The Apartment

As they started their walk back through the town, Richard sought her hand, somewhere deep in his tuxedo jacket. She smiled up at him as he marvelled how she could walk in those heels.

"So I guess we need to… erm… chat?"

He looked nervous. "It's not as bad as all that, Richard – but yes, don't you think we should?"

"I suppose…" he trailed off, looking down.

She smiled at him – "I bet you weren't this bashful when you were at Cambridge?"

He chuckled at some of the memories – certainly enough to pique her interest.

"Oh, so there ARE some stories then?"

Richard contemplated the situation.

Commissioner KNEW I wanted to stay and the sly old devil bloody well knew why – CHECK

She's holding my hand, giving me a wicked smile and expects me NOT to be so gentlemanly – CHECK

I am STILL her boss for another six months at least, and am I reading the signs right? – DAMMIT

He had not become aware that his pace had slowed, and now she was standing in front of him, hands resting on his arms, looking up.

"What is it? Please tell me, because one minute I think we are going somewhere, the next it's like you are fighting with yourself, changing your mind – what do you WANT Richard?"

"I want you" he blurted out without really referring back to his checklists. He almost looked shocked at himself!

They were almost at her apartment, so she moved her hands back down to his, and then turned to walk towards the door, as he followed.

He could KILL his mind – it was arguing back and forth with itself. It's not like the Commissioner did not know they were most likely going to get together, and had pretty much told him that with the change in reporting line, he had no issues with fraternisation, but for the next few months he was still Camille's immediate superior.

Then there was the issue of the new DI who would be coming out to lead the RSMP side of things while he concentrated more on the new Commonwealth Branch of the National Crime Agency (the new body replacing SOCA). Would he make waves if he knew what Richard was planning to do with his DS? Richard almost physically shook himself – his mind had wandered again – dammit it wasn't his fault, just LOOK at her!

Before he knew it though, they were at the apartment. Suddenly he felt nervous. It had been quite a while and whilst he was sure it was probably like riding a bike, he felt that volunteering that particular analogy would get him flung off the top step, head first!

As she closed the door, Camille pondered how she would go about the rest of the evening. She was pretty certain of his reaction at the thought of the evening with her, and she sure as hell knew what she wanted, but how to get Richard from A to Z (for Z read bed) without him leaping feet first from the top step!

She made a beeline for the fridge – what the hell… she grabbed the bottle of champagne and with a practised hand opened it. Richard raised his eyebrows as she brought him a glass.

"Celebrating are we?"

"I think so… the recognition of your initiative for one thing, your impending promotion for another…" she sat opposite him, leaning just far enough forward for him to get a glimpse of silk lingerie. "Anything else you can think of?"

He took a measured sip of the champagne, and despite himself, let out a sigh.

"Well for starters, it's not all me – we're a damn good team, all of us, so any recognition should be for us all.

"But I guess that's not what you meant was it?"

She nodded her agreement. "Tell me what the Commissioner said."

"So the Commissioner asked me what it would take for me to stay," he started. She opted to say nothing but rested her hand on his knee, her thumb making a gentle circle, causing his heart rate to jump around like a crazy cricket.

"And I told him… that I had to be out of your direct reporting line. I had absolutely no idea of his other plans – he must have been plotting this for ages the old so and so…"

She reached for his hands, but he still seemed a little distant.

"They're going to send me to a fast-path Forensics course being run at Cambridge, and then when I come back, I will be all the other way around – I will report to the Commissioner and be seconded to the Met, but you will have a Met DI coming to take charge."

She considered this – "OK, but that's the day job taken care of… but what about after work. You will work with us sometimes, you will continue breaking new ground here… but what about… us?"

There – she had asked the question, and she half held her breath wondering if it had been too forward.

"So we know where we could be in six months or so, but what do we do now?"

So that was it, he still felt obligated by duty.

"How about…" she started, as she lifted her hand to undo his bow tie, "we just take things slow. We just get used to being around each other" she held up her hand as he was about to butt in. Oh she knew him too well. "Not like work where we are around each other all the time – I mean like this, close."

She leaned towards him, and gently kissed him on the lips tentatively at first unsure of the reaction she would get.

She needn't have worried as she could feel him responding. Encouraged she loosened the tie and took his hands as she stood up. She led him into her bedroom – pleasantly surprised that he wasn't blustering, or putting up a fight… or sitting mute like a rabbit in the headlights.

The turmoil that had been in his mind was rescinding, the champagne doing its magic again. As she slowly started to undo the buttons of his shirt he reached behind her, kissing her neckline softly as he felt her shudder and sigh. He found the zipper of the dress and slowly tugged it down, letting his thumb trail down her back.

She stepped out of the dress and the sight took his breath away, simple black silk lingerie against her smooth satin skin was almost driving him crazy, and he knew it was pretty obvious to both of them that he was very much aroused by proceedings. Forcing the nagging voice of his conscience, he let her trail her hands downwards towards his belt, watching wordlessly as his trousers fell away. He stumbled a little as he tried to kick off his shoes and step out of them, taking his hands away from her to complete Operation Discard-the-Damn-Socks.

When he freed himself, he could see she was lying on her side on the bed. Summoning the memories and skills of University-Poole, he lay next to her – stroking his fingers up and down her arms.

"Is this what you meant by comfortable?"

"It's a start – you could just hold me tonight, if you prefer…" She really hoped he wouldn't settle for that, but she was determined not to give in to her instinct.

"What I'd like…" he started, giving her a surer smile…. "involves a hell of a lot more than holding" as he pulled her closer.

She broke for air from a more passionate kiss, but pressed closer to him as she felt his hands caressing her back – they settled on the clasp of the strapless lingerie and with a practised flick of his fingers, he flicked the clasp open, encouraging it away from her breasts… but allowing himself a naughty chuckle.

"Richard WHERE did you learn that!?" she laughed. "Oh an old trick from university.."

"Any other tricks I should know about?"

He peeled the silk away from her, lowering his head to be able to nuzzle and lick around her breasts – she moaned softly and he added that to the list of things that were driving him wild.

It was his turn to moan as her hands travelled down his body, as she gently pushed him onto his back, slipping her hands under the waistband of his boxers, making him gasp involuntarily. She eyed him with the start of a wicked smile, as she slipped them off him.

Now this wouldn't do – he felt it was time he evened up the score, moving her gently onto her back as hands stroked the silk of a brief pair of knickers. She sighed, willing him to get closer to her and as if he could sense her will, he started to tease the underwear away from her.

Shifting to let him take them off, she half wondered if this was making her seem quite wanton, but as she felt him stroking her again, those thoughts went out of the window as she reached for him again.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Richard was trying not to remember awkward post University ball fumbles and his more adult ventures (well what few he had after leaving university) and focus on the job in hand, as it were… but he was aware that he could very much make a fool of himself if she carried on teasing him, so wondered if he dared try and be a little more dominant.

In between kissing and caressing, he paused, enough to make her stop and gaze at him… he smiled a little awkwardly, given the circumstances, but she could tell he wanted her, wanted this. Without a question needing to be asked, she let him go, allowing him to lower himself onto her as she wrapped her arms around him, her legs parting to let him know she wanted this too.

Almost with a chuckle of relief he eased into her, feeling her relax as he settled – he paused for a moment before starting to move, savouring the feeling of being inside her. Leaning down to kiss her again, he allowed himself to get wrapped up in the passion, feeling her respond and push back against him just spurred him on, both giving in to what they had wanted for so long.

He truly did not want it to end, but hearing her cry his name undid him completely, gasping as he felt her clenching around him. One thing was for sure – it certainly was the best he'd ever known – and he had to quickly stifle the quick doubt that he was most likely not the most experienced.

As he slipped from her and rolled away, she moved with him, staying in his arms… as both of them tried to regain their breath, and get their heart rates down.

He looked her mildly concerned: "Are you ok, you're trembling?"

She smiled back at him, breathlessly: "oh yes, mind you so are you."

He chuckled – "Well it has been a while – look I'm sorry if I was no…"

She shushed him "Richard stop – you think I would be laying here like this with you if I wasn't happy?"

"Well no – I suppose not."

He stretched out and ran his hands through her hair, smoothing it back away from her face. He looked thoughtful – she stroked his chest gently.

He could feel sleep tugging at him and wondered if that would ruin everything, but as if she could read his mind, she snuggled closer to him.

"Just hold me 'til we sleep?"

He kissed the top of her forehead and nodded, leaning back and closing his eyes, holding her close to him.

Read the signs right? CHECK.