Maura looked around the kitchen desperately for something to take her mind off the odd feeling that was still coursing through her veins but unfortunately she couldn't tear her eyes away from the strangely bewitching brunette. The chocolate eyes were looking at her so intently she felt as though she had x ray vision and Maura was utterly at her mercy. "Are-are you working nearby?" she focused on the woman's torso and the clothing she was wearing. It looked fairly cheaply made and quite 'standard' potentially a uniform of some sort.

Jane frowned and wondered what Maura was staring at, she looked down at her 'uniform' and bit her lip. "Um, yeah cleaning. House. House cleaning." Jane winced inwardly at the awkward jumble words that just seemed to fall out of her mouth, at that moment no one would ever have believed what she used to do for a job, undercover did not seem her strong point as she stood in front of the beautiful woman.

Maura nodded and sipped her lemonade, as she lifted her head to drink she narrowed her eyes at the brunette, the woman was far too stunning to simply be a house cleaner and she seemed so on edge. The brunette proved her suspicions when she began to shuffle her feet a little uncomfortably under her gaze and picked at her lip.

Jane could feel the white hot gaze from across the kitchen and avoided the gaze at all costs. This is dangerous Rizzoli, you need to get out, she can see straight through you. Jane downed the lemonade in one gulp and slammed the glass down on the side throwing Maura a fake cheery smile. "Thanks for the lemonade, I'd better get-ah!" Jane hissed as an intense stabbing pain shot across her forehead.

Maura watched as the woman went to make her escape but stopped with a gasp of pain and reached out to steady herself on the nearby bar stool. Her knuckles had turned white with the intensity she was gripping the chair with. She rushed over and lay her hand gently on top of the brunette's. "Sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia."

Jane winced in pain but managed to turn her head and stare at Maura like she had three heads. "Gesundheit."

Maura burst out laughing and couldn't hold back even as the brunette stared at her like she were mad. She eventually managed to calm her giggles as she helped the woman onto the bar stool and stroked a gentle hand across her forehead. "Brain freeze." Maura's eyes met the intense chocolate ones and her hand lingered as her heart beat quickened and she felt that peculiar fluttering sensation again.

"Right…" Jane could feel herself shaking, she was so close, she could feel Maura's breath tickling her face and the hand that was still lingering on her forehead felt like it was burning into her skin and yet she had no desire to remove it.

"It's to do with the rapid constriction and swelling of blood vessels." Maura was about to launch into one of her mini seminars that irritated her husband so much but she found upon opening her mouth that no other words were there to be found. The woman nodded as Maura lowered her hand and it made her brush the brunette's cheek which turned a rosy shade just as she felt her own mimic.

Jane cleared her throat and stood up too quickly, knocking the stool over backwards and sending it clattering to the floor. "Shit!" she picked the stool up and looked up to meet a slightly stern but mainly disappointed look on Maura's face. "I'm really sorry."

"That's quite all right, though I don't see the need for profanity."

Jane felt oddly guilty "I'm sorry." She was rewarded with a beaming smile and she returned it, that smile could make anything better.

Maura felt her spirits lift as the slightly crooked slightly goofy grin reappeared on the brunette's face. "I don't suppose you have some free time tomorrow do you, erm…" Maura floundered as she realised she didn't know the woman's name.

"Jane."

There was a moment of silence between the two women and Jane felt ice strike her heart. It had just fallen out of her mouth, why had she done that?


Only a short one today I'm afraid, have to go and be social with loved one's family :)

Next weekend there may not be an update due to Father's Day in the UK and seeing 2 little boys that mean the world to me but after that there will be more so watch this space!

Find me on social media - jdroxburgh or J. D. Roxburgh.

My debut novel 'Feral' is out now, available on Kindle, iTunes, Kobo, NOOK and more! Check out my website for all links.