A/N: It's entirely possible that I have spent too much time listening to the Hurts song, Stay. Hope this isn't terrible.

Thirty-Eight

When Nikki left the Lyell Centre, it was raining again. By the time she reached home, it was a torrent, drenching her as she ran the short distance from her car to the front door of her block. Even that was enough to chill her to the bone, and once she got in she stood inside her front door, shivering.

She knew wasn't just the cold. She couldn't make sense of that moment in the locker room. One minute she'd been angry, the next...

She could still feel Harry's skin, under her palms, soft from his shower, and there had been a look in his eyes...

Nikki sucked in a ragged breath and clenched her fists. She wouldn't do this again. There had been a time, a few years ago, when the thought of Harry Cunningham had turned her inside out. But nothing had come of it – nothing had ever come of it – and it had gone on too long and meant both too much and too little. And now there was Saul.

Nikki stared across her hallway into the mirror that hung there. Saul. Saul, who said he loved her and whose strong hands thrilled in their gentleness. But, just now, just for a split second, there had been Harry-

Nikki pushed the thought away and took a deep breath. She was cold and out of sorts, and a hot bath would help. She went to the bathroom and ran water as hot as she could bear into the tub, watching the room fill with steam and trying to blank her mind.

The soak helped. As she lay there, letting the water soothe her, she could see the darkening night through the window. It was still raining, and wind lashed against the glass.

Gradually, as Nikki had known it would, the hot water returned her equilibrium. By the time she had dried herself and pulled on a robe, she was fine again, and she had a plan. What she needed was to see Saul. This thing with Harry was nothing. It never had been. It was two work colleagues teasing each other, alleviating the pressures of their job. It couldn't ever be more. And she wanted more, before life passed her by completely. Why shouldn't that come from Saul? What were the chances of her meeting someone better?

She was reaching for the phone when a knock sounded at her door. Nikki went to it, frowning. Her neighbour must have left the street door on the latch again. She opened it a fraction.

"Harry? What-"

"Let me in," he said.

She opened the door wider, their earlier friction forgotten in the face of his appearance. "You're soaked!" she said, "What on earth happened?"

Harry pushed past her, shutting the door. His shirt and jeans were drenched, sticking to his skin, his hair and face dripping wet.

"Harry-"

"Don't say anything," he said, hoarsely, as he stepped closer, so quickly that in a second he was right inside her space. "Nikki, please - don't say anything."

He touched his hands to her hips, and she gasped as the cold of his fingers instantly burned through the thin fabric of her robe. Harry pulled her against him, his icy lips finding hers, the contrasting heat of his mouth sharply erotic as kissed her. Nikki, stunned, parted her lips and the kiss grew deeper. She felt something in her chest, a thunderbolt building as Harry's hands moved from her waist. He slid one arm around her, pulling her flush against him, running his other hand up her back, over the silky material of her robe and into her hair. There was no space left between them even to breathe, and Nikki pressed her hands against his shoulders, but not even she knew if she was pushing him away or pulling him close. His body against hers was lean and hard, as he held her against him, the icy rain soaking down to her hot skin. She felt her nipples harden at the sensation, every nerve ending sparking at once. The thunderbolt exploded, spinning down into her core, turning her to jelly. Feeling her quiver, Harry pushed her backwards, gently, until she was pressed against the wall.

His lips left hers, but only to trail heat along her jawbone and down on to her neck. Nikki leaned her head back against the wall, trying to catch her breath, trying to think, but his mouth was so hot… so-

The phone rang. She jumped, but Harry held her fast.

"Don't answer it," he whispered, against her ear, before kissing her again.

"Harry-"

"Don't. Answer. It."

She was breathless. "It's Saul," she managed. "It's Saul."

He kissed her again as the phone rang on, but the spell was broken. She pushed against his shoulders.

"Harry-"

He pulled back, still pressing her against the wall. Nikki struggled for breath as he cupped her face in both hands. He went to kiss her again, but she turned her head away.

"Don't," she said. "Please. Don't."

Harry froze for a second. The phone rang on, loud in the sudden silence of her flat. Then he backed away, still staring at her. A moment later, he turned on his heel, opened the door, and was gone.

Nikki stayed where she was, shaking, her hands flattened against the wall.

The phone stopped ringing.

[TBC]