Jack's tongue moved slowly across Ianto's collarbone causing him to shudder with delight and causing Jack to chuckle against his skin before giving his neck an affectionate nip.

'Oi,' Ianto chided pulling away slightly. 'Don't get giving me any love bites Harkness. I don't need Brian on my back tomorrow.'

Jack groaned in frustration and buried his face in the crook of Ianto's neck.

'Bloody stupid coach; Bloody stupid rules,' he cursed although his words were muffled by the pillows.

Ianto just sighed and pressed a kiss to Jack's hairline.

'No sex the night before a game,' Jack continued. 'I mean honestly what difference does it make?'

'It's so that we can focus our minds totally on the match.'

'Surely you could do that better if you're not sexually frustrated,' Jack sighed. 'It's not like I'm not asking you to have sex during the match. Not even I would go that far.'

'It would certainly raise a few eyebrows,' Ianto muttered under his breath but Jack was still in full flow.

'I bet not one of the other players is obeying that stupid rule, Ianto.'

'They'd better be because they've all left their other halves at home. It's just you who felt the need to turn up unexpectedly.'

'You're a spoilsport.'

'Jack you sound like a petulant child,' Ianto replied rolling his eyes.

'Maybe I am,' Jack replied with a pout that was so utterly exaggerated that Ianto could help but laugh.

'Oh God Jack, I love you.'

Jack froze, Ianto's eyes widened as he realised what he'd said.

'Jack...'

'You love me?' Jack interrupted.

Ianto could feel his cheeks burning but he found himself unable to deny the admission that had slipped from his lips. He nodded.

'Right,' Jack replied. 'So would be a good time to tell you that I love you too?'

Ianto's face lit up in a grin and he pulled Jack down into a passionate kiss. Jack's hands immediately slid underneath Ianto's t shirt and up across his back. Ianto pulled away.

'You're still not getting any tonight though,' Ianto teased, laughing at Jack's renewed groan of frustration.

'Not even a blow job?' he asked.

Ianto shook his head.

'You know where that'll lead. This is an important game Jack, if we win tomorrow and then we beat Newport next week we'll be at the top of the league and there's a chance that they might pick me for the Six Nations squad.'

'There's no might about it Ianto. You will get picked, you're brilliant.'

Ianto blushed at Jack's praise.

'Well...I'll make it up to you tomorrow night,' he said seductively and the twinkle in his eyes told Jack that it would be worth the wait.

---

Ianto woke up to the sound of knocking on his hotel room door, one glance at his alarm clock told him that it was just after three in the morning.

'Jack,' he whispered shaking his lover's arm gently. Jack grunted and pulled Ianto into his arms. 'Jack, wake up,' Ianto tried again, more forcefully this time.

'What?' Jack said, confused. 'What's going on?'

'Ssh,' Ianto whispered. 'There's someone at the door.'

The knock sounded again, louder this time.

'Ianto?' the voice called to him.

'Oh fuck,' Ianto gasped. 'It's Brian. He can't find you here.'

'Ianto?' the voice of the Cardiff Blues Manager seemed to echo around the room.

'Hang on a minute,' Ianto answered him as he jumped out of bed, grabbed Jack's arm and pushed him unceremoniously into the wardrobe, throwing his clothes in after him.

'What are you doing?' Jack asked, decidedly unimpressed by the situation.

'Just stay in there until I get rid of him,' Ianto replied, giving Jack a quick kiss before closing the wardrobe door.

Jack shifted himself into a slightly less uncomfortable sitting position and hoped that Ianto wouldn't be too long.

---

Ianto opened the door of his hotel room and immediately froze; standing outside his hotel room door was his team manager Brian but he was accompanied by two police officers. Ianto suddenly felt acutely aware that he was only dressed in his boxer shorts and a t shirt.

'What's going on?' he asked.

'I've been trying to ring you Ianto – your phone's off the hook,' Brian told him.

Ianto glanced over his shoulder to where the hotel courtesy phone sat; Jack had removed the receiver so that they wouldn't be disturbed.

'What's happened?' he asked again.

'Can we come inside Sir?' one of the Police Officers asked.

'Yeah,' Ianto replied standing aside, the three men entered the room, the door clicked shut behind them.

'I'm afraid we've got some bad news Sir. Your wife, Lisa was found dead earlier this evening.'

Ianto felt as though he'd been sucker punched. His legs seemed to give way underneath him as he sat down on the bed.

'Dead?' he gasped.

'I'm so sorry.'

'But – what happened? I only talked to her a few hours ago.'

'We still need to establish the cause of death, but it seems as though she may have overdosed.'

'Overdosed on what? No – Lisa never touched drugs.'

'I can get a car to take you back to Cardiff,' Brian said cautiously.

'Yeah,' Ianto replied. 'I suppose – I – what about the match?'

'Don't you worry about that Son,' Brian replied, placing a comforting hand on Ianto's shoulder. 'That's not important.'

Ianto just nodded.

The officers left then and Brian went off to telephone the club and arrange a car for Ianto. As soon as the door closed behind them, Ianto opened the wardrobe door and Jack stepped out.

'Lisa's dead,' Ianto said simply.

'I know,' Jack replied. He looked stricken. 'I'm so sorry Ianto.'

Ianto swallowed a sob as Jack sat down on the bed beside him and pulled him into his arms.

'You need to get out of here Jack. If somebody sees you – if they find out we've been having an affair...'

Ianto trailed off. Jack just nodded, he knew only too well how it would look if people found out that Ianto had been in bed with another man on the night his wife was found dead.

'I'll drive back to Cardiff tonight,' he said softly, running his fingers through Ianto's hair. 'Will you be ok?'

'I don't know,' Ianto replied. 'I'll ring you, yeah?'

'Ok,' Jack nodded, dressing quickly and pulling on his coat.

'You'd better go,' Ianto said, wiping a tear from his eye. 'Brian'll be back any minute.'

Jack wrapped his arms around Ianto's neck and held his lover close. Ianto breathed in the familiar scent of Jack, it always had the effect of making him feel safe and protected.

'I don't want to leave you by yourself,' Jack whispered.

'You have to,' Ianto replied. 'I love you.'

'I love you too,' Jack replied and then with a quick kiss Jack was gone.