Chapter Eleven
An Awkward Interruption

With the last threads of sleep still to clinging to her consciousness, Myka's hand snaked tentatively out across the sheets. When she encountered nothing save for an empty expanse of bed, her eyes snapped open. Her heart sank when she found herself alone in the room. Her hand rested amidst the indentations and creases created by Helena's body, but neither the woman herself nor her warmth lingered. With a sense of anxiety twisting her gut into knots, Myka rolled out of bed. She could only hope that Helena had not left the hotel room altogether.

I should have tried to get her talking more last night, Myka thought as she rummaged in her suitcase for a light sweater to ward against the slight chill in the air.

In truth they had spoken very little. Less than five minutes after Myka's brash declaration of love, Helena had fallen into a deep sleep. Given that Myka had already slept much of the day away, she lingered awake for some time. Although she felt slightly creepy watching the beautiful Englishwoman as she slept, she could hardly bring herself to look anywhere else. A few times she had lost her battle against the urge to reach out and trace the contours of her face with the pads of her fingers. She felt guilty as she marvelled at the softness of the other woman's skin beneath her touch, but it had earned her an unconscious smile from Helena. Sleep had eventually claimed her as well.

Myka glanced at the time and saw that it was already late afternoon. She more than a little mortified that she was wearing a t-shirt and pyjamas at such a late hour. So much for doing actual work today, she mused. She could only hope that Claudia had been more conscientious in doing her job. Perhaps we'll leave out the whole falling asleep next to H.G Wells aspect of things when I get in touch with the Warehouse, Myka mused guiltily. Although, falling asleep next to her was nothing short of…magical.

"Helena?" Myka's voice sounded somewhat tremulous as she entered the living area of the suite she shared with Pete. It was both hopeful and full of dread at the thought of finding Helena gone. She was initially nowhere in sight. "Helena?"

"Myka?" Helena emerged from where she had been lying on the sofa, obscured from Myka's view. A concerned frown creased her beautiful brow. "Are you alright?"

With a sigh of relief, Myka managed a small smile. "I am now. I thought you'd left."

Helena shook her head as she gracefully rose into a sit. "No, darling. I woke an hour ago and had difficulty going back to sleep…too many thoughts on my mind I suppose. I was worried my tossing and turning would wake you. You just looked so sweet while you were sleeping that I couldn't have that at all."

"Sweet?" Myka asked incredulously. "I was more than likely snoring with a small stream of drool trickling from the corner of my mouth. I've been told I'm not the prettiest sleeper." Oh shit, now she'll think I'm bringing up my exes. Change the subject quickly! "Tea?"

"Oh, I can fix us a cup," Helena offered quickly…a little too quickly.

"I'll make it." Myka made a motion with her hand to urge Helena to remain seated. Then she frowned when she realised just how eager Helena had been to make it. "Unless of course you don't trust an American to make your tea?"

The laugh that bubbled from Helena's lips was enough to make Myka slightly weak at the knees. Despite Myka's insistence, she rose to her feet. "No offense, Myka, but I have been on the receiving end of your tea on several occasions. The gesture itself is very lovely…the tea, not so much."

"I'll find us something to eat instead," Myka added, suddenly grateful that Helena was now standing and moving toward her.

The Englishwoman wore the same robe that she had slept in. Her usually perfectly groomed hair was mussed about her face as though she had done nothing more than drag her fingers through it a couple of times. Myka caught herself staring at the 'V' of pale skin that the robe did not conceal on Helena's chest. She ached to press her fingers there and confirm for herself that the skin was as soft as she suspected. It did not take much imagination at all to imagine the touch, and the subsequent movements. With Helena obviously naked beneath the robe, all she would have to do was slide her hand beneath the garment. Myka's cheeks burned as Helena slowly walked past her. Although they were still a foot apart, Myka thought she might as well have been pressed up against her given her body's fierce reaction. For a few brief moments she wondered if they were at the point in their fledgling relationship where she could simply claim the kiss she wanted so desperately. The other woman was so close that all she had to do was reach out and wrap an arm around her waist. That would have been enough to stop her in her tracks. Then, in some sort of dashing gesture, Myka could draw her close enough for a kiss.

You've kissed once, Myka told herself harshly. Twice if you count that colossal disaster in the courtyard. One and a half kisses does not make a relationship.

Her heartbeat fluttered strangely as Helena moved past her. She did not pluck up the courage to stop Helena in her tracks. Instead all she managed was a tentative jerk of her arm. The movement was not quite far enough for her fingers to brush against Helena's. However, at the last possible moment, a small motion from Helena closed the gap and their fingers met. It was the merest brush of skin, but the electricity that crackled in accompaniment was palpable. It lasted a mere second, but it was enough. Myka caught the delightful scent that accompanied her. When she followed Helena in the few footsteps to the kitchenette, she felt like she was on some sort of high. How the hell do you even know what being high feels like? She asked herself. You've never been high!

Myka rummaged in the fridge as Helena filled the kettle. Unfortunately all there was to eat was two day old pizza that had only escaped Pete's stomach because he didn't like the toppings Myka had chosen. She did not even consider the overpriced chocolate bars in the mini-bar, instead searching the few cupboards for the item she knew was hidden somewhere.

Helena frowned as Myka crouched down to be able to reach into the back of one of the cupboards. A few moments later there was a triumphant smile on her face and she withdrew a packet of chocolate cookies – or biscuits as they were commonly known in England.

"The Pete-stash!" she announced gleefully. However as she stood, she realised that Pete was not present to object to them stealing the biscuits. "Where is Pete?"

"Pete, the dear, dear fellow, has taken Cain to the pub for a good old fashioned pint of Guinness," Helena explained. Her expression became a little more sombre. "Cain was…let's just say he was not a happy chap when he turned up here looking for me."

The kettle finished boiling before Helena could elaborate on the reason for Cain's displeasure. Myka was left speculating uncomfortably as Helena suddenly became very industrious in an effort to hide her obvious discomfort.

With steaming cups of tea and Pete's chocolate biscuits in hand, Myka and Helena settled onto the sofa. Due to a combination of insecurity and nervous hesitation, they sat at opposite ends. Myka could only stare wistfully at the gorgeous Englishwoman as she reached for a biscuit.

For an awkward minute, the predominant sounds were the gentle slurps of hot tea and the attempts of two women to keep their biscuit crunching as quiet as possible. The repetitive noises were shattered when Myka misjudged the distance of her cup from her mouth. Hot tea splashed onto her lap and was accompanied by an undignified squawk. It did however result in Helena scooting a few inches closer in an effort to see if Myka was okay.

"I'm fine," Myka dabbed at the small stain rather ineffectively with the sleeve of her sweater. She wasn't about to let on to Helena that it had been due to her that she'd spilt the tea in the first place. Apparently staring at someone out of the corner of her eye and trying to drink hot tea was not a good combination. She glanced across and fumbled a smile in response to the sympathetic expression on Helena's face. "Really…it was just me being a total klutz."

Helena shifted slightly. She tucked her feet up on the sofa and bared a length of her lower leg in the process. Myka almost lost her next mouthful of tea.

"I am sorry for inviting myself into your bed last night," Helena began quietly.

Half a dozen answers competed for priority in Myka's head. The initial responses that popped unbidden into her addled mind went something along the lines of 'you can invite yourself into my bed anytime' or 'my bed is your bed.' Myka dismissed both as entirely inappropriate.

However she did actually have to say something…and fairly quickly before Helena interpreted her silence in the wrong way. "Um…don't be sorry," Myka fumbled for the words. I've been waiting to get you into my bed for months…only ideally we would have been naked – no, wrong response again! "You needed someone…I'm just really glad you decided that someone was me."

Helena smiled softly. "So am I." She nibbled at the biscuit in her hand half-heartedly for a few moments. She finally gave up being delicate and pushed the whole thing in her mouth. At least it gave her a chance to formulate her words. Several crumbs dropped onto her chest and she absently brushed them away, completely ignorant of Myka's boggle-eyed stare as she exposed even more of her skin in the process. "Myka…I have to apologise to you for something else as well. Two very important things happened last night, and I am scared that the one that I don't want to remember will overshadow the one I never want to forget."

"God...I am a terrible kisser," Myka groaned as she impetuously came to the conclusion that it was the kiss that Helena did not want to remember. "Helena, you don't owe me anything. The things I said yesterday-"

"Myka!" Helena's voice was still gentle, but she was resolute in her efforts to stop her babbling. As Myka clamped her mouth shut, she set her tea down and carefully manoeuvred her way across the sofa. Before Myka could spill her tea gain, she took the cup from her hand. With a bemused expression, she pressed both hands to Myka's cheeks. "Myka…darling, kissing you was the thing I don't want to forget."

"Maybe if you kiss me again now, you can remind yourself?" Myka suggested breathlessly. Oh god, I cannot believe I just said that – holy crap, she is kissing me! Woah, definitely kissing me…

It was brief but sweet. As Helena pulled away, her taste lingered on Myka's lips. She subconsciously licked them, savouring it for as long as possible before she had to speak. "What was the other thing?" she asked tentatively.

As Helena slumped back against the sofa, but still practically near enough to be in her arms, Myka watched the tortured play of emotions across her face. Myka's instincts of course had been running wild, as they had since the start of the case. She loathed Wilde and his lecherous manners, and she fully believed that he had somehow seduced Helena into sleeping with him. The mere thought of it was enough to make her feel sick to her stomach. She had long since come to the realisation that she didn't care if it helped them get the cache, all she cared about was Helena.

When Helena did not offer a reply, she spoke again, "You don't have to answer that." In fact, I'd prefer it if you didn't. The last thing I want to hear is whether that bastard wears briefs or boxers.

Helena shook her head stubbornly. "No, it's fine, Myka…I'm fine. I'm just angry at myself for jeopardising this whole case over something so trivial. Remember when I told you last night that Wilde had something important he wanted to tell me? Well, I found out what it was. Wilde has absolutely no intention of letting the cache go to auction."

Myka frowned at the revelation. "If that was never his intention…then why go to the effort of pretending that he was holding one in the first place? He established contact with his buyers, invited them to London. He informed them about the Cecil-Gibson cache for starters. Why even bother telling them he'd found it?"

"Because that's the type of individual he is," Helena was quick to reply. "He was parading the fact that he'd found the cache in front of his competitors. Yao, Izzo…Saskia Carmody, he wanted them to suffer with the knowledge of what he had in his possession, and to be teased with the prospect of owning it…only to snatch it out from beneath their noses. His plan is to keep the choicest pieces himself and sell the rest to smaller collectors. He saw me as a route to those collectors and wanted help with the whole arrangements – from initial meetings to negotiations." Helena sighed. "I was perfectly positioned until Wilde finally decided to act on the temptation that I've been parading in front of him. I thought that perhaps I could satisfy him with kisses before pleading tiredness or some such excuse, but unfortunately he was much too insistent for such pathetic attempts."

When Myka reached out to place a hand on Helena's shoulder, she found her trembling to the touch. "Helena," she whispered quietly. "Did W-Wilde…" Her voice quivered and trailed off altogether as she was unable to give voice to the rest of her question.

Helena's eyes widened slightly when she realised that Myka was crying due to the inferences in her words. She shook her head quickly. "Oh, Myka…sweetie, no, it's not what you're thinking!" She trailed gentle touches over the American's face, brushing the tears away before they could track down over her skin. "Trust me when I say that the bastard didn't even get close. When he refused to take his hand off my arse, I broke his wrist. He was howling in pain when I told him I would be leaving quietly in the morning and not returning."

"You…you broke Herodotus Wilde's wrist?" Myka asked incredulously. She felt an immediately flood of relief.

With swiftly reddening cheeks, Helena lowered her gaze. "Hence why I said I've jeopardised the entire case. Wilde will never readmit me into his confidence…we've lost our chance all because I was unable to do what was expected of me…like a stupid, foolish…imbecile!"

"Who the hell expected you to have to have sex with Wilde?" Myka demanded. "Cain? The Regents? Because Pete and I sure as hell didn't. That's not what you were there for, Helena, and to believe that you were…" Her expression fell. She shook her head slowly. "Helena, I'm so sorry."

"My dear girl, you don't understand. I've done it before. When we first met I kissed Pete without a thought in the world. It used to come easily, even sleeping with men or women to further my cause. I thought that I could do the same with Wilde, that I could shut my emotions off as I used to. Unfortunately I realised that I cannot…because of you Myka Bering. When I was with Wilde, all I could think about was the kiss we shared." Helena shifted on the sofa, turning away from Myka's intense gaze as she collected her thoughts. She drew in a deep breath before continuing. "I couldn't give anything to him…because everything I am, everything I will ever be, is yours."

"You broke that bastard's wrist," Myka repeated herself, deriving an odd amount of satisfaction from imagining Herodotus Wilde howling in pain. Although the thought felt good, she mostly said it to cover up the fact that she was struggling to find words to respond to Helena's admission. "I've loved you for months," she finally replied in all seriousness. "Not quite from the first moment I saw you because you did kiss Pete - and ewww by the way - but definitely from the moment you used your grappler to get us out of the path of that car. Even after everything with the attempt to wipe out civilisation, I couldn't bring myself to stop loving you. Then you ran away after we defeated Sykes, and I was so angry…Helena, look at me…please?" Helena turned, a sad smile on her face. "Tell me that we're not being incredibly foolish in all of this or do we actually have something?"

Helena swallowed awkwardly. "Myka…we have a case that I've just ruined-"

"I don't care about the damn case!" Myka interrupted. "I want you to answer my question."

The first answer she received (and indeed the only one she wanted) was when Helena leaned forward once again and kissed her. Their lips met in a soft, hesitant dance. Helena snaked the fingertips of one hand up over Myka's jaw and around the back of her neck. While her hand cupped the nape of her slender neck, her fingers threaded through her thick hair and massaged her scalp. A soft sigh escaped Myka's lips when the kiss ended. Helena drew back only the merest fraction.

When she spoke, her lips continued to brush against the other woman's. "I love you, Myka. We may both be fools…but I want this, more than anything."

A soft laugh escaped Myka's lips before she resumed the kiss. Wilde had a broken wrist and she was in the arms of Helena G. Wells – it seemed as though everything was right with the world. There was the small matter of the Cecil-Gibson cache, but all thoughts relating to work were swiftly banished when Helena intensified the pressure of her kiss. Myka found herself forced backwards against the sofa beneath the delightful weight of Helena's body. When her thigh inadvertently pressed against the apex of her legs, Myka was unable to stifle the gasp that followed.

"Did I hurt you?" Helena asked, her brows furrowed in concern.

Myka shook her head quickly. "Nope, just really…sensitive," she replied in a slightly shrill voice.

"Sensitive?" Helena arched an eyebrow in mock suspicion. "Myka Bering, if I didn't know better I would say that you were having improper thoughts about me."

Whilst her eyebrows shot upwards, Myka tried to stammer out a reply. "I wouldn't know how to have such thoughts! Just because I saw you in that damn red dress…" Who'd have ever thought that she was such a wretched tease! Are you kidding, Bering. This is everything you've ever wanted…besides the fact that you're both fully clothed. "Oh…bollocks!" Myka finally spluttered, realising that she was well and truly whipped. She kissed Helena deeply, forcing her tongue into the other woman's mouth. When they pulled apart, they were both left gasping for much needed air. "I've been having improper thoughts about you for months."

With a deliciously evil grin, Helena drove her thigh gently against Myka's sex in a gentle, insistent rhythm. The other woman's eyes closed and a hiss of air escaped through her clenched teeth.

"Helena!"

Myka would have given herself over to the movement completely if not for the nagging thought at the back of her mind that Pete and Cain could return to the suite at any moment. Her fantasies about having sex with Helena did not include her best friend and another man walking in on the in the act.

Unless I've interpreted this completely the wrong way and Helena doesn't intend to go all the way.

Myka was in the midst of wondering how the incident with Wilde would affect Helena when she suddenly felt fingers moving hard against her sex. Although her pyjamas and underwear separated their skin, it was more than enough to draw an extended moan from the back of her throat.

"Oh god," Myka gasped. Helena's intentions had clearly been made known. Shit, I have work I'm supposed to be doing. She thrust her hips forward in an effort to find the friction she needed. "Helena…please, take me to bed?" Myka pleaded desperately. She knew that if she waited even a few more minutes she would not want Helena to stop long enough to move the short distance in her room.

"It would be my utmost pleasure, Miss Bering," Helena replied in a sultry voice.

Somehow they both made it through into Myka's room. As they tumbled down together onto the bed, Myka had to suppress the awful thought that she had spent most of the day in bed and in her pyjamas. She did draw a great deal of consolation from the fact that she would not be in her pyjamas for much longer if she remained in the rapacious grasp of Helena Wells.

As they kissed in a kneeling position, Helena struggled to find a way to draw Myka's upper layers off without losing the contact. It soon became comical as the sweater and t-shirt were inched upwards with Myka doing most of the manoeuvring. Myka soon realised that Helena's own garment merely needed a swift tug at the tie before it could be pushed from her slender shoulders. At the moment that she reached out and grasped it, her sweater became stuck over her head with one arm still trapped. Helena was still kissing her as she felt the tie come free. The awkward movements caused both of them to lose their balance, they toppled downwards amidst a flurry of laughter and a tangle of limbs. When her clothes were finally tugged off altogether, Myka found herself lying atop Helena's naked body. The robe was pooled quite uselessly beneath her. The position was both heavenly and altogether frightening at the same time. Myka tried to adjust to the whirlwind of physical sensations that were shooting throughout her body. Helena's exceptionally gorgeous tits were squashed against her own and it was now her thigh that nestled between Helena's. Lying on her back, the Englishwoman stared up at her with dark, almost black eyes that were clearly glazed with hunger.

"Helena…" Myka desperately wanted to be able to satisfy her needs in every way possible. "I don't know anything about having sex with a woman," she admitted nervously.

Helena reached up and stroked her cheek. "Neither do I…but I do know a thing or two about making love to a woman."

If it was even possible, Myka felt her cheeks grow warmer at the soft, sensual words. "Can you show me?" she whispered.

"It would be my pleasure, Miss Bering," Helena repeated her earlier words in a whisper of her own.

Myka felt a shiver run through her entire body as Helena swiftly reversed their positions. Her dark eyes spoke volumes – they were full of promise and emotion. She knelt above Myka and hooked her thumbs beneath the band of her pyjamas and underwear. Myka nodded in answer to the unspoken question and Helena began drawing them slowly downwards. She lifted her hips upwards so the clothing could slide over her arse, feeling another thrill at the suggestive movement.

Once the layer of fabric was stripped away, Helena laid down beside Myka. They were close, but not so close that Myka could not study every inch of the other woman's body. Although she was exceedingly nervous, her heart hammered away in her chest out of desire rather than anxiety. When Helena reached out to pick up her hand, Myka marvelled at the way in which their fingers entwined almost perfectly. Even the light strokes along her fingers and the back of her hand felt sensual. Eventually Helena brought their both hands against her breast, pressing Myka's against the tender flesh and encouraging her to mould it beneath the palm of her hand.

"You're absolutely beautiful," Myka whispered, her eyes stinging slightly with unshed tears. "I never imagined…"

"I know," Helena answered even though Myka had not voiced a question. "I feel the same way."

Myka delighted in hearing the slight gasp that escaped from Helena's lips when she teased her nipple between her thumb and forefinger. Her other hand started to trace a meandering path along Helena's skin – the flat planes of her stomach, her flanks and the delightful curves of her arse. Using her grip, she drew Helena toward her. With both hands kneading at different areas of flesh, Myka sought out Helena's lips. The kiss was far more passionate than their first endeavours, especially when Myka felt Helena's arms encircle her body. Entwined together, they moved back and forth across the bed – neither caring who was up or down, top or bottom. All they wanted was to explore as much of each other as possible. When Myka teased Helena by dragging her fingers over the coarse hair between her legs, she was rewarded with a gasp and an insistent thrusting motion. Growing bolder, Myka delved lower with one finger. She uttered a gasp of her own when she felt just how wet Helena was.

"Fuck," Myka breathed. "Helena…"

"I don't need to teach you a bloody thing." Helena laughed softly before pressing her lips against Myka's neck. She had to stifle a cry into her hair when the finger began moving gently against her clit.

On the bedside table, Myka's Farnsworth suddenly began to beep insistently. At first neither woman heard the little device. Myka was intent on working her finger against Helena, while the Englishwoman had her head forced back hard against the pillow behind her. Her hips rocked against the palm of Myka's hand and her breathing had settled into a hoarse rhythm.

The Farnsworth continued to beep.

When it finally registered, Myka groaned in disgust. Her first instinct was to ignore it, but technically they were both working. There's no technically about it, Bering, you are both working. "Worst timing ever," she mumbled, slowly her strokes reluctantly.

Helena lay flushed and panting beneath her. Clearly she ought to have been the most annoyed by the interruption. "You need to answer it, darling," she said, reaching across to pluck the Farnsworth from the table.

"Yeah, I do," Myka acknowledged with a grunt of disgust. With her left hand, she accepted the device from Helena and settled back against the bed. She purposefully tilted the screen so that only her head would show on the tiny screen.

Claudia's beaming face popped up when she flipped the device open. "Helloooo, Myka!"

"Hey, Clauds." Myka tried to fix an innocent smile on her face when she saw the young hacker. "Did we have any leads on our buddy Francis?"

"Woah, straight into the work talk! What's up with that? I haven't spoken to you since that two-second conversation last night and you're trying to go straight to the work talk? Disappointing." Claudia shook her head. "Do you not even want to find out how we're doing? How Artie has been driving me up the wall without you or Pete to distract him."

Myka sighed. "I'm sorry. How are you guys?"

"We're all fine – but that's boring, how's London?" Claudia quickly changed the subject.

"London's...good," Myka replied in a tight voice.

Claudia grinned. "And how's the lovely H.G Wells?"

For a few awful moments Myka thought perhaps that Pete had told Claudia everything. Then she remembered that it had been the surprisingly insightful hacker who had picked up on the attraction in the first instance. The suggestive expression on her cute face brought intense warmth to Myka's cheeks. Claudia had no idea that Helena's naked body was stretched out languorously on the bed beside her.

"Helena is good," Myka replied in a tight voice. "She's gathered some useful intel on Wilde's intentions regarding Cecil-Gibson's cache – namely that he doesn't intend to sell it at auction." Although Myka steered the conversation back to work, as she spoke, she struggled to maintain a business-like demeanour. Helena was absently stroking her own naked flank. She did not realise the effect her simple action was having on Myka. "Did you manage to find out anything?"

"You are so boring!" Claudia protested. "Okay, okay...so Acton Cecil-Gibson and Francis Cecil-Gibson? Not brothers...they're the same person. While our dude Acton was working for the Warehouse he was totally moonlighting as a professor of Ancient History at Oxford...cos that's totally what you do when you moonlight, go from one nerdy job to another nerdy job. Anyway, Wilde's interest in Oxford is what I would concentrate on. During the original search for the cache I'm not sure how they missed it as a possible location...I guess because they didn't have Google. So I think you should totally go up to Oxford-"

"And start where?" Helena suddenly added. "Oxford is bloody huge-"

She froze with an expression of abject horror on her face when she realised what she had done. Myka flashed her an awkward look before facing Claudia's incredulous expression. The hacker was beaming broadly.

"Myka...what the hell is Helena doing in your bed?" Claudia asked. "Oh and hi, H.G!"

"Hello, darling," Helena replied, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"We're not in bed-" Myka started to protest.

"Duh, I can see the freakin' pillows behind you!" Claudia added, and when Myka turned to look over her shoulder the Farnsworth inadvertently slipped down a little too far. Claudia's eyebrows shot so high they almost disappeared into her hairline. "And holy crap, you're freakin' naked!"

Myka tried to tug the sheet all the way up her naked body. So much for being discreet! "Okay, Clauds, very nice work on the whole Cecil-Gibson thing. We'll see what we can do from here, you see if you can narrow down the Oxford angle any further – we want locations, not a whole campus. And yeah...we should get going!"

"Yeah, because you guys are obviously working so hard," Claudia said, she was unable to suppress her laughter. "I'll catch up with you both in the morning...your morning. And Myka? Totally nice tits by the way."

"Bye, Claudia," Myka replied through gritted teeth.

She snapped the Farnsworth shut and flopped back down on the pillows. For several moments she lay staring up at the roof as her face returned to a normal temperature.

"That was awkward," she eventually whispered. When she turned over to look at Helena, the Englishwoman had a smile that was just as broad as Claudia's. "What?"

"That was adorable," was her unexpected response. "You're adorable."

Myka scoffed. "I am not adorable, take that back Helena Wells!"

"No," Helena said succinctly.

Myka returned the Farnsworth to her bedside table none too carefully. She turned her attention to the recalcitrant woman lying in her bed and pounced, pinning her arms back against the pillow. Although she toyed with the idea of arguing until she elicited the response she wanted, she could not bring herself to waste any more time.

"We've got a lot of work to do," Myka said softly.

"We do," Helena agreed.

Myka reached out and brushed a strand of hair out of Helena's face. "Is it selfish of me to want this first?"

"No." Helena shook her head. "But then again, I am utterly biased. Kiss me...please?"

"You don't need to ask twice."

Helena had not woken to a feeling of such satisfaction for a very long time - not since before her Christina died. The first sight she saw when she opened her eyes was the sleeping face of Myka Bering. Despite what she had said earlier that day about Myka being 'sweet' while she was sleeping, the real picture was entirely the opposite. The other woman was lying on her back with her mouth open and soft snores emerging. Actually, it was quite sweet. Helena resisted the temptation to reach out and touch her, especially when she remembered the rest of their evening. While Myka had confessed not to know anything about the intricacies of sleeping with another woman, she was an incredibly fast learner. When Helena remembered the magic that she had performed with her tongue, fresh waves of desire surged throughout her body. She remembered dragging her fingers through Myka's hair as she worked between her legs.

Oh good lord! No, Helena old girl, you are not waking her up just for round two...hmmm, actually it would be more like round five, but you're still not waking her up!

Instead she eased herself from the bed and dragged the robe on in case Pete and Cain were in the living area. The suite was silent when she emerged from the room. However she paused for a moment and heard the train-like sounds of Pete snoring from his own room. Obviously Cain had returned to the Marriott. En route to the bathroom, Helena paused to rummage through her handbag. While she was actually looking for her lip balm, her fingers closed on the mobile phone she had been issued to keep up her cover. She frowned at the small device for a few moments before remembering how to use it. There were several messages from Cain, all of which she ignored. However there was another from a number that she did not recognise.

I think you and I need to meet. I know a way we can both get what we want. SC

Saskia Carmody. Helena could not remember giving the red-haired woman her number, but the whatever she had to say intrigued her. A part of her was unnerved that Saskia somehow knew the real purpose of her involvement with Wilde. However whatever the woman knew, Helena could not afford to ignore her - certainly not after she had sabotaged her relationship with Wilde and jeopardised the case.

It took her some minutes to work out how to send a message, but she managed to work the tiny buttons. Obviously Saskia was still awake, as the reply came through almost as soon as she was finished in the bathroom.

Tomorrow, l'Absinthe, Primrose Hill, 11.30am

When Helena returned to bed, Myka was half-awake. She murmured something incomprehensible before she snuggled into the warmth of Helena's body.

"We're going to solve this case, my darling. I promise," Helena whispered as she deposited a kiss on her lover's forehead. What kind of game are you playing, Miss Carmody?

A/N: This story is unfortunately ON HIATUS until further notice.