Author's comment: I do not particularly like this chapter and struggled to get it to work as I had planned but as I do not intend to write any more M-rated sex scenes in 2015 I decided to post it anyway.

Tommy pulled her to him and they lay wordlessly in the bottom of the bath still connected. She snuggled into his neck and straightened her legs, resting as much weight on his heaving chest as she dared. He was still whimpering softly as he stroked her head. When his breathing settled he lifted her head and kissed her affectionately. "You are a very remarkable woman Barbara Havers. Have I mentioned that I love you?"

"Once or twice but I don't mind if you keep reminding me."

A few minutes later he pulled away and tidied up. He ran the bath and settled back with Barbara in his arms as the warm water swirled around them. He felt content and fulfilled. "Happy?"

"Mmm, more than I ever imagined I could be." Tommy hugged her and kissed her again as the water rose around them. "I know this sounds silly but I don't want to go back to work in a few days."

"Me either. Maybe we could tell Hillier there was a sudden blizzard and we are trapped here for weeks."

Tommy laughed. "Yes I'm sure he would believe that in the middle of summer. No, I mean I don't want to go back at all."

"What quit? It's part of who you are Tommy. Part of who we both are."

"Yes but we can be part of something different now. I've been thinking about your idea."

"Which one?" she asked dreamily still thinking about everything else that had happened and not believing that he would resign.

"I'm going to build a house like this one for us on the cliff. I want a bedroom like this with a tub and a fire. It will have to be soundproofed of course," he said raising his eyebrow at her as he cuddled her tighter, "and we'll have the kid's rooms at the other end. I think I will convert the main house into a museum of some sort to raise money for local charities. That way it gets preserved but we don't have to be bogged down in all the history. Mother's wanted to move to London for years."

Barbara was surprised but oddly pleased. The thought of one day living in the Howenstowe pile had horrified her. "Kid's rooms? How many are we having?"

"Rooms or children? At the moment I want six children and don't ask me why. I have no logic."

She sat up and looked at him to see if he was serious. "Six! Bloody hell Tommy! I was thinking more an heir and a spare." This had all happened so fast and Barbara was not sure of anything beyond wanting to spend every minute of her life with Tommy but six children was too much to comprehend.

"So you want children with me then?" he asked cheerily.

Yes! "Isn't it a bit early for this conversation? I mean...well this is our first bath together."

Tommy grinned at her. "First of many I hope."

"Me too." He turned off the water and grabbed the soap and washed her back. Feeling the soap glide over her skin was sensuous and when she washed him he struggled not pull her to him and make love to her again. They took turns bathing each other thoroughly and when they had finished they allowed the warm water to lap around them while they kissed.

After they had begun to turn wrinkly he found a towel and dried her while they stood by the fire. As he wiped his legs Barbara walked over to stand by the window. The night was darker as the stars were now covered by scattered cloud. She was almost in silhouette, the shape of her body highlighted only by the flickering fire. It was almost an hour since that wonderful encounter in the bath and Tommy felt an aching desire building. He moved up behind her and nuzzled her neck. "You have the most divine body."

"Hardly!"

"Just the sight of it does things to me."

Barbara turned her head and they kissed. "Yours has always had that effect on me."

"I remember. You liked to watch as I shower. Perhaps we can do that later?"

"Only if this time I can join you."

Her voice was low and unintentionally seductive and Tommy began to caress her breasts as he continued to trace kisses across her shoulder and up behind her ear. He moved his hands down across her body and stroked her thighs allowing his fingers to brush across her soft curls. Although no one could see them the possibility that they could be seen added extra spice to the encounter. He loved her but this time his desire was much more urgent and physical. Tommy wanted to take her here against the window. He wanted to hear her scream out his name again.

As Barbara looked out she remembered how she felt standing in that spot a few night before; powerful and sexy. When he started to kiss her neck she pushed back into him and could tell his thoughts mirrored her own. As he ran his hands over her she moved her legs apart slightly. The thought of them united as they looked out was thrilling. She had never imagined she would feel so free and uninhibited. There was a raw energy between them that demanded immediate release. "Yes," she replied to his unasked question.

Tommy obliged eagerly but not as she had expected. His fingers found her delightfully juicy and he moaned softly as he explored her body and her reactions. Her breathing became ragged and she pressed her palms against the glass to steady her. She tried to slow him down but he was relentless. He knew what she wanted but at the moment he had control just as she had had in the bath. He had no intention of letting her dictate how this went. Her pleasure was his pleasure and he would ensure she understood.

She tried to watch his face in the reflection of the window. He was admiring her with a seriousness and concentration that belied the situation. "Please Tommy," she almost begged. She arched forward hoping he would understand and enter her. He shook his head and smiled. The cold glass against her breast enhanced the sensations and she closed her eyes and relinquished control. It did not take long before her world exploded. She cried out to assorted deities but mostly called to him.

When she clamped her legs shut he withdrew his hand and turned her in his arms. He kissed her hard and with lustfulness that he had not felt earlier. She kissed him back with equal urgency. "I'll just get..."

"No! Don't please Tommy. I don't want any barrier between us. I want to feel all of you. I want to know that part of you stays living inside me for a while." It sounded so corny that she cringed but it was true, she wanted nothing between them and liked the idea of a part of him remaining with her.

"Oh God Barbara I want that too but what if...?"

"Unlikely but if it does then we'll deal with it then." She was less sure than she sounded and wondered if some primal desire to reproduce had clouded her judgement. At the moment she did not care.

She kissed him deeply and Tommy forgot his arguments. They were going to marry anyway and if he really wanted six children they should start soon. "I can't think of a better place to conceive the next Earl," he said only half joking. The very thought that they might conceive was unbelievably erotic for him and he pushed her against the window.

She was smiling at him and with one small movement they were aligned. He looked at her and she nodded. Tommy pushed against her and groaned loudly as he slid home. At first he did nothing but enjoy the sensation of being unrestricted inside her. She gently gripped him and he kissed her passionately. Slowly he moved concentrating on feeling each ridge and contour. His whole body felt electrified. He had never had sex standing up before but he could get quite used to it. He tried to adjust the angle to drive deeper. Barbara lifted her leg slightly and Tommy pressed her harder against the glass and lifted both her thighs. She wrapped her legs around him and he pushed further inside her matching his kiss to his rhythm.

His thrusts were too gentle. She beat her heels against his the back of thighs to encourage him to move faster and harder. He was too low to get friction where she needed it so she dropped her legs a little and instantly had the contact she craved. Barbara wondered briefly where her sexuality had been hiding all these years; with Tommy her needs were urgent and demanding. She felt him growing and sensed he was as inflamed as her. He stopped kissing her and leant his head on the glass next to her gulping air. He slowed his movements so she bit his shoulder hard enough to cause pain. He yelped then answered by pounding into her. Elation started to convulse through her and she dug her nails into his back. Years of repressed finally desire escaped. "Now Tommy...please."

When she bit him Tommy felt it directly in his groin. His response was instinctive and he drove himself harder and deeper into her. He felt his control waver and knew he could not hold on much longer. When all her muscles gripped him hard and she pleaded with him he stopped trying to hold on. His heartbeat thumped in his ears and behind his closed eyes the world went red. Barbara was writhing against him and calling out. The pressure balled up and then suddenly released in waves of indulgent, blissful repletion.

Tommy lowered her to the ground and held her tightly. They both struggled to get enough air and he felt faint. "I'm sorry," he said, "that was very...powerful but not exactly what I intended when I said I wanted to give everything to you. But when you bit me, I don't know… something fierce seized me."

Barbara laughed softly. "That was me. No need to be sorry, I'm the one that bit you," she said running her hand through his hair, "I think we both needed that. Did I hurt you?"

He shook his head then laughed softly. "Far from it but I've never had a biter before. First you scratch me then you bite me. You don't have whips and spurs hidden somewhere do you?"

"You'll have to wait and see." Barbara then remembered what else was in the box. "Besides, I didn't buy that box!"

They stood laughing and kissing and caressing each other lovingly until Tommy suggested a shower. They washed each other quickly. "Maybe later," Tommy said in reply to her arched eyebrow, "I'm not twenty anymore."

They snuggled under the duvet and kissed. Barbra was tired and after a while nestled into his shoulder. "Thank you Tommy."

He stroked her back softly and looked up at the stars. It was as if he had finally broken free. For the first time that he could remember he felt secure. He did not have to pretend or hide or do something everyone expected of him. Barbara had let him be himself. She had been open and completely trusting. She had wanted him in a way that went beyond physical. Tonight somehow their souls are merged. "I love you Barbara, far more than I ever thought I could love anyone."

Hearing that made Barbara feel alive and truly happy but she knew it was easy to say that now but would be a lot harder in London. She did not doubt that he meant it and hoped that their feelings would be enough for them to overcome all the obstacles she knew were coming. He actually thinks people will accept me as his wife! What shocked her more was that she was starting to believe she might just be able to do it. The way Tommy had made love to her had actually made her feel worthy of being his wife just as years ago he had made her feel worthy of being his partner. It would be equally as rough a journey so she re-affirmed her promise to live in the moment and enjoy everything. "You're the only man I've ever loved or will ever love. You are everything I love."

Tommy pulled her closer. He was never going to let go. As he drifted off to sleep he imagined them waking up in their new house with a tribe of laughing, happy children. When he woke Barbara was missing. He sat up in a panic until he saw the bathroom light. Relief flooded him then grinning to himself he quickly walked over to the chocolate box and pulled out the last objects from under the bottom layer of cardboard, the layer she had not yet discovered.

He sat on the end of the bed and as she returned to his arms she apologised for waking him. As they kissed Tommy could taste chocolate. "Were you hungry?" he asked.

Barbara lowered her eyes. "Yes but now I fancy something else."

She had her hands on his chest and kissed him mischievously but before she realised what was happening Tommy had slipped a soft cloth band around her wrists. He pulled gently to tighten the knot. "Do you trust me?" he whispered as he kissed her.

"Yes." Barbara was surprised but not alarmed. Tommy had a hidden side she had never imagined and it tapped into a part of her soul she had never known existed.

Tommy slipped a mask over her eyes and adjusted the elastic so that it did not pull on her ears. He felt Barbara pause momentarily before she began to smile.

"I always knew your lot were a bit kinky. Are we going to play Mr Policeman?"

"Not exactly; more like Mrs Detective." Tommy lowered her gently onto the bed as he kissed her. She put her tied hands above her head, arching her neck to expose her throat and opening her body to him. At that moment Barbara was completely vulnerable yet she was also the strongest he had ever seen her. She was giving him her complete trust, hiding nothing, allowing herself to let go of all her misgivings, her doubts and her inhibitions. She was giving every part of her to him. He knew some men would feel thrilled by the power but for Tommy it was not about power. No one had ever given him their love and trust so openly and it was a gift that made him whole. He needed to be wanted and loved to the exclusion of the world and here was Barbara, his feisty, argumentative and often frustrating sergeant who was the one woman who could truly love him.

"Sex wasn't part of my plan," he protested. Tommy had blindfolded her because he wanted her to find something not play sex games.

"Time for a change of plan then."

Lynley groaned as he accepted his fate. His lips and tongue danced down her body all the way to the ankles. Sex was not love but it was a sublime way to communicate the overwhelming love he had for her. The blindfold and ribbon had come with the box and as he had sat in his room that afternoon he had almost removed them before he had thought of a gentle way to use them. He had not known how she would react but he had suspected that if she liked the body chocolate she would be happy to explore further with him. He continued to kiss and tease her. She lay back and almost purred as his lips and hands wandered over her skin. Now that plans had been amended he was going to show Barbara that he needed her and loved her beyond life itself.

Tommy suggested he should untie her. Barbara was a little disappointed. She had expected and hoped that he would continue to torment her unmercifully. She wanted him to make love to her slowly, to worship her while she was helpless to do anything but enjoy it. "Are you sure?"

"Hmm, no," he admitted with a crack in his voice, "but I'd never take advantage of you."

"Even if I want you to?" Barbara knew from his voice that this was not part of his repertoire. This was as new and as exciting to him as it was to her. It felt inevitable that she would tie him up later and have her way with him. The thought of it made her heart race and her loins ache. "Make love to me Tommy!"

He began at her feet and traced his tongue up her body making sure no other part of them touched. He watched goosebumps rise on her skin and her body flush with colour. He nuzzled her neck then began to kiss her tenderly still not touching any other part of her. Her kiss became demanding and he moved over her. Supporting his weight so that just the very tip of him touched her he traced desultory patterns across her abdomen, creeping ever closer to the heat he could feel growing in her.

Barbara arched towards him. She wanted him, needed him; she burned for him to fill her heart and her body with his love. Not seeing him heightened her other senses. Each time he moved she could smell chocolate and soap and the piquant fragrance of their lovemaking. She was sweating and the breeze he created cooled her skin just enough to make her tremble. She wanted to pull her arms down and latch around his neck but as she lifted them her body lost the sublime tension and she felt him push them back against the pillow. "Oh God Tommy!" she howled.

He met her cry with a single, swift thrust that pushed her firmly against the mattress. He waited until her breathing settled slightly then kissed her as he made love to her. His actions were deliberate and agonisingly slow. With his head by her ear he confessed every reason that he loved her. He sensed when to move and when to stop, where to allow friction and where to taunt. Three or four times he built her up only to stop a fraction short while he poured out his soul to her. She smiled lovingly as she thrashed impatiently beneath him until at last he set her free and she screamed that she loved him repeatedly. It was only when he heard his own voice cry out that he realised his body had leapt ahead of his mind. Time stopped and yet the seconds were eternal. He opened his eyes and saw her looking at him with such adoration that he feared his heart might stop. He stopped breathing. He stopped thinking. He was completely lost in her eyes.

Barbara had ripped off the blindfold with her thumbs to watch him. Having Tommy make love to her was what she imagined dying to be. Her body was burning and she had to fight to breathe and yet she was pulled inexorably towards the light, wanting more. He had told her his darkest secrets and his deepest fears as if he was giving her one last chance to reject him. She never would; she never could but she knew she was not only pledging to love him, she was committing to becoming everything he needed. She wrapped her bound arms around his neck and pulled him down onto her and held him. Suddenly the concept of Lady Asherton was not a burden because he had vowed to also be Mr Havers. They could meet in the middle with a family home not burdened by centuries of history and a family of maybe four children. She laughed softly at the thought. "We really can be part of something different now."

"We already are," he answered solemnly. "By the way before we played Mr Policeman I had something for you." He reached up and felt around on the bedside table. "At least close your eyes."

"Tommy?" she said suspiciously.

"No games." She obeyed and he fastened a chain behind her neck. "Okay you can look now."

Barbara picked up the pendant and grinned. It was an alpenhorn with a large emerald set in the bell. "Well Sir, or is that Lord Asherton or Tommy? Have I mentioned that I love all of your flavours?"

"Once or twice but I don't mind if you keep reminding me," he said as he pulled her close and kissed her.