Author's notes: Alright. I had thought I'd transform this into T-rated but then again I thought that the last chapter of Book 1, exactly as it is with her decisional thoughts ending it, could stand as the ending chapter and I should let Book 2 begin now.

This is what I do.

Author's _ WARNING _ : This is M-rated for reasons. M-rated is for adults. (If you're not old enough... Shoo! Change back your filters. Bad thing you!) M-rated is not for the pure and chaste. M-rated definitely contains mature themes.

If you don't like stuff like this, then don't read it. If you read it anyway, don't blame me. I gave a warning and this is your last chance to stop reading...

...

...well?!

...

Okay, so since you're still reading, you obviously are prepared. Let's let them have some fun with each other. Eventually...

And don't forget to review if you've liked it. ;-)

Enjoy!

Summary: The weekend with his birthday is over. They had declared their love for each other, he even had made a proposal (which she had answered with a No) and now they would spend the rest of their days off at the Emerald Cottage in Nanrunnel. Tommy is determined to ask her again and he is going to tell her clearly that he won't accept another No.

.

Glorious Morning

.

"You love the horse, do you?" Barbara asked her DI whom she happened to love.

"I love you both." Tommy smiled down to her. His lovely sergeant's lips tempted him to kiss her and he had gotten up from the bench and had encircled her waist to pull her close and do so intensely but right in that moment he could hear the doors to the riding hall sliding open and close again so he only gave her a small kiss. "I do love you the most." he whispered.

Sebastian, the stable boy, arrived with the vet who examined the horse. He gave him some medicine against the fever and some against the colic, he left orders how Runnel Boy should be fed for the next two days. So far it looked as if it was not too serious, probably its intestines were not twisted or knotted so the poor gelding would be fine in the morning, on Monday evening at the latest.

"Thank you, Dr Herriot.* Have a quiet night." Tommy bid his goodbye to the doctor and still caressed his horse a bit.

"Don't hesitate to call me if it unexpectedly turns worse again." Dr Herriot said before leaving to his next patient this night. The fate of a rural VS - all creatures, great and small, depend on his on-call duty all the time.

The gelding should be walked for about five more hours minimum. Young Sebastian would do that in his continuing now not so quiet Sunday night shift. Lucky for him that he had reached another groom by phone who would be here in about an hour to assist him.

"If something turns worse please call me immediately. My mobile's turned on now." With a last stroke across Runnel Boy's nostrils and an encouraging pat on the stable boy's shoulder Tommy left the riding hall. Barbara already had gone back into the house again after the vet had arrived. Her feet meanwhile had turned into ice blocks. She did not care what Tommy might think or that it was not sexy at all - she put on some warm woollen socks and crawled under the duvet on his bed.

It was about three o'clock when Tommy finally came back to bed.

"Hey, horse girl..." he whispered crawling under the duvet.

"Hey." Barbara already had dozed off a bit and did not mind keeping her eyes closed when Tommy placed a small kiss onto her lips. " 't's not morn', is it?" she mumbled and yawned.

"No, it isn't. But the doctor's gone now." Tommy returned her yawn. "Bastian will have a few more miles to walk with Runnel Boy."

"Poor bloke."

"Barbara, I want to thank you for coming with me."

"Always a pleasure to spend the night with you." Barbara finally opened her eyes and grinned at him. She continued drowsily whispering. " 't's just that I had wanted to give you more than just this box for your birthday 'n' now it's already Monday..."

Her hand stroked his chest while she tried to look seductive.

"You've given me more than you know, Barbara. The entire weekend, last night, this night... oh, and thanks for the tea."

"Mh." she answered, a chuckle twisting the edges of her mouth.

While Tommy told her that he had been so proud of her when she had led the horse around they exchanged caresses and small kisses. He had thought she was afraid of those huge animals and really had wondered how it could look so natural when she never before had cared for a horse. Their lazy touches had nothing to do with what they talked about.

"I was sleeping awake." Yawning Barbara told him that she simply had not thought about it at all when she took the lunge.

"You'd be a natural rural Lady in no time when we once retire." Tommy smiled sliding a bit closer with his hand on her waist.

"B'locks..." Barbara mumbled and her caresses finally had turned into small, slow circles with her thumb on his shoulder.

Silently speaking of a quiet time when they'd be old and wrinkled and picturing it in soothing colours Tommy traced caresses down the side of Barbara's body. His face was close to hers when he worded a shared future with horses, children and grandchildren but they did not kiss. It was just his hand that seductively followed her curves. The feeling of her body under his hands alone gave him a warm anticipating feeling in his lower body parts. His hand traced her curves down from her shoulder to her waist and under her pyjama top until he could hear a little snoring. Barbara had fallen asleep in about two minutes.

"Barbara?" he whispered without getting an answer. She must have been very tired. Understandable.

Wasn't she once telling me she always had problems with falling asleep and if she finally had she'd always have a light sleep, waking at the slightest disturbance? Chuckling silently Tommy scooted closer and buried his nose in her hair. I shouldn't have been so slow. I'm an idiot.

Well, if Tommy had been quicker with getting her into his bed (or himself into hers that is) probably it would have been interrupted by Hodge at a distinctively more embarrassing state. Now with just a little bit of shame and a bit more smugness he pressed his beginning arousal against her thigh.

No, it doesn't make her wake up again. he sadly thought.

When she finally would accept his proposal of marriage they would fall asleep like this for the rest of their lifes. Well, not necessarily with that unfinished task between us. With the prospect of waking her up in the morning and making love to her then instead of waiting until they were at Emerald Cottage Tommy finally drifted into sleep.

She woke up the next morning finding herself cuddled against Tommy's side. Barbara had slept deeply but not long and it was just about to be getting brighter in the world outside. With his warm body close to her, his scent surrounding her completely and her body feeling extraordinarily relaxed she felt desire stirring in her stomach. Something made her brave enough to place small kisses onto his shoulder and then she boldly started to stroke his belly. During sleep his pyjama top had shifted a bit upwards on his chest and she felt his bare skin under her fingers. The few hairs below his navel were a promising guidepost.

"I want you now, Mr Lynley, do you understand?" she smugly whispered against his neck and traced her fingers down the outlined hip bones to his lower center. She did not dare to slip them under his pants yet but the bulge that was growing under her fingers made her licking her lips in anticipation. She would just caress him awake. Until now his breathing was even and he clearly was still asleep.

Ah, well, anyway, first she had to pay a visit to the loo and also freshen up a bit. The sleeping man would not go away, she was sure of that. When she would return he may be a bit more alert. And by then she would have taken off those unsexy woollen socks.

She giggled when she silently closed his door behind her to hurry to the bathroom. Why they still had not built en suite bathrooms in this stately old pile she was not sure but she would change that soon. At least to the main bedrooms. Blushing but also grinning at her thought of this old manor of which she once may be the Lady... Ah, bollocks... she turned and almost cried out in shock.

Daze, the current Lady of this house, already dressed for the day, had just come from her room.

"Oh, it's not... we... umm... I just..." Barbara would have loved to disappear in the thick carpet under her naked feet. If she was not yet red faced she would have blushed now.

"Good morning, Barbara." Daze simply smiled and went on. Whatever her son and Barbara would have done tonight it was none of her business. Anyway she was glad about whatever might have happened.

" 'mornin'..." Barbara took a deep calming breath. Bloody, why am I embarrassed? We're adults anyway and of course Daze had expected us to join one bed. She rushed to the loo. The chance meeting with Tommy's mother made her finding her not so bold self again and after she had finished her morning routine she just could not go back to Tommy so she prepared herself for the day without having her way with his Lordship now. I'm a coward.

Meeting the parents in the morning always was awkward and embarrassing. Even when you have reached the age of forty.

He had a very pleasant dream of being caressed and kissed by Barbara and was happy to wake up with her scent in his nose. When he opened his eyes, expecting to see her lying next to him, Tommy was disappointed to find himself alone. Had it been a dream or had it been real in fact? He still could feel her hands lying over it but now his morning glory would be of no use. He waited for a few moments more if Barbara would return but she did not.

"Bloody idiot!" he cursed himself and heaved his body out of the sheets.

While Tommy shaved his face he wondered about the coming day. He would make love with her, of that he was sure. Knowing that he would meet her at the breakfast table he planned the next hours. First they would pay another visit to the stables of course, then, if everything had gone well with Runnel Boy, but of that he was sure, otherwise Bastian would have woken him up, they would leave Howenstow and drive to Nanrunnel. Do some shopping for the fridge, maybe have lunch at a restaurant, maybe they would visit the local heritage museum, maybe not, maybe a little walk at the cold beach. In the cottage they would be making dinner together, having dinner together, maybe not, maybe later. Maybe just driving straight to the cottage after the visit to the horse and spend the day in front of the fire place cuddling, caressing, making love. He grinned at that.

"No more wasting time, Mr Lynley. Do you understand?" he asked his reflection with a smirk.

.

...

*Sorry, couldn't resist *giggles* James Herriot, pen name from James Alfred "Alf" Wight, author of the books that were the origin for the BBC's TV-series named All Creatures Great and Small.