Chapter 14 #2
There was no urgency, and they took their time soaping a shower pouf and scrubbing each other’s body.
Jade started with Maddox’s chest and ran the soapy sponge along her chest then across her breasts, cupping them and leaning down to capture each nipple in her mouth and swirl her tongue over the hardened peak before continuing to wash her body.
She took care to clean her arms one at a time, admiring her Semper Fi tattoo on her right forearm, then over her stomach and the memorial tattoo of Titan’s paw on her ribs on the left.
Jade knelt down in the shower, and Maddox shifted to block the spray of water from getting in her face.
Jade ran the pouf down Maddox’s left leg, over her foot and toes, around her ankle, then back up.
She looked up at Maddox, who was already intently staring at her, and she smiled a wicked little grin.
The corner of her lips quirked up, not quite a smile but an acknowledgement, and Jade sat up slightly when she reached Maddox’s hips and brushed her lips over her clit before she leaned back and continued washing her other leg like she’d done nothing.
When she was done, Maddox leaned down and reached for her hands to help her stand up.
Jade smiled and stood on her tiptoes and kissed Maddox, and she almost lost her balance when Maddox pressed an arm against her back to pull her close to deepen the kiss.
Jade quickly adjusted and let herself be swept away by the kiss.
When they pulled apart, Jade looked up at Maddox and felt off-balance in the best way, a little dizzy and giddy all at once.
Maddox bent down to grab the sponge and applied more soap to it then looked in her eyes.
The eye contact was intense, and Jade felt compelled to look into those dark brown eyes that looked even darker with ravenous hunger and lose herself in them.
Maddox’s eyes softened a fraction as her gaze swept over her body, and Jade noticed that she no longer had the urge to hide or conceal her body from Maddox.
She stood there, rooted in place, as Maddox cleansed her body inch by inch, her eyes never leaving Maddox except when her eyes fluttered and closed for a second.
When they finally stepped out of the shower, the bathroom was thick with fog. Maddox stepped out first and handed her a towel—the dark blue one she always used now—and wrapped herself in another.
They dressed in clean lounge clothes pulled from Maddox’s dresser. Jade had been leaving things here, claiming a drawer, space in the closet, and a cupboard in the bathroom for some toiletries. Small migrations that added up to belonging.
Downstairs, Maddox brewed fresh coffee while Jade put together something resembling brunch: eggs scrambled with whatever vegetables she found in the fridge and toast with the jam she’d bought last week and left here.
Zeus curled up on his bed in the corner, watching them move around each other in the kitchen, now comfortable and natural.
Maddox set two mugs on the counter, leaned against it while Jade finished cooking. “I’ve got that award ceremony next Friday.”
“The K-9 unit commendation?”
“Yeah.” Maddox ran her hand through her still-wet hair and looked away. “You don’t have to come.”
Jade plated the eggs and carried them to the small dining room table. “Do you want me there?”
Maddox followed with the coffee and sat across from her. The morning light caught the brown flecks in her eyes and made them shimmer. “Yeah. I do.”
“Then I’ll be there.”
They ate in comfortable quiet, the only sounds being forks scraping lightly across the plates and their coffee mugs being lifted and set back down on their coaster. Zeus eventually wandered over, resting his chin on Maddox’s knee in shameless hope of dropped food.
"Not happening, buddy," Maddox told him, but her hand dropped to scratch his ears anyway.
Jade's phone buzzed on the counter. She ignored it.
"Work?" Maddox asked.
"Probably." Jade took another bite of eggs. "I'll check it later."
But the phone buzzed again. Then a third time.
Maddox nodded toward it. "Might be important."
Jade sighed and pushed back from the table. She crossed to the counter and checked the screen. She saw three messages from Chief Marten asking if Jade had time to meet Monday morning, something she’d like to discuss about her contract.
Jade’s heart somersaulted in her chest. It felt like a free fall.
“Everything okay?” Maddox was watching her with that careful attention she’d developed as she studied Jade’s face to intuit her mood.
“Yeah.” Jade set the phone down and turned to face her. “Diana wants to meet me on Monday. Something about my contract.”
Maddox bit her lower lip. “The six-month mark.”
“Yeah.”
Her contract was up for renewal. Jade had known it was coming. The department had brought her on only for a trial basis, and she had six months to prove the wellness program’s value. And on Monday, she’d have been there precisely six months.
Maddox stood, crossed to where Jade was standing, close enough that Jade could still smell the eucalyptus from the soap clinging to her skin and see the water still darkening her hair at the temples. "What do you think she'll say?"
"I don't know." Jade leaned back against the counter. "It could be a renewal, could be an expansion of my services.” She went quiet for a beat too long and when she looked up at Maddox, she found her already looking at her. “It could be a 'thanks but no thanks.'"
"It won't be the last one." Maddox's voice was firm. "You've done good work here."
“You’re biased.”
“It doesn’t make it less true.” Maddox’s hand found Jade’s hip, her thumb rubbing small circles through her shirt. “Whatever she says, we’ll figure it out.”
We. Such a small word, but Jade felt weight behind it.
Jade covered Maddox's hand with her own. "Yeah. We will."
The moment settled around them. Jade looked at this woman—this guarded, careful, slowly-healing woman who'd learned to reach for her instead of pulling away—and felt something lock into place.
They’d had three weeks of building a life together, and whatever Diana wanted to talk about on Monday, they’d handle it together.
“Come on,” Maddox said, tugging her gently toward the living room. “Let’s be useless for a while.”
They collapsed on the couch, Jade’s legs tangled in Maddox’s. Zeus immediately jumped up to wedge himself between them despite house rules that had long since dissolved. Maddox pulled a handmade throw blanket over all three of them, and Jade settled into the warmth of her.
The morning stretched endless ahead, lazy and purposeless and utterly perfect.
Monday morning arrived too soon and with the kind of nervous energy that made Jade’s coffee taste extra bitter. She’d dressed with purpose, professional but not trying too hard, and opted for the navy blazer she knew projected confidence even when she didn’t quite feel it.
The walk from her car to Diana’s office felt longer than usual. She’d been in this building dozens of times over the past six months, meeting officers in crisis, facilitating wellness committee meetings, and sitting in on department briefings.
But this felt different. This was about her future, about whether Phoenix Ridge wanted her to stay or if she’d have to choose between her career and the life she’d built here.
Diana’s door was propped open, and Jade knocked on the frame, even though she could see Diana already at her desk, reviewing something on her computer.
“Jade, come in.” Diana gestured to the chair across from her desk. “Want some coffee?”
“I’m good, thanks.” Jade sat, folding her hands in her lap to keep from fidgeting.
Diana closed her laptop, giving Jade her full attention. That intensity had intimidated Jade at first, but now it just felt like Diana's way of showing respect. When she listened, she really listened.
"I appreciate you making time this morning," Diana began. "I know the six-month renewal has been on your mind."
“It has,” Jade admitted.
"Then I'll get straight to it." Diana pulled a folder from her desk drawer. "The department wants to extend your contract, but not just a renewal. We'd like to expand your role."
Jade’s heart kicked up. “Expand how?”
“Your wellness programs have exceeded expectations.” Diana opened the folder, revealing what looked like reports and data.
“Officer participation is up forty percent. We’ve seen measurable improvements in stress management, fewer sick days, and better team cohesion.
The crisis intervention protocols you developed have already been adopted by two neighboring departments. ”
Warmth spread through Jade’s chest. She’d known her work was making a difference; she saw it in the officers she worked with and the way they’d started opening up and taking care of themselves. But hearing it quantified like this…
“That’s good to hear,” she managed.
“It’s more than good.” Diana leaned back in her chair. “And that’s why I’m not offering you a standard renewal. I’m proposing a two-year contract with expanded responsibilities.”
Two years. In Phoenix Ridge. Jade’s breath caught.
“The expansion would include dedicated office space, so no more sessions out of the converted conference room, and a budget for additional programming. We’d also want you to develop training for new recruits and integrate wellness into the academy curriculum.
” Diana paused, and something in her face softened just slightly.
“There would be a significant salary increase to reflect the expanded scope.”
Jade processed this, her mind racing. Two years meant making a commitment. A real commitment, not just to the job but to Phoenix Ridge, the life she’d been creating, to Maddox.
"I realize this is a lot to consider," Diana said when Jade didn't immediately respond. "You don't need to answer right now—"
"I want to," Jade interrupted, then caught herself. "I mean, I'm very interested. This is— It's more than I expected."