Maura leaned back in to kiss Jane again, and it had to be illegal for Maura's lips to be that soft and sweet, had to be illegal for her to be so welcoming to Jane's touch, had to be illegal for her to feel this good against Jane's fingertips, against her mouth. Maura pulled back and smiled at Jane, visible in the light from the hallway runners, eyes shining at Jane, whose breath caught at the look in Maura's eyes.

Jane felt Maura's hand flex against her back, felt Maura's thumb run against one of her ribs. She shivered a little, caught off guard, and completely helpless in Maura's hands, in Maura's bed. Jane could outrun most of the other cops in the precinct, could outshoot and cuff most of them too, on routine practice days, but here in Maura's bed she was completely disarmed, completely at Maura's mercy.

"Uh, was that ok?" Jane asked. "It's just... I kind of wanted to do that for a while and uh... It seemed like... maybe you wanted me to?"

"It was more than ok," Maura said, still catching her breath. "I try not to kiss anyone I'm not dating, but there's a case to be made that we're kind of dating."

Jane huffed. She was worried one of them would regret this in the morning, that they would blame it on the heat - as though it was the heat that had Jane so wound up, not Maura's lithe, toned body that she'd had her eyes and hands all over all evening. But part of her was sure that this was the only opportunity she'd have, and she'd spent so much time wondering what Maura would feel like against her that she really wanted to solve that mystery. And skeptical though she was, there was a case to be made that they were kind of dating - the way Maura was always the person Jane extended her plus one to, the way Maura invited her to all the galas and events she had, the way they spent every possible moment together, waking or otherwise. And while Jane had considered giving a same-sex relationship - or a same-sex quickie - a test run, she'd never found anyone that drew her in quite like Doctor Isles, never found anyone that could override the nonsensical thought that she'd be cheating on Maura if she slept with them.

"If we were dating, you would've asked me over instead of letting me beg," Jane pointed out.

"How else would I have gotten rid of all those sweaty policemen though?" Maura asked seriously.

"I told you, I would have done it for free," Jane reminded her. She stroked hair away from Maura's face, watching her pale face in the dim light. "I'd do anything for you," Jane whispered, voice cracking. "You know that." Jane pressed a soft, closed mouth kiss to the edge of Maura's jaw, moving into the hollow of her throat and back up to her chin, back to her mouth.

Maura had never been kissed so thoroughly and carefully. Jane's lips were intoxicating, as was her proximity. Jane rolled onto her side to face her, and her hands wandered Maura's mostly bared torso with such reverence that Maura struggled to breathe. She hadn't been sure what she was doing; the heat had been getting to her as well. She'd been throwing out hints for months now, and Jane begging to come over after Maura had repeatedly specified that she would be nude seemed like a sign that Jane had noticed and accepted her challenge. Like Jane's hands brushing against her as they ate together on the couch from the same tub of ice-cream - a recipe for oral-borne disease, but Maura was prepared to kiss Jane later so what did it matter if they exchanged mouth bacteria early - was a prelude to what Maura had been anticipating. But then Jane didn't want to come to bed, and Maura was a little hurt and confused. If Jane hadn't come with her the second time she'd asked, she wouldn't have had the courage to try again. But now Jane's mouth was nuzzling against her neck and Maura was melting against her, her hand still caught inside the back of Jane's shirt. She pulled it out to move Jane's hair out of their faces, to touch those glorious cheekbones, that strong jaw, wrapping around the back of Jane's neck to hold her closer. Maura rolled onto her back, pulling Jane with her, pulling Jane on top of her. Jane went with it, propping herself on her elbows so she could kiss Maura again.

"You don't kiss people you're not dating, huh?" Jane asked, her eyebrows challenging Maura. Maura's hands skimmed across Jane's shoulders and down her back, resting on Jane's hips and pulling her closer, then pausing.

"I don't think I can - I don't think I can have a one-night stand with you. If you do just want a experiment, I'd rather - I'd rather stop now," Maura said, her hands despite themselves running up to brush against Jane's vertebra, mentally cataloguing the tension and the position of the disks, fingers subconsciously rubbing at the knots she found. "I didn't think this through. It's the heat. I always think things through." Maura looked upset, so Jane rolled onto her side, one of her hands wandering Maura's bicep.

"I told you. I'm not attracted to other women. Just..." Jane swallowed, still not quite sure enough of herself to say it out loud. "It's just you, Maura. And yeah, I've never dated another woman before, but like you said, we were already kinda dating so..." Jane found one of Maura's hands and brought it up to her face to kiss the palm, which she then placed over her racing heart. "I know you like scientific, tangible evidence," Jane said. "Kiss me."

Maura hesitated, her earlier bravado gone. Jane waited patiently; patience was unusual for her with anyone but Maura. Maura rolled onto her side again and scrutinised Jane's face, open, eyes wide to watch Maura, the warm expression on her face when she looked at an upset Maura, like Maura's feelings affected her too. Maura hesitated, pausing as she leaned in, pausing again before bringing her lips against Jane's slowly, Jane's hand still covering Maura's on her chest. Jane's mouth opened to Maura's, and Maura could feel how Jane's heartbeat sped up beneath her palm, felt how Jane twisted to press against her again. Tangible evidence of Jane's attraction. But physical, sexual attraction was common with a lot of intimate types of physical contact, and it didn't necessarily mean that Jane was romantically attracted to Maura at all.

And Maura so badly wanted Jane to want her like that, so badly wanted Jane to want her for more than her body. She wanted Jane to love her, as fully and completely as Maura loved Jane.

"God, how could anyone not want to kiss you?" Jane asked against Maura's mouth. "How did I wait so long?" Jane's hand tightened on Maura's. "I thought you wanted to get to second?" Jane moved her hand away from Maura's, so hers could settle on Maura's waist again, slipping down to rub her thumb over the bare protrusion of Maura's hip.

Maura sank into the kiss further, Jane's heartbeat under her hand letting her know Jane was enjoying this, feeling some of her anxiety fade away. She let her hand skim across Jane's chest, let her hand wrap around a part of Jane she'd wanted to touch for so long. Jane always looked so much flatter at work or when they were working out, her sports bras compressing her breast tissue, but unrestrained they were more than a handful, surprisingly soft, Jane's sharp inhale letting Maura know her touch was welcome, the hard nipple pressing into her hand letting her know that Jane was still enjoying this on a physical level. Jane moaned into Maura's mouth, and Maura hummed contentedly back into Jane's mouth.

They hadn't done anything they couldn't take back, Maura told herself as Jane's fingers ran across her ribcage, making their way up. But it was only fair that Maura let Jane touch her too. Part of her wanted to stop, to let her brain catch up, to ask Jane if it was just a physical attraction, just a long slump without a sexual partner, or if she wanted more from Maura, if she wanted Maura. It was too hot to think.

But then Jane's hands found Maura's breasts, and Maura forgot how to think entirely. Jane's heartbeat sped up yet again, and her enthusiasm encouraged Maura, who was unused to asking for more from the people in her life.

"I need -" Maura started. "I need to know that you -"

Jane pulled back and looked at Maura inquisitively, picking up on her concern.

"It's not a one-time crazy heatwave thing," Jane reassured her. "I'd never... I'd never..." Jane kissed Maura's temple, pulled her close. "I'd never just... I wouldn't have a one night stand with you. I'm with you. I'm here with you. I'm scared too. You're the most important person in my life. If you wake up tomorrow and you regret it... Mau... Jesus. If you want to just be friends tomorrow..." Jane pulled away. "If you decided that you don't want to even be my friend..."

"I..."

"So what are we doing?" Jane asked, her fingers circling Maura's nipple through the thin fabric, hypnotised by the motions of her own hand.

"We're," Maura paused for a breath, very aware of the effect that husky voice had on her, combined with the touch of Jane's fingers - fingers she would have said she was familiar with - had her lost for words.

"Do you want us to be dating? Is that what you've been trying to ask?" Jane asked, stilling her fingers, perhaps aware of what she was doing to Maura's cerebral cortex. "You said you only kiss people you're dating, but you kissed me." Jane scrutinised Maura's face in the darkness, let her lips drag lazily across Maura's open mouth, across her cheeks. "I thought, God, I thought I was going to be ok with only ever doing this once, but honestly, Mau," Jane's voice dropped, low and conspiratorial. "I don't think I could be ok with never touching you like this again, and if that means not doing this now, because we're technically not dating by whatever metric you gauge that against in that big wonderful brain, then..." Jane shifted slightly, and Maura could feel the heat coming off from her. Jane touched Maura's face tenderly. "Then I can press pause until we sort out the semantics. Just... let me know what I need to do."

Jane felt Maura sigh next to her, felt her relax, felt the moisture on her face from wanting something for so long, the pressure releasing as she let go of something she'd carried for too long. Jane bundled Maura into her arms, holding her close, as outside rain started to fall.


Note: A few comments on continuing had this pop out, it won't be getting more explicit than this.