Disclaimer: All recognizable Rizzoli & Isles characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners including, but not limited to Tess Gerritsen, Janet Tamaro and TNT. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this fan fiction story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No financial gain is associated with the publishing of this story. No copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Note: Does anyone know if it is possible to give individual chapters ratings or if you can only adjust the rating for the entire story as you go along? The rating for this chapter is teetering between T and M. But the next chapter won't be M. So, I'm at a loss as to what to do. I'm leaving the T rating for now, unless someone objects. Thank you all for hanging with me, for the follows, favorites and great reviews. -DKC

Slow and Steady – Chapter 8

It had been a terribly long week and the Boston Police Department was no closer to solving a grisly triple homicide that involved a suspect attached to the French consulate. Each of the detectives assigned the case were exhausted, but Detective Jane Rizzoli appeared to be losing grip. The lack of sleep, the stress and the anger had all taken a toll.

"Hey," Jane said, leaning against the door jam of Maura's office.

"Hi," Maura responded, looking up at her lanky friend and noting how tired she looked.

"You wanna get out of here?" Jane's tone revealed nothing of her intentions.

"God, yes," the doctor was out of her chair and gathering her things.

The two women walked to Maura's car in the parking garage without so much as a word between them. Neither glanced at the other. Jane got in the passenger seat and stared straight ahead as Maura got in and started the Prius.

"Do you want to stop and have a drink?" Maura asked.

"Could we just have a drink at your house?" Jane responded without looking at Maura.

"Sure."

Maura drove the car out of the parking garage and onto the streets of Boston. She maneuvered through traffic at a careful pace, something Jane usually found irritating. However, Jane was watching Maura watch the road and really didn't care how quickly they made it to Maura's house. When Maura glanced out the corner of her eye and saw Jane watching her closely, she took her right hand from the steering wheel and placed it over Jane's on the console. Maura's hand remained in that position until they arrived in her driveway and had to actually leave the car.

"Beer?" Maura asked as the two women walked into the doctor's house.

"Please," Jane answered, removing her boots and jacket.

"What would you like to eat?" Maura continued to the fridge.

"Not hungry," Jane answered, taking the beer that Maura was holding out to her.

"Jane, you need to eat," if anyone could talk Jane into taking care of herself it would be Maura.

The detective sat down at the kitchen island as Maura began rummaging through the fridge. She hadn't expected Jane to not put up a fight, but she was going to find something for them for dinner whether Jane agreed or not. The detective appeared lost in her own thoughts, maybe about the case, maybe about more personal things. Once Maura had pulled a few ingredients from the fridge, Jane found her eyes drawn to what she was doing. It didn't take long for Jane to stop watching Maura's cooking and start watching just Maura.

"Your eyes are on me," Maura stated matter-of-factly when she noticed how Jane couldn't tear her eyes away.

"Sorry," Jane mumbled, but hardly pulled her eyes away.

"I noticed you watching me in the lab this afternoon," Maura turned from the stove so she was looking directly at Jane.

Rather than attempt to apologize again, Jane stood and walked toward the recycling bin where she tossed the beer bottle she had already drained. The doctor turned down the stove, covered the pan and allowed their dinner to simmer.

"It's perfectly acceptable," the doctor quietly stated.

"Hmm?" the brunette was drawn closer to Jane by the softness of her statement.

"Watching me. You can," came a slightly more assertive response that was met with a chuckle from her friend.

"You make it sound like I'm a voyeur," Jane took two more steps toward Maura.

"I certainly didn't intend to. I just meant, well…" Maura was stumbling through her attempt at banter. Jane's progression toward her was making her heart beat faster.

"I like watching you," the detective confessed, huskily. She was now standing in front of Maura and had reached out her hand to brush Maura's hair back over her shoulder.

"It is…" Maura paused to catch her breath. "Intense."

Jane's hand that had brushed Maura's hair back was now under Maura's chin, tilting it upward. And then gently, as if she was afraid of breaking the smaller woman, Jane touched her lips to Maura's. Maura, on the other hand, was afraid of nothing and immediately deepened the kiss. Her hands tangled in Jane's hair as she pulled them closer together. The gentle way that Jane had approached kissing Maura went out the window when her friend responded the way she did. The detective's hands left Maura's face and hair and went to her hips where she was able to guide the doctor back toward the counter.

"Oh," Maura moaned as her back made contact with the counter. Jane reached her hand out to place over the faucet of the sink just to be sure Maura's shoulders wouldn't hit it as she leaned back further.

Jane's mouth left Maura's as she focused on the blonde's earlobe. The sensation was driving Maura wild. Not wanting it to stop or for their current activity to end in mere kissing, she brought her hands between them and began unbuttoning her own shirt. She wanted Jane's hands on her, hands she couldn't trust to make that leap alone. There was no need for detective work to understand what Maura wanted. Certain Maura's back and shoulders were safe against the counter, Jane brought her hands to Maura's bra-clad breasts, palming them and eliciting the most beautiful sound escape her friend's mouth.

"God, Jane," Maura gasped.

Looking up from Maura's chest and into Maura's eyes, she saw desire, passion and maybe even a touch of fear. It was the fear that worried Jane.

"Maur…" Jane hummed as she used her thumbs to circle around the nipples barely covered by the silk bra. "Best friends don't do this."

"Don't do what?" Maura panted in her enjoyment of Jane's hands on her.

"This," Jane growled, using her thumbs to grind into Maura's hard nipples.

"They don't?" Maura responded coyly.

"You joke? Of all the times to joke?" Jane smiled at both what Maura said and the vision before her.

Jane leaned forward, pressing her forehead against Maura's. Jane's hands grazed the sides of the beautiful breasts before her as they lowered to rest on curvy hips. Maura took a moment to catch her breath. She knew that the excitement was likely over for the evening, but she did not regret for a second opening her shirt to Jane.

"Can we go up to bed?" Jane asked.

"You really should eat something before going to sleep. I know you haven't been eating regularly," Maura answered, never letting go of Jane.

"Damn, here I thought I could get out of dinner and take you upstairs and have my way with you," the detective sarcastically quipped.

"You may have your way with me anytime you would like," the doctor whispered.

Jane let out a breath in an attempt to not groan at Maura's comment. Their foreheads parted and the detective gently kissed where she'd just been leaning her head. They both knew tonight wouldn't be the night Jane took Maura up on her offer, but they also knew that this dance they'd been doing would come to an end eventually and that end would likely result in precisely the offer Maura just made.

The only question was when.