When the following Monday morning comes, Hailey blinks her eyes open to find Jay already awake and staring at her with a smile on his face.
"Good morning," he says to her, squeezing his arms around her.
"Mhmmm…morning," Hailey smiles back.
"You excited for today?"
"Yeah, no more desk duty. And no more of you getting the crap beaten out of you," she smirks at him, lifting a hand between them to hold the side of his still slightly bruised face. "You good?"
"I'm good," he nods before leaning in and brushing her nose with his. "Even better now that I get my partner back today."
Her smile widens as she stares back at him, running her thumb over the slight stubble of his jawline and groaning when an alarm sounds from the nightstand on Jay's side of the bed.
He removes his arms from her to turn over and reach for his phone, glancing quickly at the screen and silencing the alarm before turning back to face Hailey.
"It's really that time already?"
"I'm afraid so," he sighs, placing a hand on her waist and squeezing. "We gotta get up."
"Not before you kiss me," she counters with another smirk.
He grins back at her and leans in, pressing his lips to hers and kissing her softly, sliding his hand over her waist to rest it against her back.
There's no rush, only slow, lazy kisses that remind him of the morning they woke up in his bed together the day after Avery's birthday.
He lifts his other hand out from under the pillows and slips his fingers into her hair, holding the crown of her head and kissing her still.
"That's the only way we should ever start our mornings," Hailey mumbles when she pulls her lips from his.
"I won't argue with that," he says before he kisses her again.
He squeezes her against him once more before he pulls away from her and they begrudgingly get out of bed to start getting ready for the day.
They switch off in the bathroom, taking turns to quickly shower and dress, and head downstairs together a short while later, finding Avery at the island and Vanessa leaning against the counter.
"Well good morning," Vanessa beams at them and the smiles on each of their faces.
"Rojas," Jay greets her with his signature smirk, using her last name in a teasing tone just like always before he makes his way over to Avery and drops a kiss to the top of her head. "Good morning bug!"
"Morning daddy!" She grins up at him.
"What's for breakfast today?" He asks her.
"Auntie gave me cereal and oranges," Avery tells him, lifting a slice of fruit from a small plate in front of her and holding it up to him. "Want some?"
"Sure, I'll take one. Thank you," he smiles, taking the slice from her and popping it into his mouth.
"You're welcome," she says, giggling when he bops her on the nose before making his way to the coffee pot. The little girl grins again as Hailey approaches her with a smile of her own. "Hi mama!"
"Hi baby. Did you sleep good last night?"
"Yeah, good sleep! You want some oranges too?" Avery asks, handing another slice over.
"Nah, you eat 'em. I'll grab something else. Thank you though," Hailey tells her before dropping a kiss to the top of her head.
The little girl nods and goes back to her breakfast while Hailey makes her way around the island. She reaches up into a cabinet to grab a granola bar and catches the side eye and smirk on Vanessa's face.
"What?"
Vanessa glances over at Jay, finding him at the island and sitting beside Avery now with a cup of coffee in his hands, his attention focused on the little girl once again. She takes a step closer to Hailey and shrugs her shoulders.
"You just look awfully cheery this morning. That's all," she says quietly.
"Don't be coy with me. It's too early. Just say what you wanna say," Hailey tells her.
Vanessa raises her eyebrows suggestively, tilting her head toward Jay and wriggling her brows again.
"No!" Hailey whisper shouts, shaking her head. "God, what is the matter with you? My initial statement stands. It's too early for this."
"Seriously? You didn't…ya know?" Vanessa whispers to her.
"Stop it," Hailey sighs.
"Damn, I really thought it happened. You're practically glowing," Vanessa says quietly with a smile.
"Maybe I'm just happy to finally be returning to active duty. Did ya ever think about that?"
"No," Vanessa scoffs. "My idea is much more fun."
"I can't stand you," Hailey says.
"I mean, you want to, right?" Vanessa asks, keeping her voice low as she looks at the blonde.
"Can we not talk about this right now?" Hailey pleads with her in another whisper. "For God's sake, my kid is like eight feet away."
"Alright, alright," Vanessa says, raising her hands in mock surrender. "Later then."
Hailey rolls her eyes at her friend as she steps around her and heads for the coffee pot, finding a mug already waiting for her and she glances over at Jay.
As if he can feel her eyes on him, he looks up, catching her stare and the grin on her face as she nods down to the mug in her hands. He smiles back at her and throws her a wink, then sets his attention back on Avery beside him.
"Oh, yeah," Vanessa whispers with a grin as she steps toward the blonde and cocks her head at her. "You totally want to."
"Vanessa!" Hailey shouts.
Jay and Avery look up at them, each of their faces scrunched in confusion, but Vanessa just knocks her head back and laughs.
Jay quirks a brow at his partner, but Hailey just shakes her head and goes back to her coffee while Vanessa makes her way toward Avery.
"All done kiddo?" She asks.
Avery nods and Vanessa grabs the dishes, bringing them to the sink and then turns around, nodding at the little girl.
"Let's go get you dressed then," Vanessa tells her, walking back over to her and helping her down from her stool. "Say bye to mama and daddy. They gotta go to work soon."
"Bye mama, bye daddy! Go get the bad guys!" Avery calls out, grinning at them.
"Bye baby," Hailey laughs. "I love you. Be good for Auntie."
"We'll see you later bug. Love you!" Jay calls out as Avery and Vanessa make their way out of the kitchen.
"Love you too!" Avery shouts back from the stairs, making Jay and Hailey laugh once more.
"She's something else," Jay comments, smiling to himself as he slides off his stool and rounds the island. "So, what did Vanessa say to get you going so early?"
"Ugh," Hailey groans, shaking her head. "Just the usual. Vanessa being Vanessa."
"Why am I not surprised?" Jay asks with a chuckle as he starts putting dishes in the dishwasher.
"She's the worst," Hailey says with a feign of annoyance.
"You love her though," he says.
"Yeah, most days."
He smiles in amusement as he glances over at her and nods to the mug in her hands. "You all done?"
"Yeah, thank you," she says, handing the cup to him.
He winks at her again and sets the mug in the dishwasher, starts it up, then washes his hands before he turns to face her again.
"You ready to go then partner?" Jay asks, smiling over at her.
"Sure am. Let's go," she says with a grin of pure excitement on her face as they head for the front door.
When they enter the bullpen a short while later, Jay heads to his desk while Hailey beelines for their Sergeant's office and raps her knuckles against the open doorframe.
Voight looks up, nodding at her in greeting and waves her in. She steps inside the office and closes the door behind her before taking a seat in front of him.
She doesn't waste any time as she quickly hands the release form over to him and leans back in the chair, smiling nervously as she watches him glance over the sheet of paper in his hands.
He looks up at her a moment later, nodding slowly and smiling proudly at her. "Welcome back."
"Thank you," she breathes out.
"You're feeling good then?"
"I feel great," Hailey tells him, beaming at him for a moment before she swallows hard. "But um, there is something else, Sarge."
"What's up?"
"Jay and I are together," Hailey says quickly.
"I know," he says simply.
"What?"
He smirks at her, shrugging his shoulders. "I wasn't born yesterday, Hailey. And I got eyes."
"Um, we – ugh," she groans, shaking her head. "I don't…"
"Hailey, if I had a problem with it, you'd know. You and Jay are a good team. Have been from the jump. I ain't splitting that up," he tells her.
"Thank you," she says, breathing out a sigh of relief.
He nods at her, then juts his chin toward the door with a smirk. "Get to work."
"Copy you," Hailey smiles, nodding back at him as she stands from the chair and makes her way out into the bullpen.
She plops down in her chair and starts up her computer, catching Jay's stare across their desks.
"You good?" He asks.
"Yeah, I'm good," she says with a nod.
She reaches over his desk and plucks a pen out of the holder next to his keyboard, laughing heartily when he groans in a feign of annoyance and rolls his eyes at her.
She was good and they were good, and life felt normal again.
The next few days pass by too quickly, as if she blinks and suddenly it's Friday and Hailey is sitting in that little office once again on that gray couch across from Dr. Block.
It's her last session and while she should feel excited, she's made it to the end of her program, Hailey can't help the bittersweetness that fills her at the thought of no longer meeting with Rachel to discuss her life.
"Only a few minutes left, Hailey. How are you feeling about everything?"
"I feel really good, like myself again. I feel like I have a better control of things now," Hailey says without missing a beat as she breathes out a heavy sigh of relief.
"That's wonderful to hear. I can't tell you how proud I am of you and the progress you've made over these last twelve weeks. I hope you're proud of yourself, too," Rachel tells her, beaming at the blonde from her chair.
"Thank you," Hailey says with a shy smile. "And I am. Proud of myself, I mean, I couldn't have done it without your help. So, thank you."
"I appreciate that, but remember that you put in the work. I just provided the tools to help you."
Hailey nods, then asks, "Any last-minute words of advice?"
Rachel tilts her head to the side, thinking for a moment before she says, "Remember that recovery is never linear, that you will have good days and bad days, but you have the tools to help you through it. Be kind and gentle with yourself, okay?"
Hailey nods again, glancing to the floor and thinking over Rachel's words. She looks back up at her a few silent beats later, smiling at her again.
"I have a question," she says.
"Ask me anything," Rachel tells her.
"I know this was only supposed to be a twelve-week program, but do you think we could still meet?" Hailey asks her, shrugging her shoulders. "Maybe not once a week, just every now and then, when I need it. Would that be okay?"
Rachel grins at her, nodding her head slowly. "I think that's a wonderful idea."
Hailey breathes out heavily, smiling still at the woman who has helped her through the hell and chaos of her life over the last several months.
Hailey knows she is the one who made the choice to go to therapy, to do the work that was necessary – for both Avery and herself, but she also knows that if it weren't for Rachel and her patience and her swift kicks in the ass during some of their sessions together, she might not have made it to this point.
A point where she can work active duty again alongside her partner and the rest of her team, where she can get into an altercation with a suspect and not freeze up now.
A point where every obscure sound or sudden touch doesn't make her flinch in fear, where the feel of Jay's hands on her makes her heart race for the right reasons again and every smile isn't forced.
She can't help the deep breath she exhales in relief once again, out of pride and gratitude and happiness because she's her again.
She took her life back.
When Hailey steps through the front door of her house, she is immediately met with the sound of Avery's infectious giggles floating down the stairs from the second floor.
She grins instantly at the sound and kicks off her shoes before going up the stairs, following Avery's squeals of excitement into the bathroom attached to Hailey's bedroom.
She crosses her arms over her chest as she leans against the open doorway, smiling to herself as she watches the sight in front of her.
Avery sits on the counter with her little legs crossed like a pretzel and facing the mirror, while Jay stands behind her with a hair dryer in one hand and a hairbrush in the other.
Hailey stares at the two of them lost in their own little world just like always, a rush of something moving through every part of her as she watches them together.
She's not sure how much time passes with her staring at her daughter and partner, the two loves of her life, but Avery's voice cuts in, pulling her from her thoughts.
"Hi mama!" Avery squeals, grinning at Hailey through the mirror. "Daddy's doing my hair for the party!"
Hailey smiles back at her, pushing herself off the doorframe and dropping her arms to her sides as she makes her way toward them.
"I see that! How's he doing baby?" Hailey asks her, smirking up at Jay before looking back to Avery.
"Not too bad mama. He's gonna dry it and brush it now, but he promised he would try the ponytail with the bow for me like you do," Avery tells her excitedly.
"He did, did he?" Hailey asks, glancing at Jay as she stands beside him.
"I gotta learn sometime, don't I?" He counters with a smirk of his own.
"Oh, you do," she says, nodding quickly and grinning at him. "You're such a girl dad already though, so it'll probably come easy to you just like everything else does."
"Ya know, that sounded like it was meant to be a compliment, but I'm not exactly sure," he tells her with a quirked eyebrow.
She tilts her head at him, smirk still in place on her face before she leans up on her toes and presses her lips against his.
"How's that for a compliment?" She asks when she pulls away a moment later.
"Hmmm, still not sure. You kinda phoned it in at the end there," he smirks.
"Well, I can't exactly stick my tongue down your throat in front of our four-year-old, now, can I?" She whispers to him before patting a hand against his chest.
He looks stunned by her words, his cheeks and the tips of his ears flushing pink as he stares down at her. She shrugs her shoulders at him and he shakes his head, the shyness fading as he smiles that boyishly charming smirk at her.
"Pretty sure you're trouble, Upton," he mutters to her as he sets his attention back on the little girl in front of him.
"Pretty sure that's nothing new, Halstead," she throws back at him with a wink. "I'm gonna go use Vanessa's bathroom to take a shower. You good here?"
"Yeah, we're good. Go," he says with a soft smile and a nod.
She leans over the counter to press a kiss to Avery's cheek, then grabs a few of her things and her bathrobe before she heads out of the bathroom.
Jay catches the little girl's quirked eyebrow and curious eyes through the mirror and juts his chin at her.
"You okay, bug?"
She nods, then asks, "You and mama love each other a lot, don't you?"
He smiles, nodding back at her. "Yeah, we do baby. Why do you ask?"
"You kiss a lot and you're always smiling weird at each other," she says, scrunching her face at him.
"Well, one day you're gonna smile weird at somebody too, ya know?" He says, poking a few fingers in her side and making her giggle again.
"No way! Boys are yucky. They yell and fight and they always get in trouble," Avery tells him with a disgruntled little face.
"You know what? You're absolutely right. Boys are yucky. Stay away from them and just be this little forever," he says, leaning down to drop a kiss to the top of her head.
She lets out another giggle and he raises the hair dryer over the back of her head, pointing the brush at her reflection.
"You ready, bug?"
"Ready!"
He switches the hairdryer on and it roars to life, and Avery squeals again, covering her eyes with her hands as her hair flies all over and Jay runs the brush through the back of her head.
"Knock knock!" Hailey calls out, rapping her knuckles against the open door of Vanessa's room.
"What's up?" The young woman asks as she steps out of her bathroom.
Hailey lets out a low whistle as she enters the room, eyeing her friend up and down, and smiling at her. "Don't you look nice."
"Thanks," Vanessa smiles, looking down at her black cocktail dress that hugs her curves perfectly. She glances back to Hailey, nodding at her. "What do you need? Bathroom or shoes?"
"Bathroom please. I need to shower and Jay is doing Ave's hair in mine."
"Halstead is doing her hair?" Vanessa asks, her eyes going wide.
"He'll be fine," Hailey laughs, pointing to the open door leading to the bathroom. "Can I?"
"Go for it. Kev is picking me up soon anyway. We're gonna grab dinner before the party. He's being weird," Vanessa tells her as she grabs a pair of strappy heels and sits down on her bed to put them on.
"What do you mean, weird?" Hailey asks from the doorway of the bathroom.
"I don't know. He said he needed to talk about something and it seems serious. Maybe he's breaking up with me," Vanessa says, scrunching her eyebrows at the thought.
"No way is Kev dumping you. He's completely infatuated with you, V."
"Yeah, I thought so too, but he's just been weird today. The last few days actually," she says, her phone chiming beside her. She glances at the screen then looks back at Hailey as she stands to her feet. "He'll be here soon. I'm gonna head downstairs. I might see you later, who knows."
Hailey walks over to her and drops her things on the bed, then sets her hands on Vanessa's shoulders, smiling softly at her.
"Kev adores you. I've known him for a while and I trust him with my life. I trust him with yours too. I also don't think he's the type of guy to let someone get all dolled up for a night out only to break things off with them in public."
"You really think so?" Vanessa asks quietly, a sad look on her face.
"I know so," Hailey says, squeezing her shoulders. "It'll be okay."
Vanessa breathes out a heavy sigh, then nods slowly before her eyes bug out and she tilts her head at Hailey. "He's not proposing, is he?"
Hailey quirks an eyebrow at her. "How the hell would I know?"
"Because you guys work together and you're friends and you're my best friend. If anyone would know, you would!"
Hailey laughs, shaking her head. "I swear I do not know what is happening. If anything is even happening at all. You're stressing yourself out over something that might not even be anything to stress over. Besides, if he were to propose would that be so awful? You guys are attached at the hip and completely obsessed with each other."
"I am in no way ready to be engaged or even thinking about being engaged. If anyone is about to get married around here, it's your ass."
"Uh, yeah, no. Not even close," Hailey says, laughing once more. "Jay and I are just fine with where we're at and in case you've forgotten, which I know you haven't because you keep bringing it up, we haven't slept together yet. Let's get past that first before we start thinking about the rest of our lives, okay?"
Vanessa nods and then a smirk comes over her face. "So, you do wanna marry him."
Hailey rolls her eyes and breathes out a heavy sigh. "How the hell did this go from me comforting your dumb ass to you teasing me in a span of less than ten minutes?"
"I'm just gifted," Vanessa smiles.
"Yeah, you're something alright," Hailey says, stepping around her friend and grabbing her things from the bed. "I'm taking a shower now. Please tell Jay that Kev is coming so he knows he doesn't have to go downstairs when the bell rings."
"Got it! I will inform your hubby of my date's arrival," Vanessa teases, throwing a thumb's up in Hailey's direction as she heads for the bathroom.
"I hate you!" Hailey calls out over her shoulder.
"Love you too!" Vanessa calls back as the bathroom door closes. She shakes her head, laughing quietly before she says to herself, "Once again, just a matter of time."
Hailey steps out of Vanessa's bathroom a short while later, wrapped up in her bathrobe and her hair twisted in a towel on top of her head. She grabs her toiletries and heads back to her bedroom, finding Avery and Jay right where she left them, only this time the little girl's hair is pulled up into high ponytail with a purple bow around it.
"Not bad, dad," Hailey says with a smile from the doorway.
He turns and grins at her then glances back to Avery. "Yeah? Does it look okay?"
"Yes, it looks great," she tells him, stepping into the bathroom and looking at Avery still perched on the counter. "What do you think, Ave? How did daddy do on your hair?"
"It's very pretty! Just like you do it mama," Avery nods, turning her head to look up at Jay. "Good job, daddy!"
Jay chuckles, nodding back at her. "Thanks bug. I'm just glad it came out okay. What do you say we go get you into your party dress and let mama get dressed, hmmm?"
"Yeah! Party dress!" Avery squeals. She holds her arms out to Jay and he reaches for her, lifting her into his arms and settling her against his side.
"I can get her dressed if you wanna shower," Hailey offers.
"It's okay, I got her," he tells her, shaking her head. "I took one before you got home. I just need to get dressed."
"Okay, thank you," she says with a smile.
He winks at her, then bounces Avery against him as he carries her out of the bathroom. "Let's go bug!"
"Yes! Party dress, party dress!" She squeals.
Hailey grins at the little girl's excitement as she follows them into the bedroom and Jay closes the bedroom door behind them, leaving her alone.
She heads over to her closet and fingers through a few dresses on their hangers before she settles on a dark blue, floor length maxi dress.
It's casual enough for a birthday party at Molly's, but still has a little flare, allowing her to show off her shoulders with its racerback and round neckline.
She removes the dress from its hanger and brings it out to the bedroom, setting it down on the bed before making her way to her dresser.
The same feeling she was hit with earlier when she'd first stumbled upon Jay with Avery in the bathroom, completely and naturally endowed in daddy mode, visits her again as she stands in front of the dresser.
A feeling she wasn't quite sure what it was at the time, but now realizes it was excitement, a yearning for something she hasn't felt in a very long time, and it has her remembering the words uttered during a recent session with her therapist.
"How will I know?"
"You just will."
It's a thought that has invaded her mind over the last week after many touches of hands on arms and stolen kisses in the kitchen and lingering glances that turn her cheeks pink.
It's the same thought now that has her smiling to herself and pulling her bottom lip between her teeth in anxious excitement over what the rest of the night could lead to.
She shakes her head, laughing quietly to herself and taking a deep breath before she pulls open a drawer of her dresser and reaches for black lace.
She tosses the garments to the bed and heads back into the bathroom, hoping the night goes how she intends it to.
Hailey steps out of her bedroom in her dark blue dress and a pair of black pumps – ones with a shorter heel than those of the strappy ones she wore out to dinner with Jay; she had painfully learned her lesson the day after. Her blonde hair hangs over her shoulders in perfect tousled waves, her skin fair and natural with just a tint of dark red on her lips, and she carries her small black clutch in one hand.
She makes her way down the hallway to Avery's bedroom and peeks into the room, finding Jay knelt in front of Avery and smoothing out the purple flare of fabric of the little girl's dress.
She meets Avery's eyes and waves at her, smiling as her mouth falls open and her eyes go wide.
"Mama!" Avery gasps.
Jay turns his head, his mouth falling open just as their daughter's did, and Hailey gives herself a mental pat on the back when he closes his mouth and the apple of his throat bobs up and down.
Avery steps around Jay and runs up to her mother, beaming at her and reaching a hand out to touch her dress.
"You look so pretty mama!"
"Thank you," Hailey says, smiling back at her as she squats down slowly. "You look very pretty too. You like your party dress?"
"I love it! It twirls when I spin!" Avery grins, stepping back and spinning a couple times to show off her outfit.
"That is a very twirly dress. You look just like a princess. You're gonna have so much fun dancing in it tonight," Hailey tells her before standing to her feet again and nodding to the little girl. "I'll help you get your shoes on so daddy can go dressed, and then we'll leave, okay?"
"Okay," Avery nods, turning around and heading to the shoes in her closet.
Hailey steps further into the room, walking toward Avery's bed and dropping her clutch down onto it. She turns back to Jay, finding him staring at her with that soft look in his eyes and a sweet smile on his face.
"You – you look…" he stutters, sighing heavily and chuckling to himself as he shakes his head. He swallows hard again, stepping toward Hailey and setting his hands on her waist. "I feel like beautiful isn't enough for how you look. Hardly does you justice."
"Thank you," Hailey whispers, smiling a shy grin as she looks up at him. Even with her heels on, the top of her head still just barely reaches his chin.
She reaches a hand up to his face, her thumb brushing over his jawline for a second before she leans up and presses her lips against his cheek, and then she's chuckling at him when she pulls away from him.
"You got a little…" she says when he tilts his head at her. She lifts a finger to his cheek and rubs over the skin where her lips had just been. "I left a bit of lipstick."
He nods at her, waiting for her to wipe the red residue away, and when she does, he reaches for her hand before she can pull it away. He brings it to his lips and presses a soft kiss against the back of her hand, and then lets her go.
"Such a gentleman," she comments quietly, smiling at him again before she nods to the door. "You go and get dressed, and we'll meet you downstairs, okay?"
He nods, but his eyes linger for another moment, looking her up and down slowly before he tears his eyes away from her and makes his way out into the hall.
Hailey breathes out deeply, her heart racing over a simple kiss to her hand and the way he looked at her.
Yeah, tonight would definitely go how she intended it to.
Hailey helps Avery slip into a pair of simple black ballet flats and grabs her clutch, and then the two of them make their way downstairs.
They sit side by side at the island, Hailey asking the little girl about her day and listening intently as she goes on about penguins and planets and then asks if she can bring her space teddy to the party.
"What if we keep teddy home tonight? There's gonna be a lot of people and dancing. You're gonna have so much fun and I don't want you to lose him," Hailey tells her, brushing a finger over her cheek.
Avery tilts her head, thinking it over for a moment, and then she nods. "Okay mama. I don't wanna lose teddy. I love him."
"I know you do, baby," Hailey smiles at her. "He will be waiting for you when you get home, I promise."
Avery nods again with a little smile and then her smile stretches wider, and she lets out another gasp when Jay enters the kitchen.
"You look very pretty too, daddy!" Avery calls out to him.
Hailey looks up and suddenly knows exactly how he felt in Avery's bedroom when she walked in, in her dress.
He's dressed almost to the nines – it is just a party at Molly's after all, but the black slacks and dark blue button down he's wearing has her swallowing just as hard as he did upstairs for her. Her heart rate picks up and she can't help the way the tip of her tongue peeks out to run over her lips.
"Thank you, bug," Jay says, grinning at the little girl as he approaches them and helping her down from her stool. "You ladies ready to go?"
"Yeah! I just have to go get Aunt Trudy's present," Avery says excitedly before she runs off to the living room.
He shakes his head and glances at Hailey with an almost shy smile, holding out a hand to her. "You ready?"
Haley nods, setting her hand in his and letting him help her onto her feet.
"You look incredibly handsome," she tells him, squeezing his hand in hers and smiling up at him before she quirks an eyebrow. "Did you wear that shirt just to match my dress?"
He's smirking at her now. "Maybe I did. And what of it?"
She shakes her head as she lets out a chuckle. "Smooth, very smooth."
He rolls his eyes at her, but the smirk doesn't leave his face. He squeezes her hand before he lets her go and turns around to pick up Avery when she enters the kitchen again with Trudy's present in hand, and then they head out the front door.
When the three of them enter Molly's, the party is in full swing. Most of Intelligence is already there, Firehouse 51 too, and other familiar faces from the district.
Hailey spots their team at a high-top table near the back of the bar and nudges Jay's arm with her elbow, nodding in the direction of their friends and coworkers.
He follows her line of sight, then reaches for her hand and meads her through the slight crowd as he carries Avery in his other arm.
They're greeted with hoots and hollers and smiles from Kim, Adam, and Antonio. Trudy sidles up to their table shortly after with a happy grin and pulls Avery into a hug, calling out "my favorite kiddo is here!"
"Hi Aunt Trudy! Happy Birthday!" Avery squeals, hugging the woman back just as tightly and then handing her a nicely wrapped gift with a big red bow. "This is for you!"
Trudy takes the gift with a fond smile on her face as she tears off the wrapping paper and bow, revealing a framed painting of the desk Sergeant in her police uniform with a big star on her chest and a little girl standing beside her, the two of them holding hands.
"Oh, Avery! You did this yourself?" Trudy gapes at the little girl.
"I did! There's you with your star and me holding your hand!"
"I love it kiddo, thank you. I'm bringing this to work and it's gonna sit on my desk so I can look at it every day," Trudy tells her, pulling the little girl in for another hug.
"You're welcome!" Avery says, grinning back at the woman.
"You mind if I take her around the place?" Trudy asks, looking between Hailey and Jay.
They both shake their heads and Trudy reaches for Avery's hand, leading her through the party and introducing her to the people they work with.
Another blast of excitement is shared a few minutes later when Vanessa and Kevin arrive and join them at the table, both with grins on their faces.
Hailey tilts her head at her friend, eyeing her curiously and Vanessa steps toward her.
She leans in over her shoulder and whispers against her ear, "We didn't break up and we're not engaged. I'll tell you later."
"So, I can say I was right and you were wrong?" Hailey smirks at her as her friend pulls away.
Vanessa rolls her eyes, but nods nonetheless, then grins as she says, "I hate you."
"Now you know how it feels to be teased relentlessly," Hailey throws back at her, bumping her hip against her friend's.
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever," Vanessa says with another eye-roll before her eyes find Avery sitting on the bar talking animatedly with Herrmann, Mouch and Trudy. She pats a hand on Hailey's arm, then drags Kevin over to the bar.
The conversation and drinks start flowing from there, most of the partygoers enjoying themselves with more than a few probably too-stiff drinks.
Not much later, Adam suggests shots, but Hailey sticks to her beer and Jay doesn't drink at all since he drove.
An hour ticks by and then a second, and Avery gets carried out or led onto the dance floor by just about everyone Hailey and Jay know. She twirls and twirls in that little purple dress with the biggest grin on her face, laughing and squealing and winning over the hearts of everyone she meets, and quickly becoming friends with Herrmann and Cindy's younger kids.
They sing a loud and cheerful happy birthday to Trudy and enjoy cake and karaoke until the music starts up again a short while later.
Jay sidles up next to Hailey at their table, setting a cocktail glass down in front of her and she quirks an eyebrow at him.
"It's just a Shirley Temple, extra cherries. I noticed you weren't drinking a lot tonight. You okay?"
"Yeah," she breathes out. "Just don't wanna drink too much with Avery around."
"Copy you," he says, then nods at her, glancing past her shoulder. "Speaking of, my brother is working his magic on her. Should I go save her?"
Hailey turns halfway in her chair and grins when she sees Will and Avery dancing together in the middle of the floor.
"You afraid of a little competition?" She teases, laughing at the look he gives her. "Your brother is a doctor. I'd be worried if he wasn't good with kids. Plus, Avery is kinda hard not to fall in love with. She got you pretty good."
"Who are you kidding? I remember thinking the only thing I would be to that kid is her favorite uncle," Jay says, shaking his head with a grin on his face.
"Yeah, that didn't exactly work out how you planned, did it?"
He shakes his head again, then leans in closer to her and drops his head over her shoulder to whisper against her ear, "It worked out better than I ever could have imagined."
He presses a kiss to her cheek as he pulls away from her and throws a wink at her before he steps away from the table and makes his way over to Avery and Will.
Hailey stares after him, grinning from ear to ear as that familiar rush comes over her.
"Damn, happy looks good on you, Hails," Vanessa says as she comes up and stands beside her, throwing an arm around the blonde's shoulder.
"I could say the same about you. You gonna spill now or make me wait some more? What happened with Kev?" Hailey asks, turning to look at her friend.
Vanessa blushes – she actually blushes, and Hailey's eyes go wide, watching her as she pulls her arm from her and moved to stand directly in front of her.
"Oh my god. Did he actually propose?"
"No," Vanessa says quickly, shaking her head, and then with a nervous voice, she says, "But he did ask me a question and I told him yes."
Hailey quirks an eyebrow at her, shrugging her shoulders. "I am totally confused. What did he ask you?"
Vanessa takes a deep breath, then quickly spills out, "He asked me to move in with him."
Hailey's mouth falls open slightly at the sudden news, completely taken by surprise.
"What?" She asks a moment later. "But you – what?"
"He was acting weird because he thought he'd scare me off by asking. Thought I would freak out, but I don't think I've ever said yes to something so fast in my life. I mean, you know me, and you know the crap I've gone through, and the me from five years ago would have run for the hills, but it just felt right to say yes, so I did."
Hailey stares at her, then sighs heavily. "V, if this is about Jay being at the house, I can tell him to – "
"No," Vanessa says, shaking her head once more and reaching for one of Hailey's hands. "It's not that at all. I love Kevin and you love Jay. I don't see either of us getting rid of those idiots anytime soon."
"But what about Avery? She loves you, she – "
"Please!" Vanessa scoffs. "You couldn't keep me away from that kid if you tried. I'm still going to be in her life, I just won't be across the hall anymore. And I'll still take care of her while you and lover boy are out playing cops and robbers, at least until I can find a nursing gig. If that's okay with you at least."
"Of course it's okay," Hailey tells her, squeezing her hand before pulling her against her and wrapping her arms around her. She squeezes her friend tightly, whispering over her shoulder, "My little baby V is all grown up now."
Vanessa laughs, nodding her head against her and squeezes back as she says, "Time to leave the nest mama."
When they pull away from one another a few moments later, both wipe under their eyes at the sudden onslaught of tears. They stare at one another for another moment, then break out into a fit of laughter, shaking their heads and smiling at each other.
"I guess I would be correct in assuming you will not be coming back to the house tonight then, right?" Hailey asks her.
"You would be correct," Vanessa tells her before tilting her head at the look that comes over her friend's face. "Why?"
"Just curious."
"You forget I know you almost better than Halstead does. Your turn to spill," Vanessa says, jutting her chin at her.
"I was sort of hoping you weren't coming home tonight," Hailey says with a sheepish grin.
"Why would you…" Vanessa's eyes go wide and then a shit eating grin spreads across her face. "You! You're gonna – "
"Stop it," Hailey says, shaking her head. "It's not that serious."
"Like hell it's not!" Vanessa nearly shrieks and Hailey is certain she's never been more grateful they're in a loud and crowded place. "Finally! I want all the details tomorrow. All of them."
"You're being ridiculous."
"I'm serious! I have been waiting for this day for months and now it's finally happening," Vanessa gushes.
"How are you more excited about my sex life than I am? It hasn't even happened yet. It might not happen at all!"
"Oh, it's happening. The two of you have been doing that eye thing all night. It's definitely happening," Vanessa says before she squeals again. "I'm so excited for you!"
"Really? I hadn't noticed."
"Okay, okay. Joking aside, all seriousness, aren't you excited? Are you okay?"
"I'm nervous, V. What if I freak out? What if I have another panic attack and freak him out? What if – "
"Stop it," Vanessa says, shaking her head. "It's gonna be fine. Being nervous is normal. I'd be worried if you weren't. But Jay loves you and he would never do anything to hurt you or pressure you or make you feel bad about any of that. Everything is gonna be okay. It's gonna be more than okay and afterwards you're going to be asking yourself why you didn't do it sooner."
"And she's back," Hailey laughs.
"I'm serious," Vanessa tells her. "It's a great night and it's gonna be an even better night when you get home."
Hailey breathes out a heavy sigh, but nods. "I hope you're right."
"I usually am," she says with a smirk before she glances past Hailey's shoulder and smiles before she looks back at the blonde. "You know how I know?"
"How?"
"Because of that man right there," Vanessa says, lifting a hand and pointing a finger over the blonde's shoulder.
Hailey turns around and grins instantly when she sees Jay standing in the middle of the dance floor with Avery in his arms and her head against his shoulder.
He's got one arm under her and his other between them, his hand holding one of hers against his chest as she clutches the front of his shirt with her other. He holds her tightly as he sways them to the slow beat of a song that plays through the speakers.
Hailey's heart aches all over again in that deliciously familiar way and she's pretty sure she couldn't smile any wider if she tried as she watches her whole world dance together in front of her.
"Maybe you're right," Hailey says quietly as she turns to look at Vanessa again.
Her friend shrugs, a knowing smirk on her face as the song ends and another moment later Avery runs up to them with Jay trailing behind her.
"Hey baby. You having fun?" Hailey asks, squatting down to be eye level with the little girl.
"Yeah, I was dancing with daddy!"
"I know, I saw. You guys looked great out there," Hailey tells her, lifting a finger and brushing it over her cheek. "You wanna dance some more?"
Avery shakes her head and points behind her mother. "Can I go over with Uncle Kevy and Uncle Adam?"
Hailey looks over her shoulder, finding her friends in some conversation with Kim, and then turns back to Avery.
"I'll take her and keep an eye on her," Vanessa offers, smiling down at her friend.
"Yeah?" Hailey asks, glancing up at her.
Vanessa nods, reaching out a hand to Avery and waving her over. "Come on kiddo!"
Hailey nods at the little girl with a smile and Avery grabs onto her Auntie's hand, and then her and Vanessa head off toward the others.
"Having fun?" Jay asks her, reaching out a hand to her.
She grabs onto it and he helps her to her feet, and then she nods. "Yeah, not a bad party. Although, I think I could have gone my whole life without hearing Platt's rendition of 'Wind Beneath My Wings' during karaoke hour earlier."
Jay laughs beside her, nodding at her. "Yeah, I think she was a few drinks deep at that point."
Hailey tilts her head at him, raising an eyebrow.
"Okay, maybe more than a few," he chuckles again.
"So," Hailey drawls out, smiling up at him.
"So?"
"You gonna ask me to dance or do I have to pull you out onto the floor myself?"
"I don't know. I think the guy at the end of the bar might wanna dance with you. Pretty sure he's been staring at you all night," Jay says before he eyes her up and down. "Can't exactly blame him though."
Hailey glances over her shoulder and sure enough, at the end of the bar is some guy she thinks she recognizes from another district gawking at her a little too obviously and turning away quickly when she looks at him.
She turns back to Jay with another smile on her face, shaking her head as she says, "Yeah, I don't wanna dance with him. I wanna dance with you."
"I'm not a very good dancer," he says with a smirk and suddenly she's brought back to lazy Sunday mornings with breakfast in bed and dancing in the kitchen of his family's lakeside cabin.
She smirks right back at him and tells him the same thing she told him just a few months ago. "So then sway with me."
She reaches for one of his hands and leads him out into the middle of the floor before he can get in another word, and then lifts her arms and wraps them around his neck. He wraps his own around her waist, his hands resting on her lower back and holding her close against him as they sway together to another slow song that starts playing.
They sway together just like that morning on the lake, his head against hers and his fingers brushing over her back in slow circles as he holds her. She tightens her arms around his neck and lifts her head from his shoulder to glance up at him with another smile stretching out over her face.
He stares back at her, his eyes shining bright and soft for her as always with a smile of his own coming over his face, and then he gives her another squeeze against him. She smiles a little wider at him before she slides her hands up just slightly to the back of his head and pulls him down so she can kiss him.
She presses her lips against his slowly, her hands sliding down around to the sides of his neck as he tightens his arms around her and kisses her back.
He pulls his lips from hers reluctantly a moment later and can't help the flush that fills his cheeks when he notices the many pairs of eyes on them now.
He shakes his head, snickering quietly as he looks back to Hailey. "People are staring."
"Let them," she says with a shrug before she leans up and kisses him again quickly.
He smiles against her mouth, kissing her back and holding her tightly, and when they pull away from one another again he quirks an eyebrow at the look on her face.
Soft and beautiful, but a hint of something else he's not sure he's seen before.
"You okay?" He can't help asking.
"Yeah," she breathes out. "I'm good."
"You sure?"
"I'm sure," she nods, running her fingers over the back of his neck as she holds his gaze. "Everything is good and normal again. Perfect even. I'm happy."
"You deserve all those things," he tells her.
She keeps her eyes on his, her nerves kicking in and making her heart start to race, and then she swallows hard before she says, "There is one thing I don't have though that I kinda really want."
"What's that?"
"You," Hailey says simply. "I want you."
"You have me. You've had me since you stormed your way into our crime scene at that credit union almost a year ago. Even if I didn't know it then."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah," he nods, smiling another soft grin at her.
She sets her head against his shoulder again, her fingers running through his hair at the back of his head, and then she leans up to whisper beneath his ear, "You should take me home."
He pulls his head back enough to meet her eyes again, raising an eyebrow at her.
"We've only been here a few hours. You sure you're feeling okay? Or is it those shoes of yours? I'd say go barefoot, but we are in a bar so that's probably not the best idea," he says with a teasing grin that quickly starts to fade when she shakes her head at him.
"I want you to take me home and I want us to – I wanna be with you. I wanna try," she says to him, quiet and nervous and her heart pounding in her chest as she says again, "Take me home."
His eyes widen, lips parting in realization of what she's really saying, and then he breathes out a nervous chuckle. "Ohhhh."
"Mhmmm."
"Are you sure?" He asks hers.
"I've never been more sure of anything. Take me home, Halstead."
"Yes ma'am," he says with another smile before he leans down and presses a kiss against her cheek.
Hailey drops her arms from his neck as he pulls his from around her waist, but she reaches for one of his hands, threading their fingers together and squeezing tightly as they make their way over to their friends.
They're all back at the table, taking up chairs and standing close, and Avery is in Kevin's arms, conked out with her head against his chest and her mouth hung open as her arms and legs dangle unmoving.
"What did you do to my kid?" Jay asks, nodding to Kevin.
"This little one parties hard, bro. She danced the night away and passed out like ten minutes ago," Kevin says with a grin as he glances down at the little girl in his arms.
Jay shakes his head, chuckling to himself as he pulls his hand from Hailey's and steps toward his friend.
Kevin passes Avery over carefully when Jay reaches for her and settles the little girl in his arms.
"Y'all heading out then?" Kevin asks, glancing between Jay and Hailey.
They both nod and he eyes them curiously, noticing the sheepish grins on their faces, but he doesn't say a word.
The group of friends say their goodbyes and Vanessa pulls Hailey into a tight hug, whispering "call me tomorrow" into her ear and eliciting an eye-roll from the blonde.
Hailey and Jay find Trudy next, saying a quick goodbye and hugging the woman before they make their way to the front of the bar, and head out the door.
The drive back to Hailey's house is quiet with Avery asleep in the backseat of Jay's truck, but the air between him and Hailey roaring with a charge of anticipation and excitement.
Her hand sits in his over the console between them, the two of them peeking over at the other and when their eyes meet during a simultaneous stolen glance, they break out into quiet laughter in the front of the cab.
Hailey's sure he notices the way her hand slightly trembles in his, but he doesn't say a word, just holds onto her tightly and squeezes her fingers.
He parks the truck in the driveway a short while later and they get out of the cab. He rounds to the other side just as Hailey pulls open the back door.
He reaches his arm out to her, shaking his head and whispers, "I got her."
Hailey smiles at him, nodding her head as he leans into the backseat and unbuckles a still sleeping Avery. He lifts the little girl out of the backseat and holds her tightly as Hailey closes the door, and they make their way up the driveway.
Hailey unlocks the front door and pushes it open, then steps inside and closes it behind Jay. She locks it up again for the night and follows him up the stairs to Avery's bedroom.
Jay sets Avery down onto her bed, the little girl still deep asleep as her parents change her into some comfy pajamas and tuck her into her bed.
They each drop a kiss to the little girl's head, whispering words of goodnight and I love you, and then Hailey switches on the nightlight before her and Jay head out of the room.
"She had a good time tonight," Hailey says quietly as the two of them stand in the doorway, staring at the sleeping child with her space teddy nestled against her in bed.
"Yeah, she did," Jay smiles, glancing over at the woman beside him. "She really has everyone wrapped around her finger, huh?"
"She does," Hailey says with a low chuckle, shaking her head at the fact. "Completely wrapped. She's gonna be trouble when she's older."
"Nope, she's gonna stay this little forever. It's already been decided."
Hailey shakes her head again at him, then reaches for the door and closes it quietly before she turns to face him.
There's an excitement in her eyes, but Jay can see the nervousness too, even as she smiles softly at him before she turns and heads down the hallway.
She stops in the open doorway of her bedroom and turns around to see him still standing in front of Avery's door with a soft smile of his own on his face. She lifts a hand and curls a finger at him, a seductive little smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth as he shakes his head and follows her.
"You're definitely trouble," he mutters, remembering their earlier moment together in her bathroom.
Her smirk widens over her face as she reaches for one of his hands and pulls him further into the bedroom, and then she closes the door behind them.
"Are you sure about this?" He asks her, tilting his head at her with nothing, but love and concern in his eyes for the woman in front of him.
Hailey nods and leans up to kiss him, but he shakes his head at her and pulls away because he knows nodding isn't enough.
Not with the line they're about to cross and the lines that have already been crossed with her in the past.
"Nodding isn't enough, Hailey," he says quietly, voicing his thoughts out loud and lifting his free hand to the side of her face. "Not after everything you've been through. I need to hear you say it, that this is okay."
"It's okay. I want to. I want this. I – I don't know how I'll react when you start touching me like that, but I know that right now I want this."
"We can wait," he tells her, running his thumb over her cheek before he reminds her, "We have plenty of time. I'm not going anywhere."
"I know, but I don't wanna wait anymore," she says, staring up at him with another smile as she whispers, "I just want you. I trust you."
She squeezes his hand once before she lets go and steps away from him. She kicks off her heels and moves to center of the room, facing the bed with her back turned to him, and then turns her head to glance at him over her shoulder.
"Can you unzip me?" She calls out to him, as she pulls her hair to one side.
She swallows hard as she waits for him because as much as she wants this, her nerves are going into overdrive now as heart beats wildly inside her chest.
She meets his eyes over her shoulder and watches as he toes off his shoes and walks toward her slowly.
He stands behind her and lifts a hand to the zipper just below her neck, drags it down slowly, taking his time so he doesn't scare her and in case she changes her mind, but she doesn't flinch or say a word.
He pulls the zipper to the end of its track and sets his hands on her waist as he steps closer to her, leaning down and pressing a sweet kiss to the back of her exposed neck.
Hailey swallows hard again, her eyes closing at the feel of his lips on her skin as her heart continues to race. She lets go of her hair and lifts her hands to the straps around her neck, pulling the fabric down over her shoulders and letting the dress pool to her feet at the floor.
She stands in front of him in just a strapless bra and lace underwear, her back to him still and her chest heaving quicker than she thinks it ever has before now. She turns around slowly and looks up at him, finding his bright green eyes staring right back at her with a soft smile on his face, and suddenly all her nerves vanish.
Because of him. Because of the way he looks at her and the way he loves her, completely and unconditionally, and she makes a mental note to tell Vanessa that once again, she was right.
Hailey lifts her hands between them and untucks his shirt from the waistband of his pants before moving her hands up his chest. Her fingers make quick work of the buttons and then she pushes the shirt down over his shoulders and drops it to the floor, revealing toned muscles and freckled skin.
She sets her hands on his naked chest and rakes her short nails over his skin, enjoying the way the simple act has his throat bobbing up and down again. She slides her hands up to his neck, to the back of his head, her eyes on his as she leans up and presses her lips against his.
What starts as feather light touches of lips against one another's grows into a frenzy of parting mouths and brushes of tongues. The culmination of anticipation and pining from nearly a year of partnership and friendship that had quickly turned into something much more between them.
"Jay?" Hailey mumbles against his lips.
"Hmmm?"
"Touch me," she says, running her fingers through the hair at the back of his head. "Please touch me."
He smiles against her mouth, pressing his lips against hers again as he sets his hands on her waist and wraps his arms around her, his fingers meeting soft, warm skin.
He pulls his lips from hers only long enough to lean down over her shoulder to press a kiss to her skin before he moves his mouth over her again slowly. He kisses her with care and purpose, and then his lips find the pulse point of her neck and she shudders in his arms.
She tightens her arms around him and turns her head just right to give him complete access to her neck. He continues a soft torture against her skin, kissing and sucking and leaving a trail from the base of her throat and up her jawline to a spot just below her ear that has her squirming in his arms again.
Hailey slides her hands down between them as he kisses her still, her fingers finding the button of his pants and flipping it open before pulling the zipper down. She tugs at the waistband, pulling her head away from him and meeting his eyes again as she pushes his pants down over his hips. He kicks them off and to the side, standing in front of her in just his boxers.
He leans down and presses his lips against her shoulder once more before he starts another trail of kisses over her skin. He kisses his way down, over her collarbone, to her chest between her breasts, and then lowers himself to his knees as he makes his way down her stomach.
He moves his lips over her slowly, stopping suddenly when he notices the faint white scars running vertically down her skin on either side of her bellybutton and beneath it.
He looks up at Hailey, smiling softly at her. "Are these from Avery?"
"Yeah," she breathes out, smiling shyly at him. "I've always been small, but that damn kid stretched me out."
Jay smiles at her again before he leans in and presses his lips over each of the stretch marks marring her skin while Hailey's hands find their way to the back of his head again. He continues leaving a trail of kisses over her, and then she lets out a gasp above him when she feels his lips against her upper thigh. He lavishes her with soft, sweet kisses, sucking gently at her skin as he goes.
She cards her fingers through his hair and they linger at the back of his head, gripping tightly as he switches sides to kiss and suck on her other thigh, the stubble of his jaw making her squirm as it tickles her softly.
"Can I take your panties off?" He asks her a moment later and she nods breathlessly as her fingers wind tighter through his hair.
"Hailey?" He calls out.
His lips still against her skin and when she opens her eyes to meet his, she finds him staring up at her.
She quickly realizes he's waiting for an answer and somehow through the dizziness his lips on her thighs has caused she remembers his words from earlier.
Nodding isn't enough, Hailey. I need to hear you say it.
"Yes," Hailey breathes out with a heaving chest. "Yes, take them off. PleaseGod, take them off."
He smirks at her, a devilish grin that sends a rush of heat right to the center of where she knows he's about to touch her and she shivers at the thought, wanting it and needing it more than she ever thought possible.
Jay sets his hands on her waist and hooks his fingers over the waistband of her underwear, then slides the lace over her hips and down her thighs before it falls to the floor. She steps out of them, her hands still in his hair as she stares down at him.
He meets her eyes as he brings a hand to the back of her knee, then says, "I wanna lift your leg over my shoulder. Would that be okay?"
"Yes," she says, swallowing hard as she nods down at him.
He lifts her leg and hooks it over his shoulder just as he'd said, then glances up at her again. "Are you okay?"
"I'm okay," she nearly whines, her eyes closing in anticipation of having his lips on her so intimately.
He slides his hands up her legs slowly, dragging the tips of his fingers over her skin as he asks, "Can I kiss you?"
Hailey blinks her eyes open, delirious now from the feel of his hands and lips on her, and then she smirks down at him.
"You better," she says, and he does.
He presses his lips against her, kissing her slow and sweet in the most intimate of places. Lips sucking and his tongue swiping through her folds, and he smirks against her at the taste of what he's already managed to do to her in the short time since they've been alone together in her bedroom.
Her fingers thread tighter through his hair as she pants above him, her quick and shallow breaths urging him on and making him that much more determined to bring her over the edge of the cliff he's led her to.
He tightens his hold on her thigh with one hand, holding her steady as her other leg still hangs over his shoulder. He brings his other hand beneath his chin to tease her with the tip of a finger as he sucks on her swollen bundle of nerves.
She squirms against him, holding his head to her with one hand and dropping the other to the top of his shoulder, gripping with white knuckles, and then she's begging him.
"Please Jay," she moans out to him with a tight squeeze of his shoulder. She feels him slow his tongue against her and then he starts to pull away, but she tugs on his hair. "No, don't stop! I'm okay. Just please, please don't stop."
Hailey is almost certain she feels him smirking against her once again, but he returns to his pace nonetheless, and then slips a finger between her warm and welcoming folds, sliding his finger inside her slowly and making her gasp above him.
She knows just how long it's been since she was last in a position like this and she's not sure how much more of the torturous pleasure she can take between Jay's tongue and his lips moving over her and now two fingers curling inside her and working her over to oblivion.
"Jay," she whimpers moments later before she feels her body tense deliciously in all the right places.
She gasps loudly, arching her body against him a few seconds later and titling her head as he sends her tumbling over the proverbial cliff. He kisses her through her orgasm, sucking and lapping at her as she comes back down.
She stands on a shaky leg and he tightens his hold on her so she doesn't fall, then removes his hand from her. He pulls his head away enough to press his lips against the trembling thigh over his shoulder and glances up at her, smirking that dangerous grin at her again when he sees her still panting above him.
"I think…" Hailey breathes out, tilting her head back for a moment, and then looks down at him. "I think you're the one that's trouble."
He has the audacity to laugh, pressing another sweet kiss to her thigh before he pulls her leg down from his shoulder and steadies her on two feet again. He glances up at her with another smirk plastered on his face as he licks his lips and pulls himself to his feet.
"Agree to disagree," Jay tells her before he presses his lips against hers.
She moans into his mouth when he brushes his tongue over hers and she tastes herself on his lips, lifting her hands to the sides of his neck as he wraps her up in his arms again.
"Jay," Hailey mumbles against his mouth.
"Yeah?"
She stares up at him and smiles as she tilts her head to the side, then breathes out, "Take me to bed."
He grins back at her and nods slowly before he leans down just slightly to lift her into his arms, and she squeals against him as she rests her arms over his shoulders. He carries her to the bed and sets her down carefully, following her with his eyes as she leans back against the headboard and slips her legs beneath the covers.
He watches as a smirk spreads out over her face and then she's sitting up and reaching behind her. She undoes the clasp at the back of her bra, nearly forgetting she was even still wearing the damn thing, and pulls it from her chest, then tosses the garment to the floor.
She swallows hard and nods at him, glancing down at his boxers "You should probably take those off."
Jay raises an eyebrow at her candor, but she shakes her head at him.
"I'm okay," Hailey assures him.
He nods slowly and sets his hands on his waistband, then pulls his boxers down and kicks them to the side.
Hailey stares at his face for a moment before her eyes travel down, feeling that familiar flush of heat that rises in her cheeks and smiling when she really sees him for the first time. She lifts her eyes back to his and curls a finger at him to join her on the bed.
He steps forward and kneels on the edge, crawling toward her when she reaches for him. She pulls him toward her, and they settle under the covers – Jay hovering over her and Hailey cradling his body between her legs.
Her heart is pounding, relentless and loud in her ears, that she's almost certain he can hear it above her. Her chest heaves with her quick breaths, fully exposed to him as the hard length of him presses against her thigh.
She's pretty sure she has never felt more naked than she does right then, even though she knows it's not because she doesn't have any clothes on, but rather because of the wonderful man above her and the way that he makes her feel.
Jay is quick to notice the look on her face though and brings a hand to her cheek, using his other hand to hold himself over her so his weight doesn't crush her.
"Are you okay? Are you sure you wanna do this?"
"I'm okay and I wanna do this, but maybe…maybe I could be on top. I just – that way I know I'm in control of this, ya know? Would that be okay?"
"Of course it's okay. You are absolutely in control of this, Hailey. Of all of it," Jay says, smiling at her as he brushes her nose with his. He moves off her and lies beside her. "You call the shots. You set the pace."
She nods her head at him as she shuffles toward him, still nervous even though he's already made her come just while standing in the middle of her bedroom, but excited again because he kissed her and touched her, and she was okay. She was more than okay.
She lifts a leg over him and he helps her so that she straddles him just below his stomach. He rests his hands on either side of her waist, his fingers brushing over her skin in slow, soothing circles.
Her breaths are frantic, chest still heaving, but she shakes her head again at the look of concern on his face, telling him once more, "I'm okay."
She lifts herself to her knees and shuffles backward just slightly, then reaches a hand down between them to wrap it around him. She settles over him once again and guides the tip of him between her folds, her eyes on his as she slides down on top of him slowly.
She gasps and shudders above him, closing her eyes at the sensation and pressing a hand against his chest as he fills her.
"Open your eyes, Hailey," he says softly, squeezing her sides.
She blinks her eyes open a second later, finding him staring up at her with that familiar sweet grin on his face.
"I want you to see that it's me, it's just me. You're in control of this."
Hailey nods at him, a smile stretching over her face as she leans down and hovers just over his face, then whispers, "It's always been you."
She presses her lips to his, kissing him slowly as she grips his shoulder tightly with one hand and presses the palm of her other to his chest again and then she's moving against him. She rocks her hips into his, lifting herself up, then back down over him slowly and opens her eyes again to find him still staring up at her.
"Hi," Hailey breathes out, grinning down at him.
"Hey, you," he says through quick breaths before he sits up with her in his lap.
Jay wraps an arm around her waist and brings his other hand to the back of her head, weaving his fingers through her hair and pressing his lips back to hers.
She moans into his mouth as she slides one arm around his neck to hold the back of his head and grips his shoulder tightly with her other hand. He squeezes her sides and lifts her above him, helping her to move a little easier in his lap as she picks up her pace over him, needing more.
More him. More them. More this. More everything until she's squeezing his shoulder with white knuckles again and panting hard and whispering his name.
She comes undone entirely again when he circles his thumb over her very swollen bundle of nerves, applying the perfect amount of pressure in that perfect way that has her calling out his name louder and collapsing against him.