Author's note: all usual disclaimers apply. Yes, this does contain mild sex scenes because sometimes that's just how the story comes to me. I respect those who chose not to read it, as I hope they respect my right to write the story I want to tell.

Barbara's head throbbed. As she slowly woke it worsened. Her skull compressed into a tiny ball of pain then released in a fiery explosion. Whoompa! She had a moment of peace before the vice squeezed again, slowly pushing her to breaking point. Whoompa! She let out a long, self-pitying groan.

"Shhh! Don't moan so loudly."

Barbara smiled at Tommy's remark. His head must feel like hers. Tommy! Why is he here? She desperately tried to remember what had happened. Her mind was foggy. They had been at Winston's wedding. They had been drinking - a lot. She remembered dancing with Tommy. Oh no! She had a brief flash of his arms around her waist and her hands around his neck. Another fragment of the night was being hunted out of the empty room by the hotel manager. She'd been carrying two bottles. Tommy had his arms full of others.

She remembered giggling in the lift as neither of them could remember what room she was staying in. She had fished out his key from his trouser pocket. "Suite 702, suite, you... have a suite! How sweet. A suite for a sweet lord." Had she actually danced around him saying that? Barbara groaned again.

The thump, thump, thump of her head was worsened with her growing fear as she remembered fumbling with the key as she let them into his suite. Instead of the neat, utilitarian double bed in her room, Tommy's suite had an enormous bed under an elegant canopy. She remembered rubbing her face on the lace that hung down. He had told her she looked like a cat. Oh god! She had meowed at him. She had leant towards him and rubbed her face on his jacket and meowed! Her face flushed at the thought. Just how drunk had she been?

Tommy had blended cocktails for them. Blending was a generous term. He had slopped unmeasured amounts of vodka into two glasses then topped it up with splashes of other spirits. He had held one up declaring his concoction to be the Sexy Detective. It had tasted surprisingly good, a blend of orange and vodka with an undernote of hazelnut and chocolate. But it had a kick like Delaney's donkey. Barbara had managed two of them before she had felt the world spinning. "Weee!" She had spun around with her arms outstretched then had begun to fall.

Firm hands had steered her to the bed. She remembered Tommy trying to concentrate as he took off her shoes. He had removed his tuxedo jacket and placed it careful over the back of a dining chair. Barbara recalled them talking about why a hotel room needed a six-seat dining table. He had taken his bow tie off and undone the top two buttons of his shirt. Watching him, she had wished he was undressing for her. She could only hope she had not said what she had thought, "take it all off!"

She could not remember much else. She had a vague memory of him talking to her. The bed had dipped and bounced when he fell face first onto it and crawled up to the pillow. She had rolled over to watch him sleep but found him watching her. She clamped her eyes shut at the memory. She had moved her face onto his pillow. She groaned again as her mind summoned indistinct actions. His arm had come over her and pulled her body against him.

She had no idea who initiated the kiss, but she did remember how it felt. She had often dreamt of kissing her suave boss. She had imagined it would be soft and surreal. Instead, it had been furious and demanding; urgent and imprecise. Despite their drunkenness, or perhaps because of it, the kiss had been a true expression of their need for each other. Years of denial and desire mixed with copious amounts of vodka was a dangerous combination. Her hand had clamped over his backside, and he had sighed in a way that she had longed to hear. Barbara smiled. She had enjoyed that feel of his soft skin under her hand. Skin! She groaned again. Tommy had been naked.

Now it was morning, and Barbara was scared what she would find if she opened her eyes. When she moved, she felt his arm tighten around her. His fingers gently caressed her stomach. Fear ran through her. His fingers were tickling her skin! Slowly she moved her arm. Pretending to scratch her leg she reached tentatively under the sheet. As she feared, there was not a skerrick of clothing to be found.

She slowly opened her eyes. The curtains kept out most of the harsh sunshine, but it still hurt her eyes. The cruel man operating the jackhammer in her head intensified his efforts to drill through her skull. Tommy was breathing evenly behind her.

The first thing to work out was how to escape without disturbing her boss. She tried to inch her way towards the edge of the bed. At first, she thought it was working then his hand moved up and began to fondle her breast. Her eyes opened wide, but as he continued she had to close them. The way he moved his thumb around and gently teased her nipple between his fingers sent warning signals to all corners of her body. "Ohhhh!"

Tommy snuggled in close to her. His hand began to drift lower. Fingertips ran over her ribs and across her scars and down the outside of her thigh. He flattened his hand and stroked his palm up the inside of her leg. He paused as if silently waiting for an objection. As much as she knew she would regret this, she was powerless to say no. This was Tommy! How many chances would she get? "Mmmm."

His hand continued its journey. He kissed her neck as he toyed with her, running his fingers through the soft patch of hair covering her sex. Barbara shifted her weight towards him, allowing him better access. Blood pumped annoyingly loudly through her head. She did not care. What Tommy was doing was worth it.

He seemed to be experimenting. Her answering groans guided him. He was teasing her. It seemed he wanted to build the tension, not relieve it. Barbara rolled onto her back and surrendered to it. Just when she thought she could take no more, Tommy settled into a pattern that made her struggle to breathe. His lips unexpectedly closed over her nipple, and as his tongue seduced it, Barbara lost all semblance of order. Her body bucked, and she called out his name.

As she lay motionless, Tommy continued to caress her. Her laboured breath echoed inside her head as the thumping pain returned. She groaned again, this time in pain, and Tommy pulled her into his arms and kissed her head. Barbara shut her eyes. She smiled as she thought about what happened, then wafted peacefully to sleep.

The line between reality and dreams was even more blurry when Barbara woke again. Once again she was Tommy's little spoon and his arm clamped her firmly against him. This time Barbara had no doubt they were naked. She remembered waking with a headache and then... How can I ever look him in the eye again?

The light in the room was soft. Barbara raised her head and noticed the bedside clock - nearly four in the afternoon. She needed the bathroom and an escape route. Slowly she lifted his arm then twisted underneath it until she was on her back.

"Barbara?"

Damn! "Hiya," she replied meekly, still half under his arm.

His fingers prodded her. He quickly withdrew his hand and groaned loudly as he rolled onto his back. "Did we?"

She stared at the ceiling, unable to look at him. "I think so."

"You can't remember?"

"Bits."

"Me too."

She could sense him feeling under the sheet as she had done earlier. Oh yes. She remembered earlier. "Which bits?" she asked nervously.

"We were very drunk." It sounded like he was making excuses. "I made some type of cocktail."

"A Sexy Detective."

"Really?" Tommy rubbed his temples. "I know I had to make you lie down, so you didn't fall. Then you got up to take your trousers and shirt off because you were too hot. I remember taking my clothes off and getting into bed. You were still in your underwear."

"I don't remember taking it off."

"I think I took it off you." There was a long silence before Tommy continued. "I hope I didn't take advantage of you."

"Do you do that often? Get women drunk then have your wicked way?" She had said it as a joke, but it sounded flat, almost bitter.

"No!" For the first time, he turned to look at her. She could feel his eyes burning into her face. She turned to meet his gaze. "You're the first."

"Good, or I'd have to arrest you."

His eyes were smiling even if his face was neutral. "Now I remember. You wanted to tie my hands together with my bow tie."

Barbara was aghast. "Why?"

"Because I put my arm around you."

"Sorry. Did I?"

"No. I think that was when I kissed you."

Barbara closed her eyes and tried to think, but her memory was blank. "I can't remember."

Tommy levered himself onto his elbow and leant over. He paused then kissed her. "Does that help?"

Barbara smiled. His lips felt gloriously familiar. "Maybe."

He kissed her again. This time it was long and slow and passionate. "Is it coming back to you?"

She reached up and stroked his face. "Mmm. I thought I'd dreamt that. You kissed my neck and down my... That's when you took my bra off!"

Tommy happily re-enacted his kisses. "Your skin... is so soft... and these..." Tommy contentedly sighed as he rubbed his stubbly chin between her breasts before kissing them.

"Oh... mmm... I like that." Barbara no longer felt this was wrong. She may not have been able to remember what happened last night but she remembered this morning well. She dug her fingers into his hair.

Tommy chuckled wickedly. "I know what else you like." He lifted his weight and slipped his hand between them, cupping the outside of her sex. He pressed the heel of his hand down as he stroked her.

Barbara squirmed with pleasure. "This morning."

"Hmm. I remember that clearly, but this time, I want to join in."

"Is this going to be awkward?"

Tommy stopped then collapsed onto the bed beside her. "I don't want it to be."

"Me either."

"We're adults. Neither of us is in a relationship. We haven't done anything wrong."

"We still have to work together."

"It's okay, Barbara. I understand if you don't want to... take this further."

"Not beyond this room."

"So?"

She reached over and ran her hand down his stomach. "We should at least have something to remember."