I make no apologies about this chapter. Nope. None. hehehe

About five minutes after Maura's flowers had been scheduled to be delivered, my phone buzzed. I tried to hide my grin but somewhat failed. I slid my thumb across my touchscreen phone to unlock it.

It was a text message. From Maura.

"Hello, Jane. I request your presence, please. ;)"

She winked at me. Why would she wink at me? She didn't use emoticons very often in text messages. Was I reading too much into this?

No, you know Maura does everything deliberately. What are you waiting for? Get down there!

Maura was standing in her office in front of her desk, her back turned toward the door. She was leaning over forward slightly, smelling a medium-sized orange and pink floral arrangement in a vase on her desk.

When she heard my footsteps, she turned to face me, her smile big and bright. I opened my mouth to speak, but she just shook her head slightly and raised her right hand, curling her finger and beckoning me to come closer to her.

I had a brief flash to her using that motion in a completely different setting and blushed at the thought. She didn't stop smiling as I stepped closer and closer, finally within an arm's length distance.

Wrapping her arms around my waist, she pulled me closer. Leaning back slightly, she looked up at me. "Jane, you know I don't guess, so I'm going to ask. Did you research what flowers to get me?" she asked me softly.

I blushed profusely and nodded, not trusting myself to actually open my mouth and speak at that second.

"So you know exactly what these flowers mean? Colors, too?"

Her questions were making me nervous. Had I been wrong about their meanings?

I nodded, though still unsure, and cleared my throat. "I – I think. Or I thought so. The woman at the florist was quite surprised when I asked for them. I was very specific. Then she started going on about other people getting married because of these flowers and I–"

Maura put her index finger over my lips to silence me. "You know, I thought Ian was the love of my life."

I grimaced at his name.

"But I was obviously wrong. What I felt for him could never even come close to how I feel about you, Jane Rizzoli. Do you understand that?" Her voice was calm, soft.

I had a lump in my throat at this point and despite swallowing, it wouldn't disappear.

"Jane, do you understand?" she asked again.

I nodded mutely.

"Good. Other than what I've said, I can't think of an appropriate thank you for these wonderful flowers. So I want to kiss you. Are you going to freak down if I do?" she asked seriously.

"It's freak out, Maura, and why –"

Before I could finish speaking, I felt her lips on mine. Soft. Warm. A little wet. Nothing at all like kissing a guy. Our lips moved together perfectly, the perfect amount of give and take.

When she pulled back, it felt like my lips were tingling, but not in an uncomfortable or painful way. It was good. Great even. It made me want more. My eyes were still closed as I reveled in the feelings she had created in my body with a simple kiss. My mouth was still open slightly.

"Jane?" she whispered my name.

I slowly opened my eyes to find her looking up at me, a small smile starting at the corner of her lips. "Was it me, or did you – "

I didn't want her to finish that sentence so I silenced her with another kiss.

It was still soft and warm and wet, but this time, my body felt like it was humming in response to the first kiss, so there was desire too. A lot of it actually.

Bringing my hands up from her waist, I tangled them in her hair, behind the ears, and pulled her closer to me. Our bodies were pressed flush together and I felt Maura wrap her arms tighter around my middle.

I couldn't remember to breathe. I knew I was supposed to, but kissing Maura seemed far better and more important than breathing.

Apparently Maura had had the same thought because she finally pulled back, gasping for air. I was panting like I'd just run a half-marathon. I pressed my forehead to hers, eyes still closed and lungs burning from our heated kiss.

"Oh, if I'd had any idea…" Maura whispered, in awe.

I opened my eyes and leaned back to look at her. "You'd have what? Kissed me sooner?" I chuckled. "I might've freaked out on you, Maur. Remember, denial is not just a river in Egypt."

She grimaced. "Ugh! I hate that expression. Please don't use it again."

I quirked my eyebrows up at that, but otherwise said nothing.

"But yes, had I known kissing you would be that amazing and…arousing, I would have done so months ago, I think," she replied in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.

Arousing? Was Maura telling me just kissing me had turned her on?

I suddenly felt like I was in very dangerous territory, but my own body's reaction seemed to give me a boost of courage. I quirked up an eyebrow again and coyly replied, "Arousing, huh? Just how aroused are you, Maura Isles?" I slipped my hands down to grip her ass and pushed my hips harder against hers.

She whimpered and squeezed her eyes shut.

Maura Isles just fucking whimpered at me.

"Hmm?"

"You heard me," I growled, giving her ass a slight squeeze.

"Jane, if I didn't have a sense of propriety and we'd been on a first date already, I think I'm so aroused right now, I'd consider locking us in my private bathroom here and relieving this…tension."

I fucking knew it. Maura's a freak in bed. Er, bathroom. Whatever.

Her response fueled me, both my courage and my desire. Part of me felt like I should leave this be for now, but the rest of me wanted to take it a bit further. "So what would it take to make you not have a sense of propriety right now?" I whispered closer to her ear, my breath hot. I felt her shiver and leaned back to observe her face.

"I'm," she cleared her throat softly. "I'm not quite sure actually."

"Hm. Maura Isles not sure about something? I didn't think I'd ever see the day," I replied, smirking.

"I've never had this…" she paused, searching for the right word, "violent of a reaction to someone kissing me before. I'm afraid I'm in uncharted territory for me right now."

"And I know what I'm doing, Maur?!" I retorted.

"It sure seems like it," she responded quietly.

"Because I listen to my gut. You should try it sometime. Do what feels right, Maura. Don't listen to your head. Stop thinking!"

"Jane, it's impossible to –"

I kissed her again to shut her up. This time, however, I pushed her back and down a little, forcing her to sit on her desk. The movement caused the hem of her dress to ride up a few inches. As I moved forward and placed myself to stand between her legs, she wrapped them around me, kissing me back passionately. I threaded my fingers through her air and returned her kiss with equal passion. I slowly ran my left hand down her neck, over her shoulder and arm, past her waist, and down to the hem of her dress. Slipping my fingers underneath the fabric, I inched them closer and closer to her panty line.

The proximity of my hand to where I knew she was feeling our kiss most – because that's where I was feeling it too – caused Maura to gasp and break our kiss. "Jane," she then moaned.

I placed my forehead against hers and sighed, my eyes still closed. "Maura."

"Don't…just…don't move your hand, okay? Don't move it any closer, but don't take away either," she whispered forcefully.

"It feels so right, Maur. Like my hand belongs there. Why did I fight this for so long?" I whispered back.

"It doesn't matter. All that matters is we're here now, right?" she leaned back and opened her eyes to look at me.

"Yes, and I like 'here' very much. But okay…the point of the flowers…will you, Maura Isles, go on a date with me tonight?"

She grinned. "How about I just cook dinner for you at my house?"