Authors' note: For the moment this is a complete story but a sequel can't be ruled out.

'This is unacceptable!'

'I tell you it's the last time I travel by coach!'

'I can't believe they can't send another coach to pick us here.'

'I need a room: I'm soaked and cold!'

'We're all soaked and cold!'

The scene in front of the reception desk at the small hotel lost in the English countryside was chaotic. A night coach on its way to London had suffered a major mechanical failure on a minor road, and its fifty passengers had been told no assistance could be expected before the next morning. The stranded passengers had been kindly but firmly requested to walk to the nearest town, which was no more than a country hamlet, to try and find an accommodation by themselves. The two-mile journey on a deserted road at night had been bad enough already but to cap it all the rain had started to fall before the troop had reached the only hotel of the town. So when the night clerk had informed them that the hotel didn't have enough rooms to accommodate everyone things had become ugly. A fight had even erupted between two fathers over the only three-bed bedroom.

'I'm sorry there's only one room left. Double bed…'

'We take it!'

'Sir!'

'Havers, you'll sleep on the floor if you will but we take this room.'

Ignoring the protests and complaints of the other passengers DI Thomas Lynley checked himself and his colleague, DS Barbara Havers, in.

The two police officers took the lift to the third floor where their room was. It was a small bedroom in the attic modestly furnished with a double-bed and its associated nightstand, a desk with the usual courtesy tray and a chair, and a small TV hung on the wall opposite the bed. The walls were an ugly dark green and the carpet wasn't more appealing but everything was clean. Lynley went to check the bathroom and heaved a sigh of relief at the view of the shower: at least Barbara wouldn't have him sleep in the bathtub. He went back to the bedroom to unpack and found his partner frowning at him.

'What's wrong, Sergeant? This room is very nice, well, nicer than the ones we left this morning.'

'Don't you think there are people who need this room more than us?'

'Who? All the families have a bedroom, maybe not the one they wanted but all the children will sleep in a bed tonight.'

'We're not the oldest ones.'

'No, we're not and I'm happy the two old ladies who shared their shortbreads with all the passengers have been settled.'

'And the old man with the cane?'

'You mean the one who kept complaining about everything and everyone, who didn't want to change seat to allow that mother and her little girl to sit together and then complained about the child being restless? Strangely enough I don't feel sorry for him.'

'Still…'

'Stop it, Havers. It's nearly midnight; we should be in our own beds by that time were it not for that rail strike that left us without a train back to London. I don't have to tell you I didn't look forward to spending the night crammed in a coach seat without enough space to spread my legs but I grinned and bore it. But my patience and good will reached their limits with that little walk under the rain. I'm tired, I'm hungry, I'm soaked to the skin and my new shoes have ripped the skin from my feet before being irremediably destroyed by the water, so if you feel too guilty to stay, fine, go downstairs and try and find yourself a comfortable place to spend the night. I'm not leaving this room.'

And to show he meant it he sat heavily onto the bed and started to unlace his shoes.

'Don't get on your high horse.'

'Can't you just admit you're happy you'll sleep in a bed tonight and not on a sofa or in an armchair?'

'All right, I'm happy I'll sleep in a bed tonight. Where will you sleep?'

'I've no preference; tell me which side you want; I'll take the other.'

'Which side I …You're not saying we're going to share the bed, are you?'

'Why not?'

'You're not serious,' she replied and she went to have a look at the bathroom. 'Damn! A shower.'

On the bed, Tommy laughed.

'Do you want to use the bathroom first?' he asked mischievously.

Barbara came back and gave him an angry glare.

'I'm not sleeping with you.'

'Fine, I'll have the bed all for myself.'

He opened his suitcase and retrieved his pyjamas and his washbag. With them in hand he headed for the bathroom telling Barbara as he passed near her:

'When you go out, would you please hang the "Do not disturb" sign at the door handle?'

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He took his time in the shower, enjoying the hot water on his tired body. He dried his hair, brushed his teeth and put on his pyjamas. When he emerged from the bathroom after twenty-five minutes, Barbara was sitting legs crossed on the bed, in pink pyjamas adorned with grinning cows with oversized heads. She swiftly got up and hurried past him.

'About time,' she said as she closed the door of the bathroom behind her.

Tommy went to bed. He could hear Barbara in the bathroom. The sounds were familiar and they brought back memories of his life with Helen. He imagined Barbara's every move from the noise she was making and knew when she took off her pyjamas. He stopped his little game immediately not because it was what a gentleman would do but because he was afraid his thoughts would carry him too far. He heard Barbara struggle with the door of the shower and soon he fell asleep to the sound of the water.

The shower relieved some of the tension Barbara felt but her level of stress rose again when she stepped out of the bathroom. Lynley was already in bed and judging from his regular breathing he was already sleeping. At least he doesn't snore, she thought. But at that very moment Lynley moved in his sleep and started snoring lightly. At least he doesn't snore too loudly, Barbara sighed. The frenzy of the day had taken its toll on his face, the fine lines on his forehead and on the corner of his eyes seemed deeper but he was still the most handsome man Barbara had ever met. She knew his face almost as well as hers after years of partnership but since then she only had glanced at him furtively, not wanting to be perceived as rude or intruding. Now she could take her time and detail his every feature: the thick mop of hair that tended to wave lightly when growing long, the heavy brows, the straight nose, and the high cheekbones. She let her eyes follow the line of his jaws and paused upon his lips where a smile lingered on. Barbara's heart melted. A penny for your thoughts, Sir. Who are you dreaming of? She indulged her gazing for a while but finally a yawn bigger than the others reminded her of the time of the night. There was no point in delaying the inescapable: save sleeping on the floor – and the carpet looked too thin to be comfortable – she'd have to lie next to Lynley. With infinity of precautions not to awake him, she slipped between the sheets. Turning her back to him she came as close to the edge of the mattress as she could without falling. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she felt very tense. Though their bodies didn't touch she was acutely aware of Lynley's presence next to her: she felt his warmth radiating in her back and smelled the delicate fragrance of his shower gel. She dug her nose in her pillow in an attempt to block the scent but she couldn't breathe and had to stop. When Tommy moved in his sleep and turned towards her her heart missed a beat. For a second she thought he was going to put his arm around her but no, he merely grabbed his pillow in a tight embrace, and to Barbara's displeasure she didn't feel relieved but hurt. That boor preferred his pillow over the touch of a woman! This was a bit humiliating but could she hold him responsible for what he did while asleep? Besides she didn't want him to touch her, did she? So why wasn't she happy?

She knew perfectly well the logical answer to those questions but she wasn't ready to accept it. Instead she curled up on her side and, after a split second of hesitation, switched off the light.

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The first thing Tommy noticed on the following morning was the light. Even with his eyes closed he was aware of the light that pierced the curtains of the bedroom. His mind still clouded with sleep, he lazily opened one eye and shut it again immediately. The events of the previous night came back into his memory. He was now fully awake. Slowly he opened his eyes again. On the pillow next to his, just inched from his face, Barbara Havers was sleeping peacefully. Gone was the grumpy, ever-frowning sergeant. Her face was serene. He couldn't remember ever seeing her like that and he wanted to imprint that image forever on his memory. She had never been so beautiful. Once more he wished she took more care of herself. He knew her complete lack of interest for grooming was part of her charm and that her ill-fitted clothes and bad haircut were provocations thrown in the face of the right-thinking people but she deserved so much better than the scornful looks and sneering smiles she drew. That wasn't obvious but she was beautiful. He had started to notice it lately and still felt stupid it had taken him so long but now that his eyes were open it struck it every day how beautiful she was.

He didn't dare move his body closer to hers but he wished he could. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. Her late night shower had washed away her tobacco-laden scent and had replaced it with an almond-and-milk one. She smelled good. Tommy wished they could stay together in that bed forever. He had not felt so good for ages. He reckoned it was due to the fact that he'd woken up next to the woman he deeply cared about. One day he would have to tell her what he was feeling for her. He should already have told her but it was never the right moment. Like there's anything called 'the right moment', he bitterly told himself. Delaying his declaration was a mistake, he knew it, it only kept him in the dark as to Barbara's feelings for him, and it wasn't like him. Usually he wasn't shy to tell a woman he loved her; actually in all his previous relationship he had made the first step. What was so different with Barbara? Outside the sun was rising and the light encircled Barbara's head with a halo.

'You're an angel, Barbara. You're my beautiful angel,' Tommy whispered.

Barbara stirred in her sleep and a strand of hair fell on her eye. Delicately Lynley put it back behind her ear and that's when she woke up. Seeing him so close, she startled and jerked upright. When did I move so close to him? she asked herself. Did I spend the night like that?

'I'm sorry, Barbara, you had an…er…a fly on your face.'

'Oh, uh, ta.'

'You slept well?'

'You snore.' She wasn't going to tell him she'd never slept so well. 'You?'

'The mattress is too soft; my lower back hurts like hell.' But I don't want to get up, Tommy added inwardly, I want to stay here with you till the end of times.

'Don't blame the mattress, Sir, blame your age,' Barbara replied with a lopsided smile.

Before Tommy could retort, three loud knocks on the door were heard.

'Yes?' Lynley shouted, somewhat annoyed about the interruption.

'It's the driver, Sir, the company's sending another coach to pick everybody at the hotel. It'll be here in about 45 minutes. Breakfast is being served at the moment if you want to have a bite before we leave.'

'Thank you. We'll be downstairs in a moment.'

Tommy put his head back on the pillow and sighed:

'We've 45 minutes to get ready and have breakfast.'

'We should be moving then, 'Barbara replied without moving.

'Yes, we should,' Tommy concurred, lying still.

For a few more seconds neither of them moved, conscious they were living a rare and precious moment that would be lost the moment they got up.

Finally, Tommy took a decision:

'Barbara, perhaps we could...'

'Move?' Barbara pushed back the blanket. 'Good idea.'

And without giving Lynley a chance to protest she rushed into the bathroom.

Five minutes later she came out, still brushing energetically her teeth. She pointed an accusing toothbrush at Tommy who was still in bed.

'I tell you I won't wait for you. If you're not ready when the coach arrives, I'll leave you here all alone.'

Lynley could only laughed at the sight of his partner, in her pink pyjamas, spitting toothpaste as she spoke.

'Come on, Sir, time to rise and shine!'

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An hour later, they were seated at the front of a coach heading towards London. Barbara was working on her notes, organizing them in a coherent and concise report. Tommy was studying the patterns the raindrops were drawing on the windows of the coach.

'Sir?'

Barbara's voice brought him out of his daydream.

'Mmmmh?'

'What will we say to the Super? You know how she scrutinizes the claim forms before approving them; she'll see we have a receipt for just one bedroom.'

Tommy saw her concern but he wasn't going to let the Superintendent spoil the memory of this night. He gave Barbara a reassuring smile and said:

'We'll tell her the truth, Havers, we've been forced to share a room and,' he winked at her,' you made me sleep in the bath.'