Author's usual notes and disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters nor the original Inspector Lynley Mysteries – they belong to Elizabeth George and the BBC. I have borrowed the characters from the TV-Show and solely own the ideas of my stories and the developments I've let them go through.

Please write a PM if I did something terribly wrong. Thanks!

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A/N: My sister inspired me to write this and to write this in first-person perspective. I've also played with the perspectives so this is partly HER tale and sometimes HIS tale about what had happened.

Warning! This story definitely is M-rated. You should not read it if you aren't prepared for reading about things going on between lovers (and such). This is a serious warning. If you don't like that stuff then don't read it. If you read it anyway don't blame me! I know there are still some who like reading a little smutty stuff, including me. Apparently I also like writing it.

A/additional N: YOU forced me to already post this. YOU are to blame if I change details later. YOU are to blame that this only has about 1600 words. And YOU know who YOU are! Enjoy it ;-)

Summary: A chance meeting. Barbara really only had wanted some spare time, some quality time alone for herself, miles and miles away from London, time to go on some walks, time to sweat a bit, maybe even have a Highland fling (actually, yes, this is an awful pun). But most of all she only had hoped to get a certain man out of her system. It didn't work. Not at all.

Enjoy...

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A Chance Meeting

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I had needed some time away from my boss. After years of working together I finally had realised that I was deeply in love with him and could not help it or deny it or fight against it. It was not only his education, his nonchalance he was walking around with wherever he appeared and what had annoyed me at first. In the meantime I had come to the point where I finally wanted him neck and crop, body and mind - in one word: completely. The latest case we had worked at together, and worked together so physically close, was a torture for me and my self-control so I had asked for a few days off. Those days granted, I had booked a long weekend at a fitness hotel on the farthermost spot I could find. Brora, Scotland, was 624 miles away from London, and even 130 miles farther away from Nanrunnel where I knew DI Lynley, my upper-class, rich, handsome, sexy and unreachable boss.

It was early afternoon when I arrived. It had been a long trip since the plane only flew me to Inverness, which was an adventurous trip anyway in a tiny tin box with propellers. The last miles I had to take the train, with multiple changes of trains, which was not much fun either so now I was a bit exhausted. I checked into my room, not overly big but the adjoining bathroom was a palace according to the one I had in my flat. It was an unsuspected (and free) upgrade I really appreciated. After dinner I would swim a few rounds in the hotel's pool and pay a short relaxing visit to the sauna. A pint or two at the bar would finish my day. For the next day I planned to run a bit and destress somewhere in the nature. Calm down, clear my head, hopefully get rid of those disturbing feelings, or at least of the image of a certain dark haired man. Later I could indulge in a massage and more rounds in the pool.

But before that, and at that thought I jumped up from the armchair I had sat in to study the leaflet with all the hotel's offers, I had to prepare myself to be presented half naked on the massage table or even naked like in the sauna. Marks and Sparks had provided me with a new swimsuit but before wearing it I had to shave some certain areas. A long shower or a hot bath after the trip from London up here would do me good too. Looking at it I decided on taking a hot bath in this shameless big tub. The only but most difficult question was which one of the offered fragrances I should add to the water.

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This woman would never leave my head I thought. For years we've been together almost 24/7 and I had fallen for her. She never would return my feelings nor would she consider an affair. She would just go on seeing me as a friend, or so I hoped, and the posh Prince Poncy of the Met. Before we had closed the files to this annoying case, that brought me so physically close to her that it almost was hurting, and before I had been gone on a two week holiday on my estate in Cornwall I had come to the point where I thought she probably would either laugh at me if I would have told her of my feelings or slap me in the face. I did not want to risk any of it. I also did not want to risk that deep friendship we shared apart from my inappropriate feelings for her. I believe I always have been an ignorant fool when it came to matters of love so I did not think it could be mutual this time, so I kept my mouth shut, so I did not even invite her to Howenstow like I used to, and so I did not even ask her out for a pint feigning to be in a hurry. I only had signed the papers granting her the requested days off and disappeared.

As if Mother had wanted to get rid of me again soon I've been in Cornwall only for three days until I've had to travel north. The cute foal her mare had given birth while I was there would be a pleasure to watch in its first days but mother had introduced me to one of her friends whose friend was running a hotel somewhere in Scotland and wished to offer his guests the possibility to go horse-riding. So he had wanted to buy some horses, if not from our business then at least he would glorify his hotel with the presence of an English Earl and the mentioning of my name in his leaflets. The travel up there was enjoyable. I had called in a favour from Wing Commander Matthews, RAF, who flew me to Inverness in his private Cessna and from there Mr McGuire, the hotel owner, picked me up and brought me to his hotel in a helicopter. I literally heard a snorting retort by my beloved Sergeant Havers about this unnecessary waste of money.

Two nights I had stayed there and indulged in multiple massages and applications, the sauna and the pool, before McGuire approached me and asked for a meeting in the luxuriously comfortable chairs in the hotel's lounge. He obviously had wanted to be seen being in a leisure business meeting with me after making sure everybody around had come to know that I am the Earl of Asherton. It had been "your Lordship" here and "Lord Asherton" there and it had been close to insulting how the staff members had pampered their Lord Asherton. "Ah, the Earl of Asherton. Good afternoon. Do sit down, your Lordship!" were the words McGuire greeted me with when I came down the stairs.

I did not think this hotel needed horses anyway. It was too rural and, speaking frankly, it was not really an upper class accommodation. Not that it was cheap or lousy, it deserved its stars and it was lovely, clean and well-provided with everything. It was just not a location where the guests would expect to go horse-riding. With that in my mind the conversation went like chewing on an old piece of bread so it was no wonder that my mind was elsewhere and my eyes travelled around in the room and finally to the reception where a woman was just checking in. In that slightly worn out parka and the heavy boots, perfect for walking Scottish moors, she reminded me of Barbara. Oh, how I would have loved to have her around, unresolved feelings or not, but her presence and her witty remarks would have made me more grounded after all those extra treatments I had endured, and she would make me fundamentally happy. My heart almost stopped when she turned and I realised she actually was my beloved Sergeant. How could this be? She was not supposed to be here, of all places. Did she know I was here? Did she just come here to be as far away from London as possible? Was it all just a lucky coincidence or did she talk with mother? Whatever brought her here she vanished from my vision without seeing me but she did not leave my mind from then on. I was about to jump up and follow her but unfortunately I was stuck with that hotel owner.

Somehow, I really could not remember much of the following conversation, we agreed on a testing year. I would help him establish some contacts with a horse business up here that I know and left the option open to buy one or two horses of my breed down there in Cornwall. This settled I almost rushed to the reception, showed my best Lordship smile and addressed the poor receptionist.

"Hello, Miss... Tennant... Say, this woman who had checked in a few moments ago, I think I know her, wasn't it Miss Barbara Havers?"

"Oh, yes, she is." the young woman replied. "Just checked in for a long weekend."

"That's funny." I casually said and leisurely leaned against the counter. The easy outside was no mirror to my churning inside. Continuing the thoughts during the meeting with McGuire my mind already went into the sauna with Barbara. "She's an old friend of mine, you know, and I hadn't expected seeing her here at all."

"What a lucky coincidence." Miss Tennant politely smiled in reply. I've read enough people in my life to be able to see that she would have liked to go on with her work instead of chatting with me but she was almost perfect in hiding it. She received one of my best disarming smiles.

"Couldn't you tell me which room she's in so I can surprise her?" After a short dramatic pause in which I pretended to wait for an answer I hastily added that I'm sorry to be asking since this probably was information she was not allowed to tell me. With an uncertain look at the manager who had appeared in the corner of my eye vision and almost invisibly nodded she told me of course. Ah, the blessings of being the pampered Earl.

Thanking her I turned. It was hard for me to not just run up the stairs and meet Barbara. I busied myself with something else before I pretended to look at my watch and turned to the elevator. How would Barbara react? She hopefully would not be angry that I was there too but before I could think twice I already had knocked at the door to room number 28. It was too late to turn.

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A/N: It will be a while until I post the next chapter. Thanks in advance for your reviews!