8

"I was pissed off with Janine. I don't know what she told you, but surely something that distressed you" he went silent, perhaps waiting for her to confirm his correct deduction but Molly remained poker-faced. "She came to me and started her whole seduction ritual" he paused again before going on, "I clearly told her I wasn't interested in retracing our…bygones" Sherlock gave a short, embarrassed cough.

"But she kept insisting, and when she went from words to deeds…well, I thought she deserved a lesson", "Indeed!" Molly chipped in with mocking tone "That is, sleep with her". Sherlock jerked his head up "I didn't have sex with Janine" he snapped, "And if you had stayed at the door you would have seen it!" he declared in a tone which sounded resentful to her ears.

"Sorry what?" she raised to her feet, her hands trembling close in a fist. "What did you say? Is it my fault I didn't stand by to watch the man I'm in love with…doing what?" Molly fixed her eyes on him, burning with anger "Pretending to play along with his ex-fiancé? How could I have guessed you knew I was there and it was all a scene?".

"Because you know me!" Sherlock's tone was indignant and stamped one foot on the ground like a petulant child, "Oh! So that justifies what you did?" Molly replied, her voice dangerously calm "What is IT? A joke? A little skit where you let Janine put her hands on you and kiss you, because Molly knows me so well, she knows I'm pretending!".

"No! That's not what I meant! What I meant was…" he sighed and buried his head in both hands as Molly sighed in return covering her eyes with one hand. After a short moment Sherlock slowly raised his head and straightened up "You…you're jealous" his lips quirked in a small shaky smile.

Molly widened her big brown eyes in disbelief that he had enough nerve to change the topic of their argument, "What?" she snorted, "I can't believe it! Are you really turning this around on me? Is not my jealousy the point here!" she realized her voice had raised in pitch at the typical Mrs Hudson's "Ooh-ooh!" announcing her arrival from the bottom of the stairs.

The elderly landlady was walking up with a tray in her hands on which two cups of tea wobbled, "Are you two having a little domestic?" she chuckled slightly as she entered the room strolling towards the coffee table. Sherlock and Molly exchanged an uneasy look. They had been so careful not to let others leak their blossoming romantic involvement. How could Mrs Hudson have guessed it?

"Relax, you two! Lovers squabbles are normal! Especially at the beginning of a relationship" she said setting the tray down and putting her hand on her cheek with a pensive gaze, "I remember one between me and my late husband…I had seen him entertain himself with a rather provocative looking young lady and…". Sherlock rolled his eyes at the old woman words, "Did you by any chance mix painkillers and herbal soothers?" he cut her off sharply.

"We are not lovers, Mrs Hudson!", he thundered casting his eyes again on Molly whose cheeks were lightly pink. She looked between the two of them then gave Sherlock a dismissive wave of her hand "As you say, young man…I'm sure you'll find a way to kiss and make up!" she said winking, before storming downstairs.

As soon as the old lady left the room, Molly shifted her gaze to Sherlock unable to hold back a smirk. Mrs Hudson's brief presence in the room and her implications had lightened the mood between them. Sherlock took two long steps and was in front of her taking her hands in his, "I was such an idiot…I know I should have handled the situation differently but it was stronger than me…you know what kind of moron I am. I'm so sorry I hurt you again".

She sighed without saying anything, her hands instinctively on his chest "Molly please…I opened my heart to you. You can't have doubts about what I feel for you" he twisted his hand into her hair hanging loose on her shoulders. Molly saw several range of emotions pass over his face and his beautiful blue – no, green actually – eyes, pierced hers as if they wanted to steal her soul.

"Molly I love you. You and no one else. I could never, ever have sex with a woman who isn't you" one of Sherlock's hand slid along her neck brushing his thumb on her soft skin, "It was supposed to be our night and I lost my mind" Molly gave a small gasp at his sensitive touch, "Am I forgiven?" he asked coaxingly, his gorgeous eyes straight into the eyes of the only woman who was capable of making his heart beat so fast he feared it would jump out of his chest.

Molly breathed out in surrender as her fingers teasing the top button of his skin-tight shirt. She felt the anger channelled into her body until then slipping away like the water of a raging torrent suddenly calms down, releasing her bones, her muscles but above all her heart and thoughts.

She knew, she always knew deep in her heart there had been nothing physical between Sherlock and Janine a few hours before, even though Molly had temporarily blinded herself with jealousy. What Molly wanted him to understand was that now they were together, he couldn't act without thinking about the consequences his actions would have on her or their relationship.

"Sherlock Holmes you are the more infuriating man in the world, you know that, don't you?" Molly's lips curled into a small smile and her hands moved from his chest down along his hips until her thumbs hooked to the waistband of his trousers. Sherlock felt the warmth of Molly's hands even through the fabric of shirt as they slip down his torso and stopped at his waist. He couldn't stop a long shiver to run down his back and he had to bite his lip to keep from grasping her in his arms and having her then and there.

"Of course I know" he cooed into Molly's ear as he gently massaged the back of her neck with his fingers, "But you like me anyway, don't you?" she closed her eyes and leaned in his body. Why on earth did he have to be so gorgeous and his mind so amazing and intriguing? "Mmm" she managed to reply in a whisper, breathing hard for his mouth a breath away from hers, "I like you just because you're like that…infuriating, brilliant…".

"I find I like your being jealous" Sherlock interjected moving a hand to the small of her back to draw her closer to him. "Why didn't you ever tell me about Janine? I mean…that there was more than a few kisses?" Molly asked, peering into his face.

He exhaled looking up at the ceiling briefly "Because she didn't count" he admitted cupping his hands on her jaw, "I realize now that it's a horrible thing to say and even more to do, but Janine was a means I used to reach my end". His face was regretful "And I made a mistake. You must know I am not proud of it, but on a couple of occasions I let things get out of my hand. I admit I was not a true gentleman".

"Oh, well…Janine definitely appreciated your not being a gentleman" Molly couldn't hold back her sarcastic comment and Sherlock let out an amused laugh "Oh really? Is that what you two were talking about? Exactly what did she tell you?", she gave him a mischievous look "I won't feed your already oversized ego" and sinuously she poked her fingers inside his trousers waist and tugged at his shirt to pull it out, "I'll find out for myself how good you are".

He quirked an eyebrow pleased she was taking the lead, "What are you doing?" Sherlock asked in a whisper. She raised her head and showed him her face, a slight blush spreading from her cheeks down to her neck, her lips slightly parted and her lower lip caught between her teeth, her golden brown eyes widely dilated.

Molly was so spectacularly beautiful that Sherlock could no longer contain himself and before he knew, he collapsed his lips on hers. Their first real kiss. Molly gasped as his mouth took hold of her lower lip, sucking it gently and then nibbling it just as gently. Sherlock's left hand slipped behind her neck and his slender fingers fumbled with the zipper of her red wool dress.

He pulled his head away from her just long enough for his eyes to meet hers, "Molly" her name was a hoarse breath on his lips as she felt the zipper slide down the bare skin of her back. Molly blinked at him in tacit assent confirmed by the way she dug the short nails of her fingers into the flesh of his hips to make his body flush with hers.

So Sherlock brought his mouth close to hers again and this time it was Molly who caught his lip between hers and when her mouth opened to his allowing his tongue to latch and dance with hers, a primordial, almost animal-like sound reached his ears. To Sherlock surprise he realized he was the one who uttered that sound and it caused an immediate squeeze to his stomach and a rush of blood down there.

As the kiss got deeper and hotter, their hands didn't stay still. Molly's had managed to get rid of Sherlock's jacket and were now taking care of his shirt's buttons. Sherlock meanwhile had lowered the top of Molly's dress and left her shirtless except for her black lace bra.

Sherlock pulled away from Molly's mouth to go down her neck leaving a trail of wet kisses interspersed with small bites as she drew her head back to give him as much room as possible. His shirt was pulled down to his elbows showing his shapely biceps to which Molly's hands were clinging.

Sherlock's arms wrapped her minute form completely, holding her against his lean body and making her distinctly understand how much he wanted her. He began to kiss and nibble her right shoulder, eliciting louder gasps and moans from her lips. His hands caressed her bare back with open palms causing goose bumps all over her body and when they slipped under her dress and her knickers, cupping her bum, Molly's hips instinctively bucked against his.

Sherlock looked at her and she believed her heart was bursting in her chest. He was breathtakingly gorgeous. His laboured breathing, his eyes whose colour could no longer be seen, his lips, that if they weren't busy kissing, biting or licking her body's skin, returned to claim her mouth in such passionate kisses, that if that had been a dream Molly never wanted to wake up again.

"Oh, God, Sherlock!" the moan escaped her lips as his head deliberately descended slowly between her breasts. He paused and looked up and she thought she had never seen such a grimy and smug expression on his face as in that moment. Sherlock devilishly grinned at her and slapped the front door shut.

"Do you want me to stop, Molly?" he asked with a defiant glow in his eyes, "Do you want me to kill you, Sherlock?" she asked back running her fingers into his curly dark hair and tugging it just enough to elicit a moan of pleasure from him. "Got it" he murmured bringing a hand to her right breast and squeezing it gently as he brought his mouth to the nipple of her left breast and sucked it firmly through the lace of her bra.

Molly felt a rush of arousal reach straight into the depth of her core and spread a warm heat between her legs that she feared she would come there and then without Sherlock actually touching her.

The doorbell rang. Molly held up her head as Sherlock looked towards the closed door, "Single ring" she panted, "Maximum pressure just under the half second" he added with an equally short breath. They looked at each other and simultaneously managed to whisper "Client!".