and sighed contently as the brunette’s nails scraped across her scalp. “You look phenomenal,” she breathed as her eyes fluttered open, “and I would love to take advantage of this particular outfit.” A blush creeped up Jane’s neck and she smiled. “But I’m so tired.”

“There will be other nights. If you like this ensemble so much, perhaps we could arrange a rain check?” Jane said softly, her hands cupping the sunkissed cheeks.

“Yes, please.” Jacqueline leaned into the touch and placed a tender kiss on the palm of Jane’s hand.

“Come on.” Jane said, removing herself from the blonde’s lap and offering her a hand. Jacqueline stood and Jane picked up her coat before draping it over the back of the accent chair to her left. She started to lead them towards the kitchen when she stopped and turned her head, looking towards the other side of the condo. “Yeah, I just realized I don’t actually know which way the bedroom is.”

Jacqueline laughed and pointed to the opposite side of the room. Jane nodded and pulled her that way, letting her lead once they entered the hall with multiple doors. Jacqueline pushed open the door at the end of the hall and led the shorter woman inside. Jane admired the room, taking in the king sized bed with a pristine blue and tan comforter, the quilted navy pillows, and a spectacular view of Central Park. “Wow.” Jane breathed before turning back to the blonde who was slipping off her heels in the doorway of her closet. The closet was a room in and of itself, with a large, square island in the middle, made of drawers and a glass top jewelry case. “Yup, pretty sure your closet is the size of my room.” Jane laughed as she glanced inside. The far wall was empty, no doubt where Ian’s clothes had once hung. She tore her eyes away and moved to sit on the edge of the bed as the taller woman changed into her silk pajama pants and a grey Yankees t-shirt. “Oooh honey. We’re going to need to have a serious conversation about your baseball preferences.” Jane shook her head in faux disgust, earning her an eyeroll and a smirk.

“James’ little league team is the Yankees.” The blonde explained. “Rockies’ fan, I presume?” she asked as she walked to the left side of the bed.

“One might think. My brothers are die-hard Rockies fans, but my mom was actually from Tampa, so she managed to turn my dad into a Rays fan. He passed the curse to me, I’m afraid.”

Jacqueline shook her head in amusement as she pulled back the sheets and got into the bed. “A Rays fan in New York? That’s dangerous.”

Jane crawled in beside her. “I told you it was a curse.” She smiled and leaned back, this time opening her arms for the blonde, who smiled in return and placed her head on the brunette’s shoulder. Jacqueline sighed contently and placed a soft kiss on Jane’s neck.

“Thank you, Jane.” She nearly whispered. Jane kissed her forehead and held the blonde as they drifted off to sleep.

---- 

“You need me to what?” Sutton asked into her cell phone as she finished applying her eye makeup.

“I need you to find me a skirt to wear today. I stayed at Jacqueline’s but I came over here in lingerie and a trench coat. I can’t exactly wear that to the office and I don’t have time to come home.” Jane spoke softly in the living room, so as not to catch the attention of the woman dressing down the hallway.

“I just have so many questions.” Sutton said with a smirk. “But I got you. Which skirt?”

“My black pencil skirt should be hanging on the bottom bar in my closet… and a bra… Please. Thank you, I love you.” Jane rushed and hung up the phone as the bedroom door swung open.

Jacqueline, with her hair perfectly coifed, her makeup nearly undetectable but still flawless, her black dress pants crisp and perfectly accentuating her legs that seemed to extend for days, a black bra and that almost completely sheer black blouse, the one that first forced Jane to imagine what the blonde looked like beneath her clothes. The shirt was unbuttoned and hanging open as Jacqueline walked into the living room to meet the brunette with a blouse in hand. “I’m pretty sure this one will work with whatever skirt Sutton brings you.” She smirked knowingly, handing the girl a black and white striped, sleeveless camp shirt from Ann Taylor.

“You mean you don’t want me walking around the office in lingerie?” Jane asked as she took the hanger from the woman and undid the buttons of the blouse.

“Oh, I would love nothing more. However, I’m afraid your coworkers might have some questions.” Jacqueline quipped as she stepped back into the kitchen to pour her morning coffee into her travel mug. “Coffee?”

“I’ll grab some at the office. I’m sure I’ll be bombarded with questions about why I didn’t come home last night, and why I left without undergarments.” Jane replied, slipping the blouse over her shoulders and buttoning it, the bottom quarter of her teddy hanging out from underneath.

“This is quite a look.” Jacqueline chuckled as she took a sip of the coffee.

“You like it?” Jane joked as she approached the editor in the kitchen. “Let me tell you, I’m a big fan of this particular look right here.” She said, sliding her hands under the open material of the woman’s shirt and wrapping her arms around her waist.

“I do have a vague memory of your face the last time I wore this shirt to the office.” The blonde smiled, wrapping an arm around the brunette’s shoulder and placing a quick kiss on her forehead.

“It made quite an impression.” Jane mused.

“In your pants?” she asked, taking a sip of her coffee.

“You betcha.” The women both laughed and shared a short kiss before they continued getting ready for the day.

--

They shared the elevator hand in hand before exiting to the town car that awaited them in the building’s garage. Ricky gave them a smile and nod with a pleasant “Good morning, ladies” as he opened the door for them. They both replied with a “Good morning, Ricky.” As they slipped into the backseat, Jane entering a bit more carefully than usual, using her trench coat to disguise her lack of appropriate attire. Pulling up to the Safford building, they knew they couldn’t exit together. Jane kissed the blonde and exited the backseat, thanking Ricky for the hand, leaving Jacqueline there to circle the block before returning, hoping not to draw any attention.

Jane didn’t notice the gaze following her as she met Kat and Sutton at the coffee stand. Their arms wrapped around her and a barrage of questions hurled her way as they made their way to the elevator, a giftbag in hand containing her black pencil skirt, nude bra, clean underwear, and a small note card with the words “get some” scribbled in Sutton’s handwriting. The girls laughed as they stepped onto the elevator and made their way to the fashion closet.

Moments later, the black town car parked again, Ricky opened the door and offered a hand to Jacqueline, who smiled and thanked him as always. The prying eyes took in the scene and watched the blonde make her way to the elevator, his suspicions confirmed. His jaw clenched as he folded his newspaper and exited the building.

The day continued without a hitch. Jane filled the girls in on the events of the evening, the weekly pitch meeting was uneventful, and the company had shifted their focus to the Halloween party they’d be hosting that weekend. The girls had recreated their costumes perfectly after determining that there would be a special performance for Richard, seeing as how the party fell on his birthday this year. While their schedules hadn’t allowed as much of their free time to be spent together in the last few weeks, this particular detail had been planned months ahead, before Sutton and Richard took their break. “Is Adena coming to the party?” Jane asked.

“I think that’s the plan? Things are still a little rocky, but we’re trying to make it work. I want her to be there, but I guess we’ll see.” Kat explained as she laid across the floor of the fashion closet with Sutton beside her, their second visit that day.

“Well hopefully she’ll make it out, that way we’ll all have someone in the crowd to make uncomfortable.” Sutton smiled and the girls laughed.

“Good morning, ladies.” The voice broke through as their laughter died down. Two of the three of them shot up, Jane, perched on the ottoman, simply crossed her legs and smiled back at the blonde, resting her chin on her hand.

“Jacqueline! Hi! We were just… getting back to work.” Sutton dragged Kat out of the room, leaving the two women alone.

“Do you think she’ll ever not be scared of me when I walk in the room?” the blonde asked as she stepped toward the ottoman.

“I don’t know, I kinda like it.” Jane smirked and gave the blonde a quick kiss and a wink before returning to work, handing Jacqueline the bracelet she had made a habit of snagging from the fashion closet. It had become her go-to excuse for going in there, hoping to catch the brunette.  Jacqueline smiled and slipped the bangle onto her wrist.

-------

“I don’t think I can do it again.” Kat said as she collapsed on the floor of her apartment.

“Agreed.” Jane breathed, laying across from her.

“You guys!” Sutton almost whined. “This has to be perfect.”

“Sutton, we’ve run it 8 times in a row. We’ve nailed the choreography every time. When we’re in wardrobe we’ll practically match the video.”

“Minus the power tools.” Jane offered.

“Seriously. The vocals are perfect, we nailed the dance. It’s gonna be great. But it’ll only be great if we don’t die from overexertion.”

“Fine.” Sutton relented and collapsed on the floor beside them. “What do you think Jacqueline’s gonna say when she sees this?”

“You know, I’m actually kinda hoping there won’t be a lot of talking.” Jane said, the three girls laughed.

Chapter Text

----CHAPTER 12-----

The Safford Halloween party was nothing if not entertaining. Employees from all of the publications in the building gathered in the 24^thfloor ballroom, donning their favorite costumes and pushing work from their minds for one evening of drinking and dancing.

Jane, Kat, and Sutton entered the ballroom in their agreed upon attire. Sutton donned a skin tight, long sleeved, green, turtleneck body suit under a midwash , skinny denim jumpsuit, unzipped to the waist with a tool belt and camel timberlands. Kat wore a sleeveless, white body suit with light wash denim cutoffs, a tool belt and timberland boots. Jane wore a low cut, black, half sleeve body suit with a choker collar, black denim cutoff shorts with white paint splatter accents, a tool belt, and her timberlands. The vast majority of attendees would have no idea who they were dressed as, and they didn’t care. Richard, however, knew exactly who they were supposed to be, and that’s all that mattered to Sutton.

They eyed the room and chatted with acquaintances, waiting for their big moment. Richard dressed as Marty McFly, complete with a makeshift hoverboard. The girls had to avoid him so as not to ruin the surprise, so they ducked out of the ballroom and hung out in the elevator lobby. Adena texted Kat to let her know she’d arrived, so they ran down to the main lobby to meet her. Jane and Sutton explained their costumes to Adena, who opted for a much less complicated doctor’s ensemble, with light blue scrubs and a stethoscope around her neck. They chatted in the lobby for a few minutes before Jane’s attention was drawn to the door. “Holy fuck.” She breathed, drawing her friends eyes to the door as well.

The first thing that caught her attention was the long brown wig that looked so realistic, Jane had to do a double take to make sure she was really seeing the woman before her and not just imagining it. The next thing she noticed was just how much of the golden thighs she could openly gawk at in that costume. The red, blue, and bronze leather costume clung to every curve, a golden lasso tacked to her hip, bronze gauntlets, above the knee red and bronze boots, and the signature headband. The editor was a wonder, indeed.

“Come through, Wonder Woman!” Kat exclaimed as Jacqueline approached them. The women all gushed over how incredible the blonde looked, leaving Jane and Jacqueline to eye each other up and down before the rest of the group realized they weren’t paying attention to anyone but each other. Kat, Adena, and Sutton excused themselves to leave the two women alone for a moment.

“You really expect me not to try to rip that off of you during this party?” Jane’s voice was low and thick with desire.

“To be honest, I kind of hoped you would.” Jacqueline admitted, her tone matching the brunettes. “Your costume isn’t making this easy on me either, you know.”

“Oh please!” Jane scoffed, crossing her arms and inadvertently pushing her breasts up to create even more cleavage.

“Well that’s just uncalled for.” Jacqueline’s gazed lowered to the younger woman’s chest.

“Look who’s talking.” Jane quipped back, wanting nothing more than to abandon the party and find a dark corner of the building where she could have her way with the blonde.

“Tiny Jane! It’s showtime!” Sutton beckoned, the five women making their way to the elevators. Luckily, they managed to not have to share the lift with anyone else, leaving Jane and Jacqueline a few precious seconds to intertwine their fingers without prying eyes.

Just before the elevator dinged, Jane leaned in, as if she would place a kiss on Jacqueline’s lips, keeping centimeters between them before pulling away as the doors opened, leaving the blonde on edge. “Uncalled for.” The taller woman exhaled as she watched the younger women exit the elevator. Catching her breath and shaking off her sexual frustration, Jacqueline exited the elevator and entered the ballroom. Every eye was on her, including Jane’s, who was walking to the DJ booth to retrieve her microphone.

Sutton and Kat noticed their friend’s lack of focus and smiled. “Babe? You with us?” Kat asked.

“Huh? Yeah. Yeah, I’m good.” Jane nodded, unable to tear her eyes away for more than a second.

“Dude, I get it. Don’t let me drink too much tonight or I might try to make a move on your lady.” Sutton said with a smirk, retrieving her own microphone. Jane gave the brunette a non-threatening glare and shook her head. “Just… Do this for her. I mean, don’t make it TOO obvious. We don’t need the entire building realizing you guys are boning, but you know what I mean.” Sutton explained.

Jane closed her eyes and turned her attention back to her friends. "You’re right. Let’s do this.” She put her hand out for the girls to stack theirs upon. “…what’s our chant?”

“Lady boners on three.” Sutton offered. Kat and Jane both shook their heads as their hands bounced in unison. “One… two… three…”

“Lady Boners!” they exclaimed and laughed together. The DJ turned his attention over to them and brought the music down as they stepped onto the small stage. “Good evening, Safford!” Sutton spoke enthusiastically into the microphone, getting the attention of the 300+ people in the room. “I know this is a Halloween party, which we are all enjoying, right?” The crowd cheered in response. “Good answer!” she laughed. Richard and Jacqueline both stepped through the crowd so they were in the front row. “However, today is also a very special day. It’s come to my attention that today happens to be Mr. Richard Hunter’s birthday.” Again, the crowd cheered. “Now, Mr. Hunter here is a fan of all kinds of music. But, his favorite song…”

“Oh God.” Richard realized what was happening and brought a hand up over his mouth.

“Just so happens to be a little tune by a girl group that is, sadly, no longer together. But that doesn’t mean we love them any less! So, Mr. Hunter, let us wish you a happy birthday by performing your favorite song.”

“It’s not my favorite song!” He shouted from the audience.

“He’s lying to you.” The room laughed as the first notes of Fifth Harmony’s WORK FROM HOME started blasting. Sutton turned her attention to the man in the front and sang to him.

I ain’t worried ‘bout nothin’

I ain’t wearing na-nada.

I’m sitting pretty, impatient,

But I know you gotta

Put in them hours

I’mma make it harder

I’m sending pic after picture

I’mma get you fired.

Jacqueline’s jaw dropped as she watched the girls dance. She put a hand on Richard’s arm and they both chuckled nervously as they watched their other halves perform. Adena made her way closer just as Kat began to sing, finding her eyes in the crowd.

I know you’re always on that night shift

But I can’t stand these nights alone.

And I don’t need no explanation

‘cause baby you’re the boss at home.

Jane took a deep breath and brought the mic to her mouth.

You don’t gotta go to work

Work, work, work, work, work, work

But you gotta put in work

Work, work, work, work, work, work

You don’t gotta go to work

Work, work, work, work, work, work

Let my body do the work

Work, work, work, work, work, work,

We can work from home,

Ohhhh, ohhhh.

We can work from home,

Ohhhh, ohhhh.

Jacqueline felt the air rush from her lungs as she watched the brunette dance and sing, their stare never breaking as Jane continued the next verse.

Let’s put it into motion

I’mma give you a promotion

I’ll make it feel like a vacay

Turn the bed into an ocean.

We don’t need nobody

I just need your body

Nothing but sheets in between us

Ain’t no getting off early.

The song continued and the girls nailed their performance. The costumes, the choreography, everything matched the music video perfectly. Those who were familiar with the song cheered the loudest. Those unfamiliar still  cheered with excitement. Jacqueline, Richard, and Adena applauded and tried to fight the blush creeping up their necks. Luckily, once they were finished, everyone’s attention turned back to the party. No one seemed to notice the six of them gather together to talk.

“I hate you a little bit.” Richard said as Sutton ran into his arms.

“I love you too.” She smiled and kissed him.

Kat pulled Adena into a hug and kissed her as well. Jane and Jacqueline stood a foot apart, wanting nothing more than to have the luxury of showing their affection for each other. But they knew they couldn’t, so they shared a knowing look and an unspoken promise of what would come later.

“You guys were incredible.” Adena said to the group, who thanked her graciously.

“She’s right. That was amazing. I don’t know when you managed to put that together.” Jacqueline said, thankful that their group had turned into a circle, allowing her and Jane to stand close, their arms brushing against each other without anyone outside the group noticing, or so they thought.

“We’ve been planning this for a while now.” Sutton explained, her arm around Richard’s shoulder.

“Well, it paid off. You brought the house down.” Adena gushed.

The girls thanked her and they all turned their conversations to their significant others. “I just saw Franklin walk in so I need to go speak with him. Wait 15 minutes and meet me in my office?” Jacqueline whispered to Jane as her eyes scanned the room.

Jane nodded and touched her arm before the blonde gave her a wink and walked away. Jane’s smile alone could have lit up the room. She asked the remaining group if they needed drinks and they declined, making their way onto the dance floor. Jane saw Jacqueline speaking with board members across the room and couldn’t help but admire her constant grace. She reached the bar and ordered herself a vodka soda, nursing it for a few minutes before looking down at her watch. Figuring no one would miss her if she snuck away early, she slipped into an empty elevator going up. Just as the doors began to close, an olive green sleeve tripped the censor, the doors opening to reveal Ryan in his Top Gun flight suit and aviators. He stepped into the elevator with Jane, who was terribly confused.

“Ryan? What the hell are you doing here?” she chuckled nervously.

“I may not work in the building anymore, but I do have friends that extend invitations to gatherings like this. That was quite a performance.” He said while removing his sunglasses, his eyes trailing down Jane’s body. She felt herself becoming increasingly uncomfortable and pressed the button for the lobby. “Oh, I thought we were going up.”

“Must’ve pressed the wrong button.” Jane swallowed hard as the metal box began it’s descent.

“You know, I’ve missed you the last couple weeks.” He turned toward her.

“I’ve just been really busy with work, planning this, you know how it is.” Jane was nearly plastered against the opposite wall, her hands clasped tightly in front of her.

“I do, yeah. Spending the night at Jacqueline’s must eat into that time too.” He said, turning his body and eyes toward the doors.

Jane felt as if all of the air had been sucked out of the elevator. “Excuse me?” she barely choked out.

“Trips to the Hamptons, sharing rides into work when she lives on the Upper East Side and you live in Brooklyn, sleepovers, I’m sure all of that is very time consuming.” His eyes met hers.

“I don’t—” Jane faltered.

“Cut the bullshit, Sloan. Does Ian know you’re fucking his wife?” Ryan's voice dropped, taking on a new edge as he turned back toward her, stepping closer. “’Cause you know he’s a good friend of the family.” Jane could feel her heart pounding in her chest. “I’m sure my sister would love to hear all about your little affair. I believe you’ve met, actually. Cleo?”

“Your sister?” Had the elevator always taken this long to reach the bottom floor? She was sure at least an hour had passed in the airless room.

“Yeah, she’s really loving her position on the board. I’m sure she’d enjoy hearing all about how the married Editor-In-Chief of Scarlet Magazine is having an affair with a female writer that’s half her age.”

“What do you want, Ryan?” Jane could feel her blood pressure rising.

“I haven’t decided yet, but I’ll let you know when I do. ‘Til then…” the elevator door finally dinged. “Just know that eyes are everywhere. Have a good night, Jane.” He smiled and walked into the lobby. Jane pressed the door close button, then the button for Scarlet. Her breath was ragged and her hands were shaking as she rode the empty lift up. Exiting the elevator, she walked into Jacqueline’s office and sat on the couch, the tears fighting their way out.

A few minutes later, the elevator dinged and Jacqueline exited the lift. Walking through the empty office, she noticed the brunette on the couch behind the glass doors. “Now I can finally show you how impressed I was with your performance.” She spoke, her voice low and sultry. It was only after the door closed behind her that she realized Jane hadn’t looked at her, and there was a shudder to her shoulders. “Jane?” she stepped toward the brunette, taking a seat beside her and placing a hand on her back. Jane wiped her eyes and shook her head, trying to pull herself together enough to respond. “Baby? What happened?” Jacqueline asked, her voice softening, full of fear and concern.

Jane turned into the blonde and buried her head against the woman’s bare shoulder, sobs wracking her delicate frame. Jacqueline wrapped her arms around the brunette and held her, letting her cry for a few minutes without questions. When she felt the sobs begin to subside she cleared her throat, which was tight from holding back her own tears, and tried again. “Talk to me, sweetie. What’s going on?”

“Ryan knows.” Jane said, defeated. She felt the blonde tense in her arms and felt a new wave of tears rise behind her eyes. “He threatened me in the elevator.”

Jacqueline pulled back swiftly, her eyes raking over the younger woman. “He threatened you?!” The blonde was livid.

“He threatened to tell Cleo about us.” Jane’s eyes lowered to the floor.

“Oh Jesus.” Jacqueline sighed, rubbing her forehead in frustration. They sat in silence, the gravity of the situation hanging between them.

“I don’t want to lose this.” Jane’s tears began again, her sobs becoming audible as she feared the worst and leaned forward, her elbows on her knees and her face in her hands.

“Hey,” Jacqueline placed her hand on the brunette’s back. “That’s not happening.”

“I won’t let you lose your job because of me.” Jane cried.

“You don’t need to worry about that—”

“Yes, I do!” her voice raising, a startling reminder of the day she snapped in the bullpen. “I will not let you throw away your family and your career and your entire life because of me, Jacqueline. I can’t!” she shouted, the music downstairs a gentle hum below them.

“I’m not throwing away anything!” Jacqueline’s voice raised slightly as well.

“They’re trying to hurt you because of me! Don’t you get it? This is my fault and he’s going to take it out on you if I don’t do whatever he wants.”

“Jane—” Jacqueline reached for the brunette.

“I should go.”

“Jane, please don’t leave.” Jacqueline pleaded. “Jane!”

The brunette turned and walked out the glass doors, leaving a stunned and heartbroken Jacqueline Carlyle in her wake.

Chapter Text

------CHAPTER 13-------

“I will fix this. I promise you.” The text lit up the brunette’s phone, which was perched on the coffee table in front of her. She read it and sighed, fighting every urge to jump on the subway and make her way uptown.

“Are you sure you’re gonna be okay tonight? I can stay home.” Sutton asked as she walked out of the bathroom, her overnight bag sitting on the edge of her bed.

“I’ll be fine, Sutton. Thank you.” Jane smiled sadly at the redhead who leaned down and placed a kiss on the crown of her head.

“Well text me if you need anything, okay? I’ll come right home.”

“Don’t worry. Go enjoy your night with Richard.” After rushing out of the Scarlet office, Jane had texted Kat and Sutton to let them know she was leaving. The girls explained the situation to their significant others and met the brunette at the apartment, foregoing any and all plans they may have had for after the party.

“I love you.” Sutton wrapped her arms around the girl’s shoulders from behind.

“Love you too.” Jane smiled at her friend and watched her leave. Alone in the apartment, another wave of sadness hit her. She was wrapped in Jacqueline’s red Burberry hoodie, the smell of the blonde still lingering on the fabric. The last thing she wanted was to ruin the relationship they had built, but the thought of Jacqueline’s entire world crashing down because of her was too much to bear. A few hours and a few too many Oreo’s later, Jane plugged her phone into the charger on her nightstand, swiping to her texts.

“We’ll fix it together.” Jane replied, sighed, and curled up under her comforter, clinging to the pillow and instantly imagining it was the subtle crook of the blonde’s shoulder.

Jacqueline sat at her desk, staring at the phone in her hand. Her conversation with Richard moments before had been enlightening. She knew what her next step was and needed the support of a friend who had been through a similar situation. She thanked him and pulled up her email, the form staring back at her. Glancing out into the bullpen, she noticed a certain brunette wasn’t at her desk. She sighed and checked her watch.

8:48am.

“Oh my God.” Kat exclaimed loudly, catching most of the attention of the bullpen and quickly texting on her phone.

“Kat?” Sutton asked, hearing the girl from across the room and quickly making her way toward her desk.

Kat fumbled with the mouse of her computer, the website not loading fast enough. “TV. Who has the remote?!” she shouted. From across the room, Andrew stood and approached cautiously, unsure of why the girl was shouting. Kat pressed the button to turn the bullpen flat screen to NY1.

Jacqueline’s attention turned to the commotion stirring in the bullpen. The TV wasn’t usually tuned to anything other than the Scarlet Magazine graphic, so when the murmuring began and a crowd began to gather, she knew something was afoot.

“What’s going on?” she asked, stepping out of her office and walking up beside Kat and Sutton, the latter of which seemed visibly shaken.

“That’s our train.” Sutton breathed, her fingers frantically typing on her phone.

“What?” Jacqueline asked. Suddenly her focus landed on the TV, the banner at the bottom reading: MTA REPORTS NORTHBOUND C TRAIN DERAILMENT AT SPRING STREET. Jacqueline’s heart dropped.

“She’s not answering her phone.” Sutton felt her panic rising.

Kat tried to keep the red head calm. “Maybe she missed the 7:55 and took the 8:02. She could be on the A. We can’t panic yet.”

Others in the office bustled, reaching out to their own friends and loved ones, trying to make sure everyone was safe. Jacqueline felt time slow as they watched the news report. Her hands began to tremble as the reporter on the scene paused, holding a finger to his ear. The room stilled. “Sources inside are confirming at least one casualty. Information is limited, so we don’t have an exact number as of the moment, but we can confirm that at least one casualty has been reported.”

A chorus of “No”, “Jesus”, Shit”, and various words of despair echoed throughout the office. Sutton and Kat clung to each other before Sutton noticed the trembling hands of the blonde beside them. Reaching out her own unsteady limb, she clutched Jacqueline’s hand between her own, knowing she felt the exact same fear they did at the moment. Jacqueline’s eyes met Sutton’s, the tears were involuntary.

“Those injured are being transported to New York Presbyterian Hospital in Midtown.”The news reported. Jacqueline swallowed the lump in her throat. “Ladies and gentlemen, I realize that we all have people we care for that may or may not have been on that train. You’re welcome to continue to reach out to them and if you know for certain that they may have been involved you can head to the hospital, though I would recommend waiting until you know for sure. There will no doubt be a lot of people with the same idea, so if you can wait, please do so.”

The office continued to buzz as people figured out their next move. “What should we do?” Kat asked softly.

“We’re going to that hospital.” Jacqueline said, squeezing their hands before approaching Andrew and speaking to him in a hushed voice. She moved into her office and grabbed her coat, purse, and cell phone before returning to Kat and Sutton, who grabbed their own items and followed her to the elevator.

------

The trip uptown wasn’t long, but for the three women in the back of the black town car, it felt like hours. Hours of unread texts, unanswered calls, and unknown whereabouts.

Stepping into the hospital lobby was surreal. The first floor had become a triage center, doctors and nurses working frantically to assess the condition of those that had been brought in. The three women tightened their grips on each others hands and made their way to the nurses station, along with a few dozen others. Eventually, they reached the desk. “Hi, we’re looking for a Jane Sloan? We think she may’ve been brought in?”

“Ladies, we have over 200 victims coming in this morning. I’ll check my list, but your friend may not be here yet or we may not have her logged.”

“We understand.” Jacqueline kept her composure.

A moment later the nurse finished perusing her list and looked up at them. “No Sloan as of yet. Some of the less critical victims are being transferred to our downtown location. You’re welcome to call them and see if they’ve got her.”

“Thank you so much.” Jacqueline sighed and pulled out her phone, weaving through the mass of people. The women made it outside to the car and got in the backseat. “Bonnie? Good morning!” Jacqueline spoke into her phone, the cheer in her voice disguising the anguish she felt. “Oh, I’m sure. That’s actually what I’m calling about. Could you do me a huge favor?  Would you mind checking to see if a Jane Sloan was brought in this morning?”

Kat and Sutton eyed each other, reloading various news websites for the most up to date information.

“She was?” Jacqueline gasped softly and almost wept. “Thank you, Bonnie. We’re heading that way. I owe you one.”

“She’s there?” Kat asked as the blonde hung up the phone.

“Is she okay?” Sutton asked.

Jacqueline leaned her again back against the headrest. “She’s been logged into the system, so she’s there. No word on her condition, but at least we know where she is.”

They all exhaled and continued their trip downtown. Pulling up to the downtown location was slightly less stressful, as fewer people knew about the change in location. Making their way into the lobby, Jacqueline’s eyes found her college roommate. “Bonnie!”

“Hey, Jac. It’s so good to see you!” the shorter woman said as she pulled the blonde into a hug.

“Anything you can tell me?” Jacqueline asked as they pulled away.

Bonnie stepped back behind the nurses station and checked the computer. “Sloan, you said?”

“Jane Sloan, yes.”

“She’s our sister.” Sutton blurted out. Jacqueline offering a soft smile in return.

Bonnie eyed the girls and gave a short nod. “Alright, Jane Sloan. Non-critical. Minor head lac, multiple contusions, currently getting x-rays for a possible wrist fracture.”

“So she’s okay?” Kat asked.

“Appears so. X-rays will probably take another 30 minutes or so due to our current intake. Why don’t you guys take a seat. I’ll come get you when she’s been placed in a room.”

“Thank you, Bonnie.” Jacqueline grabbed the woman’s hand and gave it a squeeze before leading the younger women to the waiting room.

With a soft rap on the door, the three women entered the small hospital room. Sutton and Kat stepped closer, while Jacqueline kept her distance and leaned against the doorframe. “What’s up, Tiny Jane?” Sutton smiled, trying to keep the mood light.

Jane smiled up at her friends as they approached the bed. “Oh, you know, just thought I’d take a day off.”

“You couldn’t have just gone to Starbucks or laid around the apartment like a normal person?” Kat quipped, sitting on the right edge of the bed as Sutton moved to sit behind her.

“Where’s the fun in that?” Jane joked, reaching her free hand towards her friends.

“How’s the arm?” Sutton asked.

“Eh, it’s fine for now. They gave me some good drugs.” They all laughed, Jacqueline’s presence still unnoticed by the brunette. “It’s a hairline fracture, so I won’t need a full cast or surgery or anything like that. The only reason they’re keeping me for a couple more hours is the bump on the head.” She explained, pointing to the jagged red line across her temple and into her hair.

“We’re just glad you’re alright.” Sutton said, giving Jane’s right hand a gentle squeeze. “All of us.” She nodded toward the door.

Jane followed the nod and noticing the blonde, taking a deep, shaky breath. “Hi.” She said softly.

“Hey, you.” Jacqueline walked to the other side of the bed, taking a seat on the left edge, careful not to jostle the wounded arm.

“We’ll give you guys a few minutes.” Kat said, leaning forward to place a kiss on the top of Jane’s head, followed by Sutton who repeating the action, before exiting the room and taking a seat on a bench in the hall.

Jacqueline and Jane sat in silence for a long moment before Jane swallowed the lump in her throat and reached out her right hand. Jacqueline took the hand willingly and released a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. “I’m glad you’re here.” Jane said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Jacqueline gave her hand a gentle squeeze and felt the sting of tears begin behind her eyes. “I’m glad you’re okay.” She spoke, her volume matching Jane’s. “I can’t remember the last time I felt so… scared.” She furrowed her brow and dropped her gaze.

“That makes two of us.” Jane laced their fingers together. “Jacqueline,” she began with a sigh, “I’m so sorry about the other night.”

“Jane, that is so not important right now.” The blonde shook her head lightly and her tear-filled eyes met hazel.

Jane swallowed hard and let it go, making a mental note to come back to that particular discussion.

“You said they’re letting you out of here in a few hours?”

“Yeah. They don’t think I have a concussion or anything, they just want to make sure I don’t have an adverse reaction to the pain meds before they send me home.” The brunette explained, the pad of her thumb rubbing the back of Jacqueline’s hand.

“May I make a crazy suggestion?” the older woman asked tentatively. The corner of Jane’s mouth turned up in a slight smirk as she nodded. “Come home with me?”

“Are you sure? I don’t want to be a burden.”

Jacqueline looked at the girl incredulously. “You have never been, nor will ever be a burden, Jane.”

“It’s fine, Jane. I don’t mind.” Sutton told the brunette as she stood beside the black town car.

“Are you sure?” Jane asked.

“Positive. I’m meeting Richard for dinner uptown anyway. We can swing by Jacqueline’s and drop off your bag on the way, it’s really not a problem.

“Only if you’re sure.”

“Oh my God, get in the car.” Sutton shook her head with a laugh and gently pushed the smaller girl.

“Hey! I’m damaged!” Jane laughed as she got into the backseat.

“Yes, love. We know.” Kat smirked and waved.

“I really appreciate this, Sutton.” Jacqueline said, stepping towards the car door. “I know today was difficult for all of us. I’m grateful you both were here, and thank you for letting me be here with you.”

“Of course, thank YOU.” Sutton said.

“Yeah, we’d probably still be in midtown if it weren’t for you.” Kat spoke, linking her arm with Sutton’s.

Jacqueline smiled softly and lowered her gaze. “Take care of her, okay?” Sutton said.

Jacqueline’s eyes met Sutton’s. “Always.”

Chapter Text

 ----CHAPTER 14-----

It was mid-afternoon by the time Jane and Jacqueline reached the condo and Jane was exhausted. She collapsed on the couch with a huff, Jacqueline smiling at the brunette. “What?” she asked the blonde.

“I’m just glad you’re making yourself at home.” Jacqueline offered with a slight chuckle. Jane shrugged as a smirk tugged on the corners of her mouth. The blonde approached the couch and Jane sat up just long enough for Jacqueline to sit before laying her head on the woman’s thigh.

“Thanks again for letting me come here.” The brunette said, her eyes on the soft cast cradling her wrist.

“I’m just glad you agreed. I couldn’t bear the thought of you leaving my sight today.” The sincerity of her tone causing Jane to turn her head and meet her gaze.

“I’m sorry to add to your stress. I know you have enough to worry about—” Jacqueline stopped her with a gentle finger across her lips.

“Stop.” The blonde brushed her thumb across Jane’s cheek as she cupped her face. Jane swallowed hard and nodded, turning her head to kiss the palm against her cheek.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, processing the events of the day before Jacqueline spoke again. “You must be starving. What would you like to do for dinner tonight?”

“Hmm…” Jane pondered. “Would you judge me if I said pizza?”

Jacqueline smiled and gently ran her fingers through the brunette’s hair. “I think pizza sounds perfect.”

She sent a message down to Ricky and about 30 minutes later, a medium pepperoni pizza from Angelo’s was on the kitchen counter as Jane walked out of the bathroom. Jane could not have been more surprised when Jacqueline pulled out two paper plates, a stack of napkins, and two glass bottles of Root Beer, before placing the box on the coffee table. “Jacqueline Carlyle, are we eating on the couch?” Jane asked, clutching her imaginary pearls.

Jacqueline raised an eyebrow and smirked. “I won’t tell if you won’t.” she said coyly, twisting the metal caps off the root beer bottles.

Jane laughed and they both grabbed a slice, Jacqueline turning the TV to the Cooking Channel, settling in for a few episodes of Unique Sweets, a guilty pleasure they’d both agreed on while in Montauk. They each ate a couple of slices, leaving half the box for another time. “Ugh, that was exactly what I needed.” The brunette sighed as she leaned back against the couch.

“Me too. I haven’t had Angelo’s in ages.” Jacqueline took a sip from her root beer and Jane’s eyes were transfixed as she watched those lips wrap around the mouth of the bottle. She was mesmerized by the subtle way the muscles in the blonde’s neck flexed as she swallowed the soda, the way she looked against the backdrop of the city at dusk just beyond the window, the way the slightest remnant of liquid remained on her bottom lip, and suddenly Jane was overcome with the urge to kiss her. So she did. She grabbed the bottle from the editor’s hand and placed it on the coffee table before capturing her lips. Her tongue trailed across Jacqueline’s bottom lip, the taste of root beer making her smile into the kiss.

Jacqueline gasped lightly as Jane’s lips met hers, but she melted into the kiss and gently brought her hands up to grasp the sides of Jane’s neck. They lost themselves in the kiss for a bit before the TV caught Jane’s attention and she pulled away. “Awww, Cannoli’s are my favorite!” she said, staring longingly at the television.

Jacqueline chuckled and stood, bringing the pizza back into the kitchen with her. Jane was so captivated, she didn’t notice Jacqueline remove a box from the fridge after she placed the pizza inside. Stepping back to the couch, she opened the box and held it in front of Jane’s face. Two chocolate dipped cannoli’s, lightly dusted with powdered sugar. Jane’s jaw dropped. “Oh my god, I love you.” She said, taking the box from the blonde’s hand, closing her eyes and clutching it to her chest.

Jacqueline’s eyebrows raised and her mouth hung open, a soft gasp escaping her lips. Jane’s head shot up and panicked eyes met blue. “I—”

The door buzzed loudly. The two of them stared at each other for what felt like an eternity before Jacqueline broke their trance and approached the speaker. “Yes?” Her voice sounded foreign in her own ears.

“Jacqueline? It’s Sutton and Richard.”

The blonde clamped her eyes shut, licked her lips and clenched her jaw before taking a deep breath. She turned her eyes back to the brunette who was sitting on the couch with her head in her hands. “Come on up.” She spoke lightly, buzzing them in. Jane peered between her fingers, her breath labored. She wasn’t sure if she was grateful Sutton interrupted or if she hated her at the moment, but she brushed it aside and took a big sip of her own root beer, secretly willing it to magically become alcohol. No luck.

The elevator dinged and Richard held the door open, allowing Sutton to step into the condo first. “Oh my god, Jacqueline. This place is incredible. I mean, of course it is, but seriously.” Sutton exclaimed as she took in her surroundings, eventually reaching Jane by the couch. “Hey cutie!” She smiled and gave the brunette a hug. Dropping her voice, she stepped closer. “I brought you a couple days worth of clothes just to be safe.” She gave the girl a wink. Jane blushed and thanked her.

“We’d love to stay but we’ve actually got dinner reservations at 7:30.” Richard said to Jacqueline as they stood in the foyer. Sutton turned around and smiled.

“Get some rest, okay? And text me if you need anything.” The redhead hugged Jane again before giving Jacqueline a quick hug and entering the elevator. The doors closed and Jacqueline exhaled a loud breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding, her back to the room.

“I’m so sorry.” Jane said softly, leaning against the arm of the couch, her hands covering her face.

Jacqueline turned and took a few steps closer. “Did you mean it?” Her stare piercing, her tone unreadable.

“What?” Jane lifted her eyes.

“Did you mean what you said?” She challenged and stepped closer again.

“I—I mean…”

“Jane.” The blonde lifted the young woman’s chin and met her worried, hazel eyes.

Jane inhaled a shaky breath. “Yeah. I meant it.” Her voice was just barely a whisper.

Jacqueline inhaled her own shaky breath, her hands reaching up to grasp the brunette’s face. She searched her eyes and a nearly imperceptible smile tugged at the corner of her lips. “Good.” She whispered, “I love you too.” Their foreheads rested together.

Jane closed her eyes tightly as the tears came and she let out a cross between a laugh and a sob. Jacqueline pulled back and brushed the tears from the younger woman’s cheeks. “Only took a near death experience to get me to finally say it.” She chuckled. Jacqueline’s smile faltered. “Not that that’s the reason why I said it!” Jane panicked. “No! God, no. I—I said it because I meant it. I swear!”

Jacqueline smirked. “You’re cute when you panic.” She flirted, placing a chaste kiss on the brunette’s cheek and returning to her position on the couch.

Jane turned and watched the blonde put her feet up on the coffee table. She sighed, rolled her eyes, and sat beside the older woman, nudging her with her shoulder before picking up the box of cannoli’s. “I don’t think I should share with you.” She said matter-of-factly, giving the blonde a side eyed glare.  

Jacqueline’s jaw dropped as she laughed incredulously. “Well, that’s rude.”

“You’re rude! With your rude flirting and rude making fun of me and rude… legs. And your rude body, and your rude eyes and your rude face...” Jane found herself distracted again.

“Wow. I had no idea I was so rude.” Jacqueline put her arm out for the girl to lean into her side.

“The rudest.” Jane pouted, cannoli in hand.

“Why do you put up with me if I’m so rude to you?” the blonde wrapped her arm around the brunette’s shoulder.

“Well, you’re like… super hot.” Jane shrugged. Jacqueline threw her head back against the couch as she laughed. “And you buy me pizza and cannoli’s.” she smiled as she took a bite.

“Which you’re now getting all over my black pants.” The blonde looked down at the powdered sugar dusting her lap.

“I think it’s cute.” Jane peered down at the mess she was making and finished her dessert. “I mean, I could clean it up for you.” Her right hand began rubbing up the inside of the editor’s thigh. A soft hand caught hers as it made it’s way higher.

“I think it’s been a long day. Maybe we should save that particular activity for next time?” Jacqueline said softly.

Jane pulled her head back and searched the blonde’s face before giving her a soft kiss and nodding, dropping her head to her shoulder and settling into her arms. “I’m gonna hold you to that.”

“Please do.”

A few hours later, they were settling in for the night. Jane had changed into her red plaid pajama pants and black long sleeved henley, while Jacqueline wore her black and grey striped pajama pants and a white wifebeater. Jane had just unzipped her toiletries bag when she noticed a brand new addition to the cup beside the sink. She couldn’t help the smile that broke across her face. Picking up the small, plastic brush, she opened the bathroom door just as Jacqueline was pulling the tank top over her head. “Not to be presumptuous but—” the words died on their way out as she watched the sunkissed skin disappear beneath the thin, white material. “You expect me to sleep with you beside me wearing that?!” she pointed the toothbrush at the woman who smirked back.

“Um, I expect you to keep your functional and injured hands to themselves tonight, missy. Besides, you can consider this retribution for the party performance.”

Jane huffed and her eyes bore through the thin cotton, making out every curve it clung to. “So rude.” She mumbled. Jacqueline smiled smugly.

“Yes, that toothbrush is for you.” She blonde said, pointing to the brunette’s hand.

“Bold move, Carlyle. How long have you had this in there?” Jane asked, stepping closer to her.

“Since the day after you stayed over last week.” Jacqueline wrapped her arms around the brunette’s waist.

“Well, I appreciate it.” Jane wrapped her arms around the blonde’s shoulders in return.

“I thought you might.” She placed a soft kiss on Jane’s lips as the younger woman’s fingers grasped the hem of the tank top. “Uh uh. What did I say about keeping your hands to yourself?”

“Ummm… I forgot.” Jane feigned ignorance as her right hand slid up the editor’s side.

“Jane…” A gentle warning.

Jane sighed and retracted her hand. “Fine. You win.” She pouted again and headed back into the bathroom to finish her routine. Jacqueline put her hands on her hips and shook her head before making her way to her side of the bed. She plugged her phone in and pulled back the sheets, climbing in and waiting for Jane to return.

Jane exited the bathroom and got into bed, plugging her phone into the outlet on her side. These minor touches around the condo caused her heart to flutter. She started to lean back against the pillows and Jacqueline stretched out her right arm, as she always did.

“Not this time. This time I’m the big spoon.” Jane extended her left arm as she laid down, her casted wrist resting on the blonde’s pillow. Jacqueline smiled and carefully placed her head on Jane’s shoulder, wary of the bruises she knew were hidden beneath the cotton sleeves. She draped her arm across the brunette’s hips, resting her hand under the hem of the black shirt. Jane’s right hand came up and she ran her fingers through the blonde locks, dropping a soft kiss on the woman’s forehead.

Jacqueline sighed contently. “I love you, Jane.” She said softly. Her head pressed against the brunette’s chest, she was sure she heard her heart skip a beat.

“I love you too.” The both smiled and tightened their hold on each other, slipping off to sleep.

Chapter Text

------CHAPTER 15-----

 It was just after 3am when the motion beside her pulled Jane from her slumber. Her eyelids cracked open and her eyes adjusted to the darkness, the lights of the city softened and dimmed by the semi-sheer curtains.  Beside her, labored breath and gentle whimpers escaped the blonde’s mouth. Jane watched her chest rise and fall, initially assuming Jacqueline was having an intimate dream. Unfortunately, her labored breath turned ragged and whimpers became soft sobs.

“Jac?” Jane whispered, bringing her hand up to gently cup the blonde’s face. She felt moisture on her cheek. “Babe, it’s just a dream.” She tried, dropping her hand to Jacqueline’s shoulder and lightly jostling it.

When Jacqueline audibly sobbed “No”, Jane discarded caution and spoke louder, “Jacqueline!” She placed her hand on the woman’s hip and shook harder. With a gasp, the blonde was pulled from her nightmare, sitting up and bringing a hand to her chest. Jane sat up and grabbed her free hand.

“Jane?” The brunette had never heard the editor sound so vulnerable.

“Yeah, babe. I’m right here.” She said, delicately placing her right hand over the blonde’s on her chest. Jacqueline exhaled loudly, her heartrate beginning to descend. “Bad dream?”

Jacqueline laced their fingers together against her chest and dropped their hands to her lap. “You could say that.” She whispered.

“You wanna talk about it?” Jane brought her casted hand to the back of the blonde’s head, tangling her fingers in the hair at the base of her neck.

Jacqueline shook her head as a lump formed in her throat. She sniffled and Jane brought her casted hand to join their hands in the blonde’s lap. “That’s okay. You don’t have to.” The brunette said softly.

The older woman grasped the casted hand and brought it to her lips, placing a gentle kiss on the exposed knuckles. Tenderly, she brought the hand back down and raised her tear filled eyes to Jane’s, cupping the brunette’s cheek and dropping a feather light kiss just above the wound on the girl’s temple.

“Is this all because I wanted to be the big spoon?” Jane tried to lighten the mood, in hopes it would help the blonde get back to sleep.

Jacqueline chuckled and wiped her eyes. “You know, I think it might be.”

“Fine, you win. You always win.” Jane smiled as they laid back down, Jacqueline opening her arms and Jane curling into her side.

“You really don’t have to do that.” Jane said, perched upon the orange stool at the kitchen island, a mug of coffee in hand.

“It’s already done, the message was sent, they know I’m not coming in today.” The blonde said as she placed a sheet pan with 4 strips of bacon into the oven.

Jane sighed.  She still wasn’t entirely used to Domestic Jacqueline but she wasn’t complaining. “Was there anybody else from the office involved yesterday?”

“Unfortunately. A handful are out, but it sounds like all of the injuries were minor.”

“Well that’s good.” Jane said as Jacqueline came to sit on the stool beside her.

“Jane, can I talk to you about something?”

“That sounds ominous.” Jane laughed nervously, placing her coffee down on the counter.

The blonde reached for her right hand and smiled. “It’s nothing bad. At least, I don’t think it is.” She gave the hand a light squeeze. Taking a deep breath, she steeled her nerves and began. “I know that the other night had you pretty rattled. Ryan threatening to expose us is not something we should take lightly, and our options are limited, however I do think I’ve found a solution.”

“Oh yeah?” Jane’s nerves causing a slight tremor in her voice.

“If we disclose our relationship to HR there’s nothing Ryan could do. Now, we wouldn’t have to tell the entire office or broadcast it anywhere if you wanted to keep this discreet. I would completely understand, but if we inform HR that this is a consensual relationship and remove the liability from the company, there can be no professional repercussions from Safford.”

Jane felt herself drowning in blue eyes. “And you’d be alright with that?”

“Jane,” Jacqueline smiled and tucked a stray hair behind Jane’s ear. “I want to be with you, so I will do whatever I have to do to protect this.”

“You don’t think the board will use it against you?”

“The board doesn’t have to know, only HR. As far as everyone else is concerned, I’m your boss and you’re my employee.” Jane inhaled deeply and stared down at their hands. “Jane, you’re not obligated to do this. If you’d rather not anyone know we can keep things as they are. I just thought that disarming Ryan would help alleviate some of the stress from both of us.”

“I’m in.”

“Really?” Jacqueline couldn’t hide the smile in her voice.

“Absolutely.” Jane pulled her in by the belt of the satin robe she had hanging from her shoulders and kissed her.

“Bacon.” Jacqueline mumbled against her lips.

“What’d you call me?” Jane chuckled.

“The bacon!” Jacqueline laughed and pulled away, opening the oven and removing the cooked bacon before turning it off and placing the pan on a trivet.

Jane smiled at the blonde and sipped her coffee, watching her scramble some eggs and prepare breakfast.

They were just finishing the last bites of breakfast when the elevator door dinged and they shared a look of confusion. “Mom?” came the voice from the foyer. Jane’s eyes widened and she fought the urge to hide behind the other side of the island.

“Jamey? What are you doing here?” Jacqueline nearly squealed and met her oldest son by the couch, pulling him into a long hug. “Oh, I miss you so much! God, you’re taller than me now!”

“I miss you too, mom. We have our first playoff game tonight and I can’t find my lucky socks.” The sixteen year old said.               

“Oh my god, I almost forgot. I think I might know where they are, give me a second.” Jacqueline held up a finger and disappeared down the hall.

The boy met Jane’s eyes and smiled. “Uh, Jane, right?” he asked, wiping his suddenly clammy palms on the front of his jeans.

“Yeah! James, it’s good to see you again.” She smiled politely and offered a small wave.

“What happened to your hand?” he stepped closer, the sunlight through the window allowing Jane to see he definitely had his mother’s eyes.  

“Oh, umm..  I was on the C yesterday,” she said, raising her casted hand.

“Oh shit,” he slipped. “I mean, wow. That… that’s crazy. I’m glad you’re ok.”

“Thank you.” She smiled kindly. “You guys made it to the playoffs? That’s awesome, congratulations!”

“Yeah!” he smiled and sat on the stool Jacqueline had occupied moments before. “You like baseball?”

“I do, actually.”

“You should totally come!” Jane chuckled and ducked her head. “I’m serious! We’re really good.”

“Oh, I believe you. I’ve heard stories.” She sipped her coffee.

“Please? You can be like… a good luck charm! It’s a really important game and we could use all the good luck we can get.” He pleaded his case.

“What about your socks?” Jane laughed.

“I mean, them too, but having a hot girl in the stands certainly wouldn’t hurt.” Jane blushed and shook her head. James was about to continue when he heard Jacqueline return.

“Got ‘em!” she called from the hallway.

“Perfect! Mom, PLEASE tell me you’ll bring Jane to my game tonight. Tell her it’s mandatory for work. Pretty please?” he pouted, knowing his puppy eyes and bottom lip always got him what he wanted.

Jacqueline’s jaw dropped and she wrapped her arm around his waist, giving Jane a look. “Jane, I’m afraid I’m going to need you to attend this game with us tonight. For work. It’s mandatory.”

 Jane scoffed, rolled her eyes, and laughed, crossing her arms across her chest. “Well, if it’s mandatory.”

“Yes! Thank you, mom. I gotta go.” He pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Umm… I’ll see you tonight.” He looked at Jane and blushed, tucking the socks into his backpack and walking towards the elevator.

Jacqueline’s eyes shot from Jane’s to James’, following him onto the lift. “Love you.” She side-eyed her son.

“Love you too!” he said as the doors closed.

Jacqueline’s gaze turned back to the brunette as she took slow, deliberate steps toward the kitchen with her eyebrows raised.

Jane held up her hands defensively. “I had nothing to do with this!”

“Jane. It would appear that my son has a crush on you.”

“I didn’t do it! I was just sitting here, minding my business, drinking my coffee.” Jane stood to bring her now empty mug to the sink.

Jacqueline reached the island and pulled herself up to sit on the counter beside the sink. She watched Jane wipe her hands on the kitchen towel before she turned her attention to the blonde and placed herself between her knees. Jacqueline locked her ankles behind the brunette and wrapped her arms around her shoulders. “Do you intend to seduce my entire family, Miss Sloan?”

Jane ran her hands up the pajama clad thighs before settling on the blonde’s waist. “What can I say, he has your eyes.” She purred. Jacqueline cocked her head to the side and issued a warning look. “Don’t worry, I’m a one Carlyle kind of girl.”

“You better be.” Jacqueline warned, tipping the brunette’s chin up and trapping her in a heated kiss.

That evening, Jane slipped into her favorite light wash skinny jeans, brown Steve Madden combat boots, and a grey tank top, wrapping a borrowed, navy blue Greenwich Yankee’s hoodie around her waist for the time being. She pulled her hair up into a high pony tail, a few lose pieces of hair framing her face. Her makeup was successful in covering the majority of the bruising across her temple, but welts of purple peppered her skin under the bright LED light of the bathroom vanity.

“Babe, did you want a hat—” the words were cut off by a soft gasp as Jacqueline stepped into the open doorway and saw the marks that had been hidden beneath material earlier. “Oh baby.” she whispered, reaching a tentative hand forward and tracing her fingertips across the younger woman’s shoulder and down her arm. Tears sprung to her eyes and Jane caught her hand.

“I’m okay. Trust me, it looks worse than it feels.” She spoke softly.

“Are you sure? You can stay home if you’re not up for it.” The vulnerability in her voice again tugging at Jane’s heart.

“I’m sure. Besides, I have high schoolers to flirt with.” she winked, earning her an icy glare. Jane grinned and gave the blonde a kiss as she slipped past her in the doorway.

Jacqueline turned slowly over her left shoulder, watching Jane sit on the edge of the bed to put her boots on. The blonde stepped into the closet and slipped out of the pants she was wearing, pulling on a pair of skin tight, distressed, black skinny jeans with holes in the knees. She changed from a black bralette to light grey t-shirt bra, the material soft and thin, leaving little to the imagination as the underwire did all the work. Sliding her arms into the white baseball jersey, she left it unbuttoned as she stepped out with her own boots in hand. Jane stopped tying her laces and gawked unapologetically. She struggled to find words as the blonde sauntered toward her.

“Something wrong, love?” Jacqueline asked innocently, garnering the exact reaction she had hoped for.

Jane swallowed hard as Jacqueline stood directly in front of her, hazel eyes level with her chest. “So rude.” She breathed.

Jacqueline smirked and gently pushed the brunette back against the the mattress, crawling over the younger woman and bringing a thigh up to press between her legs, her hands planted beside the brunette’s head. The pressure of Jacqueline’s thigh against her elicited a throaty moan as Jane arched her back and the blonde smiled, dropping her head and lightly dragging her teeth down the length of Jane’s ear. “Still thinking about flirting with teenage boys?”

Goosebumps erupted across porcelain skin and Jane’s breath became labored. “What’s a boy?” she quipped, her hips rolling upward. She felt Jacqueline take her earlobe between her lips for just a moment before pulling away and standing from the bed, leaving an extremely frustrated brunette in her wake. “SO RUDE!” Jane exclaimed and lightly beat on the mattress beneath her.

Chapter Text

----CHAPTER 16----

The drive into Queens was relatively quick, and the women made their way to the grand stands. Jane buried her cold hands in the pocket of the hoodie as they took their seats, Jacqueline smiling down at the brunette before removing her coat and draping it over the girl’s shoulders. “But then you’ll be cold!” Jane began to protest. The blonde reached into her tote bag and pulled out an oversized Greenwich Yankees zip up hoodie and a flannel blanket. Slipping on the hoodie, she shook out the blanket and draped it over their laps, grateful that the bleachers weren’t full yet. Under the safety of the flannel blanket, they both placed their feet up on the bench in front of them and Jacqueline gently took Jane’s casted hand between her own. Jane smiled and scooted closer, pulling her hand away before locking her arm with the blonde’s and leaning against her side. Jacqueline smiled softly and placed a quick kiss to the top of Jane’s head before turning her eyes back to the field.

James was doing sprints with some of his teammates, warming up before the first pitch. His eyes finally scanned the crowd and he saw the blonde and brunette, offering a wave in their direction. Jane and Jacqueline both waved back and he smiled, his adrenaline kicking in as he jogged back towards his position at short stop.

“Got room for two more?” the slight British accent catching their attention. Jacqueline smiled widely and stood, wrapping her arms around the man as he placed a kiss on her cheek. Jane felt the jealousy boil inside her stomach as she watched his hand land on the blonde’s lower back.

“Jane, you remember Ian and Connor.” Jacqueline said as she hugged her youngest son.

“I do. It’s nice to see you again.” Her voice was kind, and while her smile would have passed as genuine to most, Jacqueline caught the change and made a mental note.

Ian reached out his hand to shake Jane’s, offering her a warm smile in return. “It’s lovely to see you as well, Jane. I’m glad you could join us.”

They took their seats and Jacqueline adjusted the blanket again, this time reaching her right hand between Jane’s thighs and holding the limb securely against her own. Jane felt the jealousy wane as the game began.

James was certainly not exaggerating when he said the team was good. Their pitcher was keeping his arm warm between the 8^thand 9^thinning, in the midst of a no-hitter, when James caught a waist high change up and launched the ball over the fence, driving home three runs and making it a 3-0 game. The crowd erupted with cheers as the ball flew out of the park and he received high fives from the other two boys that scored as he crossed home plate, glancing over his shoulder at Jane. He muttered something to the other two, their eyes glancing in Jane’s direction before they playfully pushed his shoulder and made their way back to the dugout.

“Uh oh.” Jane muttered under her breath, Jacqueline’s hand still resting on the inside of her thigh. Blue eyes met hazel before Jane sighed and rested her head on the blonde’s shoulder. “What do I do?” She asked softly, trying to keep their conversation from Ian and Connor.

“You might want to tell him you’re seeing someone.” Jacqueline matched Jane’s tone as her thumb lightly caressed the denim clad thigh.

Jane sighed as the bottom of the 9^thinning began. 2 outs, full count, and James sets up a perfect double play to end the game. His teammates charged him and huddled together as the crowd began to disperse. “What’d you think?” Ian asked as they gathered their things.

“You know, I’ve never seen a no-hitter in person, so that was awesome!” Jane smiled, still wrapped in Jacqueline’s coat. The four of them made their way down to the field and James jogged over to meet them.

“Oh, honey, you were fantastic!” Jacqueline beamed at her son as she hugged him.

“Nicely done, son. Your discipline at the plate was outstanding tonight.” Ian grinned proudly, wrapping his arms around the two of them. Jane felt the jealousy begin to bubble again.

“Thanks, guys.” James smiled as he pulled away and looked at Jane. “I’m glad you came. I told you you’d be my good luck charm.”

Jane chuckled. “I think I had very little to do with it, but it was a great game.”

“Well, I really liked having you here. I might have to try to convince you to come to all of our games from now on.” He said, removing his hat and running his fingers through his hair; a move Jane was sure he’d used on other girls, one that usually got him exactly what he wanted. She took a deep breath and sighed out a soft chuckle, meeting Jacqueline’s eyes and silently pleading with her to get them out of there. Jacqueline shot the girl a quick wink and turned her attention to Ian and Connor. James used the slight turn from Jacqueline to put his arm on Jane’s lower back and move them away from the family. “So, um… by any chance would you be interested in maybe having dinner with me sometime?” his voice was low and soft, with the tiniest tremor of nerves.

Jane clenched her jaw and swallowed hard as she stepped forward and turned toward him, trying to choose her words carefully. “James, I think you’re a great guy. I really do. But I—” she faltered and caught Jacqueline’s eyes over his shoulder, a wave of butterflies awakening. “I’m seeing someone.” She finished, almost apologetically.

“Oh,” the disappointment in his voice audible. “That’s cool, no worries.” He gave her a smile and took a step back. “Hopefully I’ll still see you around?”

“Hopefully.” Jane smiled.

“He’s a lucky guy.” The teenager offered over his shoulder before making his way back to the dugout.

Jane sighed and closed her eyes, placing her hands in the pockets of Jacqueline’s coat and pulling it close around her. She watched as Ian put his hand on the small of Jacqueline’s back again as they walked to the parking lot, the same way James had done to her moments ago, and felt her shoulders tense, clenching her fists on instinct, and hissing slightly when the movement sent a shot of pain to her injured wrist.

Hearing the wince behind her, Jacqueline turned and placed her own hand on Jane’s back as she caught up. “Jane, you alright?” she asked softly.

“Yeah.” Jane lied as they reached the town car. “It was nice to see you again, Ian. Have fun on your field trip tomorrow, Connor.” She smiled and got into the backseat.

Jacqueline watched the brunette as she hugged her youngest son. “I’ll see you next week, okay?” She smiled and kissed the side of his head. Connor turned his attention back to his cell phone and began walking over to Ian’s BMW SUV.

“See you then, love.” Ian said, placing a kiss on the blonde’s cheek before she slipped into the back seat as well.

The women sat in silence for a moment as they pulled out of the parking lot, Ricky pressing the button to bring the partition up so they could have some privacy. “What’s going on, Jane?”

“Nothing.” Jane lied again, her eyes never leaving the window.

Jacqueline reached her hand across the seat and placed her hand on the brunette’s thigh. “Baby. Talk to me.”

Jane sighed. “I have no right to be jealous, I know that. But it’s really hard to see Ian still touch you and kiss you when that’s all I want to do and I can’t.”

“Jane, you are always welcome to put your hands on me.” Jacqueline said suggestively, the corners of her mouth tugging up in a smirk as Jane turned her head and raised an eyebrow at the blonde. “Honestly, we’re taking this at your pace. If you’re not comfortable with PDA I’m obviously not going to force you, but whenever you want to touch me, whether that’s holding my hand, putting an arm around me, whatever, I’m okay with it.”

“Really?”

“Really.” Jacqueline leaned over and kissed the brunette.

Jane leaned her head back against the headrest and gazed at the blonde. “He asked me to dinner.”

Jacqueline raised an eyebrow and shook her head. “He’s got good taste.”

“I told him I was seeing someone.”

“How’d he take it?”

“Alright, I guess. He seemed disappointed, but he didn’t push.”

“I can’t blame him, I’d be disappointed too. Hell, I was disappointed watching you with Ryan and Ben.” Jacqueline admitted, taking the brunette’s right hand and lacing their fingers together.

“You were?” Jane asked softly.

“Absolutely. I hated watching you smile at your phone whenever Ryan texted you or seeing you flirt in the lobby. It took everything in me to keep it together when you brought Ben to the Mandy Awards.”

Jane smiled as a blush crept up her cheeks. “God, I wanted to get you out of that dress so badly.” She closed her eyes as the memory came back to her. “And the next day when you had me come into the office?” Jacqueline’s blue eyes glistened even in the dark car, their gazes locked on each other. “You leaned on your desk and gave me this look before you told me you wanted me back at Scarlet and I remember screaming in my head to breathe but it just wouldn’t happen. It wasn’t the first or the last time you took my breath away, but it was definitely memorable.”

This time, it was Jacqueline’s turn to blush. “I’d be lying if I said that wasn’t intentional.”

“I knew it.” Jane grinned and shook her head.

“Hey, I don’t think you were entirely innocent all the time either!”

Jane feigned offense. “Excuse me! I was SO innocent!”

Jacqueline laughed and tucked some of the free hairs that framed Jane’s face behind her ear. “Hmm…I kinda like it when you’re not so innocent.”

Jane leaned into the touch and reached forward, grabbing the front of the jersey Jacqueline wore and undoing a few of buttons. “That makes two of us.” She whispered, bringing her hands up to cradle the back of the blonde’s head, pulling her into a breathtaking kiss.

Their make-out session was cut short when they pulled up to the curb of Jacqueline’s building. Ricky opened the backseat door just as Jacqueline finished buttoning her jersey. She took his offered hand and stood, watching as Jane followed behind. They thanked him and made their way upstairs, Jane handing Jacqueline her coat back as they entered the condo. “You really should wear hoodies and baseball jerseys more often.” Jane said, leaning against the wall and pulling her hair out of the high ponytail, shaking it out and letting it cascade around her shoulders.

“New office dress code?” The blonde joked, stepping toward the brunette, backing her into the wall and placing one hand beside the younger woman’s head.

“I’m into it.” Jane nodded, undoing the jersey buttons again. “Maybe I’ll test it out tomorrow.”

“You’re going in tomorrow?” Jacqueline asked, pulling back slightly.

“Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the days off, but I know you can’t be away from the office too much, and I’d much rather be with you, even if that means working.”

Jacqueline smiled down at the brunette and used her free hand to tip up the younger woman’s chin, placing a soft kiss on her lips. “Well, as long as you take it easy, I suppose that’ll be alright. Besides, we can meet with HR first thing if you’d like.”

“Works for me.” Jane said, snaking her hands into the now open jersey and dragging her nails across the blonde’s ribs.

The blonde shuddered. “You’re still bruised.”

“I’ll risk it.” The brunette whispered.

Jacqueline pulled back and gently applied pressure to the purple skin on Jane’s shoulder, earning her a wince and a hiss. “I won’t.” the blonde said, dropping a kiss to the brunette’s forehead. “We’ll see how you’re feeling tomorrow.”

Jane sighed. “Fine. But just know I’m gonna make this just as hard for you as it is for me.”

Jacqueline backed away with a quizzical look. “There’s a ‘that’s what she said’ there, but it feels too easy.” She smirked as she walked towards the bedroom.

Jane shook her head. “Mind if I took a quick shower before bed?”

“Go ahead.”

“You know,” Jane wrapped her arms around the blonde from behind. “you could join me.”

Jacqueline shook her head. “And you think I’m rude?” she chuckled, placing her hands over the brunettes. “You know I wouldn’t be able to keep my hands off of you.”

“Exactly.” The brunette’s hands sliding downward to undo the button of the editor’s jeans.

Jacqueline clamped her eyes shut and peeled back Jane’s wandering hands. “Go!”

Jane sighed. “Fine. I’ll go… take a very, very cold shower.”

Jacqueline watched her pull the hoodie and tank top over her head and rolled her eyes. A cold shower was certainly not a bad idea.

Having changed into her pajamas, Jacqueline locked up the condo for the evening and was pulling back the bedsheets when the bathroom door opened, revealing Jane with her wet hair twisted up in a towel, and another wrapped around her body. She bent down to her bag and pulled out a pair of clean underwear, turning her back to the blonde as she pulled them on, giving her the briefest glimpse of her bare backside. Jacqueline inhaled deeply and swallowed hard, rubbing her eyes under her glasses.

“Could you help me with this?” Jane asked softly, holding the soft cast out. Jacqueline nodded and tenderly held Jane’s left wrist, placing a feather light kiss on the bruised limb before securing it in the restraint. “Thank you.” Jane gave the blonde a chaste kiss and stood, walking back towards the bathroom and removing both towels, allowing her damp hair to fall and cling to her bare chest.

Jacqueline’s breath hitched. “Jane…” it was a warning.

“I told you I wouldn’t make this easy on you.” She smirked as she bent down to pull a shirt from her bag. She pulled the grey V-neck over her head and bent again, pulling a pair of black Sofie’s up her legs before getting into the bed.

Jacqueline exhaled loudly and laid down, crossing her arms over her chest. Jane chuckled as she flipped the switch to turn off the lights, before leaning over and placing her lips just below the blonde’s earlobe. She dropped a light kiss to the soft skin. “I love you.” She whispered.

Jacqueline sighed, “I love you too” before opening her arms and letting the brunette cuddle into her side.

Chapter Text

----- CHAPTER 17-----

The next morning, Jane awoke to an empty bed. She stretched and glanced around the room, seeing no sign of the blonde. Her brow furrowed as she pulled back the comforter and left the bed, padding out to the kitchen, where she was met with a fresh cup of coffee at the base of the Keurig and a note.

“Had a small fashion fire to put out before Oliver’s shoot today. You looked so cute, I didn’t have the heart to wake you. Coffee’s on the machine and Ricky brought fresh muffins from Conrado’s. He’ll be waiting downstairs at 7:45 to drive you to the office. I scheduled our HR meeting for 9:30, so I’ll see you then! I love you.”

Jane smiled and sipped her coffee, pulling a chocolate farm muffin from the box. She quickly ate her breakfast and got ready for work. Having a meeting with HR meant she needed a slightly dressier ensemble. Unfortunately, Sutton only packed her usual office attire. Luckily, she had a pair of plain black, skinny jeans. Slipping into the dark denim, she opened the door to Jacqueline’s closet and reminded herself that this was not the time to admire the wardrobe, she needed a blouse. Suddenly, her eyes landed on a familiar garment. The cream blouse she had so lovingly ripped the buttons off of in a fit of lust while they were in Montauk had been repaired and hung from a hanger to her right. Jane couldn’t contain the smile that broke across her face at the memory as she slid the semi-sheer material across her shoulders. She rolled the sleeves and French tucked it into the front of her jeans before slipping on her Stella McCartney ankle booties, adding one final spritz of hairspray to her loose curls and pulling on her black pea coat.

“Hey stranger.” Kat smiled as she and Sutton met Jane at the Steinem Coffee Kiosk.

“Friends!” Jane beamed and wrapped her arms around the women in a group hug.

“How’s the arm?” Sutton asked as she picked up her coffee cup from the counter behind the brunette.

“Not bad, actually. They said it would only need to be casted for a week or two before I can switch to just wrapping it.” Jane explained, handing Kat her cup as they approached the elevator.

“Well that’s good. How’s everything been at Casa de Carlyle?” Kat asked, pressing the button for the lift.

Jane smiled and sighed. “I told her I loved her.” She blushed, earning dropped jaws and squeals of excitement from her friends and strange looks from the others around them. Unfortunately, their elevator was full, so they paused their conversation and made their way to the Scarlet office in silence before dropping their things off at their desks and making their way to the fashion closet. Once the door closed, the giddy squealing and jumping resumed.

“Tiny Jane! That’s amazing!” Sutton beamed at her roommate. “Details!”

“It just slipped out! Right before you and Richard came by, actually. She got me a cannoli.” Jane smiled.

The two women in front of her shared knowing looks and nodded. “Makes sense.” Sutton spoke softly, knowing firsthand how fierce Jane’s love of Cannoli’s really was.

“Did she say it back?” Kat asked.

“She did.” More squeals.

“That’s amazing, Jane. I’m so happy for you.” Kat wrapped her arms around the petite brunette.

“We’re going to HR at 9:30 to disclose.”

“Wow. So you’re really coming out with it?”

“Kind of. We’re letting HR know so no one could use it against her if they do try to pursue a new editor. But we’re not telling the board or anything like that. We’re still gonna keep it low key.” Jane explained, taking a seat on the ottoman.

“Still, that’s big. Are you sure you’re ready for that? I mean, putting it on paper, that makes it official.” Sutton took a seat beside her.

“I’ve never been more ready for anything.”

At 9:25am Jane’s cell phone buzzed. “Upstairs in conference room C.”  Jacqueline’s text made the butterflies spring forward in her stomach. Glancing towards Kat, who gave her a supportive wink, Jane stood and made her way up the one flight. The upstairs conference rooms were slightly more private, offering only a frosted glass door, rather than walls of windows. Jane spoke with the receptionist briefly and turned the doorknob to the conference room, revealing an ethereal blonde in her favorite black pantsuit.

“Good morning.” Jane offered a shy smile.

Jacqueline’s eyes trailed over the brunette’s outfit and she smirked. “Nice blouse.”

“I couldn’t resist.” Jane took a seat in the leather chair opposite the editor.

The door opened and one of the HR department heads entered, taking a seat at the head of the table. She explained the release of liability disclosure and both women signed, their relationship official in the eyes of Safford. They finished their meeting and stepped into the stairwell together, both releasing a nervous laugh as the door closed behind them. “It’s official.” Jacqueline said softly, placing her hands on Jane’s hips.

“You’re all mine, Carlyle.” Jane smiled, wrapping her arms around the blonde’s shoulders and placing a gentle kiss on her lips.

Jacqueline hummed into the kiss and smiled, resting their foreheads together as they pulled away. “You know, I’m starting to see what you like so much about these shirts.” She said, glancing down at Jane’s chest.

Jane blushed and pushed the blonde away playfully. “Hey, I gave you an opportunity to see everything last night. You chose not to take advantage of that.”

“I made a terrible mistake.” Jacqueline shook her head and tried to feign seriousness.

“Your loss, Jac.” The brunette smirked, trailing her hand across the editor’s hips before walking past her and starting up the stairs, leaving a frustrated blonde behind her.

“Hey Jane, can I see you for a sec?” Jacqueline beckoned from her office door.

Jane nodded and made her way to the office, shooting Andrew a smile as she walked by. He rolled his eyes and returned his attention to his computer. Stepping into the office, Jane stopped dead in her tracks. Jacqueline had removed the jacket of her suit, leaving her in a long sleeve, royal blue button down and pair of black trousers held up by suspenders.

Jacqueline was rolling her sleeves up as she sat at her laptop and motioned for Jane to come closer. “I wanted to get your opinion on this.”

Jane stepped closer, making her way behind the blonde and glancing at the computer over her shoulder.

“We’re doing a push for the mid-term elections, trying to reach the younger crowd, and I wondered what your thoughts are about this image.” She explained, pulling up a photo. Before her, an image of the back of a young black man, a hood up over his head, his hands raised, a puff of smoke and a bullet on one side of his head, an explosion of torn ballots on the other, with the words ‘The ballot is stronger than the bullet.' Painted across the back of his hoodie.

“Wow. That’s… really powerful.” Jane tried to focus her attention on the computer, and not on the woman beside her.

“You up for writing a piece to accompany it?” the blonde asked.

“Me? Really?”

“Of course. I enjoyed your story about gun control a few months ago, and I forced you to look at things from a different perspective. Your personal beliefs on gun control coincide with the message in this photo, so I think you’re the perfect person to write it.” Jacqueline smiled and turned her head to the side to glance at the brunette.

Jane swallowed hard and nodded. “You got it.” Her gazed transfixed on the blonde’s blouse.

Jacqueline raised an eyebrow. “Something wrong, baby girl?” her voice had dropped and Jane felt her knees weaken, her eyes rolling shut as she exhaled.

“Don’t.” a very weak warning.

“Ohhh, what’s the matter?” Jacqueline chuckled, enjoying the shift in dynamic and the effect she was having on the younger woman.

“Nothing.” Jane lied.

Jacqueline nodded disbelievingly and turned her attention back to her computer. “Whatever you say, baby.” She slowly ran her hand up the inside of her own thigh before crossing her legs under the desk.

Jane nearly whimpered and glanced out to the bullpen. No one was paying attention to them, so she swallowed hard and leaned forward, her right hand braced on the desk, her left gently tangling fingers in the ends of blonde hair. Her lips a mere inch away from the editors ear. “I wouldn’t normally classify myself as a kinky girl, but I have the strongest urge to call you ‘daddy’ right now.” She spoke softly.

Jacqueline’s eyes fluttered closed and she felt her breath catch. “You can call me anything, as long as you’re moaning while you do it.”

“Make me.” Jane whispered and pulled away, walking towards the door.

“Jane…” Jacqueline’s voice thick with desire.

“I dare you.” The brunette said over her shoulder as her hand reached the handle of the door. She heard Jacqueline’s sharp intake of breath and she smiled, turning to face the blonde. “Tonight. I dare you.” Hazel eyes bore into ocean blue before the brunette opened the glass door and returned to her desk.   

Chapter Text

Chapter 18

“Tonight. I dare you.” Jane's words echoed in Jacqueline's mind for the rest of the afternoon. The blonde found herself completely unable to regain her focus and managed to slip out of the office undetected by the tiny brunette. Jacqueline snuck one final glance at the younger woman as she walked to the elevator, feeling the warmth of adoration fill her stomach as she watched lose auburn curls bounce gently, the familiar sound of Jane's laughter echoing through the bullpen. The blonde took a deep breath as she stepped into the elevator, a flood of familiar butterflies invading her insides.

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The afternoon passed by relatively quickly. Jane had spent the last few hours of the day researching more gun control laws, protests, proposed amendments, countless details to prepare to write her article. She was so inundated with research, she hardly noticed the time before Kat and Sutton stood before her.

“Working late?” Kat asked, leaning against the desk.

Jane glanced at the clock on her desktop and felt her eyes widen. “Oh damn, I must've zoned out. I didn't realize how late it was.”

“You out again tonight?” Sutton asked, looking up from her phone where she was typing a message to Richard.

Jane slid her chair out slightly and leaned to the side to see beyond her monitor, the glass walls of Jacqueline's office showing it's vacancy. “I... Where's Jacqueline?” she asked.

“I haven't seen her since this morning.” Kat said, glancing around the office. “Hey Andrew?” She raised her voice slightly to get the mans attention. He stood and buttoned his suit jacket, meeting her gaze and raising his eyebrows as an unspoken invitation to continue. “Boss lady still around?”

“She left for the day a few hours ago.” He answered, adjusting his glasses after placing the strap of his messenger bag over his shoulder and walking toward the elevator.

“Oh.” Jane reached for her phone and noticed a single unread text message.

“Meet me at mine after work?” Jane smiled as she read the blondes text. Sutton and Kat eyed their friend and nodded to each other when they saw her face.

“You good?” Sutton smirked, still waiting to find out if she had the apartment to herself for the evening.

“Yes, i'm good. Apartment's all yours.” Jane locked her phone and saved her work, standing from her desk and sliding on her coat.

The three women rode the elevator down and were greeted by Ricky as they exited the building. “Good evening, Ladies.” He spoke, opening the door to the backseat. The girls exchanged hugs and promises of texts before Jane slid into the town car and made her way uptown.

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Jane buzzed the door to the condo and rode the lift in silence, feeling the anticipation growing deep within her. The doors opened to a nearly dark foyer, soft music and a warm glow emanating from the dim hallway. “Jac?” she asked, slipping off her coat and placing her things on their respective hooks by the door. She cautiously approached the bedroom door, pushing it open to reveal a candlelit room, much like their first night in Montauk. This time, however, there were no flowers. Instead, a thin, black satin sash sat at the foot of the bed, along side a blindfold and a small note. With trembling hands, Jane lifted the paper and read the message before her.

“Challenge accepted.” Jacqueline's cursive was scrawled in red ink and Jane felt her breath catch as soft hands covered her eyes. She tensed for a moment before feeling the familiar form pressed against her back.

“Was it something I said?” Jane smirked, teasing the blonde as she gently pulled the hands from her face and turned around.

“Well, I certainly never knew I enjoyed being called 'daddy' until you said it.” Jacqueline purred, her hands running down the brunettes arms and linking her index fingers between the belt loops of her jeans, pulling their hips together.

Jane smiled and bit her lip, gazing up into deep blue eyes that were filled with desire. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Jane dropped her tone and prayed she still had her voice. “What are you gonna do about that?”

“I have some ideas.” Their lips were a breath apart, Jane standing on her toes to reach the editors mouth before the blonde placed her hand on the shorter woman's chest and pushed her away. Hazel eyes fluttered open and her jaw hung slack, stunned by the denial. A sly smile broke across Jacqueline's face as she took a step back, keeping Jane an arms length away. She could see the protest on the tip of the brunette's tongue and brought a finger up to shush her. “Patience, darling.” she whispered as her nimble fingers worked the buttons on the familiar blouse the writer had borrowed that morning.

Jane cast her gaze down to the cream colored blouse, deja vu overwhelming her. “Fuck patience.” Jacqueline smiled and they ripped the buttons clean off for the second time, the chiffon cascading to the floor in a heap at the brunette's feet, her bra following shortly thereafter.

Jane brought her own hands up to grasp the editor's face, pulling their lips together. She felt Jacqueline bend down slightly and took the hint, wrapping her arms around the blonde's shoulders and offering a small jump, her legs wrapping around the woman's hips, allowing herself to be lifted into the air. Jacqueline held the brunette in her arms before turning and pinning her to the wall beside the door. A deep moan erupted from Jane's throat and the older woman couldn't resist the tug at the corners of her mouth, smiling into the kiss. Feeling fully supported by the blonde's arms under her thighs, and braced against the wall, Jane tightened her legs and let her hands move to the buttons of the navy blouse Jacqueline wore. “Don't you dare.” The blonde warned and Jane stilled her hands, looking at the woman in shock. “Hands to yourself, Sloan.”

Gazing at the blonde incredulously, Jane's hips began to struggle to stay still in their current position. She felt her chest rising with heavy breaths as she brought her hands to the base of the taller woman's neck. “Or what?” she challenged. Blue eyes darkened and Jane felt herself being spun away from the wall before being gently dropped onto the bed with a gasp. She propped herself up on her elbows, watching the older woman slip the suspenders off her shoulders, pulling the blouse free from her slacks before unbuttoning it fully and dropping it to the floor. Jane felt her pulse quicken at the display before her.

Jacqueline placed a knee on the mattress and climbed up onto the king sized bed, her hands grabbing the satin sash as she moved forward, inching Jane back against the pillows. “How's your wrist?” She spoke softly as she straddled the brunette's waist.

“Feels great.” Jane breathed, her hips rocking upward, coaxing another smile from the blonde. Jaqueline nodded and brought Jane's wrists together, tying them gently, but snug enough that she couldn't break free.

“And your bruises?”

“I'm good.”

“If this gets to be too much or you want me to stop, just say the word, okay?” The editor said, holding the smaller hands between her own.

Jane nodded and placed a kiss on the blonde's knuckles. “I trust you.” she breathed. Jacqueline smiled again and dropped a kiss to her lips before moving to the younger woman's earlobe, spending a few lingering moments there. She slowly, and carefully, worked her way down to her neck and collarbone before making her way across her chest, ribs, and finally her hips. Jane's bound hands still found their way to the back of the blonde's head, tangling in the short tresses. Jacqueline rose and lunged forward, pinning the tied hands above Jane's head, earning her a gasp of surprise and arousal.

“I believe I told you to keep your hands to yourself.” The blonde teased as she hovered above her.

“Please.” Jane breathed.

“Please what, darling?” Jacqueline asked, her lips a breath away from Jane's as her thigh pressed between the brunette's legs.

Hazel eyes slammed shut and she groaned. “Please fuck me.” Jane whispered. A soft blindfold slipped over her head, resting against her eyes and completely blocking her view as she felt the woman move farther down the bed. Lithe fingers undid the buttons of her jeans and peeled them off, nails grazing the inside of her thighs on their way back up. Jacqueline returned to her kneeling position between the brunette's legs, bracing herself on her left hand while the nails on the right trailed their way across the still purple ribs, earning her a sigh and an eruption of goosebumps. She let her hand wander across the hills and valleys of Jane's pale skin, making mental notes of freckles, as well as which spots caused a hitch in the younger woman's breath. Jacqueline knew her teasing would be Jane's undoing, and she savored every slow building wave of pleasure the brunette's hips were riding.

After what seemed like hours, tan fingers finally hooked under the black lace waistband of Jane's panties and slid them off, tossing them to the floor, which had become a small graveyard of lace and chiffon. She took a moment to admire the image before her; Jane Sloan in all her glory, hands tied above her head, her anxious breath coming in soft exhales. The younger woman could feel the searing gaze and she unconsciously brought her knees together, trying desperately to feel slightly less exposed.

Jacqueline felt a swell of love for the brunette before the warmth of lust emanating from deep within boiled to the surface. She straddled Jane's bare hips, placing her hand over the smaller woman's bound wrists and pinning them to the pillows. “Hands stay here. If they move there will be consequences, understood?” Jacqueline's stern, husky tone sending reverberations straight to Jane's core.

“Ugh, yes daddy.” The words slipped out and the blonde dropped her lips to Jane's, pulling a whimper of desire from each of them. Jacqueline followed a similar trail as before, her lips placing tender kisses upon Jane's bare skin, the dragging of her nails leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake. She paused her descent when she reached the woman's hips, her kisses lingering a bit longer, allowing her tongue to brush against the skin she'd only ever touched with nervous fingertips. She savored the hollow valley where hip met thigh, Jane's ragged breath inspiring her to dig her nails into alabaster flesh, which caused the brunette's back to arch, a sight she was sure she'd never tire of.

Jacqueline descended further, bypassing her eventual destination and settling instead for Jane's inner thighs. Long, languid kisses tormented the younger woman, who could feel the occasional soft brush of blonde hair against the place that was screaming for attention. “This is so mean.” Jane could barely choke the words out.

The cerulean eyes that normally sparkled like Caribbean waters shone dark as dusk as they gazed up to the blindfolded writer. Jacqueline smirked and shifted slightly, her mouth merely an inch from her intended goal. “Is it?” She asked, her warm breath ghosting across Jane's aching mound.

“Oh my God.” The brunette moaned and bucked her hips, desperate for direct contact.

The blonde pulled back for a moment before hooking her arms under Jane's thighs, her hands pinning the woman's hips to the mattress. “This is mean? I don't think this is that mean. I think teasing me before bed last night was mean. Or in the office this afternoon, that was mean. But this? This is nothing.” Jane could feel every consonant reverberate off her skin and she whimpered in desperation.

“No, my love. Mean, would be this.” The editor brought her lips to the top of Jane's mound, still not making contact with the bundle of nerves that pulsed with desire. She pulled her lips away and ran her tongue across the valley where lips met thigh, leaving a trail of moisture along both sides, knowing Jane would feel her there long after she'd pulled away. The gasp the brunette released was almost enough to send Jacqueline over the edge herself, but she composed herself and continued her onslaught. Her lips, her teeth, her tongue, all leaving their mark across passion pulsing flesh, just short of any satisfying relief. Jane tried desperately to rock her hips but Jacqueline's hands kept her pinned.

The editor spent a considerable amount of time toying with the brunette, knowing it would take very little to get her off once she focused her attention. Jane's whines and moans were becoming increasingly more desperate, so Jacqueline decided to give her some relief. Flattening her tongue, she pressed it against Jane's lips, taking an excruciatingly slow lick and pulling Jane's spine from the mattress once again. “Fuck!” Jane exclaimed, finally feeling some pressure where she needed it. Jacqueline smiled and repeated the action, appreciating the reaction she received. She continued her licks, eventually slipping her tongue between the folds and wrapping her lips around her target.

Jane's eyes snapped open beneath the blindfold, having never experienced this particular pleasure before and completely overcome with need. She brought her bound hands to her face and hooked her thumbs beneath the material, pulling it up to her forehead, allowing herself to take in the scene before her. Jacqueline's tousled blonde hair between her legs was almost enough to send her over the edge, but combined with the softness of her lips, the warmth of her tongue, the perfect amount of suction, and gentle nails tracing soft patterns along her hips, Jane was a goner. “Oh my god, i'm--” she panted, hips fighting against the blonde's attempts to hold her down.

Jacqueline lifted her gaze and blue eyes caught hazel. She could let Jane finish, she was sure she wouldn't have a problem getting her worked up again later, but she was in the mood to play, so with a loud pop she pulled her mouth away, her nails digging into Jane's hips as she sat up, leaving the brunette perched on the precipice of release.

“No no no no no, Jacqueline please. Please don't stop.” The younger woman begged, sitting up and bringing her hands to the blonde's face.

Jacqueline placed her hands over the brunette's, placing soft kisses on the inside of each palm. “What did I say about these hands?”

“Jac, I'm so close. Please!” Jane pleaded.

Jacqueline's head cocked to the side in adoration and she crawled back up Jane's body, settling to straddle her hips once again. She took the younger woman's wrists between her hands and pushed them back above her head. “Awh, baby girl. Are you begging me?” She purred, trailing her fingers down slender arms and tangling them in the hair at the base of Jane's neck.

Jane couldn't quite form words, the frustration of slipping away from the edge of release combined with the arousal of being toyed with this way stealing the capability from her throat. All she could do was nod and buck against the woman on top of her.

Jacqueline's grasp on her hair tightened, her lips pressed just below the brunette's earlobe and her hips ground Jane's into the mattress. “Then beg.”

Hazel eyes slammed shut and a moan tore from deep within her. “Fuck, Jacqueline. Please. I'm begging you. Please let me cum.”

The editor continued grinding against Jane's hips, her right hand releasing it's hold on auburn locks and slipping between them to slide her middle finger into the young woman's opening with zero resistance. Jane arched again, the pressure of Jacqueline's palm against her, combined with the steady thrusting of her finger and rhythmic grinding of their hips taking her right back to the edge. “Yes, God, yes, right there.”

“Right there?” Jacqueline teased, increasing her speed.

“Right there!”

Suddenly the hand pulled away and Jane's eyes opened again, seeing the blonde retreat and leaving her on the edge once more. “Baby, please!” Jane pleaded, nearly at the point of tears.

Jacqueline returned to her spot between Jane's legs, lifting the brunette's knees and holding her hips down with her left arm. Her tongue resumed it's long licks as she slid her middle finger back inside and matched the rhythm of the music that filled the room. Jane's moans got louder, but she kept her words to herself. Not that she was certain she could form a coherent thought at the moment, but she figured the less she said the better. Speaking had gotten her in trouble, warning the blonde that she was close only made her stop. Jane was sure she couldn't handle another roadblock, so she resorted to moans, keens, and whimpers to relay her approval. It was less than a minute later that she found herself reaching the precipice. She dug her teeth into her bottom lip and tried desperately to keep herself quiet but failed miserably. The blonde felt her tightening around her finger and considered teasing her one last time, but opted against it. Instead, she wrapped her lips around the brunette's clit, sliding her tongue back and forth over it as she slid her ring finger inside alongside the middle and curled them upward.

“Oh God. Jacqueline. Jac, please. I can't take it anymore. Please.” Jane cried, her ragged breathing adding to the wavelike rhythm of their bodies.

“Cum for me, baby.” The editors tone was soft, knowing she'd pushed Jane to the breaking point more than once that evening. She continued her movements and felt the younger woman arch off the bed one more time, her walls clenching around slender, tan fingers. The brunette cried out as the buzz washed over her, every fiber of her being pulsing with pleasure. Her bound hands gripped the pillowcase above her head as fireworks exploded behind her eyes and her frame was wracked with orgasmic tremors.

The blonde slowed her tongue and placed light kisses across pale hips as she retracted her hand and moved up the bed, pulling Jane's hands back down and settling in beside her as the aftershocks wore off. She propped herself up on her left elbow, using her right hand to undo the lose satin knot and freeing the brunette from her confines. Jane's breath began to even out and she turned her head to the side, hazel eyes meeting blue and a content smile pulling at her lips. She brought her left hand up to tangle in blonde tresses, pulling the editor down into a kiss. She could taste herself on the older woman's lips and felt a new flood of arousal. With strength she didn't know she had at the moment, Jane wrapped her leg around the blonde and shifted their positions, straddling her waist and grasping her wrists.

“It's only fair I return the favor.” the brunette said softly.

Jacqueline raised her eyebrows and chuckled. “You know you don't have to.”

“Oh, I want to.” Jane purred, kissing her again. “But i'm not gonna tie you up. I wanna feel your fingers in my hair.” The blonde moaned involuntarily as Jane worked her way down the sunkissed neck, across her chest, pausing to sit up so they could undo the bra between them. Jane added the lace garment to the pile and continued her descent, her teeth gently scraping to awaken nipples when they passed between her lips. She worked her way down and undid the button of Jacqueline's slacks, undoing the zipper before slipping off the edge of the bed. Leaning forward on one knee, she grasped the waistband of the pants and the blonde's panties, pulling them off together and dropping them to the floor. She returned her gaze to the woman before her and felt a lump in her throat. Jacqueline noticed the hesitation and propped herself up on her elbows.

“You don't have to do anything, Jane.” she reassured the writer.

“No, no. It's nothing like that. I just... I can't believe you're here. With me. Like this.” Jane struggled to find the words. Jacqueline felt a blush creeping up her chest and she bit her lip. Jane's eyes darkened and she composed herself. “Yeah no, i'm gonna fuck you.” she crawled back onto the bed and settled between the blonde's thighs, earning herself a whimper from the editor. “See, if I had any sense of self control right now i'd retaliate and spend the next hour or so teasing you.” Jane spoke lowly, her fingertips grazing over Jacqueline's hips, making them twitch and writhe. “But I think i'll save that for when you're least expecting it.”

Jacqueline's jaw dropped and she was about to protest when a hot tongue brushed between her folds and ripped a moan of pleasure from deep within. “God!” she exclaimed, her hips bucking immediately. For someone who had never gone down on a woman before, Jane was nailing it. Jacqueline imagined that in true Jane Sloan fashion, the younger woman had probably spent a considerable amount of time researching proper technique, tips, tricks, anything she could find to arm her with enough information to execute the task flawlessly. And she was. Jacqueline had only fooled around with a couple of women in her lifetime, and while her list of sexual partners could be counted on one hand, only two had ever gifted her with this particular act. It had been quite some time since she'd felt this sensation, which was making it increasingly difficult to savor the moment.

Jane was mentally running through the list of tricks she'd picked up in her research, trying to make sure she did checked all the boxes, while also staying present and enjoying the experience. After all, not EVERYONE gets to go down on Jacqueline Carlyle, and you certainly don't want to forget the first time you do. She'd nearly forgotten there was music playing in the room until she heard the familiar melody of “Killer Queen” by Queen and she smiled. Taking a note from Jacqueline herself, Jane slid her middle and ring fingers into the blonde and matched the rhythm of the song, pulling out and thrusting back in on every other beat. When the lyrics began, she wrapped her lips around the editors clit and began to hum along.

Jacqueline's hands immediately tangled themselves in auburn hair, her hips writhing, her breath ragged, her moans getting louder and louder. “Jesus, fuck! Oh God. Jane. Oh my God, that's... Fuck.” For someone normally so eloquent, Jacqueline had been reduced to a bumbling mess, and Jane took great pride in that, her tempo increasing with the song. The vibration of her lips had the blonde nearly there, but add in the brush of Jane's tongue and the curling of nimble fingers, Jacqueline felt herself tip over the edge. “Jane... Oh god, Jane. I'm...” and off she went, unraveling beneath the brunette with her hips rocking and her grasp firmly holding Jane in place. The song ended as Jacqueline began to come down, her grip loosening, allowing Jane to remove her fingers very slowly, which only set off more reverberations. She expected the brunette to pull away, but she didn't. Her humming ceased and the suction was replaced by long, flat licks, but what started as a way to gently bring the blonde back down, suddenly had her climbing that familiar hill again. “Jane... if you don't--” she moaned.

“Something wrong, darling?” Jane teased, her hands sliding up tan skin and dragging her nails down the blonde's sides, sending shockwaves of pleasure to multiple locations. She reached up again and circled the blondes nipples, knowing exactly where she felt that particular sensation, causing another wild buck of her hips.

“Baby,” she choked out, “you're gonna...”

Jane wrapped her lips around the swollen bundle of nerves again, “Cum for me, Jacqueline.”

The blonde's eyes slammed shut and she felt the fire of pleasure rip through her again, her muscles tensing, her chest heaving and her back arching off the mattress. She'd never had two orgasms in a row like that and her body was sufficiently spent. She grasped the brunette's head and pulled her up, catching her lips in a searing kiss. “That was unbelievable.” she whispered.

“Really? That was okay?” Jane asked, her self consciousness getting the best of her.

“More than okay. That was perfect.” Jacqueline held the younger woman's face in her hands and brought their foreheads together. “However...”

“However?” Jane sat up, straddling the blonde's hips.

“Now i'm starving.”

Jane smiled and placed a kiss on the editors forehead. “Well, now that you mention it.” she laid beside her and put her head on the tan shoulder.

“Any preferences?” The blonde smiled, bringing her right hand up to run through the disheveled, but terribly sexy auburn tresses.

“Would you judge me if I said Shake Shack?” Jane closed her eyes, reveling in the tenderness of Jacqueline's nails across her scalp.

“God, I haven't had Shake Shack in ages. I could definitely go for some cheese fries.”

Jane smiled and caught the woman's hand, lacing their fingers together. “You want me to text Ricky?”

“Actually, how would you feel about going to pick it up?”

Jane propped herself up on her elbow and gazed down at the blonde. “Like... Together?”

Jacqueline smirked and brought their joined hands to her lips. “Like together.” She echoed the brunette's words. “As in, ahem-” the editor propped herself up on her left elbow and mirrored the woman beside her. “Jane Sloan, would you do me the great honor of accompanying me to an elegant meal at Shake Shack this evening?”

Jane laughed and placed a kiss on the blonde's lips. “For you? Anything.”

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 19

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After making themselves presentable to the outside world, the two women made their way down to the lobby to find Ricky chatting with the condo’s front desk attendant.

“Good evening, ladies. Where to?” he asked, retrieving his black chauffer’s hat from the desk.

“Actually, I think we’ll walk, Ricky. Enjoy your evening!” Jacqueline smiled at him and held the door open for the brunette as they passed by.

“Yes ma’am, stay warm, you two!” the man returned their smiles and watched them exit through the glass door.

The rush of cool fall air engulfed them both as they stepped out onto E. 76^th Street and over to Park Avenue. The 12 block trek to Shake Shack was far less daunting than the anxiety coursing through Jane’s veins at the moment. The internal battle of whether or not she should take Jacqueline’s hand as they weaved their way through the Manhattan crowd was deafening in her ears.

Jacqueline glanced over at the shorter woman and could feel the trepidation radiating off her girlfriend. Sure, they’d been alone in public in Paris, and briefly as they strolled the beach in Montauk, but all of their other ventures into the world as a couple had the veil of privacy behind the tinted windows of Ricky’s Town Car.

Jacqueline glanced over at the younger woman, and as if she could hear the war inside her head, reached out and took the smaller hand in her own, lacing their fingers together and giving the hand a slight squeeze. Jane felt her breath hitch before the pressure lifted off her shoulders.

“Is this okay?” the blonde asked quietly as they reached the corner of 76^th and Park.

“Yes, of course. Is it okay with you?” Jane replied, mentally willing the crosswalk light to change.

“Absolutely,” she smiled, “You can stop panicking now.” The editor offered the brunette a wink and gentled tugged her forward as the light changed and the crowd began to cross the street.

Jane felt the familiar butterflies awaken in her chest and her cheeks warm against the October chill. “That’s still not fair.” She tried to hide her smile but failed miserably.

“What’s not fair, my love?” Jacqueline asked, knowing full well the effect she had on the brunette.

“Don’t act like you don’t know what that does to me.” She felt all of the previous anxiety fade away when Jacqueline’s blue eyes caught hers and she laughed that soft, breathy chuckle that was reserved for Jane and Jane alone.

Feigning innocence, the editor raised her free hand, “I surely have no idea what you mean,” she leaned closer to Jane’s ear as she dropped her voice, “baby girl.”

Jane’s eyes slammed shut and her grip on the blonde’s hand tightened as her jaw dropped and all of the oxygen expelled from her lungs. Had she not been holding on, she may have stumbled into traffic. She tried desperately to regain her composure and think fast, not wanting the blonde to maintain the upper hand. Taking in her surroundings, the writer noticed a small alley between two large brick buildings. Seizing the opportunity, she pulled the blonde into the alley and immediately pushed her against the brick wall, placing her casted free hand behind the blonde’s head to cushion the blow with a small wince. Jacqueline gasped when her back hit the brick and Jane stretched up onto her toes to swallow the sound, her palm closing to grasp the blonde hair at the base of the older woman’s head as she kissed her.

The anxious voices in her head started getting louder again. Kissing Jacqueline wasn’t new, kissing her in public was. Granted, the cover of twilight provided enough shadow to keep them from being seen in the alley, but the fact of the matter was that Jane Sloan had her tongue in Jacqueline Carlyle’s mouth, outside, in the middle of Manhattan’s Upper East Side. The normal heart palpitations she felt around the blonde were escalating and she was sure her heart would burst out of her chest, until she felt a warm, tender hand cup the side of her face, while the other slid between her coat and her sweater, grasping the material and pulling her closer. The moment Jacqueline began kissing her back, the voices were silent.

She was kissing Jacqueline Carlyle in public, and Jacqueline Carlyle was kissing her back. The world didn’t end.

They stayed there, making out in the alley for a minute or two before they broke apart, pressing their foreheads together. Jane opened her eyes and slowly pulled away, taking in the dreamy look on Jacqueline’s face. Heavy lidded blues crept open and Jane was sure she’d never tire of seeing that look, and knowing she was the one that caused it. Feeling her confidence rise, she reached down and took the blonde’s hand, leading them back to the street. This time, it was Jacqueline’s turn to try to keep her footing as they made their way uptown.

Two cheeseburgers, cheese fries, and a few diet soda’s down, they were enjoying their stroll back to the condo when the editor’s cell phone rang. Pulling it from her pocket, she saw the familiar name on the caller ID and answered, pausing briefly before making the turn back onto 76^th street.

“Hello, Ian.” She spoke into the phone, her blue eyes locking on hazel.  

Jane swallowed hard and put her hands into her coat pockets as the condo entrance came into view.

“I’m about to walk in the building as we speak… Now?” Jacqueline asked, her hand reaching out to catch Jane’s arm before they arrived at the door.

Jane turned to the blonde and raised her eyebrows questioningly, cocking her head to the side. Jacqueline couldn’t resist the smile that tugged at the corner of her mouth and brought her hand up to caress the brunette’s cheek.

“No, that’s—alright. Yeah, I’ll be right there.” She hung up the phone with a sigh.

“Everything okay?” Jane asked. Jacqueline retrieved her keycard from her purse as they entered the building, making their way to the penthouse elevator. She scanned her key and the doors opened, the women entering side by side and making their way up to the condo.

Jacqueline sighed and ran a hand through her hair, “Ian was just called to shoot the riots happening in Oregon right now. They need him out there ASAP, so the boys are going to be staying with me for at least the next week.”

Jane couldn’t help the rush of disappointment she felt. “Oh, wow. Umm… when do they get here?”

The elevator doors opened and they stepped into the foyer. “Ian said they’re on their way now, they should be here in the next 10 minutes. He has to get to LaGuardia for a red eye.” The blonde said, sliding her coat and purse off her shoulders and hanging them on the hooks by the door.

Jane felt time slow down. She glanced around the room and saw signs of herself everywhere. Her laptop on the kitchen table, her shoes by the door, her hoodie draped over the back of the couch. She felt her throat begin to tighten as memories of earlier that evening flashed before her eyes. Hours before, she’d had her face buried between the blonde’s legs, the sounds of their lovemaking echoing in her ears. “Jane…” the editor’s voice shook her from her reverie.

“I’ll grab my stuff.” She choked out.

“You don’t have to leave.” Jacqueline began.

Jane sighed, “we both know that’s not true.” She smiled sadly.

“I don’t want you to go.”

“You really want to tell the boys that you’re dating your 26 year old employee, who also happens to be a woman?”

Jacqueline took a deep breath and exhaled loudly, bringing her hands to her face. Jane could see the internal struggle behind those eyes she adored and pulled the blonde’s hands away from her face and held them in her own. “It’s okay.” She sighed. “Am I disappointed? Of course. But I can’t keep you from your boys, and it’s probably best we hold off on telling them for now. I’m not sure James would take it well.” She chuckled, earning a weepy smile from the blonde.

“I really don’t want you to go.” Jacqueline whispered and brought their foreheads together.

“I know, and I don’t want to go, but I’ll see you in the morning. We spent how many years without sleeping together? I think we can handle a week or so.”  The brunette tried to be positive. “Besides, knowing we’ll only see each other in the office for the next few days will keep things from getting boring.”

Jacqueline chuckled and placed a kiss on the younger woman’s cheek. “You could never bore me, Sloan. Especially now that I’ve tasted you.” She whispered into the brunette’s ear, causing a soft whimper to slip from Jane’s lips.

The shorter woman pulled back, hazel eyes gazing into blue, taking in every highlight and shadow in the cerulean irises. She brought her hand up to the editor’s face, running her thumb across her bottom lip, leaning closer, merely a breath away from capturing those lips once more, “I should really get my stuff.” She teased, pulling away and leaving the blonde wanting nothing more than to see those hazel eyes roll back and slam shut as the waves of pleasure crashed over her.

Jane pulled away and began making her way around the condo, picking up any evidence that she’d been there for an extended period of time. She packed her clothes into the overnight bag Sutton had brought her and retrieved her toiletries from the bathroom. The arm of an oversized, well-worn, navy blue Rays hoodie hung over the side of the bag and the writer smiled to herself, pulling it out of the bag and bringing it to her nose. It definitely smelled like her, but she wanted to give it that little something extra, so she gave it a spritz with her perfume and walked to the bed they’d shared the last few nights. Pulling back the sheet, still tousled from their earlier activities, she placed the hoodie on the side she’d laid on and pulled the sheet up around it, tucking it in to remind the blonde that while she may not be there in person tonight, she was definitely there in spirit.

Putting the last of her things in her bag, Jane stepped back into the living room where Jacqueline was tiding up. “Have I told you that I really don’t want you to go?”

“You might’ve mentioned it, yeah.” Jane smiled sadly and put her bag down by the kitchen table. Jacqueline walked over to her and wrapped the younger woman in her arms. Jane’s arms snaked around the editor’s waist as she rested her head on the merino wool covered shoulder. “Would you mind if Ricky brought me home?”

“No, baby. I’d insist on it, actually. Will you please text me when you get there?” She asked, pulling back but keeping the brunette in her arms.    

“Of course. I promise we can do this.” Jane laughed, earning a soft chuckle from Jacqueline in return.

Jacqueline brought a tan hand up to Jane’s chin, tipping it upward and bringing their lips together one last time before the buzz of the call box interrupted, indicating that the elevator was on it’s way up. Reluctantly, they separated, Jane putting her bag over her shoulder and grabbing her laptop from the table. She walked to the door and grabbed her sneakers, quickly tossing them in her bag before the elevator door dinged and opened, revealing Ricky. Jane smiled, expecting the boys, as Ricky took her bag from her shoulder. “Thanks, Ricky. You sure you don’t mind bringing me home?”

“Of course not, Miss Sloan. It’s my pleasure.” He returned her smile and held open the elevator door.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” Jane gave Jacqueline a smile and small wave as she stepped into the lift.

“See you tomorrow.” The blonde replied, offering a quick wink and gently blowing her a kiss as Ricky’s back was turned.

Jane brought her hand to her chest and blushed as the doors closed. They made their way down to the car and Jane was about to step in when a familiar voice called her name. “Hey Jane!” The brunette turned around just in time to catch James, Connor, and Ian exiting a taxi and walking toward her. “What are you doing here?” James asked.

“Hey, guys! Um,” she paused, coming up with an excuse on the spot, “I have a big article I’m working on and I needed some expert advice, so I came to the best.” She smiled and motioned to the building.

Ian offered her a nod and brief smile. “Boys, I hate to rush you, but I have a plane to catch.” He hugged Connor and reached to hug James, who put his hand out to shake. Ian gave him a quizzical look and raised an eyebrow, glancing over at Jane, who shifted uncomfortably. Ian shook the teenager’s hand slowly. “Right. Boys, say hello to your mother for me. I’ll let you know as soon as I have an idea of when I’ll be back. Lovely to see you, Jane. Hope the wrist is feeling better.” And with that, he turned back to the Taxi and disappeared into evening traffic.

“I’m sorry, guys, I really need to go too. But have a good night!” Jane slipped into the backseat and closed the door before she could get stuck there herself. Connor and James both offered small waves before turning to the building and heading inside. Jane sighed audibly and Ricky snickered to himself, causing Jane to meet his eyes in the rearview mirror.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t laugh.” He shifted into drive and began their trip to Brooklyn.

Jane smirked and rolled her eyes, “What the hell do I do?”

Ricky met her eyes in the mirror and smiled again, “With all due respect, he’s a teenager with a crush. It’ll pass.”

“You think so?”

“I mean, it’ll probably be a little weird when he finds out you’re sleeping with his mother, but yeah, I’m sure.”

Jane’s jaw hit the floor and the familiar panic began to bubble inside her again. Ricky saw her eyes widen and immediately felt bad. “No no, don’t worry! Your secret is safe with me. Discretion is part of the job description. You have my word.”

Jane sighed and nodded gratefully. Pulling out her phone, she shot a text to Sutton to let her know she’d be home, and that she had a LOT to tell her.

----------

“How’s your jaw?” the redhead asked casually as she poured a three mugs of tea.

“Surprisingly fine. I was actually kinda worried about that, but I’ve had no issues. Check in tomorrow morning, I’ll re-evaluate.” Jane smirked and glanced down at her phone, smiling at the text she received from Jacqueline, telling her she was glad she got home safe, but was still sad to not be with her.

Kat was perched beside Jane on the bar stool, awaiting her steaming mug of Chai. “Well I, for one, am proud of you. I know the situation is pretty shitty, but I’m glad you’re happy. You deserve it.”

“Agreed.” Sutton nodded and placed the mugs in front of them.

Jane smiled and reached for their hands. “I love you guys.”

“We love you too…You washed that hand, right?” Sutton deadpanned.

Jane’s smile turned to a sneer and she shrugged. “Who’s to say?”

--------------

It was close to 11:30pm when Jacqueline finally closed the door to her bedroom and began to settle in. She peered at the remnants of their escapade earlier that evening and smiled sadly to herself, pulling out her phone and automatically dialing that familiar contact.

“Hey stranger, everything alright?” the brunette’s voice was just the balm her longing heart needed.

“Yeah, I’m sorry to call so late, I just wanted to hear your voice.” She replied, sitting on the edge of the bed as she peeled off her jeans and slipped on her pajama pants.

“I know the feeling.” Jane smiled into the phone as she laid in her bed, wrapped in Jacqueline’s red Burberry hoodie. “You finally getting ready for bed?”

Jacqueline pulled a soft Henley over her head and walked into the bathroom to remove her makeup from the day. “Yep. I love my boys and wouldn’t trade them for the world, but I also didn’t realize how much better I feel when you’re here.”

Jane couldn’t contain the blush that rushed to her cheeks. “You’re a sweet talker, you know that?”

“What can I say, you bring it out of me.” She smiled. “How was your night?”

“Oh, it was good. Just hung out with Kat and Sutton, took a quick shower, and now I’m just curled up in your hoodie, wishing I was laying beside you.” She said honestly, hearing the older woman going through the steps of her nightly routine.

Jacqueline sighed as she finished applying her moisturizer and flipped the light switch, walking over to her side of the bed. “Trust me, you have no idea how much I want that right now.”

“I left you a surprise.”

Jacqueline paused just before pulling back the covers, “Oh?” she asked, then pulled back the comforter, revealing the hoodie Jane left behind. A smile broke across her face and her questioning “oh” turned into an “oh” of contentment. Jane heard the rustle of the sheets and knew her surprised had been discovered.

“I know it’s not as good as the real thing, but I figured it was better than nothing.” She spoke softly.

Tears stung cerulean eyes and Jacqueline crawled into the bed, pulling the hoodie to her and inhaling the scent. “I love you, you know that?” the blonde replied, her voice thick with emotion.

Jane’s throat tightened and she brought the sleeve of Jacqueline’s hoodie to her own nose, the scent of the editor still lingering on the material. “I love you more.”

“I don’t think that’s possible.” The blonde whispered.

“Trust me, it is.”

“We’ll just have to agree to disagree on that one.”

“I guess so.”

“Get some sleep, my love.”

“You too.”

They both reluctantly hung up their phones and closed their eyes. If they tried hard enough, they could convince themselves they were wrapped in each others arms.

-----------

I have more written, I just didn't want to post more and lose my writing groove. i'M TRYING, GUYS! Thanks for sticking with me!

Chapter Text

Chapter 20

Walking into Stafford the next morning, Jane could hardly wait to get upstairs. “Why is the shortest one dragging us like this?” Kat asked, her arm linked with Janes.

“Seriously, calm down, Tiny Jane. It’s early, she might not even be here yet.” Sutton said from Jane’s other side.

She looked up at them both and her shoulders dropped slightly. “My bad.” They slowed their pace and stepped onto the escalator.

“A week, you said?” Sutton asked.

“At least.” Jane replied, unlinking their arms and sipping her coffee.

“You know… I might have an idea for how to make it suck less.” The redhead responded, garnering raised eyebrows from her friends. “Well, I know firsthand that you have to get creative when you’re in a long distance relationship. I realize y’all will still see each other in the office every day, but you can’t exactly dive into the Carlyle buffet in an office with glass walls.”

“For the love of all things Holy, PLEASE never say the words ‘Carlyle buffet’ ever again.” Kat shuttered and Jane brought a hand to her forehead, trying to shake the image from her mind.

“Get to the point, Sutton.” Jane sighed as they stepped off the escalator and made their way to the elevators.

Kat pressed the button and the three of them entered the lift by themselves, free to continue their conversation without judgment. “So they make Bluetooth sex toys that you can control from your phone. They’re usually used for long distance play, but you can also give control to your partner and they can play with you.”

“Oh, Lovense! Remember when Sage was doing her article on sex toys, she covered the long distance options for couples and they reached out to send her a bunch of products to review. She said the Lush was incredible.” Kat chimed in.

Jane looked at them both and shook her head. “I’m not entirely sure I’m following.” The elevator dinged and they stepped into the office, sending looks over to wall of glass where the blonde could usually be found. Today, however, they’d beaten her in.

“Fashion closet.” Sutton said as Jane dropped her stuff at her desk.

There weren’t many people in the office yet, seeing as how it was only 8:04am, but they figured it was best to continue this conversation away from any additional ears.

Stepping into the closet, Jane sat on the ottoman and listened to her friends. “There’s a toy called the Lush, in particular. Basically, one of you puts it inside, the other controls the vibration from their phone. It’s quiet enough that it can be worn in public and the people around won’t hear it.” Kat finished.

“It’s true. We had an entire lunch break where Richard controlled mine and y’all never suspected” Sutton spoke, sipping her coffee.

“Oh my God.” Kat and Jane both exclaimed at the same time. Sutton simply shrugged and smirked.

“And this helps me how?” Jane asked.

“Use it, bitch! Find out if she’d be down, one of you wear it, one of you control it, have some fun until you can actually get it on again!” Kat laughed.

Jane pondered the predicament. “…you think she’d be into that?”

“You’d know better than we would. Worst she could do is say no.”

Jane sighed. The idea of teasing Jacqueline discreetly did certainly turn her on, and the thought of not being able to touch the editor for at least a week was weighing heavily on her. She closed her eyes and sighed again, “Where can I get one?”

Sutton and Kat cheered. “Like I said, Sage got a PR box, there may have been extras in there. If not, we can hit up Pink Pussycat on the way home.” Kat said, sending out a text to Sage.

Jane buried her head in her hands and couldn’t believe she was having this conversation, but was grateful she had such understanding friends. She was about to speak again when the door to the fashion closet swung open. Before her was a welcome sight, and she couldn’t contain the smile that broke across her face.

“Good morning, ladies.” Jacqueline smiled, her shoulder length blonde hair curled and bouncing with each step. She wore a black, satin button down blouse and tight, red, skinny trousers with her Louboutin heels. “I hope I’m not interrupting, I saw your stuff on your desk and thought I might find you in here.”

“I’m glad you did.” Jane smiled and stood, making her way over to the blonde, who towered over her in her 5 inch heels. She wrapped her arms around the editor’s neck and stood on her toes to reach her lips.

Sutton and Kat exchanged ‘good mornings’ and made their way out of the room to give them some privacy. “Um…. I have kind of a weird question.” Jane started as they broke apart.

“What’s up, buttercup?” Jacqueline replied, keeping her hands around the brunette’s waist.

The brunette smirked. “I really need like… no follow up questions because I don’t have enough details yet.” Jacqueline chuckled and agreed. “Would you ever wear a remote controlled sex toy in public? Like… if I could control it, would you?”

Jacqueline’s eyes widened and she considered it. “No follow up questions?” Jane nodded. “…I suppose, if you wanted me to. I’d be willing to try it.”

Jane couldn’t hide her surprise and leaned into the blonde again, pushing her against the door. “Okay, good to know.” She smiled, pressing another kiss to the editor’s lips.

Jacqueline shook her head and returned the smile, unsure of what she just signed up for, but knowing that Jane didn’t do anything without proper preparation. “How’s the wrist?” she asked, bringing the casted hand to her lips.

“Not too bad. Should be back to normal in a few days.”

“Good. You ready for today’s meeting?”

“I think so. I’ve been working on my gun control article, I should be able to get it finished by tonight.”

“I’m looking forward to it.” The blonde smiled and glanced down at her watch. “Alright, I have a conference call at 8:30 so I should get to my desk, but I’ll see you later?”

“Absolutely.” Jane pressed one final kiss to the blonde’s lips. “Oh, by the way,” she turned over her shoulder, “I’m not wearing any panties today.” She whispered before stepping out of the fashion closet. Jacqueline couldn’t help the incredulous gasp that escaped her lips as she watched the writer, clad in a mid thigh, black sweater dress with knee high boots, slip behind the door.

“Fashion closet. Now.” Kat’s text lit up her phone.

“Again?” Jane said as her friend passed by her desk.

“Get up.” The curly haired woman grabbed Jane’s hand and dragged her across the office. She didn’t notice the two boxes tucked under Kat’s arm until they were safely behind the door of the Fashion Closet.

“What’s up?” Jane asked

“We love a PR box.” Kat beamed, holding two Lovense Lush 3 boxes in her hands. “They’re brand new, unused extras that Sage had lying around. She had been meaning to put them on eBay but I told her they were needed for a project. She didn’t ask questions, so you’re safe. Anyway, I got two: one for you, one for her. Just in case.”

Jane’s jaw dropped open as she took the two boxes in her hands. “Kat, don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful, but what am I supposed to do with these here?!”

Kat glanced around the room and spotted a large tote bag. “Ah, here. Hide them. I’m sure Jacqueline will understand why you needed to borrow this bag for the day. The ball is in your court now, dollface. Play along when you’re ready.” Kat said before dropping a kiss to the writer’s forehead and leaving her alone in the room.

Jane shook her head and placed the boxes in the large, Red Leather Michael Kors purse and making her way back to her desk. She placed the bag under her desk and put her other purse inside it to cover the contraband. Looking across the bullpen, she noticed Jacqueline pacing her office while she examined mockups of the newest edition. Jane reached for her phone and sent out a quick text. “You know you’re really sexy when you’re working.”

The alert from her phone caught the editor’s attention and she walked back to her desk, reading over the message with a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. Jane watched her from across the office and smiled to herself.

“Your wardrobe revelation has kept me distracted all morning, I’m having a hell of a time trying to focus.”

‘Think you could sneak away for 5 minutes?”

“What do you have in mind?”

“Meet me in the stairwell.” Jane looked up and their eyes met. Jacqueline gave the brunette a small nod and glanced over toward the door, signaling for Jane to go first, so as not to draw any attention. Jane took the hint, grabbed her bag and made her way toward the Scarlet lobby. She pretended to be on her phone so her choice to take the stairs rather than drop a call in the elevator didn’t raise any suspicions.

Jacqueline, on the other hand, was known to spend time throughout the day walking up and down the stairs to get her steps in, so when she exited via the stairwell a minute later, no one thought twice.

Jane was sitting at the top of the next flight of stairs when the door swung open and Jacqueline’s eyes met hers. “You better be careful sitting like that, someone could catch an eye full.”

“Maybe I don’t mind if someone does.” Jane dropped her voice and opened her legs, giving the older woman a glimpse of her lack of undergarments.

Jacqueline’s sharp inhale echoed throughout the concrete stairwell and Jane beamed back at her, proud of herself for having the upper hand at the moment. “Did you bring me here just to torture me?” the blonde asked, slowly ascending the stairs.

“Maybe.” Jane shrugged and placed the bright pink toy in the editor’s hand.

“What—” Jacqueline began before Jane could explain.

“Do you trust me?” Jane asked, their hands clasped together around the toy.

“You know I do.” Jacqueline’s eyes met Jane’s and held her gaze.

“Then trust me.” Jane stood, taking the toy from Jacqueline’s hand, unbuttoning one of the buttons of the satin blouse and tucking the C shaped silicone toy into the blonde’s bra before rebuttoning the shirt and giving her the once over to make sure it wasn’t visible. “Go to the bathroom, I’ll text you a picture of the instructions.” She placed a kiss on the blonde’s cheek and slipped past her, walking back to her desk.  

“What is this girl doing to me?” Jacqueline whispered to herself as she exited the stairwell and made her way to the ladies room, passing one of the social media consultants as she made her way to the farthest stall. She heard the door close just as her phone buzzed in her hand. The text from Jane loaded and she read the instructions, her eyes going wide as she realized what she was agreeing to. “Jane. Seriously?” she texted back.

“Please?”

“Only because I love you.” Jacqueline sighed and undid her pants.

“Writers meeting. 5 minutes!” Jacqueline announced from her office door just before 1:30pm. Jane finished typing up the last few sentences of her article before collecting her notebook, pen, and cell phone and heading to the conference room. When she arrived, she was slightly disappointed to see that the seats on either side of Jacqueline’s chair were taken, so she settled for the seat at the other head of the table. While she couldn’t sit beside her for the meeting, she wouldn’t complain about sitting across from her.

Jacqueline entered the room a minute later and greeted everyone, getting straight to work. She did offer Jane a pointed look across the table at one point, which reminded the brunette of the fact that Jacqueline Carlyle currently had a Bluetooth controlled vibrator inside of her, and Jane Sloan held the controls. The editor hadn’t paid much attention to the writer during the nearly 30 minutes they’d already been in the meeting, and that wasn’t sitting well with Jane. As Jacqueline brainstormed an idea with Alex and Sage, Jane slid her phone into her lap and opened the Lovense app. Her phone connected to the device and Jane discreetly took a deep breath before sliding her thumb up the screen, activating the device and sending a brief, yet poignant vibration deep inside the most private walls of Jacqueline Carlyle. The second her thumb slid across the screen, Jacqueline gasped and locked eyes with Jane, gaining surprised stares from the other 5 writers in the room. Luckily, Jacqueline is exceptional at thinking on her feet, so she grabbed her phone and tried to come up with an excuse for her outburst. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry. Alex, you just reminded me that Jane and I have a conference call at 2:15. I am so sorry, everyone. I’m going to have to cut this meeting short. That was completely an oversight on my part. You all seem to be on the right track with your articles. If you have any questions just shoot me an email or come see me tomorrow and we can discuss.”

Jane had to fight to hide the smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth. “Oh, I had it in my phone. I was going to remind you.” She held up her phone, keeping the screen facing herself as her thumb raised and lowered, and held the blonde’s gaze with an air of confidence she was certainly not used to, but wouldn’t question for the time being.

Jacqueline cleared her throat and nodded, “Thank you, Jane. I appreciate you being on top of things.”

“I know you do.” She smiled sweetly and stood as everyone began to gather their things. She couldn’t resist sending a few more waves of vibration to the editor’s core, so she did just that.

Jacqueline raised an eyebrow and swallowed hard, her hands turning to fists and she crossed her legs tightly under the table. She slowly gathered her things as the others began to disperse. Her voice waivered slightly, but she pulled it together, “I should probably go over what we’ll be discussing on our call today. Why don’t you walk with me?”

To anyone else in the room, Jacqueline seemed normal. A little overwhelmed, perhaps, but certainly no one would suspect what was really going on. Jane, on the other hand, knew exactly how flustered Jacqueline was at the moment, and the fact that it was due to her made her feel like she was on cloud 9. “Yeah, of course.” Jane beamed as she watched everyone else file out of the room. She held her things against her chest and watched the blonde smile at everyone walking out before turning her gaze to the younger woman.

“Jesus”, Jacqueline sighed and released her clenched fists, dropping her head.

“’Jane’, actually. But it’s an easy mistake.” She grinned, enjoying their power shift a little too much. Her thumb hovered over the screen and Jacqueline’s eyes shot up.

“Jane, please.” The woman pleaded, her voice soft so no one would overhear them.

The timbre of the editors voice shook Jane to her core and she pulled the vibration down to a minimum before locking her phone. “Shall we?” she asked, motioning to the door. Jacqueline stood on trembling legs, afraid another wave might hit her. “What’s wrong, daddy? Oh, you think I’d make you walk across the bullpen with it going? I’m not THAT mean.” Jane feigned innocence, bringing her hand to her chest in mock surprise. “Not yet, anyway. Maybe next time.”

Jacqueline shot her a look and they exited the conference room, making their way to the blonde’s office. Once inside, she shut the door as Jane took a seat on one of the chairs opposite the desk. “We don’t actually have a conference call, do we?” Jane asked.

“No, I just needed an excuse to get you alone for an extended period of time.” She sighed, sitting behind her desk and crossing her legs. “That was incredibly risky, what you just did in that meeting.”

“Was it?” Jane asked, feigning innocence again. “I’m so sorry. You know, I’d like to get your opinion on something, actually. Come sit on the couch with me? Bring your phone so it looks like we’re actually on a call.”

Jacqueline raised an eyebrow and cautiously stood, bringing her phone over to the couch and sitting with her back to the glass door. Jane had discreetly unlocked her phone as they walked over, and as soon as the blonde sat she let the machine return to vibrating deep between the editor’s legs. This time, Jacqueline didn’t have to hide the involuntary gasp and whimper that escaped her throat.

“See, I’m wondering how you’d feel about me controlling this thing here, where anyone could see us, yet they’d have no idea that I’m actually making you cum right in front of them.” Jane had no idea how she kept her voice steady, but she managed, turning herself sideways to fully face Jacqueline and bringing her right leg up onto the couch, tucking her ankle under her left leg and discreetly hiking the dress up enough that Jacqueline could see again that she indeed was not wearing any panties that day.

“You’re enjoying this aren’t you?” The blonde’s voice trembled as the vibrations pulsed through her.

“So much, you have no idea.” Jane smiled and stole a glance around the bullpen. “Nobody’s even looking this way.” She whispered, taking the tan hand and sliding it up her thigh. “You could touch me right here, in front of everyone.”

Jacqueline’s hand stilled and grasped the ivory thigh inches away from it’s apex. “This is a dangerous game, Sloan.” Her voice trembled.

“Do you want me to stop?” The brunette asked, her thumb hovering over her phone.

Jane watched blue eyes flit between the phone and the hand on her thigh before they met her hazel ones. “Please don’t.”

The younger woman brought her free hand up and undid the button holding the satin shirt across the editor’s chest, watching her sunkissed breasts rise and fall as her thumb increased the vibrations and began a pattern. Up, down, up, down, increasing and slowing the vibration at an excruciating pace. The moan that escaped the blonde’s lips was certainly loud enough that Andrew would’ve heard it, had he been at his desk. Thank God for his daily 2:15 Matcha Latte.

“Shhh, you’ve gotta keep it down or you’re gonna get us caught.” Jane laughed softly, bringing her index finger up to cover Jacqueline’s lips. The older woman couldn’t resist the urge to suck that finger between her lips and swipe her tongue across it before lightly closing her teeth around it, so that’s precisely what she did. This time, it was Jane’s moan that was louder than they expected. “Oh, fuck me.” She sighed, trying to keep her composure.

“I would, but I’m afraid to move.” Jacqueline breathed, her hand gripping Jane’s inner thigh a bit harder now. Her blue eyes slammed shut and she bit down hard on her lip as the vibration pattern began to conjure a wave of pleasure from deep within.

Jane took the opportunity to shamelessly allow her eyes to rake over the woman before her. She couldn’t help but notice the bronze glow emanating from the blonde as the light from the city outside the wall of windows shone into the room. Her blonde curls rising and falling against golden collar bones, the slightest flush adding pink to the tan chest beneath the satin blouse. The editor’s breasts strained against their red lace confines as her lungs fought to take in more oxygen, and she fought to keep herself quiet. Her grip on Jane’s thigh was the only thing reminding the brunette that the angel in front of her was real, not a figment of her imagination. The writer leaned forward so Jacqueline could feel her words reverberate off her lips, “You have no idea how badly I want to push you down on this couch and make you scream.” She whispered, relishing the whimper that escaped the blonde’s lips.

Jacqueline struggled to form a complete sentence, “I—fuck. I’m SO… getting you back for this.” She finally choked out, her eyes still tightly closed.

The writer beamed and continued to watch the goddess before her. The rapid rise and fall of her chest and the shallow breaths sneaking past those lips were a telltale sign that Jacqueline was nearing the precipice. Jane had a choice to make; she could let the woman finish, or she could prolong the inevitable and leave her on edge for the rest of the day. She pondered her options longer than she intended, not realizing that Jacqueline was getting closer by the second. “Jane,” she exhaled, shaking her head slightly. “Baby, please.”

Who was she kidding? She couldn’t deny the blonde when she breathed her name so irreverently. Glancing behind the editor and noticing that no one was paying them any attention, Jane spoke, “Look at me, Jacqueline.” The brunette’s voice was just above a whisper, but dropped well below her usual timbre. “Come on, love. Open your eyes.”

Jacqueline inhaled deeply through her nose and heavy lids fluttered open to meet hazel. Her breath was shaky as her right hand grasped Jane’s casted left and she felt the wave creeping ever closer. “Jane…” she breathed out.

Jane squeezed her hand right back and locked the pattern into the phone, putting it down and letting it continue its vibrational onslaught while freeing up her right hand so she could bring it to the blonde’s cheek. She heard the hitch in the editors breathing and knew she was on the edge. Holding the blue eyes in a heated stare, she softened her gaze and raised her voice to a near normal decibel, “I love you, Jacqueline.”   

The older woman’s grip tightened and she fought to keep her eyes open as the wave of pleasure crashed over her. She felt the familiar tingle begin in her toes and in an instant, her entire body was pulled under. She held Jane’s gaze and was sure the entire floor would hear her unravel if she wasn’t careful. Fighting the urge to throw her head back and relish the release, she trapped her bottom lip between her teeth and shuttered, her breath labored as she tried to reduce her moans to soft whimpers. Tears sprung to her eyes, forcing them to break their stare as heavy lids slammed shut.

Jane felt panic rise within her, not expecting to bring the blonde to tears. “No, no, no, please don’t cry! I’m so sorry!” she fumbled with her phone, unlocking the screen and turning the toy off completely. Jacqueline exhaled and let her muscles unclench, her shoulders drop, and her body relax as the orgasmic tremors subsided. “Was that too much? Jacqueline, I am so, so sorry. Please say something.” The brunette felt her chest begin to tighten and her stomach begin to drop, the sense of dread creeping up inside of her, terrified that she’d overstepped and ruined everything. “Please…” she whispered.

Jacqueline took a moment to compose herself, releasing Jane’s hand and redoing the blouse button the writer had undone. She sniffled softly, bringing her hands up to gently wipe the moisture from lower lashes, determined not to let a single tear journey down her cheeks. She knew that Jane was in panic mode. She knew her silence was causing the brunette undue stress, and a very large part of her wanted nothing more than to grab the younger woman’s leg, wrap it around her hip and press her into the couch, feeling the bare skin beneath that black sweater dress. However, the confidence, dare I say, cockiness that Jane had displayed during the entire situation was enough to make the blonde want to fight dirty. She’d make it up to her, no doubt. But for now, she was going to regain her power.

The blonde never met the hazel eyes staring back at her, knowing her resolve would crumble in an instant. Instead, she stood on slightly shaky legs, grabbed her purse from behind her desk, and exited the office, leaving a speechless Jane Sloan, who was desperately trying to dam the tears stinging her own eyes.

Jane was numb. She had crossed a line, and in turn, managed to drive away the woman she was so irrevocably in love with. She didn’t know how to process what just happened. When did she take it too far? What was the breaking point? How broken were they? An onslaught of questions bombarded her mind and she stood, grabbing her phone and sending a text to the girls.

i’m sorryyyy 😂

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 21 

“Wow, you just jumped right to it, didn’t ya?” Sutton asked as they locked themselves in the Fashion Closet for the third time that day.  

Jane raised her tear filled eyes to the redhead and scoffed, knowing she was trying to keep things light. “I don’t know what happened.” Her voice trembled as the tears fell freely. Kat wrapped a slender arm around the shorter girl and brought her to her shoulder. 

“Don’t beat yourself up, Jane. She might’ve just been overwhelmed. It’s Jacqueline. She adores you. I’m sure there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation.” The curly haired woman consoled her friend.  

Sutton kneeled in front of them at the ottoman and took the brunette’s hands. “She’s right, babe. I know you wanna spiral and rethink every detail, but before you blow things out of proportion in that beautiful brain of yours, why don’t you wait until you’ve spoken with her. Besides, she has to come back, we have a shoot at 4.”  

Jane sniffled and nodded, knowing her friends were right. “I’m in so deep, you guys.” 

The girls nodded sadly and wrapped each other in a group hug.  

-----

Jane returned to her desk after taking a break to get some coffee with Kat and Sutton. When she returned. She saw Jacqueline back in her office, sitting behind her desk, office phone to her ear. The brunette knew she’d get no writing done that afternoon, opting to spend the rest of her day stealing glances at the blonde. She sent her a text, apologizing profusely, and waited for the response. She watched the editor lift her cell phone from the desk, look at the notification, and put the phone back down. Jane was sure she felt her heart split into pieces and begin dropping into a pit in her stomach.  

The clock ticked closer to 4pm and Jane tried to distract herself with anything she could. Article research, news, music, youtube, everything she could think of to take her mind off the predicament she found herself in. Just before 4pm, her phone buzzed on her desk. Her eyes shot to the screen that just read “ meet me in the conference room at 6pm.”  The conference room where they’d begun their escapade that day. Jane swallowed hard and watched the blonde exit her office and make her way towards the elevators, no doubt heading to photoshoot taking place 2 floors below. Jacqueline couldn’t resist a passing glance as she made her way out, but she fought as hard as she could to keep her face unreadable. Teasing Jane this way was much harder than she anticipated, and all she wanted was to take the writer in her arms and shower her with kisses to return a fraction of the love she felt that afternoon. However, the look on her face screamed ‘ice queen’ and Jane certainly felt the chill. 

The office was mostly empty by the time 6pm rolled around, so Jane made her way to the conference room, away from the few prying eyes left in the office. She sat in her usual chair, beside Jacqueline’s head chair, trying to focus on keeping her breathing steady as she nervously picked at her nails. 6:05pm… 6:10pm… It wasn’t until 6:18pm that Jane heard the familiar cadence of Jacqueline’s heels on the tile. The door swung open and Jane felt the breath rush out of her lungs. It didn’t matter how many times Jane saw her, Jacqueline Carlyle would always take her breath away, and now was no different.  

Jacqueline maintained her unreadable face and took her seat, the silence in the room deafening as she crossed her legs and folded her hands on top of the table.  

“Jacqueline, I’m so—” Jane began, but was cut off.  

“Stop.” The tone wasn’t angry, but it wasn’t gentle either. For the first time in hours, blue eyes met hazel and Jane steeled herself for the heartbreak she was anticipating. After a moment, the unreadable face softened slightly and she tore her eyes away from Jane’s, just in time to see the motion lights in the bullpen shut off. The office was empty, they were alone until the janitor came by, which could be at any moment, so Jacqueline wasted no more time.  

“Stand up.” She spoke firmly. Jane clearly didn’t notice the lights go out, and lowered her eyes, pushing her seat back slightly as she stood. “Sit here.” Jacqueline’s hand patted the edge of the table in front of her.  

“What—” 

“Did I say you could speak?”  

Jane’s stomach dropped and she did as she was told. As soon as Jacqueline stood and pulled her chair out of the way, Jane sat on the edge of the conference table, her knees pressed firmly together as her head hung low and she focused her eyes on her hands in her lap. 

Jacqueline couldn’t keep the charade up with Jane looking so dejected. She hated that she’d been so cold, but knew the brunette would understand her choice of retaliation. A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth as she grabbed a fist full of the sweater dress at Jane’s chest, drawing their eyes up to meet. “Baby, I told you I’d get you back, did I not?” 

Jane’s eyes widened and her jaw went slack. “You—you’re not mad at me?” 

“Oh, I’m furious,” she began, Jane inhaling deeply as she expected the worst, “that you made me cum that hard and keep quiet.” The blonde finished in a whisper as she leaned forward and pressed her lips to Jane’s neck.  

Jane felt her pulse quicken as the editor nipped at the sensitive skin below her earlobe. “You’ve been fucking with me this whole time?!” she tried to push the blonde away, but the second those lips left her skin she wanted them back.  

“No darling, I’ve wanted to fuck you this whole time. The ice queen charade was a rouse, I’ll admit. And I apologize for upsetting you or making you believe something was wrong. If it makes you feel any better, I did feel just awful about it.” 

Jane absorbed the information and felt her heart repair itself, piece by piece. Suddenly, she didn’t feel the crippling fear of losing her love, she realized she was seemingly trapped in this room with the woman she loved, who wanted retaliation for the way Jane teased her earlier. She swallowed hard and tried to scoot back but the blonde caught her by the dress again.  

“You know, I think it’s only fair I return the favor.” Jacqueline said, pulling the younger woman closer to her and trapping her in her arms.  

Jane was struggling to find her voice. “H-how so?” 

“I think you can figure it out.” The editor breathed before pushing the brunette down flat on the table, hiking up the edge of the dress before sliding her closer, sitting in the desk chair and spreading open Jane’s knees. She lifted Jane’s feet to rest on the armrests of the chair before she slid her hand up the front of the dress and dragged her nails back down, leaving goosebumps in their wake.  

A shuttering breath escaped Jane’s lips as her body responded to her current situation. Her brain was fighting to catch up when she felt the editor’s warm lips connect with the inside of her thigh. Her breathing turned to soft moans as the kisses trailed higher up her leg. Without warning, the tenderness was replaced by a much firmer grip across her hips, nails digging into the skin and lips replaced by teeth, a literal love bite rising to the alabaster flesh of Jane’s inner thigh. Her soft moans increased in volume as Jacqueline released her thigh and moved straight to her destination. Jane couldn’t contain the sound that escaped her throat when Jacqueline’s tongue flattened and pressed against her clit. The brunettes hands immediately tangled in blonde curls, only to be grabbed and slammed down on the table beside her hips.  

“Fuck,” Jane exhaled, her hips beginning to match the rhythm of Jacqueline’s tongue.  

“Quiet, darling. If I couldn’t make a sound neither can you.” She continued her onslaught across Jane’s most sensitive area. After a minute or two, she was certain the brunette was plenty lubricated for phase two of this plan. She discreetly pulled the Lush from her bra, having snagged the second box from the red purse while Jane waited in the conference room, and unlocked her phone, which it was currently synched to. She gently wrapped her lips around Jane’s bundle of nerves as the toy slipped right inside of her.  

It happened so quickly, Jane was almost certain it was 2 tan fingers. That was until the swift flick of Jacqueline’s thumb across the screen began an intense pattern of vibration deep inside of the writer. Hazel eyes shot open and her back arched off the table. The gasp and moan that escaped her were easily heard in the bullpen, and they knew they were lucky no one was out there. Nonetheless, Jacqueline detached her mouth from it’s location and stood, bringing her left hand up to clasp over Jane’s mouth and push her back down on the table. Her heels gave her the leverage she needed to be able to lean over the brunette and remain at eye level as her hip ground into the apex between Jane’s legs.  

“What did I say?” the editor’s voice was stern, but her eyes were gentle. The juxtaposition of the two was making Jane’s head spin and she felt the storm brewing in the pit of her stomach.  

“I’m sorry,” she gasped as the tan hand dropped from her mouth and settled loosely at her throat, her breathing ragged, “I’m sorry.” 

“’I’m sorry’ who?” Blue eyes darkened as that hand applied the tiniest bit of pressure against the sides of the brunette’s throat.  

Jane’s eyes widened, suddenly understanding how people developed a choking kink. “I’m sorry, daddy.” She breathed as her orgasm inched closer. 

Both women were so enthralled with each other, neither noticed the motion lights from the bullpen click back on, or the two pairs of eyes watching them from the hall. They certainly didn’t notice the cell phone recording explicit video of their tryst. As Jacqueline removed her hand from Jane’s throat and returned to her seat, Ryan ducked and snuck out to the lobby, the two women completely oblivious that the grenade pin had been pulled. Now it wasn’t a question of if they would be outed, it was a question of when, and how catastrophic would the fallout be?   

Jacqueline sat back in her chair, returning Jane’s feet to the arm rests and placing her tongue back where it had been, inching Jane closer and closer to the edge. She let her left thumb continue the pattern of vibration that Jane seemed to be enjoying, watching as the ivory hips rocked and fought to follow the rhythm. The older woman felt an enormous amount of guilt rise in her chest as she heard Jane’s breathing change, knowing she was seconds away from tumbling over the precipice. She gave her three more seconds, three more swipes of her tongue before she pulled away and stopped the vibration, leaving the brunette on the edge of what would’ve been one of her top 3 most powerful orgasms to date.  

“No,” the writer nearly sobbed, sitting up immediately, “No, please. Please, please, please! I was so close!” Jane’s voice cracked and tears filled her eyes as she felt her orgasm slipping away.  

It broke the editors heart to see the young woman so upset, but she was determined to regain the upper hand. “I’m sorry, baby girl. I’m afraid I need to get home.” It took every ounce of resolve the woman had, but she managed to stand.  

Jane’s jaw hit the floor, knowing this was the ultimate payback for teasing Jacqueline during their meeting. “Jac, I’ll do anything, please don’t stop.” The brunette caught the editor’s wrist and pulled her closer, wrapping her legs around the blonde’s waist and locking her in place. Jane dropped her wrist and clutched the collar of Jacqueline’s satin blouse between her fists. “Please…” she begged, pressing their foreheads together.  

Jacqueline felt her resolve beginning to crumble, having every intention of denying the younger woman of any further affection that night, but doing so would deny herself as well, and that was unbearable. She brought her hands up to cup the writer’s face before capturing her lips in a heated kiss. “Leave the toy where it is and I promise I won’t let you go to sleep tonight without finishing.” 

Jane’s eyes were slow to flutter open, afraid she’d open her eyes to find the blonde was gone and this had all been a very NSFW dream. However, as her heavy lids rose, hazel met blue and she released a sigh of relief. The brunette nodded, not trusting her voice just yet. Jacqueline smirked at writer and offered her hand, helping her hop off the table and steady herself before walking back to her desk to retrieve her things.  

Together, they entered the elevator, keeping some distance between themselves, each woman knowing how easy it would be to press the STOP button and spend the entire evening fucking in the lift. The tension was palpable and it didn’t dissipate as other building employees entered the elevator. They kept stealing glances across the lift as they made their way downstairs and out to the curb where Ricky was waiting. He opened the door and Jacqueline motioned for Jane to enter first, but she took a step back. “I actually think I’m gonna take the subway tonight.” 

Jacqueline’s eyes widened and her hand immediately reached for the writer’s, her mind rushing back to the accident only a week before. “No!” she exclaimed, not realizing her fear caused her voice to raise. She dropped her voice and pulled the shorter woman a step or two from the car, “No, Jane. Not yet. It’s… it’s too soon.”  

Jane felt the warmth spread in her chest, remembering how worried the blonde had been after the accident. “I promise it’ll be ok. I mean, what are the odds I get into TWO train derailments in my life, let alone less than 2 weeks apart?” she smiled and offered the editor’s hand a squeeze before pulling her into a hug. “Besides, I could use the fall air to help cool me off.” She whispered and placed a quick kiss on the blonde’s cheek as she pulled away. “I’ll text you as soon as I get above ground, okay?” 

Jacqueline swallowed hard and sighed, the anxiety gnawing at her stomach. “Promise?” she pouted. Yes, Jacqueline Carlyle was pouting and Jane thought it was adorable. 

“I promise.” The brunette chuckled and offered the older woman a wink before waving goodbye to Ricky as she walked toward her subway station. About 100 feet from the entrance, a sudden vibration caused her to audibly gasp and keel over slightly. She looked up just in time to see the town car drive by, a slender, tan hand waving out the window. Jane steadied herself and shook her head, catching her breath and continuing down the concrete stairs.  “Rude.”  She texted. The blonde just smiled.  

------

“Safe and sound.”  She texted the editor as soon as she stepped onto the Brooklyn sidewalk, her apartment building within view. 

“Thank you, darling. I’ll try not to leave you on the edge for too long.”  Came the text from the blonde, the fall chill doing very little to cool the heat pooling low in her stomach. 

Jane wanted nothing more than to tend to her predicament herself, however instead, she spent her evening alone in the apartment, wishing she was settled in for the night on that cream colored couch uptown. She’d always be disappointed whenever she wasn’t with Jacqueline, but she would never ask her to sacrifice time with her family. Instead, she kept busy pondering the fact that Thanksgiving was only a couple weeks away. Was there a plan? Would Jacqueline spend it with her family? Was Jane a welcome addition? Would they do Friendsgiving? So many thoughts, questions, possibilities, Jane hardly noticed that 10pm was rolling around. A few minutes before 10, her phone buzzed and snapped her out of it. Seeing the familiar name, she smiled and answered the call. “Hello, gorgeous.”  

The smile in Jacqueline’s voice was evident as well, “Hey you, how’s my girl?” 

“I’m alright, I just completely lost track of time. Sutton’s out for the night, so I had planned to take a bath but I must’ve zoned out.” She sighed. “How are you? How are the boys?” 

Jacqueline had placed her airpods in as Jane spoke and rested her phone on the bathroom counter. “The boys are good, pretty tired. Connor had karate and James had baseball practice tonight. They both conked out a few minutes ago. As for me, I’d be better if you were here. I hate not spending the night with you.” 

“I know the feeling.” Jane sighed. 

“You know, If I recall correctly, I did promise you a happy ending. I’m also in need of a bath, so what would you think if I suggested we take this party to the bathtub?” the blonde suggested, the unbuttoned satin blouse sliding off her shoulders.  

Jane blushed at the idea and glanced at the toy sitting on her nightstand. Sitting up from her prone position, she picked it up and smiled. “I think you are a supremely stunning, and brilliant woman.” Grabbing her own airpods, Jane popped them in and drew the bath, removing her clothing and temporary cast, reinserting the toy and hearing Jacqueline follow suit. After a few minutes, they both sat in their respective bathtubs and sighed contently as the warm water embraced them.  

“You have no idea how badly I wish you were here right now.” Jacqueline admitted, running a hand through her hair.  

“You have no idea how badly I want to be there.” Jane replied, closing her eyes at the thought of sitting in Jacqueline’s large clawfoot tub, her back pressed against the editor’s chest, sunkissed hands exploring her ivory skin. Jacqueline took the opportunity to slide her thumb up the screen and initiate the vibrations deep within Jane Sloan. The moan that rolled out of the back of Jane’s throat could’ve sent the editor over the edge all by itself, but when she felt her own toy click on she knew she’d unravel in moments.  

Together, they brought each other over the precipice, savoring the moment as best they could as the water around them cooled and their skin wrinkled. Finishing their baths, they stayed on the phone, going through their nightly routines and getting into bed together, but apart. They each had their respective hoodies occupying the empty side of their beds, a staunch reminder that they were so close, yet so far.