Sorry for taking so long to update this chapter. School has been kicking my butt. Exams next week but I'll still try to update again. Hope everyone is enjoying the fic, thanks to all who have reviewed, you're too kind! Glad you all like the Niles and Fran angle. Enjoy the chapter!

"Kiss me now!" She cried. Niles cupped her cheeks in his hands and quickly brought her smooth-skinned face to meet his.

This time their kiss held much more passion. Fran found herself lost in his embrace and ran her hands through his soft dirty blonde hair. Thoughts ran through her mind, had Mr. Sheffield walked in on them yet? If he had, his mouth would probably be on the floor by now. Maybe he would say something…like "Miss Fiiine!!!" She better make this look good. She gripped Niles' locks and melded her body to form-fit against his.

Niles responded eagerly to her energy and began to run his hands through her silky and luscious curls. Fran was incredibly irresistible. He'd always thought she was a gorgeous woman with a magnetism un-paralleled by any other woman he'd known.

Fran was blown away…she'd never known Niles was so….AMOUROUS. The way he responded to her.

Suddenly Niles ran his hands down her back, along her spine, just barely grazing across the skin exposed on her upper-back and his hands stopping their track along the small of her back. Fran felt an uncontrollable shiver seize her and was unable to stop herself from shuddering in Niles' arms.

Mr. Sheffield at this time did indeed have his jaw dropped to the floor. Any lower and he'd need a spatula to scrape his chin off the carpet. The papers he'd been holding fluttered out of his hands and he stood stunned, unable to even yell "Miss Fiiine!".

Finally, much to both their reluctances, Niles pulled himself away from Fran's alluring embrace. They both looked over to see Mr. Sheffield who appeared to be trying to form words that just wouldn't come out of his mouth.

"Wha….dddda….I-I…huh?…" he mumbled incoherentlyl.

Fran shyly wiped her mouth with the tips of her fingers. Looking over at Niles, she realized she'd left behind some chinaberry lipstick on his mouth. She softly wiped his lips off with a clean fingertip. Her touch was like static electricity on Niles' already-on-fire mouth. He swallowed.

Mr. Sheffield was squinting as if he thought the whole thing was a dream. He finally got to his senses and began to open his mouth. Fran braced herself for the avalance.

"MISSS …FIIIIINE!!!"

"Yes?" She squeaked timidly.

"What….WHAT in the bloody hell is going ON?!"

"Um…weeell…" Fran began. She looked over at Niles, pleadingly.

Niles suavely stepped in, "We're very sorry sir. We didn't mean to have anyone walk in on us."

Mr. Sheffield looked flustered, "But …but how do you explain…THIS happening??"

Fran tried to sneak a glance at him to see if there was a spark of jealousy there in his face. There certainly was. His green eyes looked particularly vibrant and fiery.

Niles stepped in again, "Well you see that we….cannot help ourselves, sir. We work in such close proximity every day and well, it was bound to happen."

Mr. Sheffield took a deep breath, I seee youuu in my office?" He gritted his teeth.

"Certainly. After you." Niles looked over his shoulder and mouthed 'Don't worry' to Miss Fine. She looked like she was feeling bad for him but not bad enough to want to take his place.

IN MR. SHEFFIELD'S OFFICE

"Niles…I'm trying to understand what just happened out there? I mean," he stood face to face with Niles, "I thought you knew about…US," he said vaguely.

"US sir?"

"You know old man. Miss Fine and I." He looked at Niles questioningly.

"Well, I don't think SHE knows about that," Niles answered.

"But, but…how could you Niles? I mean, her and I …we…we…" he waved his hand around unsure of what to say.

" 'We' what sir?"

"Well um…uh…"

Niles started getting heated, "For heavens' sake, if you weren't such a cold, insensitive, dimwitted, blithering ninny, you could have snatched her up YEARS AGO!!!!….SIR."

Maxwell stared at him agape.

"You've been stringing her along. You've got to commit to her MAN! Or she'll find someone who will." Niles put it bluntly for him.

Maxwell looked as if he wanted to say something but changed his mind. He ran a hand through his thick dark hair.

He sighed, "Yes, I know…but I just don't think I can do that."

Niles groaned loudly.

Mr. Sheffield ignored it. "Its just things have been moving so fast—"

"Four years is fast? Maybe in dog years," Niles interrupted him. He was never going to get through to the man.

"Never mind," Maxwell interrupted irritably. He slumped down in his leather desk chair. "That'll be all for now Niles."

"Very well sir…hope you get your head screwed on straight before it's too late," He said under his breath as he walked out.

"What was that?"

"Dinner at eight!" Niles called over his shoulder.