Hi all! Sorry for the delay, the weekend snuck up on me then got away from me. Here is the last installment I hope you all enjoy. Thank you all for the great comments.

Latvian Gambit

Chapter 3 of 3

Maura arrived home as early as possible knowing Jane wouldn't be far behind. She immediately went into date mode. The house was tidied and she freshened up. She even entertained the idea of changing into something a little sexier but stopped herself short.

"This isn't a date, Maura! And stop talking to yourself."

Her personal conversation would have to wait as the doorbell rang mid-debate.

"Okay, I'm here let's get this shit show over with."

Maura offered her patented disapproving glare. "Jane, must you be so pessimistic?"

"Ah ha!" Jane held up a finger. "Root word; pest. And that's what you're doing with this little experiment, being a pest."

Maura felt panic grip her. Had Jane figured her out? Did she know the true goal of her experimentation?

Jane stalked around the kitchen island separating them leaning on a hip so she was facing Maura. For her part Maura remained with eyes straight ahead. Jane was close, too close. Close enough that Maura could smell her hair, and her body spray, and that thing that was just Jane in characteristic. And did she detect menthol. Had Jane freshened her breath before coming over? That was definitely something to codify and store away with her other data for later analysis.

"Don't think I don't know what's going on here, Dr. Isles. Don't look so shocked. I know you. Better than you know yourself, it would seem. I'm just telling you it won't work."

Maura did meet Jane's eyes now. They were black with accusation.

"This little stunt is just a glorified IQ test. I recognize that. You've been trying to get me to take one for months now."

Maura's skin flushed with relief. Jane had no clue about the true basis of her testing and she wouldn't have to lie about it. She really was trying to test the level of Jane's intelligence. That just wasn't ALL she was trying to test.

"Nothing gets by you detective."

Jane's smile was smug. "Luckily for you you're providing food and beer." She waved to her hand toward the chessboard on the dinning table surrounded by beer and Chinese take out.

"I know you as well." I hope, Maura thought.

"That you do." Jane took a pensive pause. "Anyway, lets get this over with before Tommy or Ma catches me playing. I'll never hear the end of it."

"Tommy and Frankie took your mother out for a night out on the town. So you're safe."

"You orchestrate that?

"I may have…suggested that it would be nice for the boys to take their mother out and show her a good time."

Jane smiled, then frowned. "You didn't pay for this night out did you?"

"No, I did not. Frankie and Tommy's pride are even sharper than your own. I assure you."

Maura had tried to foot the bill so she could have a night alone with Jane, but the Rizzoli's wouldn't hear of it. She didn't waste her time being surprised.

"Good," Jane said with relief.

The pair dug into their food and Jane put on a hockey game. Maura tried to exhibit as much decorum as possible, but the leisurely pace that Jane was taking with her meal was driving her mad.

"Okay." She whipped her mouth with a napkin. "Lets do this thing."

Finally! Maura screamed in her head.

"Would you like to start?"

"Nah, you start."

Jane's attention was clearly divided between that of the game and the television.

"Jane! You have to pay attention."

"I am! I'm waiting for you to open. So lets go."

Maura froze. "Now see right there? You said open not start." She pointed an accusatory finger at her opponent.

"So?"

"So? Jane, that's chess lingo. How do you know that term? Come to think of it you said close earlier as opposed to finish."

Jane's cheeks flamed. "I may have gone to chess camp. It was one year! And it was super lame."

"So that's your secret." Maura felt happiness creep through her bones and suffuse her skin.

Jane went to chess camp, that's how she beat her. Maura had wrongfully jumped to conclusions about Jane's intelligence and thus she wasn't in love with her. She was relieved. Now she was aware of her opponents abilities and could alter her strategy accordingly. Perfect!

"Perfect! Now that we're on even footing we can begin."

"Great," Jane muttered distractedly. Her attention was already back on the hockey game.

Maura began cautiously in an effort to feel out Jane's skill. She knew strategies that could have someone in check in five moves, but she held off in an effort to access Jane's ability and then react.

That assessment was proving difficult, however. Unlike Tommy Jane was also playing a cautious game. Unlike her personality Jane's playing style seemed calm and patient.

Maura took Jane's pawn and Jane took her rook. They were piece for piece for the entire hour the game took.

"Oh, come on!" Jane shouted.

"I'm sorry, Jane, but I have to play the best game I can."

Jane looked at Maura. "Huh?"

"The game Jane, check."

Jane assessed the board for a moment then moved her queen. "Oh, checkmate. Anymore beer?"

Jane made her way to the fridge totally oblivious to the deadly inner monologue Maura was performing. She was using words that would make the longshoremen blush.

She couldn't believe it. Jane had struck again and this had been no simple move. Jane had lulled Maura into a false sense of comfort and just like last night she struck at just the right time.

"I can't believe it!"

"Why are you yelling Maura?" Jane returned with a frosty beer and a bewildered expression.

"You beat me again, Jane."

"I know."

"Maura tripped over her words, while she was shocked, awed and pissed she knew saying the wrong thing could hurt and offend her best friend.

"I just can't believe it."

"Why, because I'm so stupid?"

"Not at all. But I practice this game, study it. For years I have. Then you come in and casually beat me. Imagine us going to the shooting course and me shooting circles around you."

Jane's features softened. "Its shooting range and okay, maybe I understand where you're coming from." She paused. "How about we play again and you'll see this is just a fluke. Okay?"

Maura looked and felt skeptical, but acquiesced.

Another game sparked to life with Jane being more attentive since the hockey game had ended. This game began much as the first with the pair taking their time and being mindful of each and every move. Again they would trade strategic blows until only a few moves remained.

Running through her list of emotions from last night Maura had already hit frustration and even a bit of pride. But as this second game of chess drew on, Maura felt her arousal build. She needed to end this game, her entire experiment depended on it.

"Maura, are you okay? You're all flushed."

"I'm fine. This game is…intense."

"True, but no worries. Checkmate."

"God dammit!"

Jane sat in stunned silence.

"I can not believe I lost again!"

"Maura I think this is way too important to you. Its just a game."

"Its not just a game, Jane! Not to me."

Maura rose from her seat and went straight to the freezer not even pretending to look for anything. She just needed the rush of cold air. Jane had beaten her again and as she seethed with anger and frustration as her arousal simmered. This simmering was quickly approaching a boiling point.

Jane hadn't even broken a sweat. She sat there quietly contemplative and pushed her pieces forward until Maura had nowhere to go. That's how Maura felt right now, trapped with no place to go. If holding Jane's intelligence juxtapose her own through the use of competition was any type of assessment then Jane was just as intelligent as Maura.

"Oh my God," she whispered.

All the other things couldn't be denied either. The string of dead-end relationships, the immense amount of time they spent together, their effortless rapport.

Maura felt Jane's hands slowly creep across her shoulders.

"Maur, are you sure you're okay?"

Maura closed her eyes under the onslaught of cold and heat.

"Maybe we should lay off the chess."

She felt the flames of competition burst forth inside of her and the freezer became obsolete.

"No." She turned around sharply and Jane took a step back…gratefully. "One more game."

"Maura, you're standing in the freezer just because I beat you twice."

"Three times."

"Whatever. This is crazy. You and I both know my IQ ranks somewhere in the middle as it should."

"I'm not so sure Jane. Just give me one more game. No holds bard."

Jane sighed. "You're not going to let this go are you?"

"No, I'm not."

She needed to know. Maura had to ignore everything else, all the evidence suggesting she loved Jane long before chess came into the picture. She had to hold on to some hope because once she was sure she wouldn't be able to lie about it and she stood to lose her best friend and the best thing that had ever happened to her.

"Okay, lets do it."

They both made their way back to the board for the third time that night and erected their pieces. Maura was running through the gamut of strategies that she'd memorized throughout the years. She wasn't playing now. No assessment was necessary. She was going to put every ounce of her mental strength into this game and if Jane beat her then…she'd probably jump her bones or something else equally as dumb yet equally as unavoidable.

Maura opened and Jane followed. The pace of this game was much quicker than the others. Maura had her moves plotted well before Jane finished even accessing her current move. She'd move her pieces to set up a patented trap and Jane would avoid it.

"Tell me how you know, Jane."

Again she'd set Jane up to fail and again Jane would thwart all her planning.

"Know what?"

"You can tell what I'm going to do next. Can't you?"

Jane's expression was unreadable. "Maybe."

"So then tell me," Maura demanded as she moved her next piece.

"Now why would I do that? A girl's got to have to her secrets."

"Why would you keep anything from me?"

Jane smiled now. "I'm not the only one keeping secrets, Dr. Isles."

Maura froze with a piece hovering over the board. "What do you mean?"

"I know you, Maura, its how I keep beating you. I won't give you details. But I know intelligence is not the only basis for this little experiment."

Maura flushed. "You do?"

"I do. And I'm asking, so you're going to tell me what the other reason is, as soon as I take your castle."

Jane did indeed take her castle leaving Maura's queen wide open. She knew Maura couldn't lie and with one question she'd forced Maura into a corner.

"Jane, what are some of the characteristics you find attractive in a partner, personality wise?"

"Question with a question, doctor? Are you stalling?"

"I promise you its relevant."

Jane shrugged. "Honesty, straight forwardness, strength, loyalty, to name a few."

Maura nodded. "Funny, you named all of the adjectives that could describe yourself."

Jane's eye squinted as she watched Maura. Neither had moved a piece in several moments.

"What are yours?" Jane countered.

"Honesty, straight forwardness, strength, loyalty…intelligence. Intelligence drives me wild, Jane."

Jane's jaw clenched and Maura would swear she saw the light bulb flick on above Jane's head.

"Have I proven my IQ is high enough?"

If Jane was offended to be tested in such a fashion she didn't show it. To be truthful Jane lived her life being tested, she thrived under scrutiny. She needed to test to be both a cop and again to be a detective. As a detective she was retested regularly just to keep her job. Each case she had to solve was a test of sorts to prove her worth in a male dominated field. Almost every aspect of Jane's career, and thus her life, was subject to testing and she passed with flying colors every single time.

"Well no, actually, you failed because…" Maura moved her queen. "Checkmate."

Jane looked at the board aghast.

"But my experiment has failed as well."

"Why is that?"

"I'm still just as attracted to you now as I was before."

Jane and Maura's eyes remained locked for several moments. Maura was afraid to ruin the moment, but she was also more afraid that she was reading Jane completely and totally wrong. It wouldn't be the first time.

"Jane, I…we…"

"Maura," Jane rose to her feet grabbing the blazer off the back of the chair.

Maura looked panic stricken as she moved in the direction of the front door. She'd gone too far and now she'd ruined the best relationship she'd ever had.

"Shut up and meet me in your bedroom."

Generally Maura would take the time to tidy. With almost every guy she'd dated she'd send them off to the bedroom so she could gather the dishes and place things back into their rightful position.

Now was certainly different from all those other times. Maura followed quickly behind finding Jane standing beside her bed, hands in her pockets.

Questions. There were a million of them. Logistics to be hammered out. Matters to be settled. Maura needed to know so much.

"Jane—"

Jane just nodded her head and beckoned Maura with an outstretched hand. She didn't say a single word as she leaned down and took Maura's lips in her own. For long seconds their lips met again and again with barely restrained passion.

"Is this what you want?" Jane asked Maura simply.

"Yes."

"Good, me too."

All thought of conversation left Maura as Jane once more captured her lips with her own. Just like with her chess playing, Jane's kiss was careful yet confident. She was taking her time to feel Maura out and give her the opportunity to back out should she choose to do so. But she need not worry about that, Maura was most certainly not backing out of this.

As she indulged in this physical manifestation of their relationship it became clear that this was what she had wanted for so very long. As her clothes fell away she felt a comfort suffuse her body. As Jane lay atop her partially clad she realized that they had been working their way to this moment for a very long time.

Jane pulled away and looked down at Maura on outstretched arms. "Are you sure?"

Maura smiled and ran her hand lovingly down Jane's cheek. "All empirical data points to yes."

Jane shared her smile before coming to lie fully against Maura. They both gasped as their exposed flesh touched for the first time.

"I want to feel you, all of you," Maura gasped.

She reached for Jane's bra and easily unsnapped the hook. Jane sat up so the straps could fall down her arms and Maura was captivated by her small firm breasts. She reached for one and cupped it in her hand. Maura was holding the breast of her best friend, a woman, slightly tweaking the nipple and nothing about this felt foreign or inappropriate. Relief instead is what Maura felt. It was as if she'd been holding her breath during their entire friendship and now she was finally exhaling.

Jane leaned down so she too could remove Maura's bra.

"You're beautiful," she breathed once the item had been discarded.

Maura's smile was her answer as she again pulled Jane down on top of her. Her passion flared bright as she felt their breasts touch. It was surprisingly erotic to feel the curves and valleys of a woman pressed against her own. Everywhere that a man would be hard Jane was soft yet beneath it all lie an intricately chiseled system of musculature that left Maura craving more. Jane was the perfect mix is strength and femininity.

Jane shifted placing a leg between Maura's and with an unspoken agreement they began to rock against each other. Wetness flooded Maura's center as Jane's thigh pressed against her intimately. She raised her knee slightly in response. She wanted this to be as good for Jane as it was for her.

This wasn't enough though. She ran her hands down Jane's back lightly scratching at the soft skin. Jane emitted a sharp his as she released Maura's lips and began to rain hot open mouth kisses on her neck. Maura slightly lost focus but she wasn't to be deterred. Her hands reached Jane's hips and she pushed at her panties. She need Jane, all of Jane and the underwear they both wore was only making her uncomfortable as she became more and more aroused.

Feeling Maura's hands on her panties Jane rose so she could discard them and helped Maura pull off her own. They hadn't left Maura's left ankle before Jane was being yanked back into place.

"Oh, God," Jane moaned as their completely naked bodies met once more. Both their thighs were instantly coated in the moisture from the other and a light sheen of sweat began to cover their bodies.

Their hips began to accelerate in pace as the copious amount of moisture between them allowed them to slide deliciously across one another.

"Shit, I think I'm gonna…"

"Me too," Maura agreed with wonder. She was surprisingly close to climaxing and neither of their hands had ventured below the waist. Jane's hand though had been very busy at Maura's breast. Soon after her mouth followed and she kissed at the supple flesh for long torturous moments before her nipple was sucked into Jane's warm mouth.

"Jane," she moaned as a small climax wracked her body.

Jane wasn't finished. Her lips made a white hot trail down Maura's body. No space was left un-kissed or licked. Maura was in complete rapture as Jane's tongue circled her navel for a brief moment then dipping in momentarily before disappearing once more. Down further she went and Maura was totally flabbergasted. Yes, she had admitted to an attraction to Jane, but she never expected those feelings to be reciprocated. And even if they were she never expected Jane to be going down on her.

But going down she was as Maura felt Jane lay hot kisses on her neatly trimmed mound. She had just climaxed and she felt another closing nipping at her heels.

Jane wasted no time. She gently pushed Maura's lets apart wider and she did so willingly. Jane took a moment to just look at her, assess her much like the chessboard. And if Jane making love to her was anything like her chess playing then this would be slow and very thorough.

Her tongue skimmed up first one thigh then the other. She nibbled lightly on the flesh sending little trimmers of sensation into Maura's core. With anyone else she'd be embarrassed by the copious amount of moisture she knew she was producing at the moment. She could feel it running down her backside and pooling on the sheets. But she paid no thought to her two hundred dollar five thousand thread count sheets. She couldn't possibly because Jane was steadily working her fantastic lips and tongue towards her center.

"Jane, please," she begged. "I need you."

Jane pulled away and flashed Maura her patented Rizzoli smirk. "I can tell."

Maura bit her lip and watched as Jane ran a finger through her folds, gently skimming across her clit then pulling away. Her eyes followed that surprisingly long finger as it disappeared into Jane's mouth.

"You, Dr. Isles, taste delicious."

Maura was afraid she'd bite through her lip from her bodies visceral response to seeing Jane literally toy with her. And she was toying with her, daring her to jump.

"I know," Maura drawled seductively.

She knew she'd said the right thing when Jane's eyes became impossibly darker and an almost primal growl rolled across her lips.

Jane's strong hands established a firm grip to the back of Maura's thighs and she yanked her further down the bed a few inches bring Maura's center right to her mouth. The time for teasing was over. Jane pushed Maura's legs apart even further and she was happy to show Jane just how flexible she could be. Jane stared into Maura's wantonly spread core for brief moment before her mouth formed a vacuum seal over her clit.

"Shit!" Maura exclaimed at the unexpected sensation.

Jane's tongue wasn't touching her anywhere but the intense pressure was causing her clitoris to almost jump in response. It was straining towards Jane's mouth begging for more contact. With a loud smack Jane's released the seal and her tongue began to traverse the inside of Maura's labia. Up one side, across the top of her clit, down the other then her tongue would skim across her very center just to begin again. Jane's made several laps and Maura's hips followed the rhythm that Jane had set. Round and round she went skimming Maura's most sensitive areas. It would be only a brief second of contact before her tongue was gone again.

"Jane, please." Maura knew what Jane wanted to hear. She wanted to hear Maura bed, to cry out for more. She'd been in this position before with men and she relished being able to hold off until after they'd already crumbled. Not now, however. No, now she'd beg as long and as loud as Jane wanted because she was on fire. Every inch of her skin was alive and tingling and if Jane just brushed even her arm in just the right way she'd come. She'd come long and hard.

"Jane...please."

She could feel Jane smiling against her flesh. "Are you ready to come?" Jane stopped to ask, her face glistening in Maura's passion.

"More than."

Jane made as if she were deciding.

"You know your next after this don't you?" Maura threatened. Jane was toying with her and she had every intention of repaying the favor.

Jane smiled. "I think you've had enough pay back for this little stunt you pulled tonight."

So Jane had been insulted by Maura's attraction test. Maura would feel remorseful if the punishment weren't so delicious. She couldn't much think that that as Jane began long luxurious licks across Maura's entire core. Her clit finally got the direct contact it'd been craving and she cried out at the glorious torture of it all.

"Yessssss." Maura's legs moved on their own accord and closed around her head. Her heels dug into Jane's back as if trying to pull her into her very being.

For her part Jane was taking it all in stride. Her hands held firmly to Maura's thighs as she moved from sucking on her engorged clit to circling her entrance a few times before plunging her tongue inside.

Maura writhed on the razor sharp edge of climax. Her hips bucked to meet Jane's probing tongue again and again. She called out Jane's name repeatedly.

Jane removed her tongue and Maura moaned in protest before she felt herself being filled by two long fingers. Her clit was thing pulled into Jane's mouth and she screamed as the dual sensation shoved her over the edge into a bone shattering climax.

When she was spent her legs fell away and released Jane from her sexual prison.

Maura was limp with satisfaction. Never had such attention been paid to her most womanly parts. Jane had set up camp in her vagina and offered pure pleasure not even seeking any of her own. Because of that Maura felt heavy with exhaustion. Jane had bled the very strength from her.

Jane was hovering over her now kissing her neck and cheek. She kissed her lips and Maura could taste herself there. Strangely enough her own flavor caused her libido to spike. She was tired sure but not too tired to return the favor.

As Jane continued to kiss her she brought her hand between them and easily slid in two fingers.

"Shit, Maura. It won't take very long," Jane warned.

"Good I'm too tired for teasing."

Jane rode Maura's fingers and Maura couldn't help but wonder at the open and sensual expression on Jane's face.

She pulled her fingers out to rub Jane's clit before bringing her fingers to her mouth. She too wanted a taste.

"Mmm," she moaned around the digits. "The fruit you've added to your diet is working wonders, Jane."

Jane would have admonished Maura's ill timed medical assessment of her vaginal juices but Maura returned her fingers to Jane's center before the words could leave her lips. Maura pulled Jane in for a kiss so she too could share her flavor as Jane continued to ride her fingers.

Maura flattened her hand so that her palm rubbed against Jane's clit as her fingers continued to plunge in deeper and deeper.

"Fuck, Maur! I'm coming."

Maura knew, she could tell by the way Jane's vaginal muscles were tensing around her fingers. She found it incredibly sexy the way Jane's sex gripped her fingers as if to never let her go. That's what she wanted, for Jane to never let her go.

"Come, Jane." Maura commanded. "Come all over me."

Maura's lustful words were her undoing and Jane went rigid with release. She pulled Jane on top of her and supported her weight as Jane's breathing evened out. When she was recovered she rolled to her side and they both faced each other.

"Wow," Jane murmured.

"Yes," Maura agreed.

After a few moments of silence Maura grew serious. "Jane, I'm sorry for this whole experiment thing. I didn't mean to appear to be testing you or your worth. Rather I was trying to evaluate just how deep my feelings for you lie. And…"

"Maura," Jane interrupted. "Its okay. I know you and I'm not surprised one bit."

"So you're not mad?"

Jane laughed, "No, I'm not mad." Jane paused. "But while we're making confessions I have something to tell you."
Maura placed her head on her hand and give Jane her full attention.

"I let you win that last game."

Maura eyes went round. "What?" She launched herself at Jane and the pair fell into a fit of laughter, which inevitably led them to making love once more.

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