"No," Cal said with an air of finality.

"Yes," Gillian said with just as equal of an air.

"I thought we agreed not to use that word outside the bedroom." Cal said, swinging his legs off the corner of the table where she moved to lean.

"Cal! The door's open!" she nodded back towards his open office door. He shrugged.

"All the more reason why you shouldn't be upsetting me like this." She threw her eyes up to heaven, shaking her head.

"Cal, a party would be great for staff morale."

"They got a Christmas party!" he said, exasperated, his voice rising in pitch. Gillian sighed, realising she would have to go about this a different way. She shifted her leg slightly so that it brushed off of his. He smirked. He'd seen her plan that movement in her head.

"Well ok then, how about a nice New Year's meal for the permanent staff?" Cal shook his head again.

"I'm not paying to feed all of them!" Gillian shook her head again. This was just impossible.

"Cal, despite everything we're actually in a really good position now."

"No, love, the "really good position" is what I intend to have you in when everyone else is counting down to 'one'!" Gillian's eyes widened in panic again.

"Cal, the door!" Cal stood up, grinning. His hands went to her hips, pulling her to him, pinning her against his desk. Gillian glanced around nervously.

"So go close it," he said, licking his lips very obviously. She swallowed hard.

"We're working." He shrugged, letting his hand creep lower onto her thigh, ghosting around to the front where his fingers applied pressure through her skirt.

"Oh god…" she mumbled, the open door momentarily forgotten. He hummed in her ear, catching the lobe between his teeth.

"Door's still open. You can lock it if you like…" he muttered into her ear, his fingers applying pressure again. She was about to speak when they heard the voice of Ria Torres behind. At the open door.

"Dr Lightman, can you take a look at….oh, sorry, never mind." Gillian's eyes snapped open and she stepped away from Cal but that only served to highlight exactly where Cal's free hand had been a moment earlier. Gillian winced. She looked wide eyed at Cal. Say something. Cal swallowed.

"Gillian was telling me about our proposed new years dinner."

OXOXOXO

Cal cursed his rotten luck as he chose a pale blue shirt to go under the blue jumper Emily had got him last year. He decided he'd better wear it. Also, everything else was in the laundry. He scolded himself. If Torres hadn't caught them in the office, he was pretty sure he could have convinced Gillian to stay in that night with him. He hated New Years Eve. It was loud, brash and full of drunken teenagers and his greatest fear was that he'd bump into Emily amongst a gang of them. He groaned as he splashed some aftershave on and made his way downstairs. Gillian was picking him up. Her way of making sure he didn't try to dodge out of the mess he'd gotten himself into. Plus, she needed his signature on the chequebook.

OXOXOXO

At around 7:45, he heard the gentle knock on the door and stood up from where he'd been sipping a glass of whisky. There was some film on TV that he was sure he'd have gotten into if he'd been given the chance. But when he opened the door he decided immediately that if Gillian wanted him to dance on the moon that night he'd make damn sure that he'd find a way to do it. She wore a deep purple, strapless dress with a cream cardigan over it. She wore her hair pinned up but with a few light handfuls falling down around her face and he could imagine gently pulling out the pin in that later.

"Wow," he said finally, realising that he'd been staring and she was grinning back at him. He pulled her into the house, closing the door and kissing her softly. She tasted good too. She smiled against his kiss and opened her lips to allow him access. He took it willingly, edging her back against the wall, his hands roaming down over her body onto her thighs. He caught her tongue between his teeth, grinning at her, before kissing her again.

They broke breathless and Cal leaned in to her ear.

"It's not too late to cancel…." He said hopefully. She pushed him away, shaking her head, but amused.

"In your dreams," she said, checking herself in the hallway mirror. He put on a sad face but moved to the living room to get his coat. As he pulled it on, he leaned in and kissed her on the cheek softly. He lingered for a moment as she opened the door.

"In case you misinterpreted my meaning…you look absolutely stunning." He grinned at her and she patted his shoulder, ushering him out the door.

OXOXOXO

When they arrived at the restaurant their party was already there: Loker, Torres, Heidi and Anna – most of the main staff. A couple couldn't make it which filled Cal with unabashed glee. As they entered, late, Loker turned to Torres.

"I wonder what kept them…" Torres eyes widened.

"Loker, shut up! I told you to keep that to yourself!" Loker smiled.

"I will. But that's not to say I'm not going to have fun with it." He grinned manically and Torres shook her head.

"You realise what will happen if you do that?" She said quietly as she watched the waiter take both her bosses coats.

"Lightman will get really embarrassed and probably make a scene." He said triumphantly. Ria, again, shook her head.

"Oh he'll make a scene alright. But not about him. He'll out the two of us!" Loker stopped at that remark, looking at her curiously. She raised her eyebrows and he nodded.

"You're right. Ah hell, let's do it anyway!" Torres closed her eyes just as Cal and Gillian joined the table.

"Alright everyone? Merry bloody New Year." Cal said irritably.

OXOXOXO

Dinner passed by pretty uneventfully. At one point Cal and Gillian ran into each other coming back from the bathroom at which point Cal decided to tell Gillian what his plans for Gillian were later in the night.

"…you just think love. Just watch as I'm eating my crème brulée…" Gillian frowned at him.

"Why?" He smirked, leaning into her, pinning her against the wall.

"Watch my tongue…" With that he walked off. Gillian pursed her lips together. She couldn't say she wasn't intrigued. It would be a blatant lie.

OXOXOXO

As his tongue darted out to taste what was on the edge of the spoon, Gillian suppressed a groan. Maybe she should have succumbed to his wishes and stayed in tonight. But then, as she looked down at her own chocolate cake she realised that two could play that game. Taking her own bite, she casually licked the spoon but she could tell that his eyes were on her. Across the table, Loker was ready to burst. Torres gave him a warning look that Cal didn't miss.

"Oi! What was that?" he asked, pointing at Loker. Torres shrugged.

"What was what?"

"Deflection. What was that look you gave Loker?" Torres shook her head again as Gillian gave Cal a warning look which Loker didn't miss.

"Oh! What was that?" Loker jumped in and Gillian swallowed another bite of cake. Heidi and Anna sat, oblivious to everything. Cal turned to Loker.

"What was what?" He challenged and Loker backed down. Gillian caught the waiter as he passed by.

"Check please."

OXOXOXO

Cal and Gillian retrieved their coats and waited outside while the others used the bathrooms. Gillian punched him in the arm as soon as they were outside.

"Oi! What was that for?"

"For acting like an ass!" Cal tilted his head, studying her face. Then he stepped in to her.

"You're not mad," he said finally. She frowned at him.

"Yes, I am." He shook his head at that, before stepping back, seeing the others on the way over.

"No, you're not."

OXOXOXO

Loker and Torres talked them all into going to a nearby bar to ring in New Year's, much to Cal's dismay. He had visions of Gillian's legs over his shoulders and they were being delayed more and more by the minute.

The bar was noisy but not overly so, full but comfortable. They set up in a corner near the bar and Gillian was sure to talk to everyone at some point. Cal stocked up on whisky but not so much that he was unable to be coherent. It was enough though for him to be extensively more familiar with his business partner. As she passed by him, he grabbed her hand, pulling her back into him, his nose breathing in her scent. Gillian was still sober enough to realise that this was a very compromising position to be in in front of their staff.

"Cal. Later," she said quietly.

"Did I tell you about the dexterity of my fingers…" he purred in her ear as his index finger tapped out the rhythm of the song on her hip. She closed her eyes at his words. She knew all about it.

"Cal, seriously. Behave. You're going to give the game away." She said, pulling from him as the countdown to New Year began at 20.

20….

"Is that what this is?"

19…

"What?"

18…

"A game." She looked at the floor.

"No, Cal. I thought we'd been through this." He nodded his head, his hands falling back on to her hips.

14….

Loker nudged Torres and she looked across to see both bosses standing very close together, Lightman's hands on her hips. She smirked. If it didn't happen tonight, it never would…

12….

"Then what's the problem with this Gill? Hmmm? I'm not treating this as a game. You say you're not either. Why's it a secret?"

"Because it's more exciting Cal," she said quickly and Cal knew there was some hint of truth in that.

"So it's not enough as it is then." He said with a tone of remorse. Gillian's mouth fell open.

8…

"Cal, that's not what I meant…"

"What did you mean?"

7…

"I like the newness of this. I haven't had the newness with anyone in a while and I guess I, want to make the best of it." She shrugged not really sure what she was trying to say. Cal shrugged in unison.

6…

"Gill, we're going to go back to my house later tonight and have mind blowing sex, right? How is that going to be different if any of this lot know about it?" Gillian took a deep breath. He had a point.

5…

She nodded her head.

4….

Stepping closer to him, she brought her hands to rest on his chest. Loker and Torres peered closer.

3…

"You're right," she said finally.

"I am?"

"Yeah."

2….

He grinned as he tilted his head to look at her. This was the longest bloody countdown he'd ever been at.

1…

"Happy New Year Cal," she said as the drum roll reeled in 2011. He grinned and leaned in to kiss her. It was soft and sweet. The others could still mistake it for a friendly business partners kiss but he knew they wouldn't and he didn't care.

When they broke Cal pushed a piece of hair out of her face, before kissing her briefly again. They turned to face the group but they were all dancing and hugging. Cal shrugged.

"Reckon they'd notice if we buggered off?" Gillian smirked and shook her head. Reaching her hand down to clasp his, they crept off out of the bar.

OXOXOXO

Cal closed the door with his foot because his hands were busy pulling the pin out of Gillian's hair. He pushed her against the wall she'd leaned against earlier and ground against her. She chuckled at his enthusiasm.

"So tell me about this 'great position'" she laughed as he kissed her neck, kneading his hand through her hair. He looked up at her.

"Oh I'll do better than that." She smiled into another kiss. As they broke, he stepped back, his hand on her face, thumb caressing her cheek. He watched her ace for a minute. She raised an eyebrow at him and he swallowed hard but didn't look away.

"I love you," he said finally and her face broke into a grin. She pulled him into her again.

"I love you too." She kissed him softly before he picked her up and carried her off upstairs, thinking 'what an end to a year'.

OXOXOXO

So that's that then. Hope everyone enjoyed. Happy New Year all.