Warning - very fluffy but contains some light and fully consensual BDSM. Set about a year after the S14 premiere in a blissful and uncomplicated world of the sort that doesn't really exist in fact or fiction.

It was almost eleven pm and Jo let out an audible sigh of pent-up frustration as the airplane finally hit the runway. Forty minutes late, poor Alex would have been waiting outside for ages and she knew his week had been just as long as hers, if not longer. She'd spent the past week at a conference but their manic schedules meant that they hadn't really seen each other in almost three weeks.

Making her way out as fast as she could she found him fast asleep in the parking lot. Smiling to herself she almost, almost couldn't bring herself to wake him up. She gave herself thirty seconds of grace to just stand there watching him before fatigue and impatience together won out. Gently opening the passenger door she slid into the seat as he sleepily turned his head and smiled at her.

"Hi gorgeous"

"Hi beautiful"

Still smiling he turned his torso to face her and leaned over slowly, kissing first her shoulder and then her cheek while his left hand slowly caressed up her thigh. She marveled at how even after so long she never knew what to expect with him. Sometimes she'd get caveman, sometimes gentleman, sometimes Uncle Scrooge, and sometimes...this. Soft, patient and infinitely gentle Alex.

As she raised her right hand to cup his cheek and her left to hold the back of his neck, he kissed her lips. First gently, light as air. Gradually deepening as his hands skimmed up hers to hold her face and he let out a low hum, somewhere between a sigh and a groan.

Drawing back she looked at him guiltily, "I'm so sorry you've been waiting here for an hour, I told you not to-"

"Shhh", he cut her off with a thumb on her lower lip, "are you telling me you'd rather I were asleep at home than here in this parking lot? I know which one I prefer."

She grinned, "Okay, okay. But will you accept a thank you and please for the love of God can I drive us home? It will make me feel better. You look exhausted."

"And here I was thinking I looked sexier than I've ever looked."

"Ha, those are not mutually exclusive. Now please, switch with me?"

"This humble chariot is all yours madame", he replied unbuckling. Truth be told he wasn't about to complain. He hated to drive and he knew she found it relaxing.

The entire drive home she chattered excitedly about the conference while he lay back listening contentedly, one hand in hers, their thumbs taking turns to rub circles round the other. Occasionally looking over at her face illuminated by the traffic he couldn't help but notice not only how the light accentuated her highlights and her cheekbones but also that she'd worn the silk shirt that flattered her delicate collarbones and neckline. Seeing her eyes lit up by the streetlights as well as the obvious excitement with which she discussed the conference was a huge turn on. He loved how transparently her eyes conveyed emotion.

Grabbing her case he stepped out to unlock their front door while she parked. Holding the door open for her he ushered her inside before nudging the door shut and enveloping her in a massive bear hug. "I missed you, I missed the way you smell under your perfume, I missed you rolling your eyes. It's good to have you home." In response she nuzzled deeper into his neck. They stood there quietly for a minute before she wiggled out of his arms. "Be right back, need the toilet."

"Of course. You hungry? I got some extra take out and I can pop it in the microwave?"

"You are my hero but I think I might pass."

Shimmying out of her coat she draped it over a chair will detangling her scarf from around her neck. Watching her loose bun give way and tumble over her shoulders and given his newly unobstructed view of the way in which the silk top clung to her, Alex felt the return of a familiar jolt south of his abdomen. But it was late, he was tired and she was probably exhausted. Trying in vain to put thoughts of barging through the bathroom door out of his head, he set about undressing for bed. They had both taken the day off work the next day so they'd actually have a chance to hang out before tumbling headlong into work again.

Whistling softly to himself he turned down the covers before refilling the water jug on her bedside and climbing into bed in his boxers. He was looking forward to sleeping in a warm bed again. Rummaging underneath the bed he was in the process of extracting a charger from the socket when a soft "Alex" distracted him. He looked up and at least four body parts reacted involuntarily. His eyes widened, his breath hitched, his blood headed due south and even his buttocks clenched in anticipation.

So much so for her being exhausted. She was stood there in a lacy wisp of a black bra that just about covered her nipples which were erect but tantalisingly obscured. She still had her skinny jeans on and she'd scrubbed off all her makeup and brushed her hair out but most importantly she was looking at him with a maddening combination of naked lust and slight hesitation. It was all he could do not to spring out of bed and launch himself at her.

Suddenly, the thought of not having work the next day took on a whole new meaning. He decided in a flash that he didn't want this to be over in ten minutes. It briefly crossed his mind that she might be too tired for anything more but to hell with that. She could have chosen to crawl straight into bed instead of leaning against the door-frame and yet here she was. It drove him crazy that she would still occasionally hesitate and was unsure if he wanted sleep with her or not. It was pretty straightforward. If he could walk and talk then the answer was basically always yes. So it was a good thing her sex drive was as active as his.

As he struggled to regain some composure she drank in his reaction and the slight hesitation was replaced by a naughtier, more feral gleam. She had read his mind and in the space of a split second had decided that she was all in. Normally after more than a week apart that alone would have been his undoing. But today was going to be different.

They had an incredibly adventurous sex life but there was one area he'd always shied away from. She'd been cautiously bringing up the idea of experimenting with BDSM for some time now but it had always made him uncomfortable. Not only was he tortured for months when he first heard about her abusive ex not not to mention Ben's revelation that she was scared he might someday hurt her, his own background in terms of his abusive father didn't help matters. Besides, what if he accidentally hurt her? He found the very idea both repulsive and terrifying. But he had noticed that Jo had always loved rough sex and she had for months been suggesting that they try extending that a little further. He had always demurred and she knew exactly why so she'd never pushed him. Besides, it wasn't really like their sex life had been dull either.

But today he felt ready. And something told him that she was too. The thought of giving her something she wanted and wasn't expecting finally broke through the last bits of insecurity he still harbored. All this flashed through his head in less than a second but as he leaned back and stared into her eyes, she could feel something was different. Tonight would be dirty in the best way. She was suddenly glad she was leaning against the doorframe instead of having to support her weight.

"Take a couple of steps forward and do a slow twirl for me."

Her heart sped up as she scrutinised him without moving. Her brain was working overtime trying to work out what was going through his. But something about the low, quiet way in which he said that made her knees tremble and, arching an eyebrow, she deliberately took a single step forward before stopping. Whatever this game was, she was enjoying it already.

One corner of his mouth lifted as she took in her reaction. Her chin was jutting out slightly defiantly, her eyes were a blazing mix of arousal, confusion and anticipation, her torso was erect. The only thing that gave away the effect he was having on her was the occasional tremor in her knees. Noticing that and smirking he let his eyes slowly run down her and all the way back again. Meeting her eyes for a long moment he repeated "closer".

Willing herself to resist but not wanting to risk ending this (whatever this was), she stepped forward before closing her eyes, tilting her head back and slowly running her hands up her abdomen and then up her full breasts.

His grin grew wider. But while he could still exercise some modicum of control he knew he needed to check with her one last time that she was okay with this. That she wanted this, not just in general but tonight in particular. Right now. Meeting her gaze with an earnest and entirely serious expression he let the grin slip off his face as he murmured just loud enough for her to hear "I need you to stop me if you're uncomfortable for even a second."

Sensing the shift she bit back her wisecrack and met his eyes as she responded equally seriously "Likewise. Always".

It was moments like these he knew she was the one. They were equals, she was stronger than him, and they shared all the fun and all of the hard work that went into their relationship. Lingering doubts dispelled, he grinned at her. This would be fun.

"I don't see you twirling."

"Watch carefully." She slowly pivoted but instead of doing a full twirl she turned 180 degrees before stopping, her back arched and her butt facing him. Slowly she reaching backwards to unhook her bra while he watched, barely registering his instantly erect dick.

Taking her time she slid first one strap and then the other off her shoulders before letting it slide down her arms and onto the floor. She then unzipped her jeans before stepping out of them which left her standing there in nothing but a pair of lacy black panties.

"I didn't tell you to stop or to undress." he noted and he couldn't see her face but could hear the arousal in her voice as she retorted "You didn't tell me not to."

So that was how they were going to do it. He grinned. Game on. Rearranging his features back to deadpan, he murmured easily "turn around and face me."

With exaggerated slowness she brought her hands back up to cover her chest before turning around to face him.

"You're not very good at this are you?", he asked her, amused. He knew just how competitive she was. Twinkling, she fired back "maybe that's because you haven't provided enough opportunities for practicing lately."

He chuckled. She was good.

"Well in that case my darling allow me to atone for past errors" he murmured as he swung his feet off the bed and walked towards her. He could tell that that wasn't what she was expecting and this thrilled him. As he got up he could see her hands tighten slightly over her chest as though she expected him to lunge for her but it gave him immense satisfaction to know that he could still surprise her.

And he took great pleasure in doing just that as he stopped about a foot from her and then crinkled his eyes kindly at her and ran his palms down her side. Making no effort to pry her hands off her chest, he slowly knelt in front of her. Running his hands down her endless legs, he settled between them as his hands came to rest with the fingers in the crook of her knee. He could now feel the tremors running through her and was close enough to smell her arousal. Leaning forward he inhaled strongly as she squirmed with desire.

He slowly ran his nose along her slit and it was immediately obvious that she'd soaked through her panties. Unable to contain herself any longer she let out a low groan. Alex 1, Jo 0. If his dick got any stiffer it would explode.

Looking up he caught her eye and without breaking eye contact reached forward until he had her panties between his teeth. Never losing eye contact he slowly dragged them down her thighs using just his mouth. As he got to her knees he straightened up and used his hands to pull them the rest of the way down.

Smirking up at her he leaned forward again as he dipped a finger all the way into her wetness and used it to trace a circle around her bellybutton. Dammit she was so wet already that his finger was coated.

"Oh god Alex please" Jo breathed. Her hands had now come up so her arms were crossed over her chest and her holding her neck. Her eyes were shut and she'd been biting her bottom lip so hard trying not to cry out that it was already beginning to swell.

"Sshh my love" he whispered as he kissed and licked around her bellybutton while one hand gripped her hip and the other one worked gently over the folds of her vagina. He could tell that she was having trouble standing so he gradually worked his way up her front before nibbling her ear. She tried to reach for a kiss but he pulled back and kissed her eyebrows instead, now supporting her with his hands on her lower back. Time to move this party to the bed.

Bending down slightly he slid his arms down to her thighs before grasping them tightly and standing back up. She clearly hadn't been expecting this and her hands flew off her neck as they involuntarily went around his shoulders for balance.

He turned around and walked the few steps to the bed before tipping her onto it. "Stay here" he murmured as she gazed up at him questioningly. Returning with a scarf he tied her wrists above her head. This wasn't particularly new or adventurous for them so he could tell she was wondering what he had in mind. But he also knew that he needed to speed things up because god knows this wasn't getting easier for him either.

Removing his boxers and kneeling in front of her on the bed he pulled her legs towards him so only her upper body was supported by the bed. Biting her inner thigh gently he looked up at her and caught her eye. "How long do you think you can go without making a noise?" Unfailingly competitive, she snapped back, "longer than you can resist screwing me".

"Is that a challenge my love?"

"Only if you'd be stupid enough to accept it, my darling."

Grinning he began to eat her out. She was normally quite sensitive but she hadn't fully accounted for the increased sensitivity that came with two weeks of abstinence and extended foreplay.

Before long she was breathing deeply and thrashing her head from side to side trying desperately to maintain silence. Her eyes were screwed shut with the effort and the harder she panted the harder he worked. Suddenly without warning he inserted two fingers into her and all her restraint and resolved crumbled as she let out a shriek. He knew she was close.

Grinning impishly he immediately moved back and removed his hand. Groaning in frustration she half-yelled half-sobbed, "that's not fair, my hands were tied!"

"I didn't hear you complaining while I was tying them. Hmm, what do I get for winning?"

She was so close all her sass had been replaced with need and she arched her back and pressed her thighs together as she sputtered out "anything, whatever you want, don't you dare leave me hanging Alex".

For a split second he caught her eye and without any further warning her grabbed her knees and swung her around so she was now on her stomach with her knees on the floor and her hands outstretched. Nothing he had done so far was new to her but something about the way he had taken over was entirely new.

"Anything?"

"Anything"

Running both palms up her backside he began kneading the soft skin. Niggling doubts resurfaced and he realised he wasn't going to be able to take her unawares as there was no way he was okay with surprising her with something that could trigger memories of Paul or scare her.

Leaning over her and putting his mouth to her ears he kissed her softly before whispering, "I'm going to spank you ten times." He knew she had an incredibly high pain threshold so he wasn't seriously worried about physically hurting her. More of scaring her as he knew there was no way she'd be expecting this.

"Oh"

"Oh?" She knew this was his way of asking permission.

"Oh god yes" So that was what he had in mind.

That was all of the encouragement he needed and then some. He kissed her shoulder blade as he raised himself off her. Raising his palm, he brought it down against her right buttock in a gentle smack. She bucked her hips and arched her back, clearly begging for more. With a little more confidence he hit her again, slightly harder this time. "Aaaaaaah, oh, oh, god, Alex, yes, oh, yes"

Okay, so he was on the right track. Hitting her again, a little harder, he watched in amazement at the effect it had on her. She groaned loudly as she raised herself onto her elbows and arched her back, presenting her backside with a very clear message. Speeding it up slightly he hit her again, and again, and again. She was bucking and thrashing like a wild thing. He almost wished he had promised her more to start with. This was beyond anything he could have asked for. He didn't care much for the idea of hitting her but being able to have that effect on her was everything he had wanted and more. Adjusting his aim slightly he rained two sharp swats down on her upper thighs and when she yelled "Alex" in response he almost came right then and there. Finishing with two more, he could tell she was desperate for more.

She would be the death of him. But what Jo wants Jo gets was how Alex's brain worked.

Deciding quickly he spun her around again and plunged three fingers into her this time. "Jesus fuck Alex more I need you now fuck please enough don't stop" she gasped out incoherently as he sped up his pumping and gently circled her clit with his other hand. Just when she was about to come he removed his hands, swung her around again and rained another six quick hits evenly across her backside and thighs. Jo had lost all control over words and actions at this point and he had to hold her down to avoid being accidentally kicked. Swinging her over again he could tell he'd pushed her hard enough and that she couldn't handle her arousal for much longer so he dragged her up so she was entirely on the bed and in one fell swoop entered her. She was so wet he went all the way in without any resistance and she couldn't help as that pushed her over the edge. Shuddering violently she collapsed into a violent orgasm as Alex thrust gently into her and he drank in the sight of her coming apart. As her body stilled he began to stop as well but she realised quickly that he wasn't done yet and lifted her pelvis as she stared into his eyes asking him to continue. Raising an eyebrow he put one of his hands in hers with the other supporting himself and he sped up and as much as he would have liked to keep going, he was done in about a minute.

Slowing down he collapsed on top of her, breathing heavily. "That was phenomenal. Untie me Alex, I need to touch you." she murmured and he raised his head and gave her a quick kiss before reaching up to untie her. Bringing her hands down she wrapped them around him as she ran her hands across his back and sighed in contentment. She loved the time just after they were both done and before they fell asleep as they listened quietly to each other's breathing. He made a move to pull out of her but she wasn't quite ready yet and just hugged him tighter in response. Smiling, he cupped her face with his hand and softly rained kisses all over.

When she eventually loosened her arms he extricated himself and she reached out to pull the sheets over them but he stopped her. "No, wait."

"Alex, what's the matter?"

"Turn over please."

"Alex I'm fine, honestly. More than fine. So much better than fine. Please let's just sleep."

"Jo I need you to turn over for me please."

Sighing, she looked at him. "Alex that was some of the best sex I've ever had. I'm okay, honestly. Let's' not do this, it's unnecessary."

"Jo, please."

She knew he wasn't going to give up that easily. She rolled over as he switched on the bedside light and sat up so he could examine her. Her backside was bright red with a couple of light bruises beginning to form and imprints of his hand clearly visible in a couple of places.

"Fuck"

He gently ran a hand over her still-warm backside and she sighed as she felt him stiffen. She knew how protective he was and how this wasn't easy for him. She was exhausted and really just wanted to curl up and sleep but knew she had to deal with this first if she ever wanted a replay of this night. She flipped over to find him looking at her aghast and remorseful and had to stop herself from rolling her eyes at him. Instead she lifted herself to a seated position so they were eye level.

Looking straight at him she grabbed both his hands in hers and kissed one palm as she interlaced fingers with the other. "Alex, I've wanted to try this for the longest time and this was so much better than anything I could have imagined. I wasn't scared for a second, Alex, I need you to believe me. Look at me, you know I loved every second of that and I can't wait to try it again. I love you. I love you. I know you'd never hurt me, you need to understand that."

She could tell she was getting through to him by the way he found it easier to hold her gaze.

"Are you sure it doesn't hurt? Maybe it was too much."

"No. Listen to me. No. I know what too much is. That was not too much. That was nowhere near too much. You're never going to be able to get to too much. You're too good a man."

He smiled shyly at her. "You would tell me if it ever got too much, right?"

Smiling in relief, she looked him straight in the eyes and squeezed his hands as she replied "always, I promise you. Promise me this won't be the last time? That was fucking incredible"

Grinning he pulled her into a bear hug as he reached over to hit the light and pull the sheets over them. Settling her into his favourite little spoon position, he hugged her tightly and buried his head in her neck.

"Did you enjoy that, Alex? I loved it but what about you?" she asked softly after a minute as she kissed his fingers. He was quiet for a bit before he responded. "I loved it, I'm not sure I'm comfortable with how much I loved it. I'm embarrassed I enjoyed that so much. What does that say about me?"

"Don't be daft. It's no fun if it only works for one of us. What did you like about it?"

"I enjoyed being able to drive you crazy like that. You're almost always in control and it felt so good, I felt so powerful..." he trailed off, unsure if he should continue. Humming slightly she encouraged him to carry on. Running his thumb over her lips he let it dip into her mouth before continuing.

"Jo, I get off on getting you off, you know that. The more you reacted the more it drove me wild. And I couldn't get over the fact that I could make you lose control like that. I contemplated blindfolding you as well but a bit of me was just really scared the entire time that I'd go too far."

Twisting to face him she cupped his face. "You're the best man I know. I wish you'd see that. I feel so safe and so loved every minute of every day that I spend with you. The past half hour was no different. Why won't you see that?"

He thought for a minute about what she was saying.

"Can you try to explain to me why this does it for you?"

She paused briefly before responding. "Something about the slight pain heightens the pleasure and anticipation infinitely. I can't really describe it better than that. I guess I like the rush of swinging from slight pain to extreme pleasure and back. But it wouldn't be any fun if you didn't enjoy it."

"I believe you when you say you enjoyed that but I still feel awful admitting that I enjoyed watching your bottom turn from white to pink in the space of a couple of seconds. And these bruises...there's nothing sexy about them."

"More than worth it and I can barely feel them and they'll be gone in less than 24 hours."

Finally relenting he relaxed and pulled her close once again. He felt rather than saw her smile as they drifted off to sleep.

Thoughts?