Detective Inspector Makepeace was rather pensive the next morning as she looked at the pile of paperwork in front of her. Last night had been a shock, it had been a huge shock, I mean she never lost control like that. She'd been so easy, one kiss that had sent her hormones crazy and the next thing she'd been in bed with the bloody Yank and she still had no idea where her knickers had disappeared too, she'd searched for them after he'd left.

Of course, Dempsey was his usual irrepressible self and seemed quite comfortable in her kitchen making breakfast like it was the most natural thing in the world whereas she'd been totally knocked off centre. Being told she rocked in bed wasn't their normal breakfast conversation and it annoyed her how he seemed to think it was all perfectly natural. Probably because he was used to seducing women and sharing their breakfast.

Her phone rang and she picked it up automatically.

'Hey tiger, I'm missing you already,' Dempsey had a grin on his face because he could imagine he'd got Harry in a tailspin. She'd been thoroughly out of her comfort zone this morning.

'Oh, shut up Dempsey, you're enjoying this aren't you,' she hissed at him.

'That's not very nice, Masters ain't gonna take a no if he thinks you've bounced me out of your life.'

'What is it that you want Chief Inspector,' she asked sorely tried, she just needed some peace and quiet to get her head together.

'Well, it's like this honey, I'd like to take you for dinner cos I'm pretty sure you don't normally have sex on a first date so I owe you,' his warm tones, fell on unreceptive ears.

'Absolutely not, I need to process the situation, whatever happened last night…. Well, I'm not actually sure how that happened,' she tried to sound cool and calm but was aware that it didn't seem to be coming out quite right and sounded vaguely like she was panicking.

'Last night was so hot, I mean supernova hot, if I'd known you'd be like that you'd've never shaken me off. You're great in the sack, better than I ever imagined and baby, I imagined plenty… He was trying to stop himself laughing because he was laying it on thick and he knew Harry was kind of reserved.

'I hardly think this is an appropriate conversation where on earth are you?' A full body blush had scorched her skin and she was horrified to think SI10 could be earwigging on his side of the conversation.

'In my office,' he put his feet up on his desk and leant back in the seat, 'gotta say the criminal fraternity ain't exactly doing it for me this morning. All I can think of is those sounds you made and the way you wrapped yourself around me your heels digging in my ass….'

'I hope you've got the bloody door shut,' she snapped at him feeling awkward as she blew her fringe out of her eyes.

'I have got the door shut because I'm not in the mood for those bozos out there, meet me for coffee. When are you due for a break?' He knew he should reign it in but he'd always had a competitive relationship with the blonde. She'd knocked him back a million times and this time he definitely had the upper hand, she really went for him and they both knew it.

'Dempsey…

'I really think you should call me James,' he admonished her. 'You've had something of a dry spell so you're probably a bit rusty with the post sex etiquette…

'Oh, shut up,' she put down the phone and fumed and her expression was so grim the Commissioner looked rather put out as he came into her office.

'Good morning D.I. Makepeace, there's a large floral arrangement dominating Candice's office,' he mentioned his secretary. 'I believe it's for you,' he looked a little annoyed. 'I take it that the Chief Inspector enjoyed the ball,' the dry sarcasm couldn't be missed.

Harry got up and went to the secretary's office and swallowed hard at the extravagant floral tribute, she saw her name on the card and removed the flowers and took them to her office. She opened the small white envelope tentatively. It just said James with an 'x' for a kiss with his usual distinctive signature. At least the card was respectable because she was cringing in case anyone else had read it. Well thank God for small mercies she gave a sigh of relief.

They were pretty flowers she bent closer to take in their fragrance. He'd probably sent them to impress the Commissioner and to reinforce the fact she had a boyfriend, in the normal way she would have appreciated the gesture, other than Dempsey seemed to have turned the whole situation on its head by declaring he had feelings for her.

She shouldn't have let the situation get out of hand and Harry had no idea why she had succumbed so easily, it just wasn't like her. When she thought about it he'd been seducing her for the whole evening, the constant touching; the timbre of his voice, had all been calculated to create an atmosphere of intimacy that had one conclusion. And Dempsey was experienced enough to make every second count as far as the seduction went. She was an idiot!

Distance was what she needed, distance to give herself some space and she needed him to know that… She was at a loss as to what to do with the situation she found herself in. She checked her watch and hastily got her pad and pen, the Commissioner was taking her through his workload this morning and she wanted to make a good professional, impression at least.

-oOo—

Joyce Hargreaves met Harry for coffee and the older woman's eyes were sparkling. 'A little bird told me that you had Dempsey as your partner for the Charity Ball and that you introduced him to Masters as your significant other.'

'Yes, I did.' Harry's tone was abrupt. 'I wanted to establish the fact I had a man in my life as it seemed to me that the Commissioner had designs on me.'

'I thought that might be it. Well, it certainly put our American friend in a good mood he was very cheerful this morning, everyone commented on it.'

'It was a very successful event,' Harry ordered her tea at the counter and added a coffee for Joyce, 'anything else I'm used to an order of high cholesterol food and it seems strange just having a beverage.'

Joyce shook her head and went to reserve a table as the blonde brought the drinks over.

'I would imagine the Chief Inspector would be convincing in the role as he obviously has feelings for you Harry, there's always been a latent attraction between the two of you, anyone can see that.'

'Anyone other than me apparently, James flirts with everyone, I didn't take it seriously,' the blonde picked up her tea and sipped it. 'To be honest I'm surprised that Dempsey would agree to pretend to be my boyfriend then use the opportunity to…

'Maybe he thought it was time to make his move,' Joyce looked amused. 'Well, boys will be boys and I would suppose he'd see it as an opportunity to further his courtship.'

'Yes, well that was an underhand thing to do in my book and I'm annoyed with him, but I'm stuck with the situation as 'just call me Basil,' the Commissioner, is still in thrall with my blonde, blue eyed, charms. It's so annoying it makes me appreciate Chief Superintendent Spikings all the more, he never made me feel uncomfortable and if anything was rather fatherly.'

'What Spikings, fatherly? Only if you had a really grumpy, dad which I know you didn't. I suppose he was your mentor and did look out for you without any of the other going on. Have you thought of talking to him about your unwanted suitor?'

'Which one,' Harry said dryly and then she gave a self-deprecatory smile as Joyce burst into a peal of laughter.

-oOo—

Dempsey looked critically at D.I. Makepeace as he'd got dressed up in a monkey suit just to find out they were going to the opera and were in her father's box with the Commissioner, Mrs. Commissioner and some fusty old judge and his wife.

'You seriously owe me,' he growled into her ear. 'If I didn't have feelings for you, I'd plead a migraine and find the nearest bar.'

'I've told you before we have pubs, the bar is the service area,' she corrected him as she studied her program.

'I don't care what you call it as long as I can get a strong drink there. Bet Millicent has her views on the Commissioner's recruitment policy, she's giving you the stink eye.'

Harry sighed and gave the American a mocking glance. 'I've known Millicent and Basil for years, Basil is a friend of my father's, so I doubt she's worried about my behaviour.'

'Well, she's probably known Basil longer than your father and it's a certain bet she's worried about his behaviour,' he ran his arm around Harry's waist and pulled her into him as he liked to have ownership established. 'I guess you briefed Pop on what we got going on here?'

Harry looked up at him, 'yes I did, but I didn't mention that you were trying to re-write the script as it were and just to be clear there will be no re-run of our last encounter.'

'I'm on the same page,' he responded with a twinkle in his eyes, 'always better to ring the changes and there's a lot of my repertoire you ain't seen yet.'

'God give me strength,' she muttered under her breath.

'Do you like the opera, James,' Millicent wanted to get the low down on the Chief Inspector and his relationship with Harriet.'

'Nope,' he answered with a genial smile, 'but the princess does. I only put up with it to put something on the credit side.' He kissed the top of her head and his hand caressed her hip.

Dempsey's touch was doing something she didn't want to think about it and she smiled pleasantly at the other woman. 'I suppose in any relationship there's got to be a bit of give and take. I go to the occasional burger restaurant with him so it's only fair that he does something I choose to do.'

'I'm not interested in burgers tonight,' he murmured in her ear, 'but you can do something I like later,' he could feel her tense and his warm gaze settled on her rather startled expression. 'Fair play Harry, there's hours of this.'

A waiter came to take their drinks order for the interval and James went for a double Jack Daniels as he felt a fortifier might be necessary. Harry selected a dry vodka martini and then they took their seats.

Harry was rather affronted as James got out a notebook after the first scene and started to make entries into it.

'If anyone asks, I'm writing a review for the Met magazine,' he growled. He was in fact catching up on his budgeting for the following year.

'Can't you just pay attention to the music,' she hissed back.

'No, I can't,' he murmured, 'it's awful. That big broad with the lungs is giving me a migraine I won't need the excuse,' he winced as the soprano set off again.

Harry's father was watching the interplay between the younger couple with amusement, he liked the opera but was well aware of Dempsey's lack of appreciation.

The interval finally arrived, and Freddie approached the American, 'will the pair of you be joining us for supper, I have a restaurant booked.'

Harry didn't really want to spend any more time with the Commissioner, so she reluctantly declined. 'It's an anniversary of a sort for us tonight Freddie and I'd arranged to cook for James,' she looked up at her swain in a loving manner.

'Looking forward to it,' he dropped a kiss on her temple. 'I'm starving I could eat a cow,' he then decided to butter up Millicent and Sophia, the judge's wife and pretty soon they were eating out of his hand.

Harry was more than aware of how charming he could be and thought about the meal aspect. Maybe she could fob him off with a kebab on the way home.

'What you got cooking, honey,' his warm mouth brushed across her ear, 'hope it's good seeing as I'm missing out on the restaurant.'

If she could have stamped on his foot she would have done however since they were in a box half way through an opera that really wasn't an option. 'I'm sure you'll be satisfied with what's on offer,' was her evasive reply.

His dark gaze ran over the red evening dress she was wearing, and he fully appreciated how beautiful she looked. 'I'm sure I will,' he drawled his voice deep with a stroke of velvet. He ran his hand around the back of her neck and played with the loose tendrils of hair at her nape.

Harry would have swatted him off her if she could have done but instead, she had to endure the sweet, seduction of his touch. He seemed to know exactly where to touch and how to vary the pressure on her skin and in the end, she closed her eyes and bit the inside of her top lip, this was torture.

-oOo—

'You were totally out of order in the Opera House,' she snapped as they got into her father's car, it was scheduled to take them home and then return for Freddie.

'Don't know what you mean it would have looked weird if I hadn't touched you all evening,' James lit up a cigar and observed her with interest. 'What's the problem did it get your motor running?' He knew damned well how he'd made her feel because he was very attuned to Harry's hormonal temperature.

'None of the other guests were caressing each other in public,' Harry threw back at him.

'Yeah, but they're like about a hundred,' he picked up her hand and kissed it. 'And a year isn't very long to be in a relationship plus the opera was boring, so they'd expect me to need distracting.'

'Yes, well I enjoyed the opera and don't appreciate being mauled while I'm listening to the performance.'

'I didn't think I spoiled your enjoyment; you had your eyes closed and looked like you were getting carried away by the music,' he tried to subdue a smile on that one.

'Harry's response was a fulminating glance of resentment. 'You're enjoying this aren't you?'

He took another drag on the cigar. 'I enjoy spending time with you princess even if I have to listen to some broad screeching. What's for dinner, I'm starving?'

'Nothing, you can get something on the way home. I'm sure Schaffer will stop anywhere you ask him to,' she responded evidently in a snit.

He threw the cigar out of the window. 'You've got to be joking, I'm not sitting through all that and then being dismissed like some charmless chump. You got to pay your dues, sweetheart. That's how this goes unless you want to attend the next event with the Commissioner on your lonesome.'

'I hate you,' she hissed at him.

'Strong emotion, good I can deal with that,' he responded as they approached her door.

They both got out and Dempsey thanked the driver and gave him a tip and then he used his own keys to follow Harry in as she'd slammed the door on him.

'You lost your temper Harry,' he came up to her and his gaze dropped to her mouth. 'You looked like a million dollars tonight did I tell you that,' his hands ran down over her arms.

Harry gave an exasperated sigh and ran her arms around his neck and pulled his head down for a kiss that was high impact for them both. 'You drive me crazy,' she whispered as he kissed her neck and gently bit the lobe of her ear.

'I intend to,' his mouth caressed the join of her neck and shoulder.

'I thought you were hungry,' she mocked him as the zip on her dress was released.

'It's taken a back seat,' he growled as he pulled her more firmly into his embrace and his mouth dominated hers.

-oOo—

Harry made tea and coffee for her breakfast guest, she thought about last night and mused that it hadn't been totally his fault this time. There was some kind of powerful attraction between them, always had been she supposed.

Dempsey came out of the shower with a towel around his waist and took in the pretty picture she made with the silk gown and her hair all tousled.

'Anyone told you how great you look in the morning,' his gaze wandered over her with undisguised masculine appreciation.

'Of course,' she answered her blue gaze mocking him, 'it takes me ages to get this dishevelled look perfected, I'd be very put out if it wasn't appreciated.'

He laughed at that and sat down and picked up the coffee. 'Maybe the singing wasn't so bad,' he growled, 'or maybe you made it sound all better cos I can imagine one of those arias as a background to our bedroom activities.'

'Was that the one where she stabs her lover at the end,' Harry asked in an innocent voice not letting him get away with the calorific flattery.

'Maybe, they do call sex the little death,' he growled, 'the climax I suppose,' he picked up a piece of toast, 'you heard of that?'

'La petit morte,' she confirmed, 'it's a French term, I'm surprised you know that. ''Hadn't you better get a move on. You'll need to change your clothes you can't go to work in formal attire.'

'I got a suit in the trunk of the car, I'm not in the office this morning, Spikings has summoned me to the Home Office cos we got to meet the new guy in charge there. Apparently, there's been a change around and the Chief approves which has got to be a first.'

'That was rather presumptuous,' Harry looked annoyed at his assumption that she'd be stupid enough to end up bed with him for the second time.

'Optimistic rather than presumptuous,' he corrected her. 'C'mon Harry, we got a powerful thing going on here. You might be in denial but it's kind of obvious to me.'

'I don't like being taken for granted,' her blue eyes fired with annoyance. 'And actually, I'd shut the door on you it's only because you have the damned keys that what happened, happened.'

'I'll give you the keys back if that'll make you happy,' he got up and went into the bedroom to find his clothes. 'You seen my shirt?' He came out in the trousers and looked around the room until he found the missing item behind the couch and dragged it on. He deposited the keys next to her cup of tea and went out to the car to get his suit carrier and holdall.

Harry was in the bathroom taking a shower when he returned so he changed in her bedroom and hung up his formal evening wear in her wardrobe just to get up her nose. He liked the idea of having his stuff mingling with hers, gave him the warm fuzzies.

When Harry came into the bedroom, he was tightening the knot of his tie, 'all yours princess. I'll get out of your way.' He walked out and waited in the lounge area until she came out in her smart uniform.

He grinned at her and came over. 'I got this kind of strong desire to mess you up when I see you in your little Detective Inspector outfit,' he pulled her into his arms ignoring her protest. 'Love a girl in uniform,' his mouth warmed hers and after a little persuasion she kissed him back. His hand caressed her ass, moulding her to him.

She drew back not wanting to fully engage just before she went to the office. 'Is this a fantasy of yours then James,' her blue gaze mocked him.

'You're a fantasy of mine,' he confirmed as he kissed her neck to divert her as his hands strayed, 'and you're hotter than any stripogram that's for sure.

'Stop trying to get your hand up my skirt,' she pushed him away. 'I have to get to work and you're making me late.'

'Life sometimes gets in the way of work,' he looked amused, 'you ever heard of that?' He guessed she hadn't as she gave him that look of hers that said she wasn't in the mood for fun.

'I'm leaving,' she informed him coolly. 'I'll er…

'See you around,' he suggested his gaze challenging her.

'Exactly, whenever, when it's appropriate and to be honest I'd prefer it if it was in the none too soon category. Au revoir,' she gave him a grimace of a smile and left.