Mysteries, she liked. Politicians, she could usually handle no problem. Mysterious assaults on prominent politicians, however, were a headache she could really do without.

Taking one last look at the blood splattered bookcase Mr Rowe had fallen against after his collision with a hockey stick, Jo ducked back under the tape and located Eddie dusting the front door of the office for prints.

'Quick result on this one, yeah?'

He shrugged. 'It'll cost ya.'

'Well-known politician gets beaten up on our watch and we don't get here in time? Guvnor's willing to pay. Just make it a priority and get him out of our hair for God's sake.'

Eddie chuckled. 'Like that is it?'

'Ever tried to get a witness statement from someone who doesn't answer questions properly? Bloody difficult.'

With that, she went in search of Max who was supposed to be checking with the uniform door-to-door enquiry. He was certainly doing that alright, she saw as she stepped out into the brisk October afternoon. She spotted him over at the cordon, chatting intimately with Millie. As she watched, he reached out a hand to her arm, sending a spurt of something cool lurching around Jo's stomach.

It had been nearly a month since Pat Keller had killed herself, almost taking Millie over the edge with her. Jo had deliberately kept her distance for the first few days afterwards, but Millie didn't seem to want to seek her out anyway. Things had returned to normal: she saw the constable at crime scenes and passed her in the station but nothing more than that, something which should've comforted her. As it was, she didn't know how she felt about it. On the one hand, she'd avoided a difficult situation that she could do without. On the other... Well, she'd brushed that thought from her mind until this moment. Somehow seeing Max with his hand on Millie stung more than it should've. Moreover, Millie was entirely comfortable with the contact so it seemed since they were both laughing.

Without her noticing, Eddie had sidled up beside her. 'He's at it again, I see.'

'At what?' she asked, not tearing her eyes from the couple at the cordon.

'Always chatting her up, he is,' Eddie answered. 'Ask me, she ain't exactly saying no either.'

Suppressing her desired retort to that, she left the CSE on the doorstep and approached the cordon. Both saw her coming but they hadn't stopped chuckling together by the time she got there. Glancing at Millie, she gave her a cursory smile before turning to Max.

'Well?'

'What?' He looked puzzled before evidently realising she was talking about witnesses. 'Oh, erm, nothing. Better hope Eddie gets some prints. We'd better get back to base. See ya, Millie.'

Jo looked briefly to the PC before she followed him. Up close she was as bright as she'd ever been; it was good to note that the suicide hadn't opened any old wounds too deeply. In fact, if she didn't know better she'd say it hadn't affected her at all. And though she did know better she was supposed to be pretending she didn't. With that in mind, she flashed another polite smile at the constable before speeding back towards the car.

Max started driving before she'd even closed the door. As they circled back around the street and passed the cordon, he lifted a hand to Millie.

'So,' he said abruptly, 'any thoughts?'

'One or two,' she muttered. More audibly, she said, 'My guess is love affair gone wrong.'

'His secretary reckoned he was happily married.'

'And you believe that?'

He shrugged. 'Has been known. Nah, it's a rival. Competition, that's the thing here.'

Jo shook her head. 'Our Honourable Mr Lowe was unchallenged at the last election. No one could be bothered to stand against him.'

Max merely smiled and drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. 'Back then. Things change. I reckon that's our angle.'

'Fine,' she said shortly. 'I'll look into his political career.'


After an hour searching around when they got back to the station, she had to concede his instincts about motive might have been spot on. Lowe had reported several instances of intimidation recently, most of which had been traced back to a member of the new opposition party in town. Unfortunately, that happened to be an independent candidate, formerly of the BNP, whose scruples were said to be lower than those of his former party.

Going in search of Max she finally located him downstairs just outside the main entrance. He was leaning against the wall, watching an altercation towards the road. Jo followed his gaze then felt her temper rise.

Walking straight past the DS she strode towards where Millie was being screamed at by a middle-aged man in unwashed jeans and a t-shirt. The constable's head was inclined away but that wasn't deterring him; he was yelling incomprehensibly, the only recognisable words being the odd obscenity.

'Oi!' Jo called as soon as she was close enough. 'What's the problem here?'

Millie's head shot up at her voice and even the bloke stopping shouting briefly.

'This is between me and her,' he replied curtly.

'No. No, it isn't.' Glancing to Millie, she found her pale and drawn. Returning her gaze to the man, she asked, 'Who are you?'

It was Millie who answered. 'This is Ian Keller.'

'Yeah, the husband of the woman she helped push off the top of a building. Murdering little-'

'Alright, shut it,' Jo warned. 'If you've got no legitimate business here, sir, you'll have to leave.'

'I wanna know what happened to my wife!'

'And I've told you all there is,' Millie answered softly.

'Right,' Jo said. 'There's your answer. Now I'll have to ask you to leave.'

At first he seemed inclined to argue but there must've been something in her face that persuaded him not to. She and Millie both watched him to the end of the road and around the corner before either of them moved. When Jo did so, she glanced awkwardly at the constable. Before she could speak, though, Millie mumbled a thank you and rushed back towards the station. She ran right past Max who had stood up straighter as she'd passed but made no attempt to stop her.

When Jo reached him she barely managed to keep a lid on it. 'What the hell were you playing at?'

His eyes narrowed. It crossed her mind that he was her DS but at the moment she didn't give a toss. 'Pardon me?'

'You saw she was having trouble and you just stood there!'

'Millie can handle herself. Maybe I give her more credit than you do.'

She hadn't thought she couldn't be more irritated at him until he said that. 'And what if he'd turned violent?'

'Nah. Wasn't going that way.'

'What, and you knew that for a fact, did you? Because you bothered to find out, did you?' Her voice had risen so that a few people in the front office lifted their heads in interest.

'Will you just remember who it is you're talking to here?' he snapped.

'Explain something to me, Sarge. How is it that an hour ago you were practically her best mate and now you won't step in to help her out, as a superior officer if not a friend?'

Stepping closer to her, he crossed his arms. 'Look, if any officer can't handle a little confrontation like that then they shouldn't be doing the job. Millie included, irrespective of anything else.'

'Anything else being what? Are you sleeping with her?'

The question surprised even her. She'd been convinced her annoyance stemmed from his lack of professionalism coupled with concern for Millie's well-being. Jealously was an unexpected factor, and not one she appreciated rearing its head at this moment.

'No, I'm not!'

Clearing her throat, she said in a lower voice, 'Sorry. I just...' Looking at him directly, she continued, 'There's something about this job. We have to stick together. If we don't watch each other's backs, who will?'

Brushing past him, she walked back into the station. It was only when she was half way to the canteen that she realised she was looking for Millie. Forcing herself to stop, she took a particularly intense interest in a wall display warning of terrorist methods while she cleared her mind.

So she was jealous of Millie and Max. That was... strange. Not that she'd say her thoughts hadn't drifted back to that kiss in the FME's office more than once, and the memory of Millie's body pressed into her own as they drifted to sleep was indented on her brain but... She wasn't the jealous type: she'd never needed to be. Then again, her serious girlfriends had always been as interested in her body as she was in theirs. Millie wasn't, nor was she likely to be. That night had been something the constable wanted to forget, Jo was certain of it. Why else had she avoided being alone with her since?

Still... how much of that avoidance had been on Jo's own part? Millie was an attractive woman and she couldn't honestly say she hadn't been tempted to break her cardinal rule against station relationships but... No. She was getting way ahead of herself. Millie was straight for starters- a big stumbling block. But Millie was the one who kissed her.

Yes, for comfort! She was a fool to think there was anything more to it.

'Never knew explosive methods were that interesting,' a voice beside her commented.

She managed to smile as she turned sideways. 'Tell you the truth, my mind's more on my lunch. You okay?'

Millie nodded, though her face showed signs of being recently washed. 'Yeah. Thanks for what you did. I just couldn't get away from him.'

Jo shrugged. 'Any time.' Seeing Stevie heading up the corridor towards CID she added, 'I've gotta catch Stevie so...'

It was a blatant lie and maybe Millie thought it to be so but nevertheless Jo rushed after her fellow DC as quickly as she could. When she met her at the bottom of the stairs she was careful not to look over her shoulder, despite the strong urge to take a peek.

'Did you want me?' Stevie asked as they climbed the staircase side by side.

'Hmm? No.'

'Well, I'll try not to be offended,' the blonde quipped. 'Everything alright? You look a bit... I dunno, green.'

Searching for a valid reason for her discomfort, she settled on, 'Ever seen Bob Lowe on telly?'

Stevie grimaced. 'Only when I can't avoid it. Why?'

'Well, let's just say he's even more irritating in person.'

That propelled them into a discussion that took them up to CID. As she explained the case details to Stevie she felt all non-work related issues drain from her mind. This was a mysterious case and she was going to unravel it before the day was out if she had her way. With that in mind, she made a few phone calls regarding the whereabouts of Mr Lowe's fascist competitor and waited impatiently for Max to reappear so they could go question him.

When he finally did turn up he motioned her into the briefing room. Irked, as much by his stalling as anything else, she was about to challenge him as to why precisely they were wasting more time when he crossed his arms. 'I owe you an apology.'

Sure she hadn't heard him correctly, she asked, 'Pardon me?'

He shrugged. 'Maybe you were right earlier. I didn't know who that bloke was; maybe it could've turned nasty.'

'What's brought this on?' she asked.

'Well, I spoke to Millie. Turns out that bloke had a grudge against her. I misjudged it.'

She wasn't certain what the correct response was to that so she kept quiet. Fortunately for her, Eddie suddenly barged into the room without warning.

Max rolled his eyes as he turned. 'Ain't you ever heard of knocking?'

Eddie seemed to ignore the irritated tone. 'Not when I've got case-breaking news to give two splendid officers such as yourselves. Course, if you don't-'

'Alright, Eddie,' Jo cut in. 'What is it?'

He grinned triumphantly. 'Partial print in the blood on the bookcase. Match on the system.'

'Mike Walker?' she ventured, taking a stab at Bob Lowe's competitor.

'Guess again.'

'What are we playing, Guess Who?' Max answered. 'Who is it?'

'Fella by the name of Will Draft.' Moving to leave, Eddie added over his shoulder, 'Had a couple of killer questions about glasses and earrings, y'know.'

Ten minutes later they had learned the basics about the man who had smashed into Bob Lowe's skull. Spinning in her seat back to face Max, she pointed out, 'They're members of the same party. Draft's his ex-PA. Blows your competition theory well out the water.'

Max peered at the screen. 'Not necessarily. Says here he was previously convicted for assaulting a parliamentary aide at a conference. Served a year in Strangeways then moved South on release.'

Scrolling back up, Jo muttered, 'Last known address is Mercer Grove. Shall we?'


When they arrived at the cul-de-sac of plush semis they found a car outside Draft's house. After there was no answer at the front door, Jo left Max and proceeded round to the back of the property, finding it to be locked up. There was, however, a conservatory with gaping windows and two figures on the opposite side of the glass.

Barely suppressing her smile, she stepped forward and rapped twice on the window. While the woman fell off the sofa and the man struggled to cover himself up, Jo indicated she'd be at the front door.

'What?' Max questioned when she returned. 'Did you find something?'

'Oh, yeah.' Moments later when the door was opened, she greeted the towel-covered man with a curt, 'Thanks for putting that on, Mr Draft. DC Masters, DS Carter; Sun Hill. Can we come in?'

They followed him into the living room, a cavernous room that stretched from the front of the house to the back and led out into the conservatory. There was no sign of the woman.

'Where's your friend?' she asked.

'I think she wanted a little privacy,' he replied. 'Just what are you doing skulking around the back of my home?'

Max, who had been examining the collection of cherubs on the mantelpiece, now turned back. 'I wouldn't take that tone, Mr Draft.'

'Sorry, am I meant to have committed some crime here?'

'Yeah,' Max answered, 'you could say that. Where were you between the hours of six and seven this morning?'

'Here. Asleep.'

'Can anyone verify that?' Jo questioned. 'Your lady friend perhaps.'

'No. I sleep alone. Will you convict me because of that?'

Jo glanced to Max and let him drop the bombshell. 'No, Mr Draft. We convict you on the say-so of our forensics who found a bloodied fingerprint at the crime scene that belongs to you.'

The colour had drained from his cheeks. 'What?'

'Are you sticking to your story?' asked Max. 'Only we haven't got all day and it'd look better for you if you told us what happened.'

While Draft was debating that Jo had stepped into the conservatory. A beige jacket hung over one of the loungers. After glancing to see that Draft was still distracted, she dug into its pockets, gratified by the discovery of a wallet. Flicking it open, her eyebrows shot to the ceiling.

Calling over, she questioned, 'How long have you been sleeping with Bob Lowe's wife, Mr Draft?'


One confession and two arrests later they were back at the station. Much to Jo's surprise, the case had eaten into much of her day. She spent the remainder of the afternoon catching up with her paperwork. She was so engrossed that she didn't notice CID slowly emptying until Mickey nudged her on his way out with an invite to the pub. She refused then stretched out as he left. Stevie and Max were the only other two officers left and both were mouthing at their computer screens with glazed looks.

As she was about to return her gaze to her own screen, she caught sight of Millie hovering in the CID doorway. A shy smile confirmed it was her she was there to see and not her best buddy Max so leaving her computer Jo slipped out to meet her.

'Hiya,' she said when the door had swung shut behind them. 'What's up?'

'I heard you caught Mr Lowe's attacker,' Millie replied, veering completely off subject.

Jo nodded. 'Yeah, we did.'

'Was it a competitor then? Max thought it was.'

'He was half right,' she admitted. 'But I got the other half so I'm happy. Mr Lowe's wife was sleeping with Draft, hence why he bashed him over the head. So, yeah, a competitor, but not in the way Max thought.'

'Point to you then,' Millie answered with a small smile.

'If only I could mark it up on a board. As it is, he'll forget it by Friday.'

'Well, you could keep reminding him.'

'Believe me, I'll try.' Pausing, she searched her mind for the best way to phrase this. 'So, erm... Something you wanted?'

Suddenly bashful, Millie glanced to the ground briefly. 'Yeah. Um... I wondered if you would... If you wanted to... Dinner. Erm, with me sometime.'

Jo inwardly winced. A dark tinge had settled over the constables cheeks as she looked away and that fact was screaming at her to accept the offer but there was more than Millie's embarrassment at stake here.

Clearing her throat, she answered, 'I don't think that's such a great idea.'

Millie still wasn't looking at her. In a low voice, she muttered, 'I just thought I'd ask,' before fleeing down the corridor at speed.

Watching her go, Jo sighed then turned to go back into CID. With her hand on the door she faltered and, changing her mind, walked towards the coffee machine at the bottom of the staircase. After getting herself a drink she wandered out into the backyard where she leaned against the railings and watched a light rain patter down onto the patrol cars.

She'd had to say no. She couldn't say yes. It was unprofessional, it was bordering on stupid and... Well, she'd had to say no.

A voice beside her surprised her, 'So what's her name?'

Frowning at Stevie Moss who had slipped outside silently and joined her at the railings, she asked, 'Sorry?'

The petite blonde smiled knowingly. 'When I look like that it's usually because of a bloke. So...'

Jo returned her gaze to the still yard. 'It's nothing.'

Stevie was undeterred. 'Doesn't look like nothing.' After a pause, she went on, 'It's Millie, isn't it?'

Her neck turned so abruptly she was astonished she didn't snap it. 'What makes you say that?'

Her colleague shrugged. 'Max told me what happened earlier. And I saw you two together just now. I'm not in CID for nothing, you know.'

Relaxing- but only slightly- she conceded, 'Yeah, I was thinking about her. But there's nothing going on.'

'Is she not interested then?'

'Opposite. She just asked me for dinner.'

'Ah. So when's the big date?'

'There won't be one. I turned her down.'

Now it was Stevie's turn to frown. 'You did what?'

Shifting her weight, she replied, 'I just didn't fancy it.'

'Why not? She's a great girl; down to earth, not to mention gorgeous.'

Jo had to suppress her light smile at that one. 'Relationships in this place never work.'

'That's not a reason to back away from giving it a go, is it?'

'Who are you, my flipping therapist?'

Stevie rested her arms against the railings. 'Why, do you need one?'

A patrol car drove into the yard. While Ben and Callum manhandled a drunk through into custody they remained silent. When the door had clanged shut again, however, Jo admitted, 'Things that start like this don't work. She was vulnerable and she kissed me. You know where that leads. I'm the one taking advantage.'

'But she asked you out, not the other way round,' Stevie pointed out.

'Yeah, but why? Because she feels guilty, or she reckons she owes me?' She shook her head. 'I'm not getting involved in that.'

'Well, maybe she actually likes you. Did you think of that?' When she neglected to answer, Stevie eventually continued, 'You really like her too. So I'm not seeing the problem here.'

She'd flinched at the blunt revelation of her feelings but now she just sighed. 'It isn't that simple.'

Her colleague chuckled. 'Simple was never good in my book. I say go for it. What have you got to lose?'

With that, Stevie disappeared back into the station. Jo looked down at her almost untouched coffee; it was cold now and beginning to resemble chip fat. Heavily, she returned inside hoping to find somewhere to ditch it. After doing that, she was about to walk up to get her things and get the hell out of the station when she caught sight of Millie in CAD.

Uncertain, she stood and watched her for a moment. She was taking a call, managing to soothe an apparently distressed victim and type incessantly at the same time. When she'd finished the call she leaned back in her seat and let out a long breath.

Without thinking, Jo stepped forward and cleared her throat. The only other occupant of the cavernous room was a PC muttering to himself in the corner. Millie glanced over her shoulder then sat up straight as she looked around properly.

'Jo, hi.'

'What are you still doing here? Thought you'd be off by now.'

The constable shrugged. 'Covering Roger for an hour.'

'Right.' Searching for words, she settled on, 'About earlier...'

Another blush settled on Millie's cheeks and she glanced away, obviously willing the phone to ring again. 'Look, I was out of line. I shouldn't have said anything. But, believe me, I don't need it repeating. I heard you the first time.'

Jo grimaced at the detached tone. Now that Millie was studiously avoiding her gaze it was difficult to speak. Finally, recalling some of that famous Masters no-nonsense straight-talking, she answered, 'Let's not start with dinner. Drinks or something after work one night.'

Millie's chin lifted. 'What?'

'If you still fancy it, that is,' she said.

A smile was pulling at the younger woman's lips. 'If I ask for time to think about it you'll probably change your mind again. So... yes.'

Touching her shoulder lightly, Jo replied, 'Alright, then. Sorted.'

As she walked away with a satisfied grin on her face she was sure she felt some of the ever-present tension in her stomach lessen. That, however, was most likely her exhaustion kicking in. A takeaway and an earlyish night it was.


Nearly a week later Jo stood outside the station with her hands deep in her pockets. Her breath glistened in the air before vanishing upwards. It was going to be an icy winter, this one; she was sure of it.

Checking her watch, she found she was early rather than Millie being late. Though she wasn't ticking off boxes in her head or anything like that, it had been a surprise when Millie had nonchalantly mentioned as they passed in the corridor that meeting just outside would probably be the best idea. So no immediate hiding; that was one good thing.

'Hi, am I late?'

Turning, Jo shook her head. 'Right on time.'

Quickly taking in the appearance of the constable in front of her, Jo discerned they'd both decided not to make too much of an effort. That was good, it was what she wanted. The more pressure you piled on these things the more awkward they got and when everything went bottoms up it just created more of an atmosphere. Not that she was looking for this to go that way but... Still, dressed in jeans and a low top with just a thin linen jacket separating her from the elements, Millie looked great... if a little cold.

'Come on,' Jo said, tearing her eyes away. 'We'll freeze out here. There's a small pub about a ten minute walk away. Less crowded than round here.'

They walked at first in silence. Millie seemed a little nervous, despite her outward demeanour. Jo was hardly surprised- probable first date with a woman and all that. So she made a conscious effort to ease the tension while trying not to refer to the night of Pat Keller's suicide which hung over them like a cloud.

'Busy day?' she asked then cringed at the pointless question: every day in Sun Hill was a nightmare.

'Just the usual,' Millie answered. Then after a long pause, she said, 'This is strange, isn't it?'

Jo chuckled. 'A bit.'

'I've never done this before,' she admitted.

'What, gone out with a woman or gone out with a colleague?'

'Um... both actually.' A more relaxed expression came over the PC. 'I've led a sheltered, boring life.'

'In Canley it won't stay that way for long,' Jo replied as they crossed a side street.

Grabbing at her hand, Millie dragged them both to a stop just on the pavement. Jo glanced at her questioningly, but before she could speak Millie said, 'I need to ask you something.'

Her insides suddenly squirmed. This was going to be one of those 'don't mention this to anyone else' moments. Not trusting herself to speak she just nodded.

Millie's eyes were firmly fixed on her. 'Are you only here because of Pat Keller?'

She let the breath she'd been holding. 'No. Why would you think that?'

This time Millie wasn't blushing as she'd seemed to each time they had a misunderstanding. Her gaze was firm, leaving Jo under no illusions about the younger woman's seriousness. It was also quite attractive, the steely look in her eye.

'You changed your mind pretty quickly,' she answered. 'If it was because of Ian Keller and you thinking you were-'

'Whoa,' Jo interrupted. Involuntarily, her grip had tightened on Millie's slender hand. She used it to draw them closer together so their bodies were mere inches apart then she looked Millie in the eye. 'You don't know me very well but I will tell you one thing: if I didn't genuinely wanna be here, I wouldn't be. Now,' she added, determined to get this sorted out, 'same question.'

Millie's forehead creased. 'What do you mean?'

'I dunno. Maybe you think you owe me for that night.'

Immediately, she said, 'I don't.' Then she amended, 'I do but... I'll be honest with you. No one has ever done that kind of thing for me and not asked for anything in return. And I'm grateful for what you did that night, and I'm also grateful you haven't mentioned it since. Because I know I made an idiot of myself that night-'

'You didn't,' Jo interrupted.

'I did. That's not the way I normally behave.'

'And maybe you're trying to prove that?'

Millie laughed slightly. 'If that's what I was doing I wouldn't be here, would I? Do you know how completely crazy this is for me?' After a moment, she continued, 'I'm not here... I didn't ask you out because I feel like I owe you, Jo. You were so good to me that night and it felt... I want to get to know you, that's all. Is that good enough?'

Jo silently nodded. They were so close now she could smell the strawberry on what she assumed was Millie's lip balm. But she wasn't going to-

Millie abruptly kissed her, breaking up her inner conflict. Only vaguely aware of the traffic around them, Jo brought them closer together until they reluctantly separated a few minutes later. Jo's lips were still tingling, she realised, as she looked down at their joined hands then up at Millie carefully.

'Well, that's the tension out of the way,' she quipped, beginning to walk again and pulling Millie lightly along beside her.

'So how long have you been at Sun Hill?'

'Hmm. Too long. Actually, I knew from my first day I was gonna regret taking the job...'


An hour in The Pyke Inn turned into two then more. Once they'd started talking it turned out they couldn't stop, which was fine by Jo. Millie was a captive audience when it came to the trials and tribulations of the Sun Hill lot, and luckily for her there were a lot of them.

'How do you know all this stuff?'

She shrugged. 'Mickey's been around a bit and he's got a big gob.'

Just then the bell for last orders rang. Millie glanced around completely surprised. While it hadn't escaped Jo's own attention that the crowds were thinning she hadn't thought it was that late.

Regretfully, she muttered, 'I suppose that's our cue.'

Millie stood. 'Guess so. Do you want a pizza or something? I'm starving.'

She couldn't help but smile. Many drinks and a pizza to top the night off; this was her kind of date.

The shop was crowded. It took them a while to get served and then they were squashed in a corner while they waited. As soon as she had the box in her hands Jo made for the door, though the street outside was just as packed and smelt rancid.

Glancing to Millie, she muttered, 'I've had enough of this. Taxi?'

'Sure. My place?'

'Mine's closer.'

Twenty minutes later Jo flicked on the light of her sterile living room, leaving Millie there while she went to get them both more to drink. Stopping in the kitchen, with the wine glass poised, she suddenly realised what she was doing. There was no way in hell this was first date territory- back to the flat for drinks and food. Come on, if that wasn't a code, what was? But this hadn't been her intention or anything; it was just the way the evening naturally progressed.

'How's that wine getting here?' Millie questioned, startling her by coming into the kitchen.

She almost upset the glass she was pouring into but managed to narrowly avoid it and put the bottle down. Turning, she attempted to smile. 'Sorry, just... Didn't realise what time it was. Should get you a taxi home pretty soon.'

'I'm not working tomorrow and you said you had a half day so... Besides, still got the pizza to eat.'

Jo opened her mouth to speak but closed it again. Lifting a hand to Millie's cheek, she murmured, 'You really have to leave.'

Millie shook her head and stepped closer. 'I don't want to.'

She was close enough to taste again. Quickly trying to battle down that idea, Jo found it to be redundant as Millie kissed her deeply. Pulling away, she tried, 'This is a bad bad idea.'

Colour had risen to the younger woman's cheeks as she leaned back in. 'It's really not.'

The kissing was very distracting, as was the hand currently trailing down her back. With one sudden movement, Jo altered their positions so she was the one pressing Millie against the counter, feeling their bodies touch in all important places.

Bad idea.

Yeah, but... Screw it.


She awoke not to her alarm but to her stomach rumbling. It took her a moment to comprehend that the hand draped over her stomach belonged to Millie Brown, but when she recalled the events of the previous night- and earlier that morning- she grinned lightly and glanced at the still sleeping constable beside her.

Slipping out of bed, she went to the kitchen to make coffee. When she returned with two mugs, Millie was stirring. Perching next to her, Jo carefully said, 'Morning.'

But any worries about regrets were unfounded. Millie smiled and sat up slightly to take one of the mugs. 'Morning. What time is it?'

'Just after half ten.' Jo hesitated before asking, 'You okay?'

A light blush settled on the constable's cheeks. 'I've definitely had worse first dates.'

'Right... So we've got a cold pizza in there if you're hungry.'

Millie placed her coffee on the bedside table then reached to put Jo's there also. Her breathing halted as fingertips suddenly began circling her bare thigh. One look at Millie's face suggested she knew exactly what she was doing, something highly attractive in itself. Throwing caution to the wind again, she leaned forward and captured Millie's lips in a powerful kiss.

'You still taste like strawberries,' she commented as she drew back the covers.