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Barbara woke up from the soft touch of his caressing hands. When she slowly opened her eyes she found Tommy lying close to her. Their naked bodies were leisurely pressed together from their bellies to their toes and he was affectionately watching her with his head propped on his elbow. His hair was ruffled from sleep and his unshaved morning face was cutely rumpled. She could tell it was not really early anymore because the room was bathed in the faint light of a rising sun.

"Good morning, Barbara." He rolled over the remaining few inches between them and kissed her. His stubbles lightly scratched across her chin.

"Mornin', luv..." she sleepily murmured. It was said unintentionally seductive and it broadened his smile. Feeling cuddly Barbara snuggled closer into his chest. Her eyes drowned in his. Her hand immediately stroked his naked waist in reply to his caresses.

"It's a wonder that you haven't waken up from my alarm clock." Tommy whispered. "You have a sound sleep."

"Mh. No wonder." Barbara rolled her eyes and sheepishly smiled. Her face had taken on a slightly rosy-tinted colour.

Barbara's mind wandered back to the previous night. She vividly remembered why she was naked again. After their exceptional but sensual lovemaking in the kitchen they had taken the open bottle of champagne from the fridge to replace the stale liquid in the glasses on the drawer cabinet in his bedroom. Tommy had insisted on the idea that this night still had deserved a bit of Champagne. "Bubbly!" had been the term Barbara had used without respect for its expensiveness while she had emptied the glasses into the sink and refilled them.

Tommy had been putting the duvet and the pillows back onto the mattress of his bed and had playfully scolded her for that disrespectful term when she had returned to his bedroom. Swaying their hips together in the rhythm of an unheard tune, in one hand the bubbly, the other hand on the other one's back, they had undressed each other completely before they properly had gone to bed naked.

Surely Tommy had had other plans there but Barbara had drifted into sleep under his caressing hands rather quickly. After all what they had done yesterday, after making out on his sofa, after being spoiled and indulging in another long and heavenly quirky encounter on his bed, after the exceptionally tender shag on the kitchen table, after all that Barbara just had been tired. It really had been no wonder but it was gorgeous anyway to now wake up the same gentle way she had fallen asleep. It was as if he had done that throughout the entire night.

Tommy softly laughed. "A penny for your thoughts, my dear." he quietly recitated a song line.

"I... Usually I'm not like this." Barbara murmured slightly blushing.

"Like what?"

"Like... Well, being so... kinky." She swallowed. "Doing it like a rabbit wherever I am."

"Well, we've had it on the bed too." Tommy noted with an amused wink.

"But not... not very decent... I think." Although she was lying on her side she managed to shrug.

"You didn't appear to me as if you'd have wanted it any other way than how it had been." He kissed the tip of her nose.

"No." she breathed shyly smiling again. "Not really. It's just..." Barbara was blushing a bit deeper. "You know... In fact I'm rather unexperienced. Generally... in such matters... Tommy, can't we just..."

"I couldn't tell. It really didn't feel like that." Tommy gave her a briefly naughty grin which turned into another tender smile. He caressed her face with his fingertips. "In fact it... everything had felt absolutely wonderfully right. It still does. And, seriously - there is no need for planned perfection. There is no need for experience. It's only important to love each other. To care for each other. And then just let it flow. Wherever it may be. And, as a matter of fact, I do love you."

"Well, I've never had- mh!" Tommy had silenced her with a kiss.

"Mh, well, I've had." he winked. His hand had slid to her bottom.

"What exactly? Done it like a rabbit wherever you were?" Barbara grinned and could not help but roll her crotch against his leg.

"Not that. But I've made love on my sofa before." After seeing her biting her lower lip Tommy felt obliged to add that he had of course refurbished his entire house before he had moved back in.

"I know. I've already visited you once or twice in earlier days and know that these aren't your old things."

"Unfortunately when we've met in the kitchen we've never... Well, you really could have told me earlier that you... Well..." His brazen grin and the tempting pressure of his moving thigh was wonderful, but the conversation made her face turn bright red nonetheless.

"Tommy, please, can we change the subject?" she mumbled. "This is... somehow... weird."

"Not at all. I'm planning on doing it every now and then..." Tommy's lips met hers in a small kiss. "...for the rest of my life..." Before Barbara could say something he ignored her wide eyes and softly pressed his lips on hers again. "...here and there..." He gave her another small kiss. "...everywhere..." He chuckled when he gently nibbled at her lower lip. "...with you..." She enjoyed getting another slightly longer kiss. "...in the entire house..." Their next kiss was deper and longer and with their tongues languidly twisting. "...doing it like rabbits." Tommy murmured onto her lips with a palpable grin when they allowed some air to get into their lungs.

Barbara blushed but laughed anyway.

"I have to admit that I think that, in a way, I look forward to it." she whispered. Then she suddenly unwound herself from his embrace and got up from the bed.

"He!" Tommy objected.

"Toilet!" Barbara called back over her shoulder and vanished in his ensuite. When she returned she stopped in the doorframe to drink in the sight of him.

Tommy laid there naked, only half covered by the duvet, his arms crossed behind his head, his eyes closed and with a dreamy smile on his face. Barbara enjoyed that sight for a few moments before he felt watched. He opened his eyes and looked at her. Raising an eyebrow and with just a tiny movement of his head he silently asked why she stared at him. Barbara slightly shook her head and answered without any word but with a similar smile and an almost invisible shrug that she just relished the view.

She saw his smile widen. And she discovered something different in it. Something she never had seen in his face before. It was the lack of something others might not have recognised. In an instant Barbara hopped into bed next to her new lover and briefly kissed him. Almost triumphant her eyes just drowned in his for a while.

"What?" he whispered.

"I love the new smile on your face." Her fingers traced the contours of his face.

"New?" Tommy quizzically looked at her.

"You've always had a little shadow on your face. Even when you've smiled."

"A shadow?"

Barbara nodded. "Something dark and broody around your eyes." Her fingers caressed his temples. It felt wonderful to be able and allowed to finally touch him like this. Carefully she pushed that certain lock of hair from his forehead. It was something she had wanted to do for years. "And an almost invisible frown. Here." She smoothened the small furrow between his eyes.

"Hm. I didn't know..." He thought about her words for several moments. "Well, I've never had you, Barbara..." He softly grabbed her hand and kissed each of her fingers one by one. "I've never found what I've been really looking for... until I was partnered with you for several years... and fell in love with you... eventually..." With his last words he kissed her palm and then the inner side of her wrist. "...unnoticed... somehow..."

Similarly unnoticed they had begun to caress each other more intimate again.

"Being in love with you and being loved by you is a very new feeling." Tommy murmured. "And it's mind-blowing."

"I'm very happy, Tommy."

"So am I."

They kissed and their kisses turned deeper. Being naked already was very useful. Unintended but with a growing mutual desire Barbara and Tommy made love again. It was slow and indulging, playful, tender, gentle, with whispered vows of love and murmured words of approval. They laughed and curred, they purred and hummed and they even happily giggled. And sometimes it even turned fiercer and left small red traces on their skins. But it continuously was slow-paced and full of affection until the nearing end.

They rolled around and changed positions a lot. One time he was pinning her down onto the mattress of his bed, in the other moment he turned onto his back and pulled her on top of him so she could straddle him. All of their movements were languid but nonetheless excited. It was not at all as urgent as they did the night before. It was tentative and cautious, although forceful and demanding too. It was passionate and gentle. It was without any barrier at all but with their souls openly displayed to each other.

They loved each other with unadulterated joy and lust and love. They savoured everything. They handed themselves over to the other as well as they devoured what was offered. Taking their time with every square inch, with every dip and every mound and every hollow and curve they explored each other's bodies in no hurry at all. Tommy found spots she never thought could be so sensitive and Barbara discovered areas where he never knew he could be so delighted by her touches and kisses, caresses and sucks.

They forgot about the time completely, not to mention the fact that they should appear at work eventually. They made love for about an hour or maybe even more. She openly welcomed him and he buried himself deep inside her but they also enjoyed the gentle disconnection and reunion several times until they reached a state where it was finally impossible to part.

The pace increased only slightly and their moans and sighs stayed quiet. Barbara and Tommy locked their eyes and tied a universal bond moments before the thrill of their connection swept a wave of bliss across both of them.

After they had rode out a long shared climax which certainly was an electrifyingly relaxed arrival at their fulfilling Barbara fell back into sleep in Tommy's arms.

A few minutes into her deep breathing Tommy entangled himself from her exhausted limbs. Although he was similarly exhausted he got up and went downstairs. Still naked he made coffee and two phone calls, one of which with his mother.

"Asherton estate." Her annoyed voice was heard. She had a habit like Barbara to not look at the caller ID.

"You were right, mother."

"I know. I'm always right." Realising it was her son Daze's voice had cheered up a bit. "And a very good morning to you, my son. To what do I owe the pleasure of your very early call?"

"I'm in love with Barbara."

There was silence on the other side for a while. "I know that! And now you call me to tell me? Tommy! Seriously? You should tell her!"

"I have." He grinned when he remembered the powerful conversation he had had with his mother when he had been down in Cornwall the last time.

"Oh, finally! Splendid."

"Multiple times last night."

"Oh, Tommy, that's too much hint of information, thank you. Well, anyway, congratulations." Her voice sounded happy. "I assume she's also confessed it in return?"

"She has."

"I told you so. Well, that's good news. And are you still with her right now?"

"We're in Belgravia. She's asleep."

"Good. Now be a good boy and go back to her. And let your old mother finish her breakfast, will you?"

A few minutes later Tommy woke his new lover again bringing two steaming mugs of coffee to the bedroom. He placed both of them on the bedside tables and opened the windows. The light breeze and the smell of coffee tickled her nose and so Barbara opened her eyes. Tommy also had a surprise for her.

"We've called in sick today." he said. A boyish grin appeared on his face.

"Aha?!" Barbara could not at all believe that the prim Inspector had lied to their boss. She raised an eyebrow. "Have we? That's not very professional, Sir."

"It isn't. But we have a lot to catch up on." Barbara agreed on it with just the hint of an involuntarily nod. Although she was still surprised that he really had cheated on Ardery. They shared an affectionate smile. "I've told her you've made us both a fish sandwich-"

"Oh, you're mean!" Frowning and laughing Barbara tossed a pillow in Tommy's direction but she missed him completely.

"But it's the truth, isn't it?" Tommy laughed and knelt down on the bed. He handed Barbara the mug he had placed on the bedside table on her side of the bed. "Ardery was not overly amused."

Her eyes widened in shock. "Oh, gosh, did you tell her?"

"Not yet. I save that for later. I want to see her reaction. Maybe we should invite Hillier too?"

"Oh, hell, no!" Balancing her cup of coffee Barbara struggled with a blush and a fit of giggles. She still was in bed. The duvet had slid down to her waist but although it was a strange new feeling she did not really care that her breasts were exposed to his eyes. He definitely had seen more of her tonight so now she coily bathed in the approving looks Tommy gave her.

He had climbed in bed next to her and, naked as he still was, had positioned himself on the duvet with his legs lying across his side of the mattress. He was leaning sideways across her, propped on his right arm and facing her.

"On that occasion we could as well tell them that we don't intend to ever end this." Tommy put a strand of her ruffled hair behind her ear. His expression had turned serious. "Well, at least I don't."

"Neither do I, Tommy." Barbara whispered and raised her cup. A sip and another second later she understood the meaning behind his words. And behind her own. Her eyes briefly widened in shock but it soon turned into a nervously approving laugh. She gave him the hint of a nod and his joyful look told her that he understood that they most certainly were meaning the same. "I would miss this too much."

"So would I."

He leant forward and placed a kiss on her shoulder.

"Hmmm." he breathed. "It's still there!"

"What?" she muttered. Barbara tilted her head so he could reach her neck with his lips. The mug of coffee in her hands unfortunately prevented her from immediately snaking her arms around Tommy's shoulders.

"That certain hint of seaweed on your skin."

"It's just my soap." she breathed and closed her eyes. She felt that Tommy took her mug and heard him placing it next to his on the bedside table. Then his very own scent was close to her nose again.

"I know." His voice was hoarse and brimming over with desire. "And I know that every time I'm going to have the pleasure of catching that scent in the future I certainly will be thinking about what had happened yesterday."

Although most of it it cooled undrunk in its mug there was no doubt:

The coffee Tommy had prepared for breakfast was the best coffee Barbara ever had had.

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FIN...