"I should get going," Jess said when she finished her beer. She casually tossed the empty can in the waste basket.
"Heading home?" Daniel asked.
"There's no reason to stay here anymore," Jess shrugged. A little hint of the trepidation she was feeling snuck out in her voice.
"Need a ride?" Cam offered. He knew most of Prometheus' crew had been scrambling to find ways home since the ceremony.
"I've got it covered," Jess gave a vague explanation that both Daniel and Cam saw right through.
"I can drive you, it's no problem," Cam really wanted a chance to talk to her.
"If you're sure you don't mind," Jess relented. It was easier than begging yet another ride off of Hank. Jess was determined to drive herself to the base next time. She hated feeling trapped by her lack of vehicle.
They said their good-byes to Daniel, and stopped long enough to grab Jess' things before heading for the surface.
In the parking lot, Cam opened the trunk so both he and Jess could toss their bags in. Then he got her door for her before heading around to the driver's side. The engine of Cam's classic Mustang roared to life as Jess fastened her seat belt.
"Thanks for the ride," she offered, ill at ease with the silence between them.
Cam just nodded as he pulled out. He had something very specific that he wanted to say, but not yet.
Jess watched out the window as they drove off the base, painfully aware of the tension in the car. They'd both been so busy since the mission that there had been no time to resolve any of the more personal issues between them. Now that things with Prometheus had run their course, she was left wondering what, if anything, that day at his apartment had meant. All Jess knew for sure was that she was beginning to regret accepting the ride.
"I want to make something perfectly clear," Cam started the moment they crossed the last check point.
Jess shifted uncomfortably at his tone. Cam glanced in the rearview mirror to reaffirm that they were truly off base.
"You are not expendable," Cam briefly made eye contact with her before returning his attention to the road.
"I don't understand?" Jess asked for clarification.
"On Tagelus, you volunteered to fly the mission saying that you were more expendable than Teal'c or me," Cam answered. "You're not; at least to me you're not."
Jess didn't know how to respond. She had forgotten the specific details of their exchange that day. She just remembered the determined look in his eyes when he'd shot her down, and the sickening feeling she'd had while waiting for some news of what ultimately had happened.
Rather than stumble over an awkward sentiment, she simply reached out and brushed Cam's cheek.
Cam savored the sensation of her touch. He'd wanted her close since they'd gotten back on Earth, but their circumstances had made that impossible. Instead he'd had to wait, knowing that nothing was defined between them, and that she might not feel the same. Now, with her alone in his car, he wasn't waiting any longer. Cam pulled over to the side of the road, shifting the car into neutral.
Jess unfastened her seatbelt and slid across the seat toward Cam. This time he found no hesitation or uncertainty in Jess' eyes. Once next to him, she repeated her previous gesture, lightly running her fingers along his jaw line. Cam closed his eyes and sighed.
Their first kiss was tender, careful, and almost innocent. The second was far more self assured. By the third kiss, Cam didn't bother holding anything back. He wrapped his arms around Jess drawing her closer, hungry for the feel of her body against his.
Jess was inclined to undo Cam's seatbelt, but thought better of it. That restraint was the only thing stopping them from making like a couple of teenagers parked on lover's lane. She gave a satisfied moan and put a little space between them, a mischievous grin reaching all the way to her eyes.
"In your car, on the side of the road, this close to the base is a little reckless even for me," she teased.
Cam laughed, resting his forehead against hers, and took a moment to get his heart rate back under control.
He reached up and brushed Jess' cheek with his thumb, "So home then?"
His blue eyes were brimming with hope as Jess slid back over to her side of the car and re-fastened her seatbelt.
"Your place is closer," she gave him permission to do what they both wanted.
"Right, good point," Cam agreed and shifted back into gear, checking his blind spot before pulling back on to the road.
Jess leaned against the wall in the hallway waiting for Cam to unlock the door to his apartment. She hated to admit it but she was nervous. It's not like she had ever made a habit of going home with men, let alone fraternized with another officer. Technically they weren't breaking any rules given that they were in different chains of command, but they were definitely flirting with the line.
Cam turned the knob opening the door to his place, and looked over at Jess.
"You sure about this?" he asked, trying to play the gentleman even while mentally crossing his fingers.
Jess gave him a seductive smile, moving in and standing on her toes to bring her self closer to his height.
"Absolutely," was her breathy response. Nerves be damned; she laid a kiss across his lips that left no doubt as to the degree of her certainty.
Jess sauntered into Cam's wide open apartment, leaving him standing in the doorway with an ear-to-ear grin plastered across his face. She tossed her bag against the side of the couch and turned back to see if he was following.
Cam put a thumb to his still smirking lips. Casually, he walked in after her pausing just long enough to shut and lock the door.
Jess lay on her side, with her back to Cam. Her eyes were closed but she was still very much awake. She listened to the sound of his slow even breathing, taking it as a sign that he'd fallen asleep. Jess smiled smugly in the darkness, she'd worn him out.
"Proud of yourself?" Cam asked, rolling to curl against her. He couldn't see her face, but was none the less sure of her expression.
"Very," Jess cooed. "Should I be?"
"Mmm-Hmm," he hummed his answer against the crook of her neck.
Cam dragged his fingers lightly down her side, tracing the contour of her figure. It tickled and Jess squirmed, which only served to encourage him. By the time Cam's hand reached its destination, she wasn't squirming anymore.
"Again?" she purred.
"Heh," Cam laughed and rested his chin on her shoulder. "Definitely, but not quiet yet."
Jess' smug smile was firmly back in place as she rolled onto her back, leaving Cam propped on one elbow above her. He wondered how she could look so completely innocent and utterly seductive at the exact same time. Though he was pretty damn sure it had a lot to do with the way she was rubbing her leg against his.
Cam ran his fingers through Jess' hair, twirling a section around his index finger. He liked this; having her naked in his bed. It felt good, even better than he'd have guessed. They'd have to talk eventually. They needed to come to an understanding about what exactly was going on between them. But not right now. Tonight he just wanted to enjoy this, and see if maybe he could get her to do that thing she did with her tongue again.
Cam shifted so that Jess was completely beneath him. He leaned in and kissed her tenderly. It was undeniably time for round two.
When Jess woke, it was still dark out. She and Cam were tangled together the way only new lovers tend to sleep, and Jess was in no hurry to change that. Waking up to Cameron Mitchell felt right in a way she couldn't explain. Jess smiled to herself as she enjoyed the intimacy of the moment.
Eventually, Jess untangled herself, careful not to wake Cam. She slid to the side of the bed scanning for something to slip on long enough to retrieve her bag from the living room. Their clothes were scattered around the room. Neatness hadn't really been a concern last night. Cam's t-shirt was closest to Jess, and cliché that it was, she put it on.
Jess padded around the apartment. She found her bag, used the bathroom, and brushed her teeth before curling up on the couch with a fleece throw she found in the living room. She turned on the TV, keeping the volume low, but she didn't change into her own clothes. She liked the t-shirt more.
Cam woke to find him self alone in bed. The spot where Jess had been was cool indicating he'd been that way for awhile. Unconcerned, he stretched before abandoning the warmth of his side of the bed to find a pair of sweat pants and t-shirt. After his own side trip to the bathroom, he casually wandered out to the living room, finding Jess on his couch.
Cam sat next to her and tugged on her sleeve noting that it was actually his t-shirt.
"Rule number one, whoever's up first starts the coffee," Cam dictated, grabbing the remote from Jess' hand.
"Good morning to you too," Jess stayed firmly in place wanting a proper greeting.
"Good morning," Cam picked up on the hint, giving Jess a quick peck and an impish grin.
"Coffee," Jess nodded and got up from her spot.
"It's in the freezer, pots on the counter," Cam called after her, enjoying the site of her bare legs poking out from the bottom of his shirt.
Once her legs were hidden behind the counter of his apartment's open concept kitchen, Cam switched stations to watch ESPN's Sports Center.
"So what time do you need to be back on base?" Jess asked while she measured grounds into the coffee maker.
Cam consulted the wall clock, "In about an hour."
Jess stopped what she was doing, "That doesn't exactly leave us time to get me home."
"You see a problem, I see an opportunity," Cam tried to shoo her back to the task at hand.
Jess stood stubbornly in the kitchen, arms folded. Her body language made it perfectly clear that there would be no caffeine fix without a further explanation.
Cam walked into the kitchen and placed his hands on Jess' hips.
"Why don't you hang out here for the day," he explained his grand plan. "I'll grab take out after work. We can eat Szechwan, maybe watch a movie, and then I promise I'll take you home."
"You like Szechwan right?" Cam quickly added suddenly concerned that the main staple of his diet might not be acceptable.
"Yeah," Jess laughed agreeing to both the plan and dinner suggestion with one word. Sitting around Cam's place for the day wasn't ideal, but they did need to talk. Dinner might give them that opportunity.
Pleased with her acceptance of the plan, Cam leaned in for a kiss that Jess enthusiastically returned. He toyed with the bottom edge of her t-shirt knowing full well there wasn't really time for what he was suggesting.
"I really need to get ready for work," Cam reluctantly backed off.
Jess gave him a wicked grin, "And I've got coffee to make."
Cam gave her one last smooch before retreating down the hallway to take a shower, a very cold shower. Within 30 minutes he was dressed and out the door, leaving Jess alone in his apartment.