A/N: Beware "M" content ahead!
Maura wasn't ready for this. But she was eager to get it over with, so she followed the maître d' to a small corner table where a broad-shouldered gentleman, likely a few years younger than her, was already seated. He had a handsome face, perfectly symmetrical with well-defined cheekbones and a strong jaw, and he wore a bright but nervous smile. His hair was cropped short, which accentuated all of his features, and his Armani suit had been expertly tailored. He rose when he saw her approach.
"Miss Isles. It's a pleasure," he said, shaking her hand lightly. "Wiley Davis. Thank you so much for coming." He gestured to the chair the maître d' had pulled out for her, and waited for her to sit before he followed suit.
Maura nodded politely. She didn't really know where to begin. "This is a lovely restaurant. Did you select it?"
"Uh, no. James probably." He fidgeted in his chair. "Um, would you like some wine?"
"I'd love some, thank you." She smiled as he poured her a glass from the expensive bottle of cabernet that he'd already started. He seemed more anxious than she was.
"I saw your new movie," he told her, flashing a shy smile. "I've seen them all, actually. I'm kind of a big fan."
"Thank you! I don't believe I've seen yours yet. Why don't you tell me about it?"
Their conversation slowly turned from awkward to friendly, and they agreed that while the whole setup was a bit silly, they trusted James enough to do what he told them. Maura was happy to find that while Wiley was a fan, he was not actually romantically interested in her, which made things considerably easier. He was also a decent conversationalist, and was full of questions about Maura's career. He seemed to look up to her in a way, or admired her experience at the very least. They agreed on the terms of their arrangement, which had already been outlined for them, and physically signed on the dotted lines. James had an assistant discreetly pick up the contracts before dessert. They left the restaurant holding hands, as they had been instructed, and pretended to ignore the camera flashes outside the restaurant as they ducked into the back of Wiley's limousine together. Although it had already been a late dinner, James had insisted they take advantage of the time they were together and make a quick, and very public, nightclub visit. Their names were already on the list.
It had been a long time since Maura went out dancing. It was one of her favorite things, and she was quite good at it. The dance floor was too crowded, and the music was too loud, but the good wine and the fast beat had her just loose enough to really enjoy herself. Wiley wasn't a bad dancer either. He was even young and healthy enough to keep up with her, which was a rare find. They danced close, surely turning heads, with rumors likely to follow. After an hour or so of nonstop dancing, but before anyone could have the chance to chat them up, they made a mad dash for the car, running like teenagers and laughing all the way.
"People must think we're crazy!" Maura managed between labored breaths.
Wiley raised his eyebrows. "No, people probably think we couldn't wait to get out of there to tear each other's clothes off!"
"Oh." She scrunched her face. "You're probably right."
"Hey, that's a good thing! That's what we want them to think, right?"
"I suppose it is." She looked up at him seriously. "I think we played our roles well tonight, don't you?"
"Oscar-worthy performances!" he said with a wink.
Wiley's limo dropped Maura off at her house and they said their pleasant goodbyes. It was very late by the time she made it to the privacy of her bedroom, but she dialed Jane's number anyway.
Jane picked up on the final ring, her voice heavy with sleep. "Hello?"
"Hey," Maura whispered. "Sorry, did I wake you?"
"Yeah, but it's okay. I fell asleep on my couch." Jane yawned into the phone. "And so did my foot. Ow!"
"I should let you go to bed."
"No!" Jane was trying to sound alert. "I wanna hear about your hot date."
"What do you want to know?" Maura asked, surprised.
"Well who is the guy, first of all?"
"It's Wylie Davis."
"Is that the dude that looks like Channing Tatum?"
"There are some resemblances, yes."
"He is pretty hot, actually," Jane replied, and Maura couldn't tell whether or not it was sarcasm.
"He has a lovely bone structure, and he's well-muscularized," she agreed.
"Ugh. Whatever." Jane seemed to have lost interest. "So is he a total jerk, or what?"
"No, he's pretty nice, actually. We had dinner, signed the contracts, went to a club and danced, and then he brought me home."
"Busy night."
"James felt we should make the best use of our time together. It was fun, though. I hadn't been out dancing in a while."
"I want to take you dancing," Jane whined.
"I didn't know you liked to dance, Jane."
"I don't. But I would rather me take you than him."
"Someday. Somehow," Maura sighed. She was too tired to think about it.
"So I guess you're not coming over tonight?" Jane asked.
"It's so late already. Why don't we both get some sleep tonight, and you can come over early to use the gym. Call me when you're on your way and I'll come down and work out with you."
Jane's sigh was audible through the phone. "Alright. It sucks sleeping without you though."
"I hate it too. But look on the bright side. You get to come back to work tomorrow, and we have the whole day together."
"The whole day working." Jane was being petulant.
"The whole day working together," Maura corrected.
"You're right. I'm going to bed so I can get up really super early and wake you up to come work out with me."
"I look forward to it," Maura said, smiling into the phone.
"Sweet dreams, beautiful."
"Sweet dreams."
The next morning, Maura awoke to the ringing of her phone. "Hello?"
"Good morning, gorgeous," Jane crooned.
"Jane!" Maura snapped to life. "Are you on your way over?"
"Yeah, my flabby gut told me I needed to hit the gym this morning."
"I'm not even going to dignify that terribly incorrect statement with a response," she said, her tone only slightly amused. "I am, however, going to need to brush my teeth and get dressed for working out. Meet you in the gym?"
"Whatever you say... boss!"
"Jane!"
"Kidding!" Jane laughed. "I'll see you in a few."
When she entered the empty workout room, Jane dropped her bag by the door and started rolling her shoulders and neck, trying to loosen up. With everything that had been going on lately, she was carrying around a lot of tension. She jumped rope for a few minutes to warm up, coating her body with a fine sheen of sweat. Then, after adding some weights to the bar, she lied down on the weight bench and pressed the bar high above her, repeating the action and grunting lightly with exertion, whispering numbers as she counted. She didn't notice Maura enter until she heard the door click shut, followed by the lock sliding into place. Maura turned to Jane and eyed her fully, taking in her swollen muscles, the sweat shining on her skin.
"Is this a show, or did you come here to work out too?" Jane asked sarcastically as she placed the bar back in its rest and leaned up on her elbows.
Maura smirked as she moved silently to the stereo and turned it on, a fast steady rhythm filling the room. The bass pounded as Maura cranked up the volume, loud. Jane had to yell over the sound to be heard.
"Really, Maura? Did you go deaf in the past twenty minutes or something? Why so loud?"
Maura's smirk only grew as she advanced toward Jane, pulling off her top in the process, her nipples poking beneath a the bright purple sports bra. Jane sat up straight on the bench, riveted by Maura's sudden predatory display. She sat down in front of Jane, straddling the bench to face her, and pressed her body against Jane's as she spoke seductively in her ear.
"Because you know I have a hard time being quiet."
Arousal flushed through Jane's body and she turned to capture Maura's lips with her own, reaching into her hair to pull her somehow closer. They kissed passionately, hands roaming each other's bodies, working hastily to remove tight clothing.
Naked, kissing, touching, their bodies flush, hips bucking toward one another, every nerve was coming alive, that sweet ache growing at both of their centers. Maura bit into Jane's neck, running her teeth and tongue over her pulse point and Jane threw her head back, groaning in exquisite pleasure. When Maura's mouth started to work its way toward her chest, Jane righted her head and took in the reflection she saw in the giant mirror in front of her: The muscles in Maura's back flexed with her movements, her ass moving slightly to the rhythm of their bodies. Jane pulled the elastic band from Maura's hair, releasing a waterfall of messy curls onto her well-toned back. Jane watched as her own hands kneaded at the other woman's flesh.
"Turn around," Jane said, her voice deep and raspy.
Maura looked at Jane briefly, confused but not unwilling, her body vibrating with intense arousal. Jane smirked and Maura turned to see the mirror, instantly connecting the dots, and smiled back at her lover.
"Yes," was all she could say as she quickly moved to face the opposite direction, pressing her back into the front of Jane's body, ass to core, and grabbed Jane's hands, pulling them around in front of her to place them on her wanting breasts. Both women watched their reflections intentently as Jane teased Maura's mounds, pinching, pulling and twisting her tight nipples between her fingers. Maura could feel Jane's center pushing forward from behind, seeking her out, Jane's body wrapped entirely around her, and the heat between her own legs grew. Jane's right hand moved lower, taking its time as it ghosted over Maura's abs and hips and, finally, to the place where she needed it most. Jane froze for a moment and stared at the sight before her, at the two of them together, at Maura, so perfect without any designer clothes or even makeup. Skin flushed, hair wild, mouth open, it was just Maura, hanging on the edge of desire, and she had never looked more beautiful.
"Jane…" It was a breathless plea, and Jane was eager to answer it. As soon as her hand touched Maura's clit, Maura threw her head back over Jane's shoulder and released a loud moan. "Oh, Jane!"
Jane rubbed in small circles, dipping toward Maura's entrance every few strokes, working her up as she watched, and loving every second of it. "Please," Maura begged, more than once, before Jane adjusted their positions slightly to slip two fingers inside Maura's dripping core. At that point, Maura lost what little control she had left, and Jane savored the sight and feel of her body writhing with every thrust, with every pass of her thumb over a hardened nub. Most of all, she relished the moment Maura fell over the edge, her orgasm washing over her, igniting every inch of her body with the sweetest fire.
The sight of her like that, the delicious sounds she was making, the feel of Maura's amazing body on hers, the friction of her round ass on Jane's throbbing center, all of this crashed into Jane and she came unexpectedly, calling out Maura's name as they chorused together.
After they'd both come back to earth, Jane removed her fingers from inside of Maura and interlaced both hands with hers, sharing the sticky wetness, and folded their arms together across Maura's chest, holding her tightly. They leaned their weight into each other.
"Well good morning to you too," Jane whispered into Maura's ear softly, leaving a soft kiss at her damp hairline.
Maura giggled. "Nice start to the day, don't you think?"
"Better than nice," Jane agreed. "So what's on the agenda today, boss?" She eyed Maura in the mirror with a playful smirk.
"Would you please stop calling me that?"
"Is that an order, boss?"
Maura gave her a look. "You're impossible."
Over the next few weeks, Jane and Maura spent a lot of time sneaking around together, making up lame excuses for Jane to stay over, and for the two of them to be alone. There were still a number of public appearances to be made, though the pace had slowed considerably, but also there was the addition of Maura's required attendance to several of Wylie's press events, fancy dinner parties, etc. As the routine continued, Jane began to feel more and more out of place in this awkward situation. She still didn't entirely understand the need for Maura to go through with the whole charade, and she was growing tired of watching her girlfriend play arm-candy to this goof. Although he was, admittedly, not all that bad. He didn't make passes at Maura, nor crack rude jokes in front of her, or anything like that. He genuinely treated her with respect. Still, Jane couldn't help but feel the slightest bit of jealousy when he pulled Maura close to him in front of the cameras.
And those pictures! Jane couldn't buy a box of cereal at the grocery store without seeing those damn pictures of Maura and Wylie littering the newsstands, their smiling faces, names in bold print with extremely unclever puns about their relationship:
Royal Amour: Queen of the Dead and King of the Box Office!
Wylie Davis and Maura Isles Spotted Together at LA's Trendiest Hot Spots!
'Isles' of Love? Maura Claims the Heart of Hollywood's Newest Hottie!
It all seemed to spill over one day when the false couple granted the shouting crowd's request for a kiss. It was chaste and passionless and purely for the crowd, but it still hit Jane like a sucker-punch to the gut. And her discontent only grew as she waited to express it until they reached the safety of Maura's room.
"Really, Maura? Was that really necessary?" Jane blurted as soon as they'd closed the door behind them.
"What?" Maura asked, bewildered.
"Kissing him?! Did you really have to go there?!"
"Jane, it was hardly even a kiss. And it was all for the cameras, you know that."
"Is that supposed to make it okay?" she asked incredulously.
Maura sighed. "Look, I don't like it any more than you do, but you know this is my job."
"It's your job to kiss guys outside movie theaters?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact, it is!" Maura answered, trying to keep her cool while beginning to feel defensive. "Outside movie theaters, on movie sets, sometimes in rehearsal... I'm an actress, Jane, it's what I do. If that little kiss upset you, how are you going to feel the next time I film a passionate love scene?"
Jane knew she was overreacting, but she couldn't shake this insecure feeling, and she couldn't stand it. Shaking her head, she sat down on the edge of the bed and sighed heavily.
Maura, sensing the fear in Jane's frustration, aimed to assuage it as best she could. She sat down next to her, placed a hand on her thigh, and spoke to her calmly. "I'm sorry if that kiss upset you. Surely you know it didn't mean anything?"
Rationally, Jane knew. "I know."
"And you also know that it could happen again," Maura reminded her. "I can avoid it with Wylie, but you know that when I'm on set, eventually it will happen again, with somebody else."
This was something that had crossed Jane's mind before. Dating an actress meant sharing her with her work, much like dating a police detective, though with different consequences. She understood it, and she hadn't thought it would bother her. So why was she so upset?
"Maybe... maybe it's not the kiss itself," Jane reasoned aloud. "Maybe it's the fact that I can't do that. I can't kiss you openly like that. In front of people."
Maura raised her eyebrows. "Do you want to kiss me in front of people?"
"No! Well yes, but no, not like that. I just- ugh!" Jane huffed loudly and paused to gather her thoughts. "It almost seems like your relationship with him is more real than your relationship with me. I could have dreamed the whole thing up, but he has proof." Every homicide detective knows, it's all about what you can prove.
"Well, what if we came out?" Maura asked.
"Huh?" It was Jane's turn to be surprised. "No, you can't do that-"
"I don't mean entirely," Maura clarified. "But to people around us. At least to the rest of the staff. And to Wylie. People we both know. And anyone you trust."
"I've already told the only two people I trust. I don't see how that changes anything."
"Well, we wouldn't have to sneak around here anymore for one thing. You wouldn't have to make up excuses for coming over-"
"-And I could keep Wylie in check," Jane thought out loud, a smile sprouting on her face.
Maura furrowed her brow. "I didn't know you played chess-"
"I do, but that's beside the point." Jane grinned. "I like this idea. It won't solve everything, but at least I can set some ground rules for the beard."
"The beard? What on earth are you talking about, Jane?"
"Nothing. Let's do it. Let's tell them."
A/N2: Alright folks, our girls are moving one step closer to being OUT! Hold on to your seats though, because this ship's about to get rocky!