Author's notes: I don't own any of the original characters nor the original Inspector Lynley Mysteries – they belong to Elizabeth George and the BBC.

Please let me know if I did something terribly wrong (rating, grammar, spelling...). Thanks!

Reviews and comments are very welcome!

This episode begins with the pooled T-rated version of Lizard/Ladybird, so if you've already read that one, you might continue with chapter 2.

The last day in St. Ives finally had to end. Barbara decides to make it a special evening. Thomas discovers a secret. On the next day they head back to Howenstow to spend the last hours of the year relaxing at the manor.

(Sequel to the T- and M-rated series starting with Merry Christmas, previous episodes were St. Ives/Shopping Tour and Lizard/Ladybird.)

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They had planned to visit the famous garden of Barbara Hepworth but sadly it's closed on Mondays. After a little walk to the chapel of St. Nicholas they had rounded the Island. On their way back to their refuge they had made a short stop at a café to have some scones and tea.

It was freezingly cold today.

They returned to the cottage where Barbara prepared their dinner. It was the simple thing of frozen pizza and ready-made salad which they had picked up at a co-op on the way home.

While Barbara rummaged in the kitchenette and lit up the fire in the living room Thomas went upstairs to pack his bag. On the next day they wanted to trip around to some more places of Cornwall before they head back to Howenstow so they had to get up early. The last trip had ended a little abrupt with the falling darkness.

After dinner Thomas put away their dishes and Barbara went upstairs to pack her own bag. She checked the CD in the little player on the dressing table and like she had expected it was some romantic stuff. Then she rapidly placed the candles in the bedroom and finally changed her underwear.

This is going to be a very special night.

Before Thomas could miss her and follow upstairs she hurried down again.

They were sitting in front of the telly watching some american police story with good looking people, a lot of shooting and fast cars going up in smoke. The case there was superfluous.

After a while Barbara wriggled about on the sofa.

"Are you nervous?" Thomas was concerned.

"Actually yes." she bursted out.

"You don't have to." he smiled. "It's going to be a lovely party and I promise to show you around just as much as needed. There are some..."

"It's not the party." Barbara interrupted him.

"What is it then?" Thomas ran his fingers through her hair.

Barbara inhaled deeply. "I've planned on seducing you this evening." She kept her eyes on the screen. He could see her blushing to the neck.

What the...?! Thomas was stunned. "What?"

"I've planned on..."

Thomas interrupted her. "I've heard it clearly." He had to harrumph. "But you don't have to seduce me. Your sheer presence seduces me." He shifted closer to Barbara.

"But I've arranged something."

Thomas got big eyes when she stood up and smiled sheepishly but promising at him.

"Wait here and follow when I call you."

Barbara went upstairs.

She felt awkward. After having lit the candles she wasn't sure what to do next - though already wearing the little red nothing under her jeans and jumper she didn't know if she should undress or let him do the job? Or should she strip in front of him? Should she already drape herself on the sheets or keep standing? Or sitting? What about the background music?

I shouldn't have told him. she mused. It should have flown as usual. He would like those smalls anyway.

She pulled off her jumper and stood in front of the little cd-player, deciding whether she should turn it on or not.

That was when Thomas entered the room.

"I couldn't wait any longer." he huskily said.

Barbara pushed the play button.

...

This was something neither of them would ever forget. They made love to each other half of the night and woke up late the next morning.

A heavy rain pattered outside.

"Now, this is nasty." Thomas stood at the window and looked into the cloudy sky.

"Hm?" Barbara wriggled herself out of the duvet and squinted. She felt horribly smashed and unbelievably relaxed and sleepily turned to Thomas.

Gosh, I love that ass! Thomas still was naked.

"It's raining cats and dogs. No need to hurry, no need to get up." He jumped back into the bed. "Cornwall is presenting itself from its iffy side today." He crawled close to Barbara. " 'morning, Havers!"

"...'morn', Sir!"

Thomas cupped her chin and kissed her gently.

"We could stay in bed and fool around until late afternoon." he suggested and dived under the duvet kissing her breasts. "I could try to catch that lizard again..."

Barbara chuckled. Last night Thomas had learned that Barbara was tattooed on her right hip. He actually didn't recognize it earlier because that lizard was not much larger than a thumbnail, less than four fifth of an inch. It was of a dark turquoise green and had a red eye and Thomas discovered it under the strings of her new little red nothing.

I can't believe that he didn't spot it earlier. And he hadn't yet...

"Thomas!" she scolded. He did something unmannerly nice under the duvet but she had to get up so she freed herself and rushed into the bathroom.

Thomas just got into a shirt, his sweat pants and some thick woollen socks and went down to make some toasts and cereals. They would have breakfast first and during that he thought to plan what to do today. The weather forecast on the telly told him that the heavy rain won't stop today so a trip to scenic views or other points of interest would be pointless.

Barbara soon followed in that fluffy bath robe and nothing underneath it. Seeing it raining heavily outside she had the vague idea to take another hot bath with Thomas so there was no need to dress properly.

As soon as she entered the kitchenette Thomas engulfed her in a hug.

"I suppose you're naked underneath?" he puffed onto her cleavage and whirled her around.

"Sure. I'd like to take another bath before we leave." Then she yelled, being lifted onto the worktop.

"And I'd like to take another advantage before we leave." Thomas opened her bath robe and accidentally pushed down the open milkbottle. He cursed.

While he wiped away the mess Barbara shook her head in amused disbelief, hopped off the worktop again and re-closed the robe. She put two slices of bread into the toaster on the dinner table when Thomas was behind her and pushed her onto the edge of the table. His hands laid on her waist.

"Now for that advantage..." he said and Barbara managed to twist herself to face him. She tried to look stern but failed. He tickled her waist.

"Could we please have breakfast before you get us involved in activities again?!" she asked chuckling.

"No." was his simple answer and he lifted her onto the table, opened the robe again and pushed her in a lying position. He adored what he had revealed. He tried to pull her hips closer to him but she put her feet onto his chest and pushed him away.

"Stop it, Thomas!" she laughed.

Thomas took her left foot and kissed it, keeping eye contact with her. "You're not going to escape me, woman." he giggled and tickled the sole of her foot. He held it tight and Barbara lost her self-control. She cried out in laughter and cringed on the table in the futile attempt to get her foot free.

Suddenly Thomas stopped and Barbara looked up. He was examining her foot in amazement.

"Oh, err, well, yes..." she stammered.

Thomas had just found another tattoo.

Six millimetres long, bright red and almost lifelike it scuttled on the inner side of her leg, about an inch above the ankle.

"A ladybird!" he bursted out and kissed it. "I should examine your body again. Is there anything else I should discover before you accuse me of being inattentive?"

Still amazed he plonked himself down on the chair and grinned.

"Havers, you're amazing."

"Thank you, Sir." Barbara sat up and closed the bath robe again. She blushed at the sight of the bulge under his sweat pants.

"Come here." he croaked.

...

Some time later when they stood in the huge shower cubicle she started to giggle.

"What?" Thomas asked.

"We haven't just...?!"

"Yes, we have!" he grinned and gave her a gentle smack on her bum. "Now, what about breakfast, my sweet ladybird?"

.

...

Author's notes: Don't spread the word but the picture on the book cover is taken in the Yorkshire Dales. When I was in Cornwall the sun always beamed at us so I got no rainy picture.