Dempsey had been on sick leave for a week and the office seemed very quiet without his huge personality. Harry had gone to his flat to see if he was okay only to find Suzanne Leyton, one of the Met's psychiatrists, playing nursemaid. After that Harry kept her distance as her ex-partner was a terrible patient and she was somewhat annoyed to find the other woman making him chicken soup.

Chas came into the office and came over to the blonde detective. 'Message from Jim, he wants you to go over to his place; something he wants to discuss.'

Harry sat back in her chair and looked calmly at her colleague. 'I don't suppose Dempsey said what the subject of the conversation would be?'

'I was just leaving when he asked,' Chas responded in his usual non-committal manner, 'he's feeling better; should be back at work before long if the doc gives him the green light.'

'Well we can have the conversation then,' Makepeace responded in an even tone.

'Maybe he's after some TLC,' Watson grinned over at her knowing she'd love that suggestion.

'I think Dempsey will probably have overdosed on TLC if I know him; and some poor, deluded woman will probably be supplying it.' She picked up a bunch of files and went down to the room where they stored their case histories. It gave her the necessary break from the conversation.

She wondered what he wanted to talk to her about and had no intention of discussing that night in his flat; it would be too humiliating. Added to that he'd realised that her body had cleaved to his during the stupid make-out session so he knew she… Her body went scarlet with embarrassment at the thought of Dempsey knowing she was not immune to his physical charm. He'd never let her live that down. It wasn't the same for him, he'd always told her he wanted her and she'd had the edge because she'd always depressed his pretensions when he flirted with her. It made her feel very unsettled and to be honest; she felt like doing a runner which was very cowardly. Maybe she should visit and get the whole thing over with as that was the mature thing to do.

In addition to everything else they weren't exactly partners anymore they were colleagues so there would be no barrier as such to their changing their relationship status. She knew they'd both valued working together and their partnership had put a brake on any kind of boyfriend, girlfriend kind of thing. God that sounded juvenile she was nearly thirty and he was ten years older. And then the issue of Suzanne and the TLC, obviously Dempsey was still playing the field and Harry had no intention of being just another notch on his bedpost. She put the files away and went back to the office still having an internal debate about what to do.

'Phone,' Chas handed it over to Harry.

'Harry, get your ass over here we need to talk,' the American's brusque tones were immediately recognisable and Harry gave a wry smile.

'Detective Inspector Dempsey, how are you,' she asked in a patient tone knowing it would get right up his nose.

'Well you'd know how I was if you'd bothered to visit me,' Dempsey wasn't pulling any punches with Makepeace's lack of concern for his well-being. 'What is it with you, I get shot and you don't even bother to bring me grapes. Even Watson managed to pop in not to mention Fry and Chas…

'Well you haven't been lonely then,' Harry responded in a smug tone as she hadn't even mentioned Suzanne and neither had he. 'I apologise for my perceived neglect but I did pop in and see if you were okay and you were being looked after by a friend of yours so I knew you'd be all right.'

Dempsey knew that she was in a snit about Suzanne and that's why she hadn't visited. 'Makepeace, I knew that's what was bugging you, just cos there's other women in the world that don't mean I'm dating them.'

'Well that's really not my concern Dempsey, I'll try and pop by do you need anything in particular?' Her polite tone was maintained at a cost. She certainly wasn't going to get into an exchange about his dating habits when the rest of the office were no doubt earwigging on her side of the conversation.

'Make it tonight and bring dinner; it's very hard to cook with one arm out of action, and I don't want any rabbit food bring something you'd disapprove of.'

'I'll see what artery clogging fare I can find,' Harry gave a wince of a smile as she responded. 'Later, Dempsey I have work to do,' she ended the call. She turned to Chas, 'I thought you said he was better, Dempsey said he can't cook with one arm out of action.'

'Maybe he's had a relapse,' Chas's lips twitched but he maintained his usual dour expression.

'Maybe he wants Harry to soothe something,' Watson chipped in. 'Better watch out Makepeace he looked pretty active for a one-armed man to me.'

'I'll take my chances,' she responded coolly. 'Any progress on Maltravers,' she reminded Watson of who was working for whom and he got the message loud and clear.

-oOo—

Harry swallowed hard and knocked lightly on her colleague's door, it was tempting to put the food outside and hightail it out of there but almost as if Dempsey had guessed her frame of mind he whipped open the door.

'Makepeace, so nice of you to call,' he moved aside to let her enter and then shut the door behind her as she walked through to his kitchen to put down the food. 'So you don't come to see me because of some broad bringing me chicken soup, you're unbelievable. No need to be jealous princess, I'm all yours.'

'I'm sure,' she responded unwilling to engage in the personal. 'How's your arm, you don't seem to be moving awkwardly,' she got out the boxes of food and asked for plates.

'My arm's okay,' he growled as he got out two plates and the necessary hardware. 'I can smell meat, aw you got me a burger; you must've been feeling guilty.'

'Dempsey, I did visit you so don't pretend I ignored you and I stayed at the hospital with you and brought you home, I'm not the only person you know in London.' She plated the food up and took it to the table.

'Well you're the one I know the best,' he responded irritably. 'Anyway we need to talk about my lack of manners the last time you were here.'

'I'd really rather not,' she picked at her chicken salad and felt her cheeks heat and willed the blush away.

'I'm sorry about what I said,' he looked over at her his body language uncomfortable. 'I shouldn't've said you were…

'I accept your apology,' she responded hurriedly. 'We were in an extreme situation and everything else was a fall out from that,' she sipped at her glass of water.

'Yeah but that doesn't account for the fact that we're hot for each other,' Dempsey could see that skittled her and he patted her back as she choked on the water she'd taken in.

'Went down the wrong way,' she apologised for her bout of coughing. 'I really should go….

Dempsey sighed he hated these conversations just as much as she did but there were some things you couldn't ignore. 'Harry we're talking about this, I ain't good at this stuff either but we need to clear the air. It's not a mild attraction we're talking here it's more than that.'

'I think feelings were exacerbated because we were thrown into a difficult situation, neither of us are exactly ugly and….

'Bullshit,' Dempsey didn't bother being polite about it. 'You're pretending you react like that with anyone and that ain't true cos you only date intermittently and then you dump them before they get comfortable.'

'Well then spare yourself the trouble we can go straight to the dumping,' Harry offered in a bright tone. She got up but then sat down again as he obviously wasn't letting that be the end of the conversation.

'Nope, that's not gonna work,' he growled. 'I want to date you Harry. We ain't partners anymore so Spikings can't object not that he would've anyway. He said you might have feelings for me after you resigned that time.'

'Do I get a say in this?' Makepeace asked in an exasperated tone. It seemed to her that James was calling all the shots here and she didn't like that very much as she was way out of her comfort zone.

'Depends on how hard you want to make it. I know you want me Harry so how'd you think this is gonna go down if you try and pretend we're just buddies?' He bit into the burger and watched her with amusement as he knew she was wriggling on the hook with this one.

'Are you suggesting you'd sexually harass me,' she asked in an offended tone as she certainly wouldn't be forced into intimacy by any man.

'Nope, I'm suggesting that the fact that you want me is gonna make things difficult if you stay in denial. You were jealous of Suzanne that oughta tell you something. And I ain't the type to be celibate so you either get on board or I give up on us and look elsewhere and you're gonna hate that.' The latter part was bravado as he was stuck on her and didn't want anyone else.

'Dempsey you're hard enough to deal with as a colleague, I'm not entirely sure I could handle a relationship of that nature with you.' She played around with her chicken salad to distance herself from the conversation a little.

'Never took you for a coward Harry,' he growled as he finished his meal. 'You've always stood your ground with me.' He liked that about Makepeace, she was a challenge.

'I'm not entirely reckless,' she frowned as she uncomfortably admitted her concerns, 'and you're… you're very wilful.'

'So are you,' he smiled at her. 'C'mon Harry, we're different but we're kind of a good different you know, and you'll regret it if you don't take that leap of faith.'

'James just leave it. I acknowledge that we physically… that there is… Harry found it very difficult to articulate where their relationship was at this juncture.

'You want me is that what you're trying to say,' his dark eyes were warm on hers as she struggled with the word. And he knew Harry wanting him meant that she care, cared cos she was the sort of woman that would put those two together.

'You're impossible,' she fired up reluctant to give in to the all-consuming attraction Dempsey had for her. 'You can't railroad me into a relationship with you.'

'You're already in a relationship with me,' he responded in an even tone. He got up and pulled her out of her seat and into his arms. 'You can fight me all you like but it's only gonna end up one way.'

'Your way,' she looked up at him her eyes momentarily vulnerable she felt as if she was teetering on the brink of an emotional chasm. 'James, I…

'It's very sexy the way you say my name,' he tipped up her chin and looked at her mouth. 'So many times when I've just wanted to kiss the mouth off you,' he brushed his mouth against hers.

'Stop it,' she said weakly, and she admitted to herself that her protest hadn't sounded exactly convincing.

'Yeah,' he said as he took her mouth his hard and passionately demanding. She gave a soft moan; what was that protest or pleasure. He guessed it was positive when her body relaxed into his and her arms ran around his neck. He liked the way she ran her fingers through his hair and the way her mouth was responding to his and when her tongue slid against his, his temperature fired.

Harry was shocked at the intensity of Dempsey's response when her tongue had tentatively stroked against his, he'd pulled her so much closer and she could feel every inch of his hard body against hers. His heart was beating rapidly, was this run of the mill for him or was she different. When his lips burnt against her neck, she tried to pull herself together but ended up arching her neck to give him better access.

A knock at the door startled them both and then another insistent rapping saw them break apart. Dempsey swore fluently under his breath and went to answer it only to find Suzanne outside. 'Sorry this isn't a good time,' he began but Makepeace interrupted.

'Don't worry about me I was just leaving, see you back at the office Dempsey; hope the arm progresses nicely,' she skipped out of the door and fought the temptation to run. She knew that wouldn't be the end of it but was glad for the momentary reprieve.

Dempsey was furious but drew back his temper and politely asked Suzanne in for coffee. An hour later he made the arm the excuse for ushering his admirer out the door.

Harry returned to her house and then jumped as the phone rang. She automatically picked it up and said her name.

'Your romantic etiquette needs some work,' the words were growled down the phone.

'Saved by the bell quite literally,' she offered glibly and then she bit her lip her expression concerned, that had sounded crass.

'You can come to me next time,' he responded heavily. 'I ain't running after you Harry, you gotta meet me half way.'

Harry thought she was safe on that score as it was unlikely that she would make a move on him but her body was trembling at the sound of his voice which was bad. She rallied and attempted to get back to solid ground as after all every time she went to his place she tripped over Suzanne. 'James, we're friends can't we just….

'No we can't,' he responded impatiently. Like any man who was deeply attracted to a female he hated the friends bullshit. Being friends was something a guy invested in until the girl worked out that she wanted him too. 'Find your backbone Makepeace, you've always risen to the challenge don't let me down.'

'Goodnight James,' she was determined to end the conversation as this was one challenge that she was reluctant to face. But the tone of her voice was soft, husky even which hadn't been the business-like no nonsense manner she'd been going for.

'Night baby,' he responded in that warm, golden tone he kept just for her and it had the desired effect.

Makepeace felt her knees go weak and reluctantly put the phone down and spent the rest of the evening castigating herself for her weakness.

-oOo—