DISCLAIMER: I do not own them, much to my eternal sadness. I am but borrowing them for just a little while.

A/N: Just a little musing that was floating around my head on the subject of non-dates and repressed feelings - that hasn't gone entirely the way I was initially intending it to!

My muse seems to have taken advantage of the fact that I have been unwell this week to go a little crazy herself. This is pure, unadulterated smut, for which I totally blame the fever…and the blatant encouragement of the #FlynnGirls. I apologise! Also, sorry this is being posted on Monday - again, I was sick, and prolonged periods of writing were a little beyond me this week.

I hope you enjoy it - please do leave a review and let me know what you think!

For Kate04us, because you're beautiful and I love you - even if you do make my muse write unspeakable things. I blame this story entirely on you. And the rest of them…

Written for the #ShandySundayHiatus Marathon 2014 - Week 9.

All mistakes are mine alone.

Leaving a restaurant after one of their regular non-date dinner dates, Andy Flynn reached for his companion's hand. As their fingers linked together, Sharon Raydor - his boss, his friend - smiled up at him, her green eyes sparkling in the fading evening light. It had become something of a habit - strolling back to his car, fingers entwined, shoulders brushing against each other gently. It was one of his favourite parts of the evening, if he was being completely honest - offering him the opportunity to touch her, to have her close…to indulge in the fantasy that maybe, one day, they could be more than just good friends.

She had been quieter than usual tonight. Not withdrawn, exactly, nor troubled - simply…quiet. Lost in her own thoughts. Not that she had been antisocial - far from it. It was one of the unique qualities of their friendship that they were able to simply sit in comfortable silence together. That they could enjoy each other's company without feeling the need to fill the stillness with inane conversation. Andy knew that if something was playing on her mind, she would open up to him eventually, but as they walked he decided to ask the question anyway.

"Everything okay?" he enquired conversationally, giving her hand a tiny squeeze.

To his surprise, she stopped walking and simply stood on the sidewalk looking up at him, the expression on her face unreadable.

"Sharon?" He stepped closer to her, worried now.

She touched his arm gently with her free hand, a gesture of wordless reassurance. Honestly, he had thrown her by asking the question so directly. She had been planning on just getting through tonight, before retreating into her own home to sort out her suddenly jumbled thoughts.

Because the problem - well, not problem, really, she supposed. Issue? Yes, that was better. The issue was him. Or, more accurately, them. These non-dates that were feeling increasingly like actual dates. This friendship that had snuck up on her and was now morphing into something else entirely - something completely beyond her control.

Sharon hated feeling out of control.

What she hated more than that, she suddenly realised, was this uncertainty that had settled within her. Not about her feelings for this man - she was falling for him, of that she had become completely sure - but of his feelings for her.

Most of the time, she was fairly certain that her attraction was requited. The way he watched her, spoke to her, touched her - they all gave him away. Then there were those times, however, when the crippling self-doubt kicked in. When Jack's voice in her head, telling her that she was cold and unlovable, made her question how Andy could possibly feel anything more than friendship for her. Sharon was usually so good at reading people, but with him she found herself questioning everything - terrified to put herself on the line in case she got hurt.

Still, she was 90 per cent sure that he felt the same way as she did. Or maybe 80 per cent. Seventy-five…?

"Sharon?"

His dark eyes sought out hers, the caring tone in his voice snapping her back to the present and finally making her decision for her. She may be incapable of speech right now, but she was not incapable of action.

Silently praying that she hadn't been misreading him this entire time, Sharon Raydor did what was - for her, at least in this situation - the unthinkable. She made the first move.

Grabbing hold of his jacket, she lifted herself onto the balls of her feet and firmly pressed her lips to his in a searing kiss. His response was immediate - and exactly what she had hoped for.

Andy's arms came around her, pulling her closer to him. He crushed his lips against hers, his tongue demanding entrance to her mouth as if he had been craving her his whole life, his fingers threading through her hair as his hand at her neck cradled her head.

She pressed herself against him as his tongue swept the roof of her mouth, her whole body tingling as it came alight with a desire she had not felt in years. A moan escaped him as her fingers toyed with the short hair at his neck, her tongue meeting his and stroking along it before sucking gently.

Sharon only broke the kiss when the need for air became too much, and she ran a finger lightly along his jaw before stepping back from him, her fingers finding his again and holding on tight.

"I think…" Sharon murmured, once she had regained the power of speech. "I think we should go slow…I don't want to rush things…"

Her eyes searched his face as she spoke, hoping that he wouldn't be put off by her words. Andy smiled down at her, his thumb gently caressing the curve of her cheek, his fingers still settled in her hair.

"We can go at whatever pace you like," he said softly. "I'll be walking right here beside you."

The honesty behind his words shone from his gaze as he studied her and Sharon relaxed into his touch, her hand coming up to cover his as she turned her face to press a kiss against his palm.

"Can I still come back for coffee?" she asked with a shy smile.

It had become something of a ritual of theirs - coffee at his place after the meal out. It offered a chance to truly unwind with peace, quiet and companionship, and it was the part of their non-dates that they both treasured the most.

"Of course. Always."

He squeezed her hand again and they started walking in the direction of his vehicle once more.

Perched on the counter in Andy's small kitchen - as had become her habit on such nights - Sharon crossed her legs and rested her elbow upon her knee, her chin in her palm, watching as Andy prepared the coffee. She had gratefully removed her heels in the hallway, along with her jacket, and she smiled to herself, realising that she loved how effortlessly at home he allowed her to feel here. Being with him felt so easy, so natural - so right. Now that they had finally crossed the line that they had been skirting for months, she could hardly believe that they hadn't done it sooner.

He must have sensed her watching him, because Andy looked up then, offering her a quirked eyebrow and a crooked grin. His own jacket was gone now, his tie loosened and his sleeves rolled up - and looking so damn sexy that her breath hitched at almost every movement he made. She couldn't take her eyes off him.

As he leaned across her to reach a couple of cups down from the cupboard above her head, Sharon was surrounded by the sudden waft of his aftershave. She breathed in deeply, closing her eyes as the heat from his body warmed her and an unexpected wave of desire flooded through her, settling at her core. As he went to move away, she caught him instinctively, her fingers slipping just inside the waistband of his pants and tugging him back towards her.

She licked her lips as their eyes met, her mouth suddenly dry and her heart beating much faster than its usual rhythm.

This hadn't been in the plan.

She still hadn't released her hold on him and he put the cups down so that he could brace himself against the counter, his arms at either side of her body effectively holding her in place.

"Sharon, if you do things like that I'm going to have a really hard time keeping my hands to myself," he chuckled, searching her face with those dark eyes of his. Eyes that she could so very easily get herself lost in…

She held his gaze.

"Then don't."

His look of confusion quickly turned to surprise when she grabbed his tie and pulled him towards her, lifting her head to meet his lips. His hands moved from the counter to rest at her waist as she deepened the kiss, closing her eyes and wrapping her arms around his neck as her tongue hungrily explored his mouth.

"Sharon," he panted out as they broke apart. "What happened to taking things slow?"

His concern for her was evident in his voice. As much as he wanted her - and God, how he wanted her - he was fearful that she was rushing into something that she might regret.

"Slow is overrated." Sharon looked up at him and smiled reassuringly, her eyes lighting up from within. "Besides, Andy, what have we been doing for the last year if we haven't been taking it slow? Unless…" she stopped, suddenly less sure of herself. "If you're not ready…I mean…"

His mouth on hers again prohibited any more talking, his hands stroking purposefully along her sides banishing any lingering doubts as to his feelings on the matter. He kissed his way along her jaw until his lips brushed the shell of her ear, his tongue darting out to tease the sensitive skin there.

"I'm more than ready."

His voice was no more than a low rumble, his breath hot against her skin as his mouth went back to work. She felt another jolt of desire roll through her and she was suddenly desperate to have his hands on her.

Andy lowered his lips to her neck while his hands at her hips pulled her forwards on the counter so that she rested against him. She rocked her hips instinctively in response to the contact as her legs wrapped around his waist, smiling at his evident arousal.

He found her mouth again as his hands moved to the buttons of her blouse, slowly unfastening them until he could remove the garment completely. Sharon shivered at the sudden loss of warmth, but it was replaced immediately by his hands stroking her arms, his chest pressed against her own as their lower bodies continued to push against each other in an almost instinctive rhythm.

Arching her back as his lips travelled down her neck, Sharon moaned softly. She couldn't remember ever feeling this aroused and she was both longing to have him inside her and desperate to prolong this experience. His hands grazed her breasts through the delicate lace of her bra and she covered them with her own, pressing him more firmly against her. She didn't want him gentle, not this time. A part of her still couldn't quite believe that this was actually happening and she needed to really feel him.

He seemed to understand, kneading one breast with his palm as he took the other into his mouth, rolling his tongue around the hardened peak as she gasped with pleasure. After several minutes lavishing attention on her breasts, he gently encouraged her to lean back on the counter. She looked panicked for a moment, her emerald gaze betraying her uncertainty, but his answering stare was kind and reassuring.

"Trust me," Andy murmured, pressing his mouth to hers in a surprisingly gentle caress.

She did as instructed, her elbows supporting her weight as his mouth moved downwards, across the soft skin of her stomach. He pushed the material of her skirt up until it rested around her hips, and then his fingers hooked in the waistband of her panties, pulling them down in one swift movement.

Her eyes slipped closed the second his mouth landed on her and a low hum sounded from deep in her throat. She threaded the fingers of one hand into his hair as her legs rested on his shoulders and her head fell back as she whimpered softly. God, this felt so good, but she needed more - she needed him.

Sharon cried out as he slipped first one finger, then another, into her heat. She rocked her hips as he moved against her, bringing her right to the edge with his lips, tongue and fingers. But she didn't want to fall over. Not yet. Not without him.

"Andy!" she begged, lifting her head with a great effort and meeting his lust-darkened gaze. He continued to stroke her, bringing her ever closer and she tried again, desperately, her fingers curling around his wrist. "Please!"

He moved until he was leaning over her, his lips dropping kisses along her shoulder.

"Bedroom…" His voice was husky, no more than a whisper, really.

Sharon shook her head.

"No time." She pushed him back and sat upright, holding onto his shoulders for support as she slid off the counter, her body gliding against his as she did so. Standing before him, her fingers moved purposefully to the zipper of his pants, before sliding it down and slipping inside to stroke him firmly. "I need you now."

He groaned when she touched him, his hands cradling her face as he leaned down to kiss her hard. She made quick work of his shirt and tie, getting rid of them in a rush, finally achieving the skin contact that she had been longing for. She pressed herself against him, his hands coming around her body to cup her backside as he sought the friction that his body was begging for.

With one last kiss to her lips, he turned her around so that she was facing the counter she had just been sitting on. Understanding his intent immediately, Sharon leaned forwards, turning her head to smile beautifully up at him. He took a moment to simply look at her, his fingers stroking through her hair and dancing softly along her spine.

They both moaned as he finally entered her, the reality of the situation so much more intense than anything either may have imagined.

It felt amazing.

It felt perfect.

Andy began to move inside her, slowly to begin with, mindful of her needs as well as his own. Her soft smile and the look in her eyes, however, told him that was not what she wanted. His hands rested on her arms, his mouth devouring her neck as he increased the pace to a hard, fast rhythm. It was when he moved one hand around her body, between her legs, that she finally came apart.

In the moments between her climax and his, he thought that she might just be the most beautiful, the most incredible woman that he had ever laid eyes on.

His face buried in her hair muffled his roar of release, but Sharon felt every twitch, every tremor. His hands moved along her arms until they covered hers, entwining their fingers together as his body relaxed above her. His chest rested lightly against her back and she hummed happily as his lips resumed their journey across her shoulders, dropping delicate kisses everywhere they could reach as his hands squeezed hers gently.

Sharon woke the following morning in an unfamiliar bed, to the strange yet comforting feeling of having a warm body wrapped around her own. The arm draped across her side was heavy yet comfortable, as was the solid chest at her back.

Feeling Andy begin to stir, she turned slowly in his arms so that she could watch him wake. He grinned as soon as he opened his eyes and saw her - a lazy smile that lit his whole face and gave her a warm feeling deep inside, because she was the cause of it.

"Hey," he murmured sleepily, sliding closer to her so that he could press a kiss to her mouth.

"Hey, yourself," she smiled back, running her fingers through his messy hair.

Gathering her in his arms, Andy rolled her onto her back, propping himself on his elbows as he lay on top of her.

"I hope you didn't have any plans for today," he smirked.

"Not really," she smiled up at him. "Why?"

He kissed her neck lightly before dropping another, longer kiss to her lips.

"Because I have my own plans for you."

His voice had dropped to that low rumble that ran right through her, awakening all of her nerve endings and leaving a delicious heat in its wake. Having Sharon in his bed was proving to be a remarkably effective wake-up device, Andy decided. She shifted underneath him, feeling him harden against her, and she realised that she knew exactly what the first plan of the day entailed.

She grinned up at him as she wrapped her arms around his neck, before pulling him down to her for a deep, passionate kiss.

Yes, she thought happily. Slow was overrated, indeed.