This story takes place after Lynley drags Barbara out of the pub in "In Divine Proportion." I own none of the characters!

Lynley managed to get Barbara into his car with only slight difficulty. She was in shock, she was shivering, and, although he didn't realize it at the time, gratifyingly enough, she didn't see to want to let go of him. He drove her straight back to the hotel. Lynley was frightened for her, something he was not used to feeling. When he had dragged her out of the pub, he had expected a surge of anger, of screaming, of...something. Instead, she clung to him. And he to her. Taking her in his arms, wanting nothing more to comfort her, soothe her, take her fears away, he stroked her back, her hair, pressing his lips to the top of her head - those 5 minutes represented the most physical contact they had had in the years they had been partnered. Against his will, he remembered how she felt in his arms, remembered (with a blush of shame) the arousal that he unwillingly felt as she pressed her body to him, trembled, cried against his chest.

Lynley looked over at her as they drove. "Barbara?" he intoned softly? No response. "It'll be okay, I'll look after you."

Once in her room, Lynley set her on the bed, gently removed her shoes, laid her down, and covered her with the duvet. She was shaking with cold and shock, and tears streamed silently down her face.

He feared his heart would break with anguish for what she was feeling, and without thinking, he shucked off his shoes and climbed under the duvet with her. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to him, stroking her hair. "Shh...it's okay, Barbara, I'm here. It's okay." he murmured over and over. Slowly, her tears stopped, and as his body heat warmed her, she stopped shaking. He felt her relax, and knew that she would sleep now. As he held her, a million thoughts went racing through his mind. This was Barbara, his friend, his colleague. What was he doing in her bed with his body wrapped around her? What must she think? How on earth would they deal with this in the morning? Then, oh God she feels so good in my arms. When did I realize that she was beautiful? How could I miss her scent? He pulled her closer, murmuring into her hair, and fell asleep.

It was dark when Barbara awoke. The first thing she was aware of was the sweet warmth which flooded through her, the second was of the strong arms that were wrapped around her, holding her.

Dear God, Barbara thought. He's here with me. He stayed with me. What are we going to do about this? He'll think I'm some weak woman who can't take the pressures. Who does he think he is? In my bed! Holding me! Then she remembered how he held her while she cried. Remembered pressing her face to his chest, remembered his arms around her, and she was grateful. Grateful because he was her friend. Because he knew her so well, because he was brave enough to stay. About bloody time!

"Sir?" Barbara turned in Lynley's arms and propped herself up on one elbow. He was so beautiful, so very beautiful. She reached her arm out to trace the contour of his cheek, marveling in the slightly rough feel of his skin. She touched his hair, how often had she wanted to do that? It was so soft. "Sir?" she spoke again.

Lynley opened his eyes to find Barbara, touching him. Touching him! His heart gave a flutter, and against his wishes, he felt the first stirrings of desire. He began to pull away, but Barbara stopped him.

"Barbara, I'm so sorry, I had no right. I'll go..."

"No sir, you won't." Havers had never felt so sure of anything in her life. "Tell me why you're here."

Lynley looked down. "I...I don't..." he looked up at her intensely, looked in her eyes. "Because I care about you." He bent his head towards her and kissed her gently on the mouth. "Because you are my friend, my partner..." he paused again. "My life." He kissed her again, still gently, yet more forcefully. Barbara, lay back, pulling him on top of her. She opened her mouth to him, and he responded. She felt his hand on her hip, pulling her close to him. Then he stopped.

"Barbara, you've had a terrible shock. I don't want to take advantage of you being, well, um, fragile right now.

"Sir, I've never felt less fragile in my life. I feel alive, and I want to be alive." She wrapped her fingers in his hair and pulled him down to her lips once more. This time his kisses smoldered with a passion for her he had hidden so deeply inside him that he never knew it existed. He brought his hand up to cup her breast, running a thumb across her hardened nipple. Barbara gasped. "Clothes, sir." she managed.

Lynley rolled off her, and sat up. Barbara moved her hands to the buttons of his shirt. Hands that were trembling. As she undid the last button, and pulled the shirt off him, she bent her head to his chest, kissing him, tonguing his nipples. His skin was so smooth, so soft. Her arms snaked up his back, and pulled his head down for a kiss.

"My turn," Lynley said, and reached down to pull Barbara's top over her head. While her arms were raised, he stroked the length of them, and brought his hands down over her breasts. Still kissing her, he unhooked her bra and bent his head to her suck her nipples. Barbara gasped with pleasure and held his head to her. He was painfully hard in his trousers, and Barbara, taking pity on him, began to tug at his belt.

Lynley stopped nuzzling her breasts, and stood up. He undid his belt, unbuttoned his trousers, and slid his pants and boxers off. Barbara gasped as she saw him and reached for him, stroking the length of him, reveling in the smooth skin, the hardness, the strength. She bent forward, and without warning took him in her mouth. It was Lynley's turn to gasp, dear Jesus but it felt so good! She was silk. His hands went to her, and she grasped his buttocks, pulling him closer, deeper into her. Lynley was forced to stop her all too soon; he was anxious to please her as well.

He knelt beside the bed, and pulled Barbara over to him. Spreading her legs, he began to kiss his way up her thighs, lightly brushing each with his lips. His hands went round her legs and spread her wet lips open. He bent his head to her, and took her clit in his mouth. The taste and scent of her was intoxicating. He sucked her clit and worked his fingers up inside of her, slowly, gently, all the time flicking the sensitive bud of her womanhood. Barbara was writhing on the bed, grinding her hips into him. He found it intensely erotic to be giving her so much pleasure - his cock was throbbing and leaking against the duvet. He replaced his fingers with his tongue and his tongue with his thumb, and began to take long slow licks starting as deeply inside of her as he could get. All the while he circled her clit. Her climax when it came was was so strong that he almost came in response to her.

Finally, he raised himself up, Barbara, pushed herself back on the bed and opened her arms to him. He moved to her, raised himself on his hands and with one thrust, was inside her. Barbara gasped with pleasure, and he bent his head to kiss her. He began moving in and out of her slowly at first, but as she began to clench her muscles around him, faster, harder, deeper. Soon he was at the brink. He looked down at Barbara, "Please, Tommy." The sound of his name from her lips was the catalyst, he came so hard, that he felt as if he were going to pass out.

Afterward, she held him to her breast while he cried. "I thought I'd lost you today. I couldn't bear it. Not after last time." It was her turn to comfort him. "Shh...it's okay, sir, I'm here now." They lay quietly for a while, calm, satiated. Then Tommy wiped his eyes and looked up at her.

"Before, when we were making love, you called me 'Tommy.' he said. "Why 'sir' again?"

She smiled at him, green eyes full of mirth. "I dunno, habit I suppose. You've been 'sir' to me for so long, that it just slipped out." She still couldn't believe that this had happened, that this man that she had loved for so long was here with her.

His mouth turned up in a smile, and his eyes twinkled as he rolled on top of her. "Let's see if I can get you to call me 'Tommy' again."