"So, I could come down to Oxford, get it all set up in the lab for you" Iain's voice was low and suggestive as he spoke. He looked at Laura, they were walking through the grounds of Stone Edge House hotel. It was late afternoon, almost early evening and with the morning cave expedition and the afternoon teambuilding seminar over; Laura had found herself in the gardens of Stone Edge House, accompanied by Iain.

It had been pouring down all afternoon but the rain had slowed from torrential to a miserable drizzle which had then fizzled out, leaving a sky of silvery grey and white cloud. A pale sun gilded the clouds and for a while it felt a little warmer and Laura had gone into the gardens for some fresh air after the afternoon seminar.

Laura enjoyed looking at gardens and planting schemes and the college gardens of Oxford were often a peaceful refuge for her in between shifts and the artificial brightness of the lab. She loved to garden and was knowledgeable on plants but she didn't get much time to tend to her own garden as much as she would have liked. Nonetheless, she loved her garden back in Oxford and found herself inspired by other gardens, especially larger ones. She had been idly studying the planting on the borders of the extensive lawn in front of the house when Iain had joined her. His appearance hadn't been unexpected. She'd found him gazing at her throughout the seminar, he had been sitting opposite her on the large round conference table. For the most part, she had returned his gaze. Throughout the caving expedition he had kept close to her also, offering his hand if she had needed it in the pitch black of the caves. She had found his grip lingering a little longer than was necessary and this she took as a clear signal that Iain had more in mind than just friends following their re-acquaintance.

They walked for a while on the pale paths that led through the extensive gardens, their shoes crunching on the fine cinders underfoot. The air became cool again and Laura felt herself shiver, it felt like it might rain again. Laura dodged a puddle on the path and Iain moved a little closer to her as she did so and she was aware of the warmth from his body as his arm brushed up against hers. She didn't move away from him and Iain noticed this.

Iain had been talking to Laura about the software he used in the forensic lab in Edinburgh. It had been the premise of their dinner the night before and Laura knew he had seized on it; it had become an unspoken point of reference to what might or might not evolve between them.

"So what do you think? How about I come down next week maybe?" Iain asked her, his arm pushing against hers as he spoke. Again, she didn't move away from the deliberate pressure of his movement. She looked at him, knowing he was testing the waters, seeing how she might react to his invitation that was so much more than an offer to set up a software system.

"I think I can manage, Iain. Thank you all the same" she said, wondering how far he would pursue things, and ultimately pursue her. She pursed her lips at him, smirking slightly, sending him a visual signal that explained that she knew perfectly well that he was finding reasons to elicit a future rendezvous.

"I know, I know" he said with a charming and slightly sheepish smile "I know you're more than capable. I just want an excuse to see you again, Doc, after this week." He used the affectionate nickname with a deliberate low tone in his voice.

"And why would you want to do that?" Laura asked, eyebrows raised pertinently which accompanied a soft but slightly challenging smirk that conveyed to Iain that she was receptive to his advances but that she was well aware that he was indeed trying to forward something between them both.

Iain stopped walking and Laura came to a halt as he did so, he turned to her, his face taking on a serious cast.

"Because I've realised that I threw so much away, all those years ago, when we were young - and let's face it, naive. And now my marriage to Charlotte has ended, well, it makes my foolish mistakes feel even more painful."

"I'm not a consolation prize, Iain" she said, frowning slightly "And if I recall, you didn't seem too bothered at the time"

"I know, and you're right. And that's why I just want another chance. You look just as beautiful, if not more so than you did all those years ago, Laura." Iain looked over to the lawn, Laura saw a pained look on his face, one that she recognised; she knew it so well. She looked down to her feet on the path, feeling herself blush a little at his words. The gravel was wet from the rain and the borders of late spring and early summer flowers were hung with a pearly dampness. Over the lawn swallows swooped and skimmed the surface of the grass collecting insects before rising off up into the grey sky that was now tumbled with dark clouds.

"Listen, forget about the software, but let me come and see you in Oxford, after this week." Iain's tone now had a little more urgency in it, a little more persistence.

Laura felt her heart thud at his suggestion, despite his self-centered laments for past errors. It was suddenly so easy to remember the past; the good times flooded her head.

"I know you remember how good we were together" Iain said as if reading her mind

"I remember how badly you treated me" she found herself saying, despite the recollections of their shared passion

"And I regret it all so much, Laura. I should never have let you go. I lost you back then and I realised that the moment I saw you again" He stepped closer to her. Laura shivered a little; a chilly breeze gave her goosebumps and she wished she'd put her jacket on. There was a distant rumble of thunder and Laura felt a spot of rain on her forehead.

Iain reached forward and took her hand.

With a sigh that she tried to keep to herself, Laura looked down at her hand in Iain's. Her fingers felt cold; Iain's hand was much bigger than hers and she suddenly felt oddly vulnerable. Earlier in the day she had decided to return any advances from him. But now, suddenly when she was presented with the very real possibility of those advances, she unexpectedly wasn't so self-assured with her feelings. Something at the back of her mind sounded a warning, she felt her stomach lurch a little either from nerves or from something else; what exactly she couldn't be sure, but as she looked back up at Iain, her current senses began to staunch out the distant warning she felt, the sensation of which she was still aware of.

"Iain, I don't think this is a good idea" She started to say, still feeling the unease that had descended on her but also yielding to a sense that it was also fading with each passing second and, as Iain caressed her hand and memories began to flood into Laura's head, he leant forward, grasped her arms and pulled her towards him before kissing her, full on the lips.

And, before she had time to think, out of the sheer immediacy of the moment, and then, almost by reflex, she found herself kissing him back.

AN: Hello folks, I hope you are all well. Making progress with my currently busy work schedule has meant I can write a little. Hope it continues as we are getting to the good bits in this story now. Thanks again for your readership and comments, I'm delighted that you're sticking with me on this tale. Fingers crossed I can write the next chapter sooner than later.

ML x