Please see Ch 1 for disclaimers… lots and lots of disclaimers…
They were still arguing about Maura's dress as they pushed through the crowd blocking the bar inside Marathon. Maura had waited until the last possible second to walk out of her bedroom fully aware Jane would react like this. It was a bit tedious, the arguing, but worth it after watching Jane's flush when she first walked out. Grownups or not, Maura was not above upping the ante.
"Jane would you please just leave it alone already, I have more covered than half the women in here. This is a perfectly acceptable dress to go clubbing in."
The noise from the teeming crowd and the house music forced Jane to press in closer, her hand moving from Maura's lower back to securely grab her hip so she could lean in and be heard over the bass.
"It's not a dress Maura, a dress is clothing, clothing covers stuff, right now this, "Jane squeezed the hip under her hand "red handkerchief with a zipper doesn't not qualify as clothing. I don't want to hear it if you end up feeling groped all night."
Maura just winked over her shoulder "I'm not worried about that Detective. How many women in here can claim they brought their own, trained, security detail?"
Jane angled against Maura's side to press into the bar, hand waving, gesturing almost desperately for the bartender. She was going to need liquid help to survive Maura tonight. "Sam Adams and," She turned to Maura waiting.
"I'll take a double Smugglers Notch, chilled." Maura turned, and leaned her back against the bar, feeling Jane's eyes on her studying her intently.
Maura allowed her eyes to lock into Jane's for a long moment before flicking up and down Jane's length, tracing a finger lightly down along the edge of the plunging neckline of the silky tank top. "You look nice." Her hand continued to follow the material down until she was fingering the necklaces Jane accessorized with. "These were the perfect choice. "
Jane took a hasty step back, annoyed when the crowd at her back limited how far she could get. "Maura, you just ordered a shot, a double shot."
Maura handed her card over, asked to open a tab and picked up her shooter, "I would say that is obvious." She toasted Jane silently with the clear liquid before drinking it in three quick swallows. "Okay, let's go dance."
"Oh hell no. I said I'd come here with you. I'm fine right here with my friend Sam." Jane held up the brown bottle. Noting Maura looked poised to argue, Jane decided to head her off "Maybe after I've met a couple of Sam's best friends we can talk, but for now, remember I'm supposed to be your security? I have to keep my eye on the area."
Jane could almost see the rapid fire thoughts running through Maura's mind. She was almost disappointed when Maura just shrugged and leaned over, caught the bartender again and pointed to Jane "She's on my tab tonight." Then she turned and wiggled her fingers over her shoulder as she went onto the floor.
Halfway through her second beer Jane was concluding Maura's dancing would likely be outlawed in several more conservative countries. Maura dancing in that dress should be outlawed period.
Just as Jane was polishing off her bottle, Maura headed off the floor. With her hair swept back in a high pony tail, the excess spilling wildly from the banding in artful waves, she seemed almost predatory in her approach. The closer she got, the harder it was for Jane to keep any sort of eye contact.
Maura stopped beside her without a word, just put her left palm on the bare skin of Jane's sternum, using her for balance as she leaned behind her to speak to the bartender.
When she straightened up she was holding another shot glass, this time filled with something deep and red, stepping to the side to allow her space to be filled by the next person ordering. The step closer to Jane brought their thighs into contact. Maura allowed the gentle shiver to course through her, secretly enjoying the increase in breathing under hand.
Maura tossed back the shot, pushing away and offering her hand to Jane again. "Coming now?"
Jane was looking at her like she had just asked the question in Chinese. Maura chuckled "Jane, are you going to come dance with me now?"
Jane wasn't sure what Maura was asking. Even encased in leather her thighs were buzzing from each inch of contact she had with one tight, red, dress. Escape seemed like a good idea. Immediate escape. "Umm, I'm just going to go hit the bathroom, but don't wait on me, okay?"
By the time she made her way back from the bathroom Maura was gone. Jane studied the crowd trying to catch a glimpse of her. The packed crowd and pulsing lights made it almost impossible. She waited another minute hoping she'd spot her.
Well, damn it. Jane was going to wring Maura's neck when she found her but in order to do that she had to go find her first. She stared balefully at the massive crowd. She turned around, ordered one of Maura's Smugglers Notch shots and knocked it back before stalking off.
It took a few minutes, but Maura's form in the painted on red dress was unmistakable. She was dancing towards the back, next to the DJ station with a couple of rather large, wholly appreciative, laughing blond men.
Jane rubbed her forehead hard, upping the amount of hurt she was doling out to Jimmy Brown on Monday. Of course Maura had found her very own collection of blond behemoths, of course.
The second Maura spotted her, the huge smile directed at Jane almost made Jane forget she wanted to throttle her, almost. Maura pushed back from her dance partner, a lingering hand on his forearm, uttering a comment that had him grinning before she walked towards her.
Maura reached Jane's side and looped her arm through her elbow observing with no small amount of satisfaction that her jaw was clenched. "Jane, come meet Dirk and Jurgen. They're in town with the German football team."
Jane felt herself being pulled along. Professional German soccer players? How in the hell had Maura managed to find professional German soccer players in Boston, Massachusetts?
"No, Maura, no, no, no. I don't want to meet anybody named Dirk. What kind of a name is that anyway?" Jane could see one way out of this mess. "I came to get you because it's time to go home, alright?"
Maura stepped away from her. "No Jane, I don't think I'm done here yet."
"Come on Maura, I'm tired, I'm getting a headache and you've gotten to dance." Jane reached and tugged at her hand. "Let's just go."
"Well if you don't feel well Jane, don't worry, you can leave. I'm sure Dirk or Jurgen will keep an eye out for me." Maura couldn't make out exactly what Jane said with the noise as she walked away, but she knew her remark landed the intended result when she felt Jane's hand on her lower back.
Jane had to admit for an oversize blond German soccer player, Jurgen could dance. She wasn't having an awful time plus as an added bonus she was closer to Maura.
She moved a bit so she could check on Maura and instead found Dirk all the way against the wall talking to yet another giant. Apologizing to Jurgen, Jane immediately stopped dancing. What in the world did they feed kids over in Germany and where was Maura now?
Dirk suddenly stopped talking and he gestured to the middle of floor, nudging his friend. Jane followed his gaze and almost stopped breathing.
Maura was gliding towards them, deftly sliding in slow rhythm through the crowd, the club lights obscuring her features and backlighting her form. When she was close enough Jane realized Maura's eyes were fixated on her and meeting that gaze she felt something sear through her, forcing her hands into fists.
Maura stopped in front of Jane, basking in the barely contained tension radiating from her. She held up a double shooter to Jane, offering her the dark liquid. "I wanted to grab a drink and decided to bring one for you."
Jane cleared her throat, willing herself to relax. "Ummm, thanks but no, I'm done for the night, one of us needs to make sure we're getting home."
"No? Okay then, no sense this going to waste."
Before Jane could stop her the shooter was empty and Maura was headed towards Dirk. Jane did the math in her head as she rapidly started to follow. The double when she came in, the one following, one just now back at the bar when she bought that last double for Jane and then Maura had just polished that one off as well.
Crap, six shots in someone as petite as Maura? No way in fucking hell was she spending one more second dancing with that blond goliath and Jane wasn't up for round two of the going home debate.
Jane reached her just as she was putting the glass on the shelf behind Dirk. She grabbed Maura by the wrist and dragged her back to the floor. "Okay Doctor Isles, time to dance with me now." She made sure her tone offered no other option.
Maura used the noise as an excuse to lean in close, hand on Jane's shoulder, brushing their cheeks together as she replied "Jane you were the one that turned me down earlier remember?" She let her hand glide down from Jane's shoulder, fingertips pressing lightly over sinew and muscle encased by soft skin. "If you want to dance with me, all you have to do is ask." Maura tangled their fingers together for a second and squeezed lightly.
Dirk appeared behind Maura, a hand encasing her shoulder. Maura's eyes flicked up watching Jane's features contort into a predatory grimace. She bit her bottom lip, equal parts turned on and amused. Using the opportunity to turn around and bring her back flush against Jane, she let a bit of her weight lean forcing Jane's hands to her hips to balance them both. She spoke rapidly and sent Dirk on his way with a wink.
Jane's fingers rubbed unconscious patterns on Maura's hip bone. "Did you just speak with him in German?" At Maura's nod she continued "Naturally you're fluent in German, who isn't?" Noting that all three men were now fixated on them, Jane's hands stilled. "What exactly did you tell him?"
Maura turned in her grip and slid her arms loosely over Jane's shoulders, leaning in again so Jane could hear "The truth Jane. That I came here tonight with you and you were not in the mood to share." She moved back enough to gesture between them.
The DJ was sliding into a new song, the words and bass vibrating through the crowd. Maura was nodding in appreciation, sliding her arms back up around Jane's neck, murmuring low near her ear "Love this song."
Jane was completely bewildered as to what alternate universe she had landed in tonight. Rationale thought didn't even seem possible. Fleetingly she wondered if she should be concerned where this night was taking them as she allowed Maura to pull her into rhythm and motion.
Gone was any pretense of inhibition regarding their relationship as the lights continued to pulse and tease her with glimpses of Maura that made Jane ache in ways she didn't even realize were possible.
Maura didn't seem to have any reservations, any hesitation. The reason why hit Jane's heated thoughts like ice. She groaned, pulling Maura up a bit so she could lean down and mutter into her shoulder "You may not remember this in the morning but trust me when I say this you are never allowed to drink again."
Secure now that at last their frustrating balancing act would finally be concluding Maura snaked a hand to the back of Jane's neck, tugging lightly on her hair, pulling her head up so Maura could whisper directly into her ear, lips ghosting against her lobe with each deliberate word.
"Detective, did you know if you promise the bartender a generous enough tip that they'll give you as many shots of cranberry juice as you want?" Maura's other hand slide under Jane's top to rest against bare skin, enjoying the warmth. "Trust me Jane, I'm going to remember every, single, last, detail of tonight at breakfast."
The words echoed through Jane. Maura had played her. Played her hard. She thought she should be at least a little outraged but Maura's lips were still resting against her ear and her thumb tracing circles at her waist made anything except pure, unadulterated want impossible.
Jane swallowed convulsively, the music pulsed, the dance now defined. She waited until Maura pulled back on her own, her face an illustration of need and yearning. Hazel eyes half shut, lips parted in wait, calling pure instinct to drive Jane before conscious decision.
Jane's lips triggered a virulent spiraling tension that Maura couldn't even attempt to control as it ripped through her. Her free hand sought and twisted through Jane's dark curls using the leverage to answer unspoken demands as the hand at Jane's waist clenched convulsively, nails lightly biting skin.
Their foreheads touched as they parted, breath still intermingled. Jane chuckled a little, asking a question that didn't need an answer "Now can we go home?"