Jane stepped into Maura's guest bedroom once again. She kicked off her boots and watched them fall over underneath the guest bed. She ran her hand through her wild hair, sighed and shrugged off her clothes before stepping in to the shower.

She knew she had said Maura's name when she was in bed with Eva. She knew Eva knew she had said Maura's name, and yet she hadn't said anything about it. Thoughts swam in her mind, swirling like smoke. Each time she reached out to address one, it sprouted 4 more heads. She shut off the water, pressed her head to the cold tiles and mustered the courage to go back to Maura and eat pizza as though nothing had happened. After all, nothing had happened between them, but oh how she wished it had.

Jane's blood ran cold and immediately turned to fire when she caught sight of Maura wearing the tightest set of coordinating loungewear she had seen in her life. A flush burned through her chest and up her cheeks and she reached out to the counter to steady herself.

Maura turned and noticed the colour in Jane's cheeks. She noticed the fact that Jane's pupils had dilated so fully that her eyes were now black and predatory.

This would work.

"Jane?" Maura asked and held out an open bottle of beer.

Jane reached forward silently and took it. Immediately her gratitude toward the cold feel of the glass was blasted apart by the sensation of Maura's thumb brushing against her fingers. What was happening here?

"Come. Sit" Maura purred and began to walk toward the couch. Jane dutifully followed and tried desperately to ignore her own heartbeat in her throat.

"Did you order already?" Jane asked. Her voice came out strangled and she coughed in a feeble attempt to disguise it.

Maura smiled, nodded and patted the couch beside her. As Jane sank into the soft cushions, she noticed that Maura wasn't wearing a bra. Her grip momentarily loosened on her bottle and a few drops of liquid splashed into her lap. She fumbled and caught the bottle before losing the entire contents onto Maura's expensive fabric couch.

Maura smiled inwardly and took the bottle from Jane to set it onto the coffee table while the detective brushed the liquid from her own pants and she noticed another blush rising to her cheeks. The doctor wondered if she may have pushed Jane a little far tonight.

Jane's surge of confidence came as a surprise to both women. She scooted closer to Maura and placed her hand on the Blonde's thigh. Higher up than she had initially intended, yet she held her nerve and kept it where it was. She noticed the change in Maura's breathing and didn't need to be the best detective in BPD to realise that Maura had been putting on a show on purpose. The tight clothes, lack of underwear and close proximity were Maura's subtle way of testing the water. Jane had known her long enough to know that Maura would dip her toes into a situation, assess it, decide on her course of action and then act. What she wasn't certain of was the point at which her best friend was currently at.

"How was your night with your rookie?" Maura asked. She surprised Jane with the question and Jane's eyebrows shot up.

"Uh… good? I guess. Why do you ask?" Jane replied tentatively. It was extremely uncharacteristic of Maura to ask after her escapades and the subject usually went untouched.

Maura paused and ran her finger up the stem of her wine glass. She sighed and turned to look Jane in the eye.

"Jane, I heard her talking to one of the other beat cops. I think she is trying to sleep with you to the top." Maura said with an innocent sincerity only she could manage. Jane closed her eyes and smiled.

"It's "fuck her way up to the top", Maur. And I know. It's cool. No, it's not cool, but I gotta admit, I used her too."

"You used her?" Maura asked.

"Mhmm" Jane squeezed Maura's thigh and watched her eyes flutter shut almost imperceptibly. "I needed someone, she needed someone. She filled a gap for a few hours."

"But you came back here afterward" Maura whispered. She stared dead ahead at the images moving on the large televisions. Her tongue passed over her bottom lip and she found herself chewing it again.

Jane lowered her gaze and glanced up at Maura from beneath her eyelashes. She blinked slowly, brushed Maura's cheek with her knuckle, turned in her seat and threw her legs into Maura's lap.

"What do you want to watch?" Jane asked. Changing the subject was a welcome relief for both of them as an electric tension fizzed through the air.

Maura rested her hands on Jane's ankles and slipped into her own thoughts. She had noted every physical reaction from Jane. She saw the stolen glances at her chest, the extreme dilation of her pupils, her irregular breathing and physical clumsiness. But Maura knew Jane, and she knew she had to make herself and her intentions clear, because Jane would never overstep her boundaries.

Hours wiled away in comfortable silences punctuated by snippets of casual conversation about cases, family and up coming events. Maura lazily rubbed her hands on Jane's ankles and noticed that the detective's eyes had drifted shut and her breathing had slowed.

"Jane. Jane, go to bed." She called out softly and patted Jane's shins.

Jane opened one eye and smirked. Wordlessly she stood, stretched and offered a hand to Maura. The doctor accepted and when she stood, Jane pulled her a step closer with a hand on her hip. Maura froze slightly and her breaths quickened. Their eyes met and Jane leaned forward to place a feather light kiss on her cheek.

"G'night, Maur" she said in a low voice before turning and heading toward the guest bedroom.

Maura stood in silence and reached up to trace her fingertips to the spot that Jane's lips had touched. She closed her eyes and committed the feeling to memory.