He kept their pace slow, more than happy to stroll along the picturesque landscape with Sue's hand tucked securely in his. Each step took them closer to the throngs of people scattered about the hotel's main beach and closer to their commitments which loomed in the near future. They would have very little time alone for the rest of their trip.

Sue kept her eyes fixed in the distance, mulling her words and fighting with her insecurities. Finally becoming aggravated with herself, she took a deep breath and stopped, fixing her eyes on his Adam's apple when he turned to give her his attention. "What about work, Jack? When we go back and word spreads about us, what then?"

He tilted his head, resorting to tapping her gently on the nose when she didn't raise her eyes to his lips. "We'll face their decision together. Just so you know, I have already talked with the Assistant Director. I told him we were dating, asked that we be allowed to stay in the same unit, but let him know in no uncertain terms that we, as a couple, were not negotiable. If we have to, we'll work in separate units, but we will not deny our feelings any more for the sake of the Bureau."

Her lips formed a perfect "o" as she digested his latest revelation. "When did you talk to the AD?"

"I called him yesterday when you left me to my own devices."

"You were quite the busy man what with calling the AD and wrapping my mom around your finger. I'm impressed."

"And that's not all," he hinted, rocking on his heels and planting his tongue in his cheek.

"Really," she countered curiously. "What else did you do?"

He pursed his lips and slid his hands around her waist, pulling her to him. "I don't think I'm ready to divulge all my secrets just yet."

"Jack," she pouted prettily, swatting at his chest. "Tell me."

"Nope. I believe I'll make you wait. Anticipation is half the fun."

"Says who? Certainly not the anticipatee," she groused. "Is there anything I can do to talk you into telling me?" she wanted to know, batting her eyelashes and causing him to grin mischievously.

"It definitely won't hurt you to try," he challenged with a waggle of his eyebrows.

She stared at him for several long, heated seconds before slipping from his grasp. "If you don't want to tell me then I don't want to know," she stated primly before pivoting and continuing toward the hotel.

He caught her in two strides, hauling her back into his arms. "What's the matter? Scared?"

"Of course not," she retorted regally. "Why on earth would I be scared?"

"That's what I'd like to know," he replied, all teasing slipping away. "I'm trying to take your mind off whatever it is that is still troubling you, but I'm failing."

"You aren't failing, Jack. You're doing a very good job. If only I could stay in your arms 24/7 then all would be well," she sighed, slipping closer to lean into his embrace.

He took the luxury of a few minutes to simply hold her before setting her away and searching her expression. "I would like nothing better, but..."

"But we have to go back to DC, back to our demanding jobs, back to an environment that is nothing like this one. Back to a place where you are Special Agent Jack Hudson and I am Sue Thomas, analyst for the FBI."

"Are you afraid once we return to our normal routine that I'm going to grow tired of you and want to move on?"

"I hadn't really thought of that," she stated absently, her lower lip disappearing behind her front teeth.

"What had you thought of?" he wanted to know.

She shrugged self-consciously, glancing around and finding no one paying them any attention. "I guess...I mean I had wond...It's just that...This you is so different from Washington you," she finally blurted baldly.

"What do you mean?"

"Here, you're so much more relaxed and, um, easygoing. I understand that this is your vacation and you don't have the worries and stresses of your job, but it's more than that..."

He chuckled, stemming her flow of words with his fingers, momentarily distracted by her full lips. "What you are seeing, Sue, is relief. Relief that I no longer have to guard against my feelings for you. Relief in knowing that you return my love. Relief in letting work know that I care more for you than my job. That relief isn't going to go away once we board our plane and return to DC. I'm not going to change back into the old me. I'll stay the same way I've been since we left the airport."

"Well," she drawled, slipping her hand into his and starting once again for the hotel. "There is one thing I wouldn't mind not staying the same."

"WHAT?" he asked with his free hand.

She furrowed her brow and shot him a teasing look. "You don't have to lick me again."

He stopped abruptly, pulling her around to face him, his eyes melting to pools of simmering black liquid. "I wouldn't speak so quickly. You might discover, if I choose to do it again, that you find it quite...stimulating."