A/N: Beware, this contains parts which are slightly above T-rating. You might blush (or giggle nervously).
As for the previous chapter: I know, she should have said yes, but back in the days when I've outlined the story I had a no in my head and I didn't want to change it.

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Lil' Dragon

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The topic of his proposal had not been brought up again in the morning. In fact they had not talked about it the entire day and so Sunday had been unusually quiet. The two Detectives had been in a pretty contemplative mood but they had survived the day and had relied on their deep love so in the evening they had gone out for dinner in a more relaxed mood.

The next Monday at the office instead was boring. If not a lucky coincidence would bring them further with their case they would stay stuck at that point forever or at least as long as it took their main witness to wake up from coma. To waste some time with serious stuff DI Lynley had built up three whiteboards in his office so he and his closest team consisting of DS Havers, DC Nkata and DC Norton would not disturb the others who were going through endless CCTV footage and old files in the open plan office.

Barbara had bought scones and cookies and coffee. Thomas had laughed about it and teased her. "And next time you'll bake them by yourself, Sweetie?"

But before Barbara was able to give him the reply he deserved the door sprang open and Winston and Alan joined them.

"Mmh! Cookies!"

For an hour or so they pinned notes and maps and pictures onto the boards and made more notes and drew links between the victim's rather huge circle of friends and family. At one point all four just stood there watching the boards and brooding over details. They only had gathered facts but none would lead them to any crime or reason for killing the poor woman.

Thomas groaned in despair. "There's nothing! Absolutely nothing!"

"I'll go for a cigerette." Alan muttered looking at his boss asking for permission. "Sir?"

"Yes, go have a break." Absentminded Lynley nodded. "Oh, and on your way back, please get the files we've talked about."

"Maybe it wasn't murder and their suggestion that it was an accident was right?" Barbara sighed and slightly leaned against him. With only Winston around she felt free to show some open signs of affection for the boss.

"Should I go and pester Lafferty once more?" Winston asked and leaned over to the chocolate cookies. He knew he should leave them alone for a few moments of privacy and offered the mortuary as an excuse.

"That'd be a good i-DEAR!" Thomas cried the last syllable, flinched and deeply inhaled. His eyes closed to keep calm. It had been a piercing pain he had felt on his hip.

While they had racked their brains he had perched against his desk where Barbara had put the food and drinks and when the Constable had angled for the treat he accidentally had moved the thermos flask with the coffee against his Inspector's side. Exactly where the fresh tattoo was hidden.

"Umm, I'm sorry, Sir." Winston apologised with a confused look.

"No, no, it's okay, Winston." Lynley breathed and briefly shook his head with closed eyes clenching his hands into fists. Barbara could not keep herself from smirking. She was wondering what her lover would reveal to Nkata and if there would be a single ounce of truth in his story. It was clear that Tommy would not want to tell the truth to his Constable. Barbara could see him suddenly blushing. "I just... Well, there's a nasty little wound at my hip where... umm... anyway... but, you know, it's not yet completely recovered."

Not exactly a lie, but not exactly the full truth, she thought. Barbara grinned even more and seeing his boss blushing and his colleague grinning so much Winston put one and one together. Of course he thought in the wrong but certainly in a very naughty direction.

"I... see..." he slowly answered and then snickered. "Well, I really should visit Lafferty, shouldn't I?" With the naughtiest grin and the announcement that he had to run another errand afterwards and would not be back but in an hour or so Nkata left Lynley's office. "You'll have plenty of time..." Just loud enough so they would hear him he murmured it closing the door.

"Get lost, Winston!" Barbara called after him. Thomas went to the door.

When the key in its lock clicked they heard the Constable's loud laughter from the corridor.

"Tom!" Barbara hissed. "Unlock the door!"

"Ah, you like the thrill of getting caught?" His seductive grin when he unlocked the door again made her blush.

"We're not gettin' caught in anything here." she grumbled.

"Ah, well..." Back in front of his beloved Sergeant the Inspector smiled. Without effort he lifted her onto his desk. The pen holder scratched loudly across its surface when her bum pushed it away and the picture of his family fell on its face. Not caring at all about it Thomas nuzzled into the crook of Barbara's neck. "I could lift you up my desk..."

"You won't dare!" she murmured ignoring the fact that she already sat there. They exchanged an amused look.

"Don't be so sure, Barbara." he whispered. His smile vanished in the gentle kiss he gave her. Thomas let his hands rub across the jeans which covered her hips. Skilfully he opened the button and the zipper. "I could open your jeans."

A sudden thrill tickled through Barbara. It was not only his proximity, or the words he whispered, or his fingers touching her belly only inches above intimate areas, it was in fact the thrill that they could be caught here, doing strictly forbidden things, kissing, cuddling, inappropriately touching each other in his office at New Scotland Yard.

"You shouldn't!" she breathed sounding rather surrendering and deep inside meaning the opposite. Her fists were holding the lapels of his jacket in a firm grip.

"I could spread your legs like this."

"Oh, Tom!" Barbara wound her arms around his neck and pulled his face closer to hers. With an open mouth she welcomed his lips and with her tongue she lured his to come over. He made a step forward and now stood completely between her thighs. Her jeans were open, thus slackened, and there was enough space for his flat hands to slip under the cloth of her knickers. He caressed her hips and her bottom but he did not have to pull her closer because Barbara had hooked her feet into the hollows of his knees and had slid forward by herself.

"Mmmh!" he hummed his approval into her lungs. Softly kneading fingers dug into the soft flesh of her behinds. His lips wandered to her ear and hers kissed every inch of the skin of his neck. Onto the sensitive spot behind Barbara's ear Thomas whispered "I admit I would happily get rid of the annoying cloth between us."

"You could." she softly moaned but was glad he did not. Then she suddenly chuckled.

"What?" he asked confused and looked into her eyes.

"Your trousers would be pooling around your ankles, Tom," she grinned. "and it wouldn't look very noble to any casual disturber."

Letting their foreheads bump he joined her chuckles.

"I wouldn't care, my Sweet." he breathed. "Because I'd be buried deep inside your warmth."

As if to emphasise it Thomas suddenly ground a cloth covered bulge into her crotch. Barbara could feel damp cloth sticking against herself. The gorgeous friction his groin caused was tempting a lot and she could not suppress another moan. "Oh, I wish we'd be at home in your study, Tom."

They shared another deep and lustful kiss before he tored himself away from her. "We actually should stop here or I'll forget that this is an office at the honourable Met." he groaned.

Barbara leaned back supporting herself with her arms on his desk. She was completely out of breath and had to close her eyes. "Or you could lock that door again!" She was blushing deeply about her own bold suggestion.

For a few seconds there was silence. Then she opened her eyes and looked at him. There was an unspoken question if she meant what she just had offered and she knew that the expression on her face was confirming it. In a silent dialogue their eyes quickly discussed the pros and cons and what could happen and if they really should give in to the desire they obviously both felt at the moment. Thomas raked a hand through his unruly hair and watched the visible fight Barbara fought with herself. He knew that if she would nod he would be at the door in an instant.

"DI Lynley?" A knock was heard from said door. Thomas grabbed a manila folder to cover his front, spun around and straightened his back as if to hide the devastated woman on his desk. In the same seconds Barbara had hopped off from it, had closed her jeans, pulled down her jumper somewhat more proper than it was, put the strands of hair behind her ears and also grabbed a random file from where she had sat a second ago. Again a voice was heard from outside. "This could be of interest..."

"Yes, yes." For the knowing DI Lynley's voice was nervously husky. "Just come in."

DC Flaherty had no clue what had happened only one moment before. Being excited about his new findings he did not even recognise the blush on his superiors' faces. He also did not see that Sergeant Havers secretly put up the framed picture on DI Lynley's desk.

Well, that had been close...

One week later, the case had progressed but still was not solved, Thomas finally decided to stop hiding the fresh tattoo under cream and foil. They came home from work rather late, had a quick dinner and before they would go to bed they wanted to share a shower. They partly undressed in the bedroom, then, only in their underwear, they went to the bathroom where Thomas tenderly opened the clasp of Barbara's bra.

"You're rather skilled, Sir." she chuckled.

"I have good reasons, my dear Seargant." Thomas placed a kiss on her shoulder. Barbara turned and pressing her lips onto his she pushed the waistband of his pants over his hip. Undressing him her flat hand accidentally wiped across the clingfoil cover. She looked at it and smiled.

"It doesn't hurt anymore, does it?" With her fingertips she caressed the foil covered area. "You finally should let it breathe some oxygen, Tom."

"And you'd like to see it, hm?"

Barbara nodded. "Very much so."

"Good. Because it's healed."

Thomas grabbed a towel and stepped out of his pants. Turned away from her eyes he carefully removed the plaster straps and the dark green clingfoil. Until now he only had opened or changed it when Barbara had not been around. Now it was time to show it. After wiping it with a wet flannel he turned around again.

Barbara had held her breath. When Thomas showed his hip she sighed with delight. "Oh, Tom!" she rejoiced.

On his left hip, just above the edge of his towel, there was a tiny tattooed lizard. It was of a dark turquoise green and had a red eye. It was not larger than four fifth of an inch and it was almost exactly the mirror image to the one she was having on her right hip.

First he gave her a small kiss, then Thomas put an arm around Barbara's shoulders and gently nugded her so they had to turn together towards the huge mirror opposite to the shower cubicle. His hand slid down to her hip.

Standing naked in front of their reflection they marvelled at their almost identical tattoos. She smiled and a tear glistened in her eye. He squeezed her waist.

"I love you, Barbara."

"And I love you, Tom."

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