John tipped his head back, enjoying the sun until something blocked the light. He cracked his eye open and groaned as Mary took the seat opposite him. "My holiday's not over yet."

"But your time to make a decision is up." She tapped her watch. "Yes or no."

"Right now?"

"You've had almost a month."

"Yes, almost a month." John held up a finger, flipping his legs down on the sun chair to sit facing Mary. "I've still got two weeks and I planned to enjoy them hassle free. No distractions or interruptions."

"Then you don't call all the action you've been getting lately a distraction?" Mary let her mouth curve up into a bit of a smirk that only made John huff.

"Don't be jealous that I'm dating a lovely girl and you're not."

"I don't date women, as a rule." Mary tapped the table between them. "Are you in or out, Mr. Bates?"

John waved her off, "Talk to Henry. He's the decision maker of our duo."

"It's funny you say that since Mr. Talbot wanted me to confirm with you." Mary reached into her bag and withdrew a thin tablet, handing it over to John. "Sign this and, two weeks from now, you report to Sector Seven."

"Not sure if I'm ready for the elite division." John took the tablet, reading the contents carefully. "It's a big step up."

"After you put away your ex-wife and Mr. Carlisle we felt it was time you joined a squad ready to match your talents."

"Did you now?" John read the contract one last time and then traced his finger over the line at the bottom. "Well, you own my soul now so I guess we'll see just how elite I am."

"Thank you." Mary took the tablet back, tucking it into her bag and standing. "Just, do me a favor and don't overexert yourself over the next two weeks. I'd hate to bench you before you even started because you got a little over ambitious with your girlfriend."

"Not sure she's technically my girlfriend." John shrugged, "I've not asked her officially and I don't think I've got a jacket to give her."

"I'm sure when you go on as many dates as the two of you do, it's something that you are." Mary shook her head at him, "What kind of generation was yours that you can't tell you're obviously dating?"

"One where we said everything out loud. I'd rather not assume anything." John narrowed his eyes, "Although I am a bit disturbed that the cars I've noticed following me were actually yours and not just the same car a dozen tourists rented."

"We wanted to keep an eye on you."

"Why?"

Mary sat back down, her bag on her lap. "I'm sure you're aware that we've not been idle with our newest prisoners."

"I would've thought waterboarding beneath you."

"Ha, ha." Mary scowled, "Your ex-wife wasn't very talkative at first but then our interrogator slipped your name into the mix and she couldn't stop herself."

"She give you a load of shit about our marriage?"

"She gave me enough to write your autobiography… in a way that would have me sued for libel." Mary shuddered, "She hates you in a way I don't think I've ever seen from anyone before."

"We didn't have a great relationship once I realized where her true loyalties lie… While she laid other people."

"I would've thought you went to University for literature and not maths with something like that." Mary flexed her jaw, "She did make some accusations as to your involvement in her more criminal activities."

"Hence the tail?"

Mary nodded, "Had to be sure. You never know these days and my boss wasn't going to take the chance you might've been earning a bit on the side."

John snorted, "I'm sure you've investigated enough to see my flat in London, to know that I don't have one and still live in my mother's spare room, and this is the nicest holiday I've had in two decades so you make your own decisions about the likelihood that I've been slicing off a piece of that pie."

"I think your file says you don't even like pie."

"I don't."

"Then we've solved that problem right there." Mary gave a little laugh. "I was actually rather impressed by how much she gave us, in the end."

"What was the deal?"

"Minimum security instead of execution for treason." Mary tapped the table between them. "Just to be clear, you're not a traitor to your country and you've not been working with her."

"I guess me clotheslining her on that dock wasn't much of an indicator."

"Some people go a long way to selling a story." Mary huffed, "But Carlisle never corroborated anything about you except to complain how you were always on his ass about something or other. Mostly I think he was just upset by your dogged persistence in trying to end his drug smuggling ring."

"Did you ever find out who the other two men were?"

"They have… I hesitate to say 'loose' connections to some larger organized crime units but they've got their fingers in a few pies."

"Pies you want me to investigate?"

"I'm actually not going to be assigning you any projects so I've no idea what you'll be doing when you work for us." Mary narrowed her eyes at John. "Is that what you want? To globe trot as you track all these people down?"

"No." John shook his head and leaned slightly around Mary. "I've got other plans that might require me to take a more… stationary position."

"That won't fly with Sector Seven."

"But I could make it work." John waved a hand, standing from the table. "I'm done with auditing people from hither to yon and living at my mother's. I need to create some stability for myself. To actually decide to be an adult."

"That sounds very domestic." Mary turned over her shoulder and smiled. "And I understand why."

"Just don't-"

"You'll like the cover I've chosen for this." Mary stood, "Anna!"

John blinked as the two women embraced. "You two…"

"Mary's one of my oldest friends." Anna hugged her tighter a moment before pulling back to take in the sight of her. "Matthew's been treating you right then?"

"Better than. He's actually suggested we go visit my grandmother in America on our next holiday." Mary turned back to John, her arm around Anna's shoulders. "Bates, you should've told me you were dating Anna."

"I didn't…" John coughed, "I wasn't sure I could call her my girlfriend yet and I didn't want to assume anything."

"You two work together then?"

"I'm consulting on the audit he finished and doing the wrap up work." Mary grabbed her bag, kissing Anna's cheek. "I'm actually going to run for another meeting but it was so lovely to see you."

"If you're here for much longer we should get lunch." Anna half-turned, pointing down the street. "I've got this café just over there that-"

"I'm actually on the first plane out tomorrow morning." Mary cringed, "But in any other circumstance I'll arrange it when I'm back in York. When do you finish at Leeds anyway?"

"Finally scheduled my presentation and I'm defending in October." Anna flashed a smile at John. "Dr. Hughes thinks I could get offered a position there starting in January so I'm crossing my fingers."

"I'll cross all of mine too." Mary extended her hand to John. "Again, so sorry I interrupted your holiday. I know it was a last-minute thing and-"

"Not to worry. We've got it all settled and everyone can sleep a bit easier now." John shook her hand. "I'm just glad they've got you on the case. No one'll wrap it all up better."

"It's why they pay me the big bucks, as they say." Mary waved at them both. "Enjoy the rest of your afternoon."

John rubbed his hands over his trousers and then faced Anna. "I'm sorry about all that, with the-"

"Sorry about it?"

"She suggested that you're my girlfriend and I feel that it's a bit…"

"Early?"

"Presumptuous." John chewed the inside of his cheek. "I'd like to think that but we've only been going on dates for two weeks and it seems a bit fast but-"

"I think," Anna took John's hands in hers. "It's not fast at all."

"Really?"

"I'll assume, since I've not asked, that you're over thirty and I'm dangerously close to it." Anna shrugged, "People in our position of life, despite the fact we're not 'old' yet, need to get a move on if they're planning on doing anything."

"So you're alright with the idea of being my girlfriend even though we've basically just met and we're on holiday and-"

"You're on holiday, I'm working."

"Fair enough." John grinned, offering her his arm and setting to stroll away from the café. "How was work, by the way?"

"It's going well I think." Anna shrugged, "What do you really know about the minds of students at Uni?"

"I don't think I even had a mind at Uni, not really." John whistled, "I did meet my wife there so I guess that's evidence enough."

"Try not to be so unkind to yourself."

"Why not?"

"We all make mistakes."

"Pretty sure your mistakes didn't cost you ten years and more money than they were worth to divorce."

"No," Anna nodded, tugging John toward the beach. "But I've never been married so I'm not sure that counts."

"Okay then," John took her hand, swinging it between them. "What is your most embarrassing mistake, don't be shy now."

"How can I be? You've seen me naked."

John cringed as a mother with two children near them glared and tried to cover the ears of one child. "Perhaps not something to mention in public."

"Please," Anna shot the woman a look to match the scowl. "If I had a ring on my finger and so did you everyone would know, if not think about directly, the fact that we've had sex."

"But there's no ring on your finger."

"And we don't live in a per-liberated world." Anna found a spot on the sand and tugged John down to sit next to her. "My most embarrassing moment, to date, was… Probably the time I helped Mary sneak out of a guy's dorm before the monitor caught us."

"What?"

Anna nodded, "It was at Uni, obviously, and Mary and I were roommates. We weren't… I wouldn't say we were close, in our first term, but we got a bit closer in the second. The kind of close where they'll help you get to Tesco to pick up something but you wouldn't have them meet your parents kind of thing."

"Important distinction."

"Yeah." Anna bit her lip, "Well one night I was studying late because I had a biology exam the next day and I get this call. It's Mary and she's whispering like she's hiding in a closet, and begs me to go over to this boys' hall."

"Because she was 'studying'?"

"I think that was the original intention. See," Anna shifted on the sand to face John. "She was taking this ancient cultures class and there was a boy in it, very attractive, who happened to be from Turkey and she was struggling with Post-Roman architecture and he volunteered to help her."

"I'm sure that's exactly what he wanted to do."

"I don't know how much studying actually got done but he apparently got a bit handsy and she smashed his hand with the textbook to get him to behave."

John clicked his teeth, "Sends a message."

"Unfortunately for her, he thought that meant she was…" Anna shuddered, "A 'firecracker' or something."

"Disgusting."

"Right?" Anna shook herself and continued. "So Mary then goes to get away and he comes after her. Unbeknownst to him, both of us met in a martial arts class and she was good."

John snorted, "I'll bet she was."

"Whatever he tried she countered with this open-palm strike that landed right above his heart." Anna took a second, "She actually killed him for a second."

"What?"

Anna nodded, "He had a heart condition she didn't know about and the hit stopped his heart for a second."

"She killed a man?"

"Only for a second." Anna waved it off. "He went to his knees and then hit the floor and his heart restarted itself, which was lucky."

"I'll say."

"But then Mary's in this super awkward position so she grabs her things and gets the hell out of there."

"And did what?"

"Well it was late, she's locked in this boys' hall, and there's a monitor checking the rooms." Anna shook her head, "She literally called me from a custodial closet to have me help get her out of there before she got caught."

"What would've happened?"

"Nothing serious but Mary had a perfect record and she didn't want her father to know anything about it."

"Why?"

"Robert Crawley would've killed that man for attempting to touch his daughter and he wouldn't have come back after that." Anna leaned back on her arms. "So there I was, booking it across campus, and helping guide her to a window I could jimmy open so she could sneak out while trying not to be caught by campus security on the prowl for predators."

"I'd imagine you make a rather terrifying predator."

Anna shoved at John's arm, "I'm pretty daring when I want to be."

"I'll bet." He smiled at her, "I would've thought there'd be a bit more to the story but I'll take that as embarrassing."

"More for her than me but I've led a pretty quiet life myself." Anna leaned back farther so her legs spread out in front of her. "What about you?"

"Besides by divorce?"

"Besides that."

"There was…" John adjusted onto his left side, lying longways next to Anna. "There was this time, at a conference, we were all standing in line to meet someone important and I made an ass of myself."

"Who was it?"

John took his turn to shrug, "I don't remember. Some stuffed shirt with a title or something and not nearly as many brains as names."

"Governmental review then?"

"Something like that." John flexed his jaw, "Anyway, I had this coworker at the time who didn't like me. She was friends with this other bloke who figured I stole his promotion and she was sore about it on his behalf."

"Loyalist then?"

"Very." John sighed, "I was coming off a surgery and so I had this cane and I leaned on it pretty heavily as we're all waiting in line to shake the wanker's hand."

"The stuffed shirt?"

"Right." John rubbed his hand along his leg. "So there we are, in line on parade, and I go to adjust my cane slightly. She's standing right next to me and the next thing I know I'm on my face eating dirt."

"Horrible."

"Not as horrible as the fact a hundred eyes are now looking at you and your boss is mortified that anything about this visit didn't go precisely according to plan." John sucked the inside of his cheek. "I could never confirm she actually did it but the withering look she gave me when I went to stand… I could've killed all the weeds in my mother's garden with that kind of expression."

"Maybe if you ask nicely she'll give you a bottle of it."

John leveled a finger at her, "I didn't expect you to take the mickey."

"Sorry," Anna tried to make her face serious, "I just thought you'd hate it if I tried to give you pity."

"True." John conceded and then looked over the beach. "Sometimes I wish we could find a private beach."

"Why, don't like fighting for a spot on the sand?"

"Not really but that's not why I had the thought." John faced her. "I'd really like to kiss you right now and I think having all these people around might make it a bit… public."

"Not one for public displays of affection?"

"Not really." John reached out a finger to trace a bit of hair on her face. "I don't like the idea of sharing how I feel with you with the world."

"Don't want anyone to know?"

"Don't want anyone to share." John lay on his back, "Why do we never bring towels when we come here?"

"I don't think we plan it very well." Anna lay next to him, holding his fingers. "I've got something to ask you that I don't know how to make not sound…"

"Awkward?"

"Imposing." Anna raised herself onto her side over him. "Why do we never do it at yours?"

"What?"

"Whenever we have sex, we're always at my flat." Anna shifted to settled her hands on his chest and her chin on them. "Why never at yours?"

"You want to test out my bed?"

"I'd like an evening where I don't feel we're competing with the neighbors."

John snorted and nodded, "I understand that. I've started to drown them out though since we can all tell they're not nearly as good as we are."

Anna poked his arm. "That's not the point."

"Your point is that you feel I'm leaving you out of a great opportunity to have sex without anyone to hear us."

"Yes."

"One problem with that." John raised a finger of his other hand. "My landlady lives below us and we'd become the annoying upstairs neighbors."

"I could be quiet."

John laughed out loud. "We've never been quiet."

"Never had a reason to be before."

"That begin said," John managed to get his laughter under control. "I think it'd be rude of me to ask that."

"Why?"

"You've got your work. I'm on holiday so your convenience is all that matters to me." John tipped up, his lips barely brushing hers. "I didn't want to put you in a position where you'd be in a rush to get going in the morning."

"We've got the weekend since tomorrow is Friday." Anna shrugged, "It could be like a getaway without going anywhere."

"Like renting out a room in a city just to be somewhere else for a bit?"

"Exactly like that." Anna bit at her lip, "Not that we won't get other opportunities but-"

"I'd like to invite you, Ms. Smith," John sat up, taking Anna's hands in his. "To spend the weekend at your own private villa with me."

"You are too sweet."

"It's what I can do for you." John took a deep breath, "Until then though, I should probably drop you safely at your door and kiss you goodnight before take your whole weekend."

"Will I be able to move at the end of the weekend?"

"That's up to you. I'm just the facilitator." John stood and helped Anna to her feet. "Give me a list of what you want and I'll see that it gets taken care of."

"You're going to spoil me."

"I can't wait to spoil you." John interlaced their fingers and they walked back to her flat. "I am curious, what happens to us in two weeks."

"How'd you mean?"

"You were talking to Mary earlier about her being in York and you've still got to finish at Leeds so…" John shrugged, "I wouldn't want to think this is anything beyond what it is but we're…"

"We're moving in a direction, aren't we?" Anna dragged her thumb along the skin of his hand as they stood in the little patio area of her flat. "We've made so decisions with our lives that would make it rather impossible for us to just drop everything for one another."

"It's what the kids call, 'adulting' I think."

Anna snickered, "That's exactly what it's called. Why do you pretend you don't know exactly what you're talking about?"

"I'd hate to assume." John drew them closer together. "Where do you want this to go?"

"Right now? Inside where I can kiss you senseless."

"Much as I'll enjoy that," John nipped at her lips for a moment in demonstration, "I mean beyond this holiday…"

"We've still got another two weeks of it for you."

"But you've got two more months after that." John mimicked her earlier action and dragged his thumb along her hand. "I don't want this to be like all of those movies where people meet, fall in love, and then decide that they should move on without one another just to spend the last act of the movie tossing away their lives for the dream version they built of the other person."

"I hate those."

"Exactly."

"But," Anna stepped toward him until they were practically touching. "I think you're suggesting that you are in a bit more than 'like' with me."

"Maybe." John bit at his lip. "I can't exactly what it is because to assume more than like is presumptuous and to think less is insulting, to both of us."

"Like that awkward stage between a handshake and a hug?"

"Exactly." John shrugged, "I don't want to go into the next two weeks like they're our last on earth but I also don't want any false promises or hopes hanging over our heads."

"What do you propose?"

"That we accept we'll spend a lot of time together over the next two weeks, that I'll go back to England and miss you terribly, and then that you'll come back to England and we'll see what we can do about the craziness that will be adulting while trying out a relationship."

"You are my boyfriend, after all." Anna grinned and tugged him toward the door. "So come on, show me what the next two weeks'll be like."

"I'm already giving you an all-expenses-paid three-night, two-day in-town holiday." John frowned as Anna hurried to unlock the door. "In any other circumstance I'd call this ingratitude."

"If it's gratitude you want." Anna closed the door, flipping the lock and pushing John back to land heavily on the sofa. "Then allow me to demonstrate my gratitude, Mr. Bates."

"I wasn't-" John went to speak but Anna put her finger over his lips as she leaned over him.

"Now's not the time for talking." She took her finger back and smoothed her hand to the back of his next to hold there as she leaned forward to whisper in his ear. "Now's the time for enjoying."

John's mouth could not close but it could not fully open either. He sat in stunned silence as Anna opened his shirt and laid kisses over his chest. When he went to touch her, Anna pushed his hands away and shook her head.

"Not this time."

He could only nod dumbly as Anna pushed off his thighs, standing in front of him as she drew her shirt over her head. It landed on the chair and John could only watch in rapture as Anna stripped for him. With the fading light of sunset setting the flat aglow with oranges and reds, they dyed her skin in deep shades that sent shivers over John. It was like watching fire before him and when he left only her bra and knickers on to kneel in front of him, John obediently spread his legs.

Her hands caressed and shaped him, tracing lines only she understood over his skin. Every touch was no more than an exploratory motion but each one had John shivering and sighing into the comforting relaxation of her hands. The kind of calm his ever-on-guard nerves could not process and so gave up trying just to enjoy her careful motions.

The pile of fabric on the chair increased when his shirt landed to wrinkle on the top there. And he barely noticed the clink of his belt or the pull of his zipper until Anna tugged near his knees to free his legs from their confines. It took a herculean effort to lift his hips and struggle against the material encasing him but Anna freed John until he sat naked on her sofa.

"Not sure what you'll tell the people who get this place next."

"I won't tell them anything." She wrapped a hand around him. "I'll just clean up and hope no one ever asks any questions."

John hissed at the squeeze of her fingers and clawed his into the sofa cushions. "That's daring of you."

"I don't plan on leaving a mess." Anna let her fingers ease off him, dragging over his skin toward his hips and stroking there. "Do you?"

John had no response for her as Anna bent and swallowed him. His knuckles went white in the dying light of the room and he clenched his jaw so hard he was sure he cracked his jaw. All because the woman between his legs dragged her teeth over him and then flirted her tongue into the slit at his tip.

He could have cried then. Would have continued crying when her hands massaged the skin of his thighs before taking it as their solemn duty to not only fondle his sack within an inch of his sanity but also aid in the tight clutch of her mouth at his base. Every pull of her mouth matched the hold and release of her hand until John could no more stop his bucking and jerking hips than he could the setting sun… much as he endeavored to try.

Right as he was about to lose every bit of his sanity, Anna pulled back. She added one final lick, tracing the pulsing vein on the underside of his highly sensitive and excruciatingly hard shaft, and sat back. John struggled to breath, the constriction in his chest from the loss of blood to all nonvital functions making him almost miss the next part. But when he comprehended her motions in removing her knickers and bra, it was a miracle he did not ruin her entire living room.

But Anna exercised efficiency and sank down on him in a single go. John gritted his teeth to keep himself from coming just at the sensations of her clinging walls around him or the tight wetness almost matched by her mouth. And when he thought he could handle it, Anna leaned forward to whisper in his ear.

"I told you, I'm very good with suction."

John groaned into her shoulder and held her waist tight as he ground against her. He finally touched her, all self-control long since evaporated, and could no longer restrain himself. It evolved into a race for the finish as he practically bucked at her to try and thrust as deeper as possible inside her. Anna proved herself a deft rider and managed to control her motions in return, despite his frenzy, and came with him in a rush.

His head rested on her shoulder, the heat from his expelled breaths warming the skin between them. "You are beyond wonderful."

"Because I give good head?" Anna teased and then gasped as John ground against her again.

"You're generous," He slipped out of her, laying her back on the sofa to spread her hair over the arm of it and her legs on either side of his. "And you're exceedingly careful."

"I didn't feel like biting you today." Anna tried to tease but gasped out as John ran a finger over her. "And you're worth spoiling."

"So are you." John lowered his mouth to kiss hers. "If I may?"

"By all means." Anna's arms wrapped over his neck and pulled him down to her lips as they embraced.

John shifted between her legs, his hands moving over her body to touch reverently at her breasts, and ran himself along her soaking folds. Anna whimpered against his mouth and John broke the kiss to trace his lips down her skin. The familiar patterns and ripples of her muscles and bone beneath skin enthralled him until he reached her breasts. There he feasted.

Anna's fingers delved into his hair, holding tightly and shifting against him to try and press herself more firmly to him. Her back arched when he sucked at one nipple and she cried out when he repeated the action on her other. When he added his hands to the mix it set her into a series of half-words and incoherent sounds that did nothing but arouse John further.

He kept his eye on the prize, continuing lower while his hands persisted in their delicate massage of Anna's breasts, and wrapped his lips around her clit to suck gently there. Anna's legs kicked against him but John barely grunted at the impact of her knee into his side when he could wrap his tongue around her clit and continue learning its every curvature with his mouth. Eventually his hands stopped at her breasts but Anna did not seem to mind when they pressed between her weeping folds to find the place inside her that had her crying out.

They drown out whatever vain attempts the upstairs neighbors had for competition that night and John brought Anna over the edge with a shriek that practically rattled the windows. Less than a minute later he was inside her. One of his hands held her thigh and pulled her leg up to sink deeper as he sawed in and out of her, pressing her into the sofa to ensure each movement of his pelvis brushed enough friction at her clit to have her approaching the end again.

Anna clawed at him, fingers raking over his shoulders and digging into his scalp to hold him steady with each tilt of her hips. John returned his lips to her breasts and left her writhing under him until she forced his head back up. Their lips came together when she did and John followed soon after as the aftershocks of his body finally settled to barely a quiver.

It took a careful twist to extricate themselves enough to have John on his back and Anna resting over him but that was almost too much. They stayed holding one another, his fingers idling over her arm, and hers on his chest. Eventually only their deep breathing was left in the room.