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'You know, don't you?'

'Yes.'

Hanssen ignored the feeling of disappointment as Serena pushed him away from her and remembered the real reason for his actions instead as he tried to get his breathing back under control.

'Then what the bloody hell are you playing at?' Serena demanded, standing with her hands on her hips now that she had put some distance between them.

'What am I playing at?' Hanssen retorted. 'It's you who are playing games Ms Campbell!'

'What?' she asked rudely.

'You and Nurse Carter.' He said in a calmer tone. 'I know you have been… up to something. I am not a fool Ms Campbell, I did realise your behaviour was out of the ordinary.'

Serena stood speechless. She had been in the wrong and she knew it but that didn't mean she wasn't still furious at having being played by Hanssen.

'Whatever I or Nurse Carter might have been up to, it didn't give you the right to corner me like that!' she hissed.

'I didn't corner you!' Hanssen objected.

'Oh really? Backing me up against the cupboards like that and… and…' Serena was breathless as she tried to gather her thoughts.

'You could have moved away.' Hanssen cut in. Now that he thought about it, perhaps he had been in the wrong. But he really had not considered that she might have felt under duress.

Serena saw him falter and the uncertainty in his eyes. She could win this, she knew she could. She could have him on his knees. But she didn't have the heart to. She sighed and sat down at the table.

'Did you really feel cornered?' Hanssen asked worriedly.

Serena gave him a sideways look. 'No.' she shook her head and sighed again. 'When did you figure it out?' she asked with a smile.

'AAU.' He replied and quietly sat opposite her.

'She'll never win any awards for subtlety, Mary-Claire.' Serena said with a chuckle.

'What I can't figure out is the purpose of what you were trying to do.' Hanssen said.

Serena shrugged. 'Beating the boredom of a quiet nightshift.'

'But… what were you supposed to achieve?'

Serena smiled. 'How far was I going to go in other words?'

Hanssen nodded slightly, suddenly feeling embarrassed.

'To be honest, I don't think we gave the judging process enough thought.'

'Judging process?' Hanssen asked, eyebrows raised.

'Mo Effanga was to judge whether or not I'd achieved my aim.' Serena explained.

'And that was?'

Serena bit her lip in contemplation of how to explain it to him.

'Well, in a way, I was actually defending you.' She said, suddenly.'

Hanssen raised a sceptical eyebrow.

'Did you know that there are rumours that you've… never…' she tilted her head, 'been with…a…' she couldn't believe she was saying this to his face, 'woman. Intimately.'

The shock on his face was evident. Of all the rumours he had ever heard about himself, this one actually shocked him.

'Some people think you're too – frigid. Reserved. Repressed even. To engage in… sexual… uh relationships.'

Hanssen could feel his face getting warm. Was that how people really saw him? Being thought of as scary he could cope with. Cold, emotionless, manipulative… the list went on so why did it bother him so much that people thought he was a virgin? Not even that, that people thought him incapable of lust, incapable of sexual desire.

'I don't agree, obviously!' Serena said. 'Especially not after…' she muttered. 'Well, anyway, long story short – the point was to see if I could get you to respond to my flirting.'

'Respond?'

'Yea. Get you a little hot under the collar so to speak.' She smiled nervously. She couldn't tell if he was angry or not, he had a slightly glazed expression.

'Right.' He said, lost in thought.

'I suppose we could say that it worked!' Serena said brightly.

Hanssen gave her a withering look.

'You did respond!'

'To try and get you to confess what you were up to.' He said.

This time Serena looked sceptical. 'You could have asked.'

Hanssen looked down at his hands on the table. He knew he was on shaky ground with that argument. In hindsight, it hadn't been his best plan of action ever.

'I chose to play you at your own game.' He admitted. 'Perhaps unwisely.' He added.

'I've played worse games.' Serena said almost to herself as she remembered the feeling of his lips brushing hers.

The same memory was running through Hanssen's mind and the feeling of disappointment returned that things had been cut short.

'What now?' Serena asked.

Hanssen shrugged and then a thought occurred to him. 'Do you wish to lay a complaint? I understand if…'

'Complaint?' Serena cut him off.

'I know you started it but I'm the one who pushed it further.' He said. 'I shouldn't have laid a hand on you.' He said apologetically. 'I should not have kissed you, I am sorry.'

'Well that's a first. No one's ever apologised for kissing me before.' Serena said in surprise.

'Yes, well I am sure normally you are only kissed by men you want to be kissed by.' He said.

'Did it seem like I didn't want to be kissed by you?' Serena asked.

Hanssen looked at her in confusion. Even Serena was confused by her question. Serena's phone beeped and she took it out of her pocket, glad of the distraction.

HOW GOES MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: THE PASSION OF THE SWEDE? LOL

It was a text from Mo. Serena sighed.

'Do you want me to summon Nurse Carter and Ms Effanga for an official bollocking or can I receive the verbal spanking on behalf of the three of us?' she asked him.

Hanssen raised an eyebrow at her choice of words.

'I presume you are not going to let this go without at least a lecture on professional conduct.' Serena continued.

'That would be rather like the pot calling the kettle black coming from me in this instance.' Hanssen observed. After some contemplation. 'How far were you going to go? To prove that I was capable of….' He didn't finish the sentence.

'Ironically I'd said I wouldn't snog you.' Serena grinned.

'You don't stick to even your own rules then.' Hanssen said in amusement.

Another text arrived on Serena's phone. From Mary-Claire this time, with a similar query to Mo.

'Is that them?' he asked. Serena nodded. 'What was to happen if you succeeded in rousing my interest and I become overwhelmed with lust for you?' he asked dryly.

'Ah, that's where our lack of forward planning failed us I'm afraid and it's the very thought that entered my head when you…' she smiled. 'I thought – oh great it's worked – now what?' Serena grinned.

Hanssen chuckled. 'Perhaps we shouldn't call a halt to this game just yet.'

Serena gave him a curious look. 'What are you up to?'

Hanssen just smiled enigmatically.