A Perfect Tie - Chapter 1
Driving to Queenscliff took slightly less than the 3 hours he'd estimated. After a day full of detested paperwork and a bit of a drive, Jack was hungry and tired but the anticipation of seeing Phryne was a definite boost to his system. He parked in front of the McNaster home, stepping out of the car he took a moment to look at his reflection in the car window, and to straighten the tie he'd loosened while driving.
It was new, an unusual purchase to make for himself. He'd gotten used to making due with ties he received as gifts for Christmas and his birthday. Buying one on his own was a novelty, a smile lighting his eyes and slightly lifting the corners of his mouth as he thought of his inspiration. Miss Phryne Fisher seemed to have a fascination for his ties. She rarely seemed to miss an opportunity to stand close, sometimes too close, and to straighten an obviously already straight and perfectly tied knot.
A new tie was just his latest action in the clandestine game he's been playing with Phryne, although he was almost sure that she didn't even realize how he has been baiting her.
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The first time she'd stood close, looked up at him through her impossibly long lashes and set her hands lightly at his throat, he'd barely been able to stifle his gulp of surprise. He'd frozen, held his breath unconsciously and somehow survived the light touches that brought an aroused awareness crowding into his thoughts. She'd brushed her fingertips across the knot, smoothing his shirt collar and lingering slightly before falling away.
The deep breath that followed when he could move again almost overshadowed the small sigh he thought he'd heard as she turned away and bounced right back into discussing a case. She'd only touched his collar and tie, yet it had left heat as if she'd trailed her fingers over his bare skin.
Convinced that he'd let his imagination run away with him, Jack had chalked it all up to unsatisfied yearnings. At least, he had until it happened again. This time he was able to breathe, although not evenly, her delicious perfume having an even greater effect than usual on his senses due to her nearness.
She'd seemed to not realize what she was doing, as if it were totally natural for her to step in so close to him. He'd lifted his head to look over hers, trying to avoid eye contact, but soon found out what a mistake that was. His reaction to her touch had held him enthralled, her voice rushing on, hypothesizing about suspects and motives, all the while she was driving him to distraction. Phryne's heady scent had filled his nostrils, her hands soft at his collar, her brushing proximity in front of him that would bring her full against him with the slightest effort.
His arms had been practically locked in place with his hands clenching to avoid reaching to pull her softness against the hard planes of his chest. Stroking his tie with a caress that started at the knot and slowly brushed down the visible length until it disappeared beneath his waistcoat, Phryne seemed to become aware of where her hand had strayed, having taken his center of attention down with it.
Quickly she'd swung away from him, releasing his thoughts back to a semblance of normalcy. He recovered himself more quickly this time. Jack thought Phryne had lost her own train of thought by the pause and slight stammer she gave as she turned away. More wishful thinking on his part!
What serious interest could Miss Fisher have for a plodding Detective Inspector? How many times had he witnessed her touching people she knew? Too many to count, Phryne was a very tactile woman.
But, something was going on, he just didn't know what, or at least wouldn't admit what, even to himself. Jack filed away every action and reaction to dissect later. He needed to figure out just what she was up to!
Over the next few cases they worked on together Jack did what he was so very good at, observing details most people missed. And...even further...experimenting to test his assumptions. After all, why not apply the scientific method to this? He had a hypothesis, it was based on minimal information admittedly, so Jack began to create tests and collect data to support or disprove his premise. Was Phryne touching him as part of her natural urge to connect with her circle of family and close friends? Or...was her fascination with his ties something more. (Jack dared not define just what "more" was, he'd figure that one out later.)
Somewhere in the next few weeks he'd stopped thinking in terms of tests and started thinking of it as a game. Jack couldn't be sure if Phryne had suspicions that he was up to something. At first, he'd made sure that every time he saw her that his tie and collar were perfectly situated. He diligently observed and mentally catalogued her actions with him, and with the other men of her acquaintance.
Phryne touched, she touched quite often. At times her hands reminded him of a butterfly, flitting from place to place, never really settling in any one place for long. She grasped hands, linked arms, occasionally placed a hand on an upper arm or touching a cheek. Jack had even observed her leaning into the side of a man she was flirting with. Through all this observation of Phryne with others he also dared to catalogue her actions with him. To his surprise Jack was becoming convinced of a difference in her actions towards him. He would even go so far as to think a marked difference. With that dawning realization his studies took on a whole new meaning. To himself, Jack called it a game, knowing that using that lighthearted term even to himself was denying how much it really meant to him.
Phryne treated him differently than the other men in her life, at least that he was aware of. For one thing, their relationship had reached nearly a year. Historically her flings rarely lasted longer than a few hours, usually spent in her boudoir he conceded, but nevertheless he'd outlasted them all. Other than Rene' in Paris he'd never heard her mention any lasting relationship.
Jack could never really hope to attain any level of intimacy with Phryne, his mind kept saying this but his heart never listened. It beat with a seemingly special rhythm whenever she was near. Deeper, stronger, almost thrusting itself towards her, straining to be cupped in her hands, held and caressed with an answering passion.
Jack longed for her questing fingers to stray above his collar taking the path he'd seen her eyes take, testing the warmth and sensitivity of his skin. Dared to long for her lips to follow, knowing it would never happen but longing for it still. He was slowly driving himself crazy with intimate imaginings of Phryne Fisher.
The game had become his way of coping with his growing desires. The first time he'd tested her attention to his tie still brought a smile to his eyes. He had heard Phryne's voice asking Collins if he was in his office, breezing through to his door barely pausing for the constable's reply. Jack had but a moment to push his tie slightly askew before she waltzed in, firing comments at him about Mac's findings upon examining their latest murder victim.
Leaning back in his chair, elbows on the chair arms with his fingers steepled in front of him, Jack watched Phryne perch at her usual spot on the side of his desk. As they talked Jack watched her eyes trying to define what was out of place, a hint of a furrow appearing between her ached brows. Their conversation held no indication that she was distracted, he was pleased that he had somehow presented a very calm facade as her puzzled eyes roamed over his person.
Jack rose from his chair as they agreed to meet at the crime scene later that day. Phryne hopped off his desk breezily tossing her "See you later Jack!" over her shoulder on her way out his door, the furrow gone from her brow and a subtle pleased smile in its place. Jack sat down, an answering smile twitching at his lips. His thoughts were jumbled but pleased as his hand reached up to confirm his now perfectly straight tie.