Author's Note: This is the (long overdue – sorry about that) third 'one-shot- in the Stella/ Flack series. The first two were Not Even Close and Six Days, Seven Hours, Eleven Minutes. This one picks up where Six Days, Seven Hours and Eleven Minutes left off.

I couldn't decide whether it was a heavy T or a light M and pitched for an M rating to be on the safe side. Thanks to notesofwimsey and sallyjetson for their help and comments.

Hope you enjoy :)

A Step in the Right Direction

'Danny, no...! What if they're...' Lindsay gestured wildly with her hands as she raised her eyebrows, 'You know...'

'What?' At Lindsay's furious look Danny's face split into a wide grin. 'You think Flack and Stella are going at it like a couple of teenagers on my...sorry, our couch?'

Lindsay said nothing and said it eloquently. The humour faded from Danny's face and he glanced at the door to the apartment.

'Nah...they'll still be talking, won't they?' A pitying look was cast in his direction and hands were placed on hips. He frowned. 'He wouldn't...would he? Not in someone else's apartment?'

'Someone else who got him there under false pretences and then arranged for the woman he's crazy about...and who rejected him...to turn up without any warning.'

'Er, I didn't arrange for Stella to turn up. This whole thing was your idea.'

Lindsay looked smug. 'Uh, huh; but if this has all gone wrong who do you think they'll blame?'

'Nah...what? You think he'll blame me? He wouldn't...he...shit, you're right, he will. I'm going in. If this has gone badly there's no telling what he'll have done.'

x-x-x

At the sound of the door opening, Flack glanced up from where he was lining up his next shot on the pool table. 'Took your time, didn't you? Where's that pizza you promised me?'

Danny headed into the apartment looking cautiously around before looking at Flack again. 'Where is she?'

'Lindsay? She's right behind you?'

'No you clown, where's Stella?'

Flack straightened up and raised his eyebrows at Danny, who had the grace to look shamefaced. 'Stella? She's gone-'

Flack decided the horrified look on Danny's face was almost worth it.

x-x-x

10 minutes earlier

He wasn't sure how, but they'd managed to reach the couch.

Her shirt was open and her bra was undone; his t shirt was long gone. He had worked his way down from her mouth, by way of her neck, then her shoulders until he had finally reached her breasts. The first taste of her in his mouth had been heaven; hearing her moan his name had made him feel like a god. He'd taken his time - teasing first one and then the other nipple with his tongue and his teeth, while using his hands to caress every inch of her body, until both nipples were puckered and swollen. Now she was mixing his name with blasphemous profanities whilst her fingers were laced into his hair, tearing at it, sending waves of pain through him, increasing his arousal to the point where he was close to tipping over the edge without his cock even getting out of his pants.

Her hands dropped from his head, reaching between them, trying to undo his jeans, when they'd both heard the sound of her phone. The effort it took to stop was more than he would ever have believed. From her decidedly unladylike language he knew she felt the same. For a moment both lay still, his forehead resting on hers, drawing in ragged breaths. Her eyes slowly opened, the passion induced glaze still evident.

'This had better be a fucking emergency.'

He couldn't stop the snort of laughter that escaped him; he didn't think he'd ever heard her moan about being called out to a scene. He kissed her briefly and rolled off her, wincing at the pain he could feel in his groin. A cold shower or jerking himself off...or maybe both...were going to be needed to sort this out; her giggle told him she knew exactly what had caused his exclamation.

He headed back to the front door, collecting his t shirt along the way, and found her bag. Walking carefully, he headed back to the couch. She had refastened her bra but her shirt was still open; he appreciated the view, or would have if it hadn't made his cock twitch furiously. He couldn't stop a grunt of pain escape him. The quirk of her lips and the sultry look she shot him didn't help matters either.

'It's from Lindsay...' his annoyance that they had been interrupted for no good reason vanished as she continued, 'She says they're outside.'

x-x-x

'What d'ya mean she's gone?'

Danny's voice rose as he interrupted Flack, and Stella stifled a giggle. She guessed Flack was enjoying this part. The door opened and Lindsay appeared, obviously trying hard not to laugh, her eyebrows raised in question.

Stella felt herself blush. She never blushed but now she could feel it spreading from the tips of her toes to the top of her head. The smile on Lindsay's face was as wide as the Hudson.

Danny's voice was rising by the second, his frustration obvious. 'Come on man, all you had to do was talk to her, tell her how you feel - it's not that difficult.'

'Oh yeah. You poured your heart out to Lindsay, did you?'

The two women were both giggling now as the argument between the two men took a detour.

'We're not talking about me, we're talking about trying to get you and Stella sorted out.' Stella nodded towards the living room and Lindsay turned and headed in that direction, Stella close behind. 'So what happened then? You give her a hard time?'

Stella arrived in the living room to see Flack fighting desperately to keep his face straight at Danny's accusation, and fail miserably the moment their eyes met.

'You could say that.'

Stella's voice had Danny whipping around so fast he nearly lost his balance. He stared at her for a fraction of a second before whirling back around to look at Flack. 'You said she'd gone, you bastard.'

Flack was laughing now. Stella made her way to his side, her heart swelling as he opened his arms to her before wrapping them around her as he spoke, the mild tone of his voice belying the amusement he was feeling.

'You should have let me finish...I was trying to say she's gone to the bathroom.'

x-x-x

'So what do you think they are doing now?'

Danny groaned as he roused himself from his post coital torpor. 'Hmmm, who?'

'Don and Stella, who else?' Her breath was warm against his chest.

'Fucking like rabbits hopefully. Should improve both their moods.'

He felt her shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter. He tightened his arms around her. 'You have to admit they have both been prize pains in the ass this last week.'

'Hmmm, true...'

A tongue flickered over his left nipple. He raised his head, opening one eye. 'You're kidding me, right?'

A low throaty laugh. 'What, not up for a repeat performance, Messer? You city boys have no stamina.'

For a moment he thought of ignoring the slur on his manhood, but her mouth was tracing a path down to where his cock was twitching back into life. He wound his fingers through her hair and tipped his head back, his eyes closing as he was enveloped by the warmth of her mouth, all thoughts of Flack and Stella banished.

x-x-x

'Are you coming in?'

His mouth, which had been tracing delicious patterns on her neck, stilled before he raised his head and met her fevered gaze. She had intended the question to be rhetorical and so the uncertainty in his eyes shocked her.

'You...you don't want to come in?' He flinched at the flat disbelief in her voice.

'God Stel, there's nothing I want more, but ... This is important to me... You're important to me...I don't want to ruin it by rushing...'

Fuck, how many times had she told a man to back off; that there was more chance of them winning the lottery than getting her into bed on a first date? How ironic was it that when she was ready to throw away the rule book she'd picked a man who, despite an obvious, and she suspected, painful, hard on, wanted to 'do the right thing'?

Well, much as she admired his intentions, she was damned if she was going to dig out her vibrator tonight...

She smiled at him and saw the relief flood his eyes. He rested his forehead against hers. 'I do want you Stel, more than you can know, but-'

She silenced him with a chaste kiss. 'I understand and it means so much to me that you feel like you do.' She pulled away slightly, manufacturing a look of regret. 'I'd better go in then. I'll see you tomorrow - we could have breakfast?'

'Breakfast sounds wonderful.' His voice was husky, sending a shiver down her spine. She adjusted her weight, this had to look like an accident.

'Breakfast it is then... Sleep well.' She kissed him softly on his cheek and stepped back, waiting...

He pulled her back for one last kiss. Seemingly off balance she missed her footing and one stiletto heel landed heavily on his foot.

x-x-x

The bruise was already forming. At her command he waggled his toes, wincing at the pain.

'Well, it's not broken... Oh Don, I'm so sorry.'

She was crouched down, gently feeling his foot. She looked up and met his gaze with troubled green eyes. He lent forward. 'It's OK, it was an accident.'

Her fingers continued to gently manipulate his foot.

Who would have thought having his foot caressed would be such a turn on?

A groan escaped him. She looked horrified. 'Oh god, it's really hurt isn't it? Maybe we should go to the ER and get it X-rayed? Maybe-'

He pulled her up and kissed her hard to stop her. She wrapped her arms around him, straddling him, her mouth hot and demanding as she breathed, 'I can think of something we could do to take the pain away.'

So could he. He could think of lots of things they could do. His earlier determination to 'do the right thing' was fading fast. He made one more doomed effort. 'Stel... Are you sure?'

Her reply was to unfasten his jeans, her fingers quickly finding his cock. As she began to caress him with a featherlight touch he abandoned any thoughts of limping away - there was only so much restraint a red blooded male could display.

x-x-x

Three earth shattering orgasms later, Stella lay sated in his arms, her head on his chest, her legs intertwined with his, a satisfied smile on her face, contentedly listening to the steady rhythm of his heart. He shifted slightly, flexing his foot.

Guilt roused her sufficiently to ask, 'How's your foot. Does it still hurt?'

His arms tightened around her and she felt his laugh rumble through his chest. 'No, nothing hurts now.'