I'm terribly sorry for the delay. Thanks again for the kind reviews, they're much appreciated.
No extended version, I'm afraid. I leave that up to the experts! ;-)
Happy Easter, everyone!

Chapter 14: Butterflies

When Harry woke up, she had a warm and happy feeling inside. She turned to her side and lazily opened her eyes. A smile appeared on her lips when she saw him lying beside her. He was still peacefully asleep.

So it hadn't been a dream after all…

She let her head rest on her arm and observed him, enjoying the sight of her sleeping partner. He was lying on his stomach with his face turned towards her, one arm under his pillow. The duvet was up to his waist, exposing his muscular shoulders and back. She felt like crawling close to him, letting her fingers glide over his back while kissing his upper arm, shoulder and neck, all the way up to his lips, hoping he would be awake by then to welcome her in his arms and reciprocate her kisses. Once tasted the apple…

Given his large female fan club, Harry had always imagined Dempsey was good in bed, but what she had experienced last night had surpassed any dream. Thinking back, she recalled how safe and secure she'd felt in his arms, how wonderful it had felt to burry her head in his chest, feeling his warm skin on her cheek, and getting dazed by the scent of his familiar cologne. She touched her lips. It was as if she could still feel the incredible sensation of his warm lips on hers, his tongue exploring her mouth, while his fingers were caressing her skin so gently, making her whole body tingle with desire. Eventually, she had yearned for him so much that it had cost him little effort to break down the walls she had built up so carefully over the years, and which had withstood any attempt of a man to get close to her..., up to now. Strange, how the man of her worst nightmares had now become the man of her hottest dreams.

Isn't this all too good to be true?

That question had started echoing in her head as she lay watching him in silence. It confused her to such an extent that she needed to get away from there. So instead of kissing him awake, she cautiously got out of bed and tiptoed to the connecting door to her room. Along the way, she picked up her robe and nightgown from the floor, the silent witnesses of her moment of weakness.

The moment she'd closed the connecting door behind her, it seemed like she had come back to reality, leaving behind some sweet but distant dream. Now the emotions of last night had subsided a bit and she was able to think more rationally again, she was overwhelmed by a flood of questions and doubts. She needed to gather her thoughts in all peace and quiet, before she would have to face him again.

Once showered and dressed, she quickly descended the stairs. Fortunately, her father had already left to attend a meeting with the architect and constructor on the imminent renovation of the old mansion, so she wouldn't have to answer any awkward questions. Freddy always seemed to notice when something was bothering her, no matter how hard she tried to hide it. It was as if he had some sort of sixth sense for it! For breakfast, she only grabbed a single slice of toast to eat outside. She couldn't afford to waste any more time, since Dempsey could be awake anytime now!

Less than five minutes later, Harry sat on her favourite bench in the rose garden, inhaling deeply the mild perfume the flowers offered her and taking in their beautiful colours. With her eyes, she followed absentmindedly a sole butterfly that fluttered carefree from one flower to another. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths to relax. A strange feeling of peace descended upon her and it was as if she could feel her mother's presence, the warm sunrays on her skin felt like her comforting embrace, the smell of the flowers as her sweet perfume and the gentle breeze as her breath. It brought her some solace in this time of confusion.

The more she thought about it, the more she was convinced that a relationship with Dempsey was doomed to fail, despite her strong feelings for him. Why on earth did she have to fall in love with him, of all men? She sure couldn't have made things more complicated! Their relationship would undoubtedly have some serious consequences for both of them, both personally and professionally. Would they both be willing to make the necessary sacrifices?

Besides the fact that she risked losing the best partner she'd ever had, she just knew she was bound to get hurt again. How could she ever rely on Dempsey to be faithful, anyway? She knew what kind of man he was! He had probably slept with more women than she could count! She doubted strongly that he was even able to engage in a long term relationship, since she'd never seen him with the same woman for more than a week. His 'relationships' were very much like the weather: unpredictable and changeable from day to day.

Cursing herself for her naivety, she stood up from the bench and squatted to pull out some weeds from between the rose bushes. Deep in thought, she hadn't heard the footsteps that approached her from behind, halting at the small fence that bordered the picturesque garden.

"Here you are! Ya know I've been lookin' all over for you!" Harry startled when she heard Dempsey's voice. She couldn't suppress a small yell when she hurt her hand by some of the sharp thorns.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you!" he apologized. With one lithe jump over the fence he stood beside her, taking her hand to examine it. Before she even had the chance to react, he kissed the sore spot. "Someone once told me this should help to ease the pain," he said with a crooked grin.

"It wasn't that painful," she muttered, while she stared at their joint hands.

"Ya wanna know what was really painful? Wakin' up this mornin' without you beside me! Why didn't you wake me, Harry? We could've continued what we'd started last night…"

The thought alone made her blush. "I was awake early, and I thought you could use some more sleep." she tried to come up with a plausible excuse. "Besides, it was very irresponsible what we did, considering your injury!" she pointed at his shoulder.

"I already told ya, my shoulder's just fine," he assured her. "But another part of my body was much more in need…" he whispered seductively in her ear, while his arms slid around her waist to pull her closer to him.

Automatically, she placed her hands on his chest to keep him at bay. "James, please, we need to talk about this..."

He frowned and searched her eyes. "Talk about what? The birds and the bees? Sorry babe, but I think we've already passed that stage!"

Avoiding his gaze, she began fidgeting with one of his shirt buttons while she tried to find the right words to start this conversation.

Both her silence as her reaction alarmed him. "What's wrong? Something I've said or done has upset you?"

He saw her blond head shaking 'no', but other than that, there was no response. He frowned. "Regrets 'bout last night, perhaps?"

Startled, she looked up at him. How did he know?

"Yes…, no… I honestly don't know! It's all so complicated!" she sighed, completely thrown off balance by his direct question.

"Complicated? The way I see it, you were pretty clear about what you wanted last night, sweetheart! It's a bit late to have second thoughts about it now, isn't it?"

"I know, it's just…" she started. "Everything happened so fast, and we haven't really thought about the consequences…"

"What consequences?"

"Well, there's our work, to begin with. As I told you before, Spikings won't allow us to work together anymore, if he knows we have a personal relationship. The rules are very strict about it, over here…"

"Those bloody rules again!" Dempsey growled slightly irritated. "Can't the boss just ignore them for once?"

Harry shook her head. "I'm afraid he'll have no choice."

"Then we'll just have to make sure he won't find out 'bout us!" he stated matter-of-factly.

"And how are we supposed to do that?" she exclaimed, wondering if he was serious. But then again, she knew his policy on following rules all too well…

"We'll just have to make sure to keep our work and personal life strictly separate. You're already doin' it for several years, so it can't be that difficult, right? At the office, we'll do our work as usual, and whatever we do after our hours is not of their goddamn business. What d'ya say?"

"I don't know if it will be that easy..." Harry sounded anything but convinced.

"Why not? I don't know 'bout you, but I don't want no other partner, Harry, it just wouldn't work. Could you imagine me, working with Hargreaves again, or even worse,… with Fry?" The thought alone horrified him. "C'mon, baby, we could at least give it a try. What've we got to lose? Please, Harry…?"

Oh dear, this sounded familiar. For a moment, she feared he would kneel for her again! It wasn't even such a long time ago, and she hadn't been able to resist his plea. Now, it was even ten times worse!

She stared at him while she considered his words. Indeed, she couldn't imagine Dempsey working with another partner. Who would be able to handle him and keep him out of trouble? Working with Joyce certainly hadn't proven to be very successful and had ended quite dramatically for her friend. And she figured it would cause quite a stir if Dempsey had to work with poor Fry!

"Well, I guess I don't fancy working with another partner either…" she agreed hesitantly. "But I think it's best for both of us, if we would just…"

Dempsey was so relieved with her answer that he didn't let her finish her sentence. "That's the spirit! I knew you wouldn't let me down, partner! We can make this work, ya'll see!"

Her still cool behaviour along with the grave expression on her face, however, tempered his enthusiasm. "What is it? Something else bothering you?"

She let out a deep sigh. "Look, James. I was wondering… Can't we just forget what happened last night?" she finally blurted out, afraid to look him in the eye.

"Why would we do that? I thought last night was great! Or… didn't I meet your expectations?" His voice sounded very uncertain, all of a sudden.

It would've surprised him however, as he had never heard any of his girlfriends complain about his bed-skills before. In fact, he was pretty sure he'd always been able to please any of them. But Harry was different, of course. She was a real lady. Did she have other desires? Although he had paid extra attention to treat her as gently as possible, he'd let himself get carried away by her eagerness. Boy, was she hot or what? Underneath that icy surface, he had found a damn hot volcano, all ready to erupt! And what an eruption it had been! Woow, he still couldn't quite believe it! But now, for some reason, she was suddenly acting very cool and aloof again. Why? What had changed? Had it all happened too quickly for her, after all?

She chuckled. "No, don't worry. You were absolutely great. In fact, I had never experienced anything like it before. It's just… I don't want to get hurt again."

"You really think I would hurt you?" How could she even think that? "Babe, I'd do anything I can to prevent you from getting hurt, let alone that I would hurt you!"

"That's what you say now, but how about in a week's time, or a month's? Would you still feel the same then?" She let out a sad chuckle. "As you may know, I've had some bad experiences with relationships. After my disastrous marriage, I had sworn to myself that no man would ever hurt me like that again!"

Dempsey narrowed his eyes. "So just because that scumbag husband of yours had cheated on you, it makes all men lying and cheating bastards? Don't you think that's a little short-sighted?"

"I'd rather call it 'cautious'…" she responded dryly. "Anyway, you can't deny that you have a reputation with women, can you?"

"So what? I may have dated a few broads, but that doesn't mean I was unfaithful, does it? You may found it hard to believe, but I can assure you that I've never cheated on any of my girlfriends. Besides, they knew in advance that I wasn't in for a steady relationship!"

"In that case, I can already tell you that I'm not interested in a casual flirtation or a one-night stand, or whatever you want to call it!" she replied sharply.

"I know, baby, and that's not what I want with you either…" He averted his eyes and Harry noticed he was fidgeting nervously with his hands. "It's different with you, ya know. I never thought I'd feel this way for a woman…" he stopped mid-sentence, clearly not at ease when it came to expressing his feelings.

She looked at him hopeful, her heart pounding hard. He sat on the bench with his arms resting on his knees, staring at his shoes. She knew how difficult this was for a macho guy like him, but she needed to be sure of his intentions!

"Feel what, Dempsey?" she encouraged him.

Dempsey ran a hand through his hair and let out a deep sigh. He glanced at her and opened his mouth as if he was about to say something, to avert his eyes again the following moment. He was struggling so hard that Harry almost felt sorry for him. At long last, he took a deep breath and looked her straight in the eye.

"In case you don't know it yet, I think…, no I'm pretty sure of it…that euhm… I love you, alright!" He blurted out and quickly looked down again.

A smile appeared on her lips as she studied his expressions. He was definitely out of his comfort zone, but she couldn't stop wondering if he really meant what he'd said. "I bet you've said that to all your girlfriends."

Annoyed, he raised his head. "No way! You gotta believe me, Harry! At least gimme a chance to prove I'm serious 'bout you, 'bout us!"

"There's nothing I'd rather want than to believe you! I'm just scared… It has taken me such a long time to get over my divorce and I don't think I could go through this a second time."

"You trust me with your life every day, why is it so damn hard to entrust me your heart?" Dempsey sighed frustrated. "Look, I can totally understand that you crawled into some sort of safe cocoon after the way your ex-husband has treated you, but don't ya think this has lasted long enough now? You can't stay in there forever, ya know! C'mon baby, life is too short to waste time on hesitations and doubts! It's time to enjoy life again, instead running away from it! Come out of that cocoon, and spread your wings!"

Harry was considering his words while she stood on the small gravel path, watching the fountain in the centre of the garden, her arms crossed over her chest and her hands caressing her bare upper arms. She seemed so vulnerable. But at the same time it struck to Dempsey how breathtakingly beautiful she was, the gentle breeze playing with her blonde hair, her white top displaying the perfect contours of her upper body.

His blood flowed through his veins full speed at the thought of last night, when he'd been able to admire her gorgeous body before she'd hastily turned off the light. He had first cursed the darkness of that night, but soon had chosen to enjoy the wondrous sensations of his other senses. From her sweet perfume that had filled his nostrils, to the taste of her moist lips on his, her tongue first hesitantly but soon eagerly responding to his, and the feel of her fingers gliding up and down his spine so tenderly that it gave him chills of pure pleasure. Her soft moans had sounded like music to his ears, gradually increasing until she'd cried out God's and his name in the same breath, making it sound as if they were one and the same person. It had demanded all his willpower to hold back, but when she'd reached her climax, he'd instantly lost all control as well.

After their lovemaking, she had snuggled into his arms, her head resting on his chest and her fingers playing with his chest hair, until they had both fallen asleep. He had held her in his arms, as if he'd never wanted to let her go. Convinced that she would still be there when he woke up the next morning, he couldn't describe his disappointment when he'd discovered she was gone. He'd immediately jumped out of bed and had hastily put on his clothes, to see if she was alright. Somehow, it hadn't come as a surprise to him that she had second thoughts about they had done. Last night had felt like a dream that had come true, but apparently a very fragile one…

After a short period of reflection, Harry turned to him. "Maybe you're right. If only there weren't so many butterflies fluttering around you all the time…"

He smiled warmly at her. "I only have eyes for one butterfly, the most beautiful I've ever seen."

She chuckled and shook her head. "You're such a charmer, Dempsey! If you think you can wind me around your little finger with your smooth talk, you can think again."

"How many times do I have to tell ya? There's only one woman for me, and that's you, damn it!" He was obviously losing his patience.

"And what about Simone?" she recalled the visit of his old flame from New York, and thought that maybe he still had feelings for her.

"Simone?" he asked surprised. "Baby, Simone and me, we'd already split up before I came to London."

"I think she's still in love with you. Why else would she have bothered to come all the way here, just to pay you a visit?"

"When it comes to the crunch, Simone will always choose the bottle. And I can assure you, it ain't easy to live with a drunk. Anyway, I may have had feelings for her once, but they don't even come close to what I feel for you, Princess!"

Harry studied him, for a moment undecided whether to take the plunge or to stay in her safe cocoon. Then, without saying a word, she walked up to him and sat on his lap, letting her arms glide seductively around his neck. Her warm kiss was the only answer he received, but was in fact the only answer he needed. He didn't have to think twice and responded immediately, giving her no chance to back out again.

With her eyes closed and a beatific smile on her lips, she squirmed under his kisses and caresses. It amazed her how fast he'd been able to discover all the right spots. But then again, he'd undoubtedly had a lot of experience. Just when her doubts threatened to come back to the surface, she heard his deep voice close to her ear.

"I won't disappoint you, I promise. There's only one thing I need to do, before we can fully focus on the future, our future…"

"Hmm, what's that?" she responded half into a trance.

His trail of kisses continued their way to her neck, making her giggle of pure pleasure. "Just need to get rid of some nasty birds that are chasin' me for some reason, Tinkerbell. To make sure you won't get hurt when you'll spread your fragile wings."

She was instantly fully alert again. Shocked, she looked him in the eye. "You can't be serious! We're not having this discussion again, James. I won't let you do it, and that's final!"

Dempsey sighed. "Harry, will ya please hear me out? I just need to have a word with Coltrane and find out what the hell's goin' on over there, and who wants to eliminate me. I'll be back before you know it. And then I'm all yours." He cupped her face and placed a kiss on her lips. "C'mon baby, where is it? I know it's not in your room, so where've you stashed it?"

Her eyes widened. "What? Have you searched my room? How dare you?" she slapped him on the upper arm.

"Hah, the pot is calling the cattle black! I bet my passport didn't just happen to fall on your lap either, did it?"

She retorted slightly annoyed. "Alright, I may have searched your room, but that was for a good cause…"

"Call it what you like, fact is that you took something from me and I need it back! Now, please?"

I'm sorry James," she shook her head. "I will return it to you the moment I'm sure you're safe again. Oh and by the way, if you would consider going to the embassy, I need to inform you that Spikings has already warned them. So I guess you're stuck in the UK for the moment..., and with me."

"Harry…"

Her lips nipped his words in the bud, leaving him no chance to discuss the matter any further. Soon they were so engrossed in their kiss, that they were no longer aware of their surroundings: nor of the beautiful flowers, the buzzing bees, or the fast approaching footsteps… It wasn't until she broke the kiss to gasp for air, that she looked up, straight into a couple of surprised blue eyes. She startled and quickly jumped from Dempsey's lap.

"Freddy! This isn't what it seems…" she stammered.

"Oh, really? I may be aging a bit, Harriet Winfield, but my eyes are still working quite well!" Lord Winfield reproved her sharply. "Anyway, I just came to tell you that your Chief Superintendent is on the phone for you, and I have the distinct feeling that he doesn't like to be kept waiting."

Harry hesitated for a moment, glancing anxiously at the two men, before she turned around and hurried to the mansion. She felt very uncomfortable about having to leave them alone right now, especially since she didn't have the faintest idea how her father would react, nor how her partner would handle the delicate situation.

Harry had hardly turned her back when Lord Winfield addressed Dempsey. "Well Lieutenant, I see that you've decided to come back, after all?"

Dempsey stood up too, not quite knowing how to behave or what to say. He'd rather have accompanied Harry, were it not that Freddy blocked his path.

"Yeah, well euhm, I didn't have much choice, ya know. Harry…, your daughter can be very persuasive…, Sir." He responded with caution. The fact that Freddy hadn't addressed him with his first name, and that his voice had sounded rather harsh, made the otherwise very confident detective feel very insecure.

"She can indeed." Freddy replied. "But I had the impression that you didn't seem to mind…"

Dempsey didn't know where to look. "I'm sorry 'bout that…"

The older man cut in immediately. "What exactly are you sorry for? Kissing my daughter, or the fact that you were caught while kissing her?"

Since Dempsey didn't respond quickly enough, Freddy drew his conclusion. "I think your silence speaks for itself, Lieutenant!"

"What d' you want me to say? That I'm sorry I've kissed her? That would be a damn lie, and we both know it! Fact is that I'm madly in love with your daughter, Sir, and I can't help it." With head bowed, he continued. "But I know what you're thinking, and I can't blame you. I'm very much aware that she deserves better. I'm just a simple cop from New York, and I ain't got no fancy title or no big castle to offer her. Ya know, I can't even understand why she'd fallen in love with a guy like me in the first place!" He let out a sad chuckle and looked up again. "I guess I'd better leave. I really appreciate everything you've done for me and you must know that I never intended to take advantage of your hospitality. Take care o' yourself…"

Dempsey was about to leave the garden in a resigned mood, when Freddy stopped him. "Not so fast, Lieutenant. You've had your say, now the least you can do is hear me out too. Please, take a seat…" he gestured Dempsey to sit on the bench, and sat down beside him.

Lord Winfield cleared his throat. "I must admit, there was a time when it would indeed have been a major issue to me, but times have changed…, and so have I. Right now, my greatest concern is Harriet's happiness, and I must say it has been a long time since I've seen that twinkle in her eyes. I even began to fear that I would never see it again…" Lord Winfield spoke slowly, pondering his words carefully. He paused briefly, and then looked Dempsey straight in the eye. "Just make sure it doesn't fade again, young man! She's already suffered enough in the past, and is now entitled to some happiness at last."

Dempsey stared at the older man open-mouthed. He needed some time to let Freddy's words sink in, before he was able to react. "You mean you don't disapprove of our relationship?" he asked incredulously. "You have no idea what this means to me, Sir! I can only promise you that I will take good care of your daughter, and that I won't do anything to hurt her!"

"I will hold you to that promise, James!" Lord Winfield responded sternly, but softened as soon as he saw the happy smile on the American's face.

Bu then Dempsey's face turned serious again. "Say Freddy, you wouldn't happen to know where Harry would hide a small object around here, would ya?"

Lord Winfield frowned. "It depends… How 'small' is this object you are talking about?"

Dempsey showed the size with his hands. "The size of a, let's say ... passport?"

Freddy stroked his chin while he contemplated his answer. "I'm afraid I can't help you with that, James. As you know, this is a huge place with many potential hiding places, and no one knows it better than our Harriet. But even if I knew, I wouldn't be able to tell you. She would never forgive me, you see. You'll just have to ask her, my friend, there is no other way." Then he looked amused at Dempsey. "You two seem to have more in common than you realise…"

At that time, Harry came back into the garden. "Oh really, Freddy? And what exactly do we have in common then?"

"Your perseverance and stubbornness, my girl,…as well as a mutual interest in a particular object, I believe." The old man couldn't hold back his laughter when he saw the petrifying look in Dempsey's eyes.

With narrowed eyes, Harry looked alternately at her father and her partner. "What object?"

"Nothing important, your dad's just joking." Dempsey hastened to say. "Tell me, what did the boss have to say?

Her doubtful look instantly changed into a broad smile.

"At last some good news, I think. There might be a lead to your assailants! Apparently, two Americans were spotted near your apartment this morning. Spikings and the team are trying to locate them right now. With a bit of luck, they might catch a couple of nasty birds by the end of the day, and you'll be in the clear again! So you see, with a little patience and some confidence in your colleagues, things will turn out all right, without you having to risk your life. Isn't that great news?"

Then Harry turned to her father. "Freddy, I don't know what James has already told you about us, but… well, you see…" she closed her eyes and sighed. Then she glanced at Dempsey and smiled. "I think I'm in love…" Her partner returned the smile and offered her an encouraging wink.

Freddy started laughing. "My dear girl, I'd already seen this coming from the day you two arrived here. But apparently, you both needed a bit more time to discover the obvious."

"It's not that easy, Freddy. You know, with our work and so… That's why we need to ask you a big favour. You see, the Home Office will never allow us to work together, if they know about our feelings for each other. Therefore we have no choice but to keep our relationship secret for the time being, until we see how things evolve from here. I…we were hoping…" she cast a brief glance at Dempsey. "that we could count on your discretion?"

Lord Winfield's eyes widened. "Are you sure about this? I mean, aren't you afraid that your feelings for each other may cloud your judgement, in certain perilous situations? I am not an expert, darling, but I do believe that some rules were created for a reason, even if it seems as if their only purpose is to thwart you!" He made sure he looked at no one in particular.

"You may be right, but we'd like to give it a try, anyway. I promise you, however, that the moment it becomes too dangerous, we will inform Spikings without delay." Harry tried to reassure her father.

Lord Winfield seemed anything but convinced. He took some time to ponder the request, until he finally shrugged. "Well, I guess it's not up to me to judge, nor to spread the news about your relationship. I can only hope that you two know what you're doing…"

With a concerned look, Freddy stood up from the bench and retreated to the mansion, leaving behind two people who couldn't have been happier. From that moment, they were living a beautiful dream surrounded by colourful butterflies, and where nasty birds seemed further away than ever…

(TBC)

Are you sure you want me to continue? Dreams can easily turn into nightmares, and I can't guarantee a happy continuation of the story. Maybe I should end this story here, with a 'and they lived happily ever after'? How about it?