Author's note: Okay, the Rese and Liam story at the end of this chapter is a bit longer than 600 words. Didn't know how to summarise it more. Splishy-splashy! Of course there is another twinned Get Together story.


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Shower (Rese and Liam IV, 846)

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In their hotel their ride up to their floor had been accompanied by an elder couple that had been smiling constantly and a young man. It had been extremely annoying. Due to the overcrowding Barbara had stood so close to her DI she could hear his breaths and smell the last fading wafts of his aftershave. Her mind had been working on high speed. She still had been aware of the pressure of his arm on her shoulders and had wondered how this evening will proceed.

They had come to their door, he had opened it and let her in, then Barbara had remembered that he had pointed out their early date the next day and she had come to the conclusion that her funny brain must have been on a wrong path once more and she should make her excuse.

"Well, good night, Sir. See you at breakfast."

And with a brief smile she had hastened to her room. Just good friends. she had reminded herself. Just. good. friends.

Tommy had not stopped her or asked for a nightcap. "Sleep well..." he had said nearly sighing.

He had poured himself a whisky and had waited, hoped in fact, that Barbara would come back to the main room but she did not. After a while he had left the beverage untouched on the coffee table and had gone to bed too.

You're only imagining things, old boy.


On their fourth day in Rome they had driven to this early appointment straight after breakfast. They had to meet a relative of "that woman". He seemed to definitely know who Lynley was, what happened between them and that he had been arrested in the aftermath of the event. He seemed not to be convinced of Lynley's innocence in that matter. Instead of sitting there and listen to that man speaking well of someone she fervently disliked Barbara would rather be somewhere else though she tried to look unimpressed and unaffected.

They had not learned anything new except that in the eyes of that young man the woman must have been an angel. Once outside his house Barbara immediately lit a cigarette. This whole affair strained her nerves.

"That woman was such an angel, wasn't she?" she mumbled disgusted with her eyes going down the road.

"Not at all." Tommy answered. Then he withdraw her cigarette and ground the butt under his heel.

"Ahem?!" Still feeling the touch of his hand against hers Barbara looked at him absolutely unable of a different answer. Her angry thought How can he dare! fought against the sweet sensations the contact of his hands had caused.

"You're smoking too much, Barbara." he smiled and appeared to go on with something but then he turned and opened the police car for her. He had intended to additionally tell her that smoking is unhealthy but then had put himself right. Don't patronise her! She'd know this fact...

After a short stop-over at the commissariato to find Montani off and after a short conversation with Montani's deputy Barbara collected the pile of files with hopefully more interesting informations and was brought back to the hotel. Lynley excused himself to run some personal matters. He wanted to meet a few businessmen for affairs with his estate. Lynley and Havers had agreed to meet later.


Back in the suite and alone Barbara made herself comfortable on the large sofa and with the TV playing in the background she started to scan the files. Meanwhile she was sure there was nothing new to find and nothing that would bring them closer to any solution for this bloody and not very much important loose end. Well, but if Hillier and Montani's superior think so, then so be it...

In the afternoon - Barbara had received her ordered tea and cookies and had just lit a cigarette - she got a call from Lynley.

"Havers..." she once more had not checked the caller ID and answered as usually, this time with half a cookie in her mouth.

"Hi, it's me. You sound bored!?"

"I am, Sir."

"You're at the hotel?"

"Mhm." She looked at the ceiling and failed at making a smoke ring.

"And you're smoking again. You know that it is not allowed-"

"Yah, know, Sir."

"And still you do it. Do you know what it will cost me when they decide to renovate the room just because you couldn't stop yourself from smoking? At least open the window, Barb."

Has he really called me Barb? Barbara choked and needed to cough.

"You see? Stop smoking." And he added a surprisingly very tender "Please."

"Yes, Dad." His voice made her nervous. She got up and killed the cigarette on the outer window sill.

"Anyway." He sighed. "I was wondering how you get along. Anything important?"

"Nah. All's boring, nothing new, no new whatever we are searching for." She flicked the cigarette out of the window.

"And don't flick the cigarette out of the window again."

"I would never. Dad." She glanced into the street outside. Is he watching me?! Or does he simply know me that well?

"Good girl." Tommy chuckled. "Sorry. Well then, I just wanted to tell you that it's going to be a little later today. The lawyer of- ah, you don't care about details, do you?"

"Correct." She took another bite of that cookie.

"I need one or two hours more and have three to eight more coffees with those people."

"Yeah, I could do with a little free time without you, Sir. Stay as long as you want. I have TV and air-condition. And the files. So everything is just fine."

"Sorry 'bout the files, Barbara. I thought I could repay and invite you? Today dinner at 8. Dress nicely. I'll pick you up." Tommy laughed a little bit uncertain to fill the following silence. Both had recognised it was exactly what Liam had written on the card in the bouquet for Therese after he had let her alone with the paperwork.

He actually has read that story! Then Barbara came to her senses and gave a nasty retort.

"You know, Sir, my clothes really don't fit into those posh restaurants you tend to choose. I've packed for a Sheffield wood tour, and I definitely haven't bought some fancy evening dress yesterday, so we may better opt for a pizza take away."

"Don't be silly. Even if you wear some muddy jeans, a thick woolen pullover and your Wellies you'd look nice." He paused. He imagined her dressed that way, walking the dog with him on the South West Coast Path near Nanrunnel and smiled. He swallowed and chickened out. "Oh, sorry, need to hang up. See you at eight."

Gods! he thought. How childish! I behave like a teenager.


He had disconnected and left a slightly baffled Barbara on the other side of the phone. She stared into her mobile and wondered if he really had said what she had heard, and if so - what the hell does that mean?!

After a time of simply staring out of the window she shook her head to get rid of these crazy thoughts and opened the laptop. She needed a distraction from her silly mind and opened some of the digital files. Against her better judgement she only read half of one and then directly opened the browser and that fan fiction site.

On the other side of the city Tommy stared at his mobile phone and called himself a bloody coward. In fact he had not needed to hang up, he just had pretended some kind of urgency though he momentarily was alone. His next appointment even was half an hour in the future. He could have spent parts of it talking with Barbara but now it was too late. When he had ended that call he simply had backed off when he had realised that he openly had called her pretty.

Well, or something like that. Which she actually is. What she probably hears too less. I could call her again and say that I really meant it. Yes, or I could stand up and shout at the next passerby that I am a bloody idiot.

Tommy shook his head and opened the browser on his smartphone.

Another story was released. Well, I could kill some time...


(X+)


MacKenzie and Gibson were off from Edinburgh once more and had a difficult day. After dinner they worked through files in the pub until it closed and they went upstairs.

In his room Liam immediately dragged her against his chest, invading her mouth.

Therese slipped the files. "Hmmmm..." she murmured appreciatively.


Some days ago he had confessed that he needed to stop their dance around each other. "This has been going on for too long now. Therese, look at me. Let's dance with each other." He had kissed her without resistance when he had pulled her into an embrace.

Since then there had been no time to deepen their encounter in any way.

"Sir, the files..."

"To hell with them, Rese. I want to -" He stopped and watched her. His desire had grown since their first kiss, it still grew and he knew she was feeling it growing now. Her eyes widened with a certain pleasure.

"I want to make love to you." Liam entered her mouth.

All his efforts to free her from her clothes were futile and her hands grabbed his in the end.

Liam groaned. "You cruel lass!"

"We need to read those files or have some sleep before we continue this investigation."

"I want to investigate you!" Liam whispered against her neck.

Therese sighed and closed her eyes. "God, yes... No! We have a job..."

"We always have!" he groused. "Tomorrow I simply want to get up tired!"

His lips met the sensitive spot behind her ear he had found would leave her helpless. It had been at a red light and must have been the hottest goodnight kiss the traffic surveillance ever had witnessed.

"Mmmmh!" she moaned but then stopped herself. "Not now!" Again she stilled his hands. "Stop! Liam, I have not waited all those years to have it off with you at a random hotel room door. No objections! Cool off!"

She had gone to her room and tried to sleep but after some minutes she sneaked across the corridor, back into his room.

Therese could hear the shower in his adjoining bathroom, took the handle, took a deep breath and entered.


A hand raked over his shoulder, fingers walked across his arm.

"Rese!" Liam croaked.

"I couldn't sleep, Liam..." Therese whispered. "Don't turn." She placed a kiss onto his shoulder.

In the most delicious way her hands traced out every muscle, every curve and every bone. Her lips caressed each moving muscle. She let the back of her fingers glide down his sides until she delicately moved her fingertips around and squeezed his upper thighs. She could hear his moan sounding through his chest.

"Therese!" he choked and could not help but turn. She turned too, making him melt under a seductive look.


Facing the fogged partition she felt his fingers tracing her back and the heat radiating from his body. While his hand slid across her skin he kissed her shoulder and licked the water from her neck. She pressed her flat hands onto the glass.

"William!" Her voice was throaty when she finally felt him pressing into her back. She closed her eyes. Liam heard another sharp intake of breath.

"That's me." he groaned and wiped the fog from the pane. "Open your eyes, Therese!"

Their eyes locked in the mirror on the opposite wall.

Without any shame both watched his hands move around her body. Therese closed her eyes and pulled herself together so as not to moan out loud in pleasure. His lips nibbled on her earlobe. One hand cupped her breast and the other finally slid between her legs.

"That's me." she hissed.

"Not in the doorframe." He kissed her shoulder and stroked her inner right thigh.

"Not on the bed." He dug his teeth into her neck and stroked her inner left thigh.

"Not on the carpet." His whisper made her shiver. His fingers slid across her wet centre.

"No." Her voice failed. "Right here."

Liam lifted her leg and pressed her chest slightly forward.

"Right now." Liam moaned.

Their eyes were locked in the mirror when he slid into her.


"Help me?" Her eyes widened when he guided her hand down.

She saw their bodies moving, saw him squeezing her breast, saw herself buckling with a shudder of lust. Never leaving the blurred sight of their bodies in the mirror Therese bent a little more forward. Liam could only bear one thing - either the sight or the feeling of them making love. He closed his eyes.

Therese arched her body and reached behind her. She could feel him still growing. She panted her pleasure onto the pane while a sensation rippled through her. The tiled walls echoed their synchronous moans.

In the mirror Therese could see the delighted concentration in his face.

In the mirror Liam could see the enchanted smile in her face.

Both felt the centering sensation reaching for the target. Then both let go. With locked eyes in the mirror, they both groaned themselves over the edge.


Tomorrow they would get up tired.


(+X)


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