Dempsey looked up and around checking that they were alone

He lowered himself to half height and ran his hand up under the wet vest.

"You know you'd dry quicker without this on" he whispered and started to edge the hem upwards, he could feel the coolness of her back as he inched his way up it. He had dreamt of moments like this, he thought about pinching himself to check he wasn't dreaming now but that would mean taking his hand off Harry and there was no way that was going to happen.

As the curve of her waist came into view he trailed off to explore that still totally disbelieving of the acceptance lying before him.

Harry stopped talking as she contemplated turning back over and all that would imply. She could remember some of the Céilidh, she could remember plenty of that first dance at the summer ball, the white rose on her pillow and his words just now about holding her hand. She also knew exactly how much he'd come to mean to her. His attentions were a delight to her, she could feel his hand moving up her body – that he really did want her was amazingly reassuring. Could she make love on an Irish beach she wondered? At least she would remember it! Her body was beginning to have no doubt - her breathing shallowed and a different kind of warmth spread across her body as she felt his touch run around her waist. She hoisted herself ever so slightly so his hand could follow the curve underneath to her belly.

Dempsey felt the fire start to burn within; what had started as an unthinking reaction to touch her body had now aroused a desire that all the signs indicated would be fulfilled. He gazed from her ankles back up her legs and studied the lace making the curves of her bottom all the more appealing. His left arm was still supporting him as his right caressed and thrilled at the curve of her waist and softness of her skin.

"Harry you have a beautiful body" he whispered as he moved his hand back to run up her spine "but I've got to tell you Harry there's a whole lot more that's beautiful about you, so much about you that wakes me up…"

Dempsey intended to say a lot more before anything else happened and he made a mental commitment not to rush or push anything. He would use his mouth, firstly to tell of, and then to demonstrate his feelings for her.

Every word was music to Harry's ears however she wanted to look at his face as he spoke; on the matter of a kiss that could well lead to much more she had made her decision and wondered if when the moment came she would have to reach up and pull James towards her or whether he would read her eyes and lips and lean down and kiss her. She turned over; some what unexpectedly Dempsey felt his hand brush her breasts and the thrill shot though him like a thunderbolt - his eyes fixed on her blue eyes looking up at him. The unforeseen touch also sparked more desire in Harry - her lips parted and as James lowered himself she put her arms around his shoulders then up through his hair to hold the back of his head as she guided him onto her. His eyes glowed at the sight and feel of her – the telling / speaking bit was postponed until later!

Milliseconds before their mouths met there was a thud of footsteps - someone running on the beach. Dempsey glanced up again and saw Fry hurrying towards them; he groaned in utter disbelief and jerking up away from Harry picked up his shirt to put on. Harry sat up and turned around.

Fry had the benefit of a full frontal repeat of the wet t-shirt; his eyes were on stalks again. Harry noticed his expression and grabbed Dempsey's shirt out of his hands and threw it across herself.

"What the hell?" Dempsey had stood up in his jockey shorts.

"Spikings made me promise…" Fry wasn't allowed to finish in one swoop Dempsey picked up his trousers aware that he had evidence to hide as well; he dislodged Harry's clothes in the process. Harry grabbed her bra as it flew towards the sand.

"We're coming" Dempsey sounded aggravated, Fry stood there like a lemon.

"For god's sake let us get dressed!" Harry was likewise incensed. Fry was glued to the spot staring at them both.

"Fry go and wait by the car" Dempsey clarified what Harry had meant. Jolted into action Fry moved.

Harry didn't know if she was mortified because they were interrupted or that Fry had seen them together again or because of his wide eyed stare at her body. She decided it was more of the latter than anything else – bloody Fry had seen her all but naked! His interruption she thought was the most unjust occasion in the world but in the light of previous events it had to be seen as ironic and the humour of it started to make her smile.

Dempsey too thought the Gods were against him and trying to tell him something but the endorphins running riot around his body made him chuckle.

"You never know when someone might be watching" Harry quoted and they burst out laughing

"These ain't dry yet" Dempsey moaned.

Harry grinned wickedly "well take them off"

"No looking" he said as he turned away but Harry's eyes remained fixed on his bare bum. She smiled appreciatively. He turned back to take his shirt

"Oh No" she said "I'll bring it up to the car when I'm dressed now off you go."

At the car Fry spoke first "never stop the role"

He did seem to be so bloody innocent Dempsey thought and such a pain.

"How did you get here Fry?" Dempsey asked

"I was in the patrol car when I saw your car so I got them to drop me off"

Dempsey scrunched his mouth, smiled a few times then asked "so how you getting back?"

"I thought with you" his voice dropped, Fry knew that there was something wrong.

"This one's a two seater sunshine" Dempsey pointed out with great delight.

Just at that moment Harry arrived; she threw Dempsey his shirt and as he slipped it on they both got into the car.

"Have a nice walk" Dempsey called as he started the engine

Harry looked at James with her chin down and eyes raised. "Ok" Dempsey relented "We'll stop at a phone box and get someone to pick you up" he shouted to Fry as he spun the wheels and drove off laughing out loud.

They had their meeting with O'Malley at 5.00pm. The rest of the day was free, the 24 hour observation was still in progress and a time set for picking up Tierney at 12.00 noon the next day. Dempsey and Makepeace left the police station.

"Well I guess we'll be flying back to London very soon." Dempsey looked at Harry as he spoke.

"Ah hum" Harry guessed that he wanted to say something

"I'm not going home with no memory of my kiss"

"Your problem, not mine" she pointed out

"I seem to remember…"

"I thought the problem was you couldn't"

"It is my understanding that you can't remember that part of the night either" Dempsey argued

"Nothing we can do about that" Harry countered

"I thought dinner, champagne…" Dempsey felt instantly so very exposed and vulnerable

"We never did finish discussing what I felt about the situation" Harry thought that sounded much harsher than she had intended.

"You weren't exactly resisting me on the beach" he was almost back to defending his position

"You see men always make assumptions"

Dempsey was thwarted, he refrained from saying that women always misled; Harry smiled though "Let's do a little star gazing tonight after dinner; and it had better be pink champagne" she teased him with her eyes and almost stepped up to him to kiss his mouth