Marty and Jesse had lunch plans on Wednesday which broke up the work day quite nicely. Not wanting to talk about Gage twenty-four seven as if she had no other life, she said, "I got thrown under the bus by my manager today. He can be so nice and then next thing you know, bump, bump, a tire mark is on your back. So how's your day?"

Marty laughed. "Sounds like business as usual."

Jesse shook her head with a grin.

"I'm not seeing Dane anymore."

"Oh no, what happened? I thought things were going well between you two."

Marty shook her head, "They were going well with me and with a girl from the steno pool."

"What the hell?" Shaking her head Jesse sighed.

"I don't know I'm beginning to wonder myself. Maybe it's me."

"Marty, I'm your friend right?"

She smiled nodding, "My very best friend."

"As your very best friend let me assure you that his cheating scum ways have nothing to do with you."

"But I've dated three different guys who've done this."

"Then we should look at the type of guys you are attracted to. It's not like they met you and then said, hey, ones just not enough."

Marty shrugged. "I wish I knew for sure."

"Marty look at you, you're a catch and you are an amazing cook, you just haven't found a guy who wants to be domesticated. That's it. As soon as that guy meets you trust me, he'll only have eyes for you."

Her smile wobbled a little. "Thanks Jesse."

"It's all you babe, I've got nothing to do with your sense of style, beauty or anything else that makes you special."

They sat and talked a little longer then Marty gave Jesse a hug before rushing back to work. "We'll talk later."

Jesse headed back to her desk quietly working on her project that was due this afternoon. Lord how she hated giving presentations, they never failed to make her stutter a little.

Once the day ended she of course felt worlds better for having gotten that nightmare project out of the way. All that was left was to celebrate her success with some fast food.

She wanted to call Gage, but thought better of it, not wanting to become one of those clingy types whose world revolves around him. Not that she didn't want him to be the center of her universe, just that she'd read about men's real thoughts on the subject and some romances cooled a lot quicker because of things like that. She wanted to be with Gage as long as she could and didn't want to drive him away by doing stupid little things that might annoy him.

Fortunately for her Gage didn't happen to read that article and came by on his own.

Leaning down for a kiss as he walked in she whispered, "I was just thinking about you."

Unbuttoning his BDU jacket he smiled back, "I'm glad."

Their clothes were soon just a trail that led to the bedroom. "Oh God Jesse, do you know how crazy you make me?" His body was pistoning in and out of her in a steady rhythm that had her dragging in great gulps of air during every thrust.

"Hopefully as much as you make me," she said breathlessly before attacking his neck with little kisses, nips and licks.

When he fell onto her panting for breath his head still fogged from the orgasm, she wrapped him in her arms and held tight. There were so many sides to him he could be sweet, caring and at other times wild and untamed she loved it, she loved him. "I love you."

And then she froze. She said it out loud, oh God she said it out loud. "Please be asleep," she whispered.

He groaned pushing himself up a little to look at her his hand moving to stroke bright red cheeks, "You can't take it back, I don't want you to." Light blue eyes looked down at her tempest blue and she was lost.

"Oh."

Lightly he kissed her lips before deepening the kiss with a groan.

He didn't leave until ten that night and even then it was done reluctantly. "I wish I could stay," he said at her door, "But we both know neither of us would get much sleep."

Hugging him tightly she said, "You'd better go now before I do something crazy."

Gage chuckled kissing the top of her head. "Rain check on crazy, ok?"

Laughing she pushed him away and out the door. Closing and locking it with a sigh she headed upstairs.

🧜🏻‍♀️