Author's note: at the request of at least three reviewers :)
Enjoy, and please review!
So this was how he was going to die.
Detective Inspector Jack Robinson felt himself go pale, eyes wide with terror as he held on for dear life. He felt a sudden stab of panic. 'Phryne!' he called out through gritted teeth, but the noise and the rushing of the wind drowned out his voice. He swallowed with difficulty, then tried again.
'Phryne!'
No reaction. He gathered all his strength.
'Miss Fisher!' he bellowed. 'Slow down!'
Phryne turned her head, mildly surprised, to look at Jack, who was sitting in the passenger seat of the Hispano with one hand on his hat, the other tightly gripping the door of the car. He seemed a bit distressed. 'What's the matter?' she asked him, slightly concerned.
'Slow down!' he said again, not taking his eyes off the road.
She laughed. 'But this is the perfect road, Jack! It's straight, it's flat, and it runs through the middle of nowhere. Ideal circumstances!'
'Your ideal circumstances are going to get us killed!' he growled at her. Having only ever driven with her through Melbourne (and that was bad enough), Jack had received a nasty shock five minutes earlier when they had turned onto the intercity road and Phryne had suddenly stepped on the gas, causing the car to accelerate at an alarming rate. Soon, Jack was feeling slightly sick. He had had no idea that a car could go this fast. As he watched the scenery flash by in a brown-and-green blur, all he could think about was what would happen if the car hit a bump in the road, or malfunctioned, or… He was reminded very vividly of the case of the female racecar driver, car smashed to bits against a tree.
Phryne, however, seemed perfectly unconcerned. She threw her head back, and laughed, clearly enjoying herself.
'Isn't this thrilling, Jack! Doesn't it make you feel alive?'
'Yes, and I'd very much like to stay that way!' he shouted, steeling himself. This was not going to be pleasant, but he felt he had no choice. 'Stop the car!'
She turned her head to look at him in disbelief. 'What?'
'Eyes on the road!' he groaned. 'Phryne, stop the car.'
'Why?'
'Because I'm not tired of living yet. I'm taking over.'
'But Jack!' she exclaimed indignantly.
'Miss Fisher', he said, using his sternest voice and praying silently that that would work, 'if you don't stop the car right now, I will arrest you for irresponsible driving!'
She looked at him, amused. 'You'll arrest me?'
'Yes', he said, trying to sound convincing.
She looked at him silently for a moment, before asking, in a much gentler voice: 'You're really scared, aren't you?'
'That's completely beside the point', he said, with as much dignity as he could muster, given the circumstances. 'You are breaking the law.'
She was quiet again, looking ahead pensively, and he feared that she would ignore him as usual. Then, to his immense relief, she released the accelerator and the car slowed down until she could safely steer it off the road to park it there.
'Fine', she said huffily. 'But don't think you've intimidated me into anything. I'm only doing this for you.'
Whatever the reason, he thought, he was simply grateful that it had worked. He got out of the car the moment they were at a standstill, and felt a strong urge to kiss the solid ground beneath his feet. Resisting the impulse, he walked around the car to open her door for her. She hesitated a moment longer before getting out.
'I'm doing this under protest', she warned him.
'Noted', he said drily as handed her out of the car.
'And don't think I'll just let this pass. You can't just take over a woman's car, Inspector. There are consequences.'
'Oh really?' he asked, amused. 'Like what?'
'Well…' she thought for a moment, before raising a supercilious eyebrow. 'Maybe you should sleep in the guest room tonight.'
His face broke into a grin. 'Don't kid yourself, Miss Fisher. We both know you can't keep your hands off me.'
That made her laugh delightedly. 'Only too true, Inspector', she smiled as she kissed him on the cheek. Without further protest, she walked around the car to the passenger's seat. Her sudden surrender made him wonder if she didn't have some other kind of mischief in mind. He probably should keep an eye on her.
Half an hour later, Jack felt calm and composed again, safely behind the wheel of the Hispano, driving along at exactly the speed limit. Phryne seemed cheerful enough sitting beside him, talking lightly about the color of the clouds and the possibility that it might rain later, so after a while he let his guard down and relaxed. As they drove on, Phryne fell silent, and Jack's thoughts soon drifted to the case they were working on, and the suspect they were driving up to see. He hoped it wouldn't be too hard to find the man, and that he would be cooperative when they did. After all, he was their best lead. He didn't quite know where to look if it turned out that… His train of thought was brusquely interrupted when he felt a hand on his arm, moving upwards over his shoulder to softly stroke the back of his neck.
'What are you doing?' he asked, firmly keeping his eyes on the road.
She shrugged innocently. 'I just… thought you might need to relax a little.' She was now running her other hand over his chest.
'I'm driving, Miss Fisher. Don't distract me.'
'But I'm bored', she sighed theatrically. 'It's very tedious just sitting here.'
He pushed her hand away, which prompted her to tease: 'Shouldn't you keep both hands on the wheel, Inspector?'
Meanwhile, her fingers were still delicately stroking the back of his neck, sending delicious shivers down his spine. He shook himself mentally: he should not be enjoying this.
'Keep your hands to yourself, Miss Fisher', he grumbled warningly.
She grinned. 'But you just said it yourself, Inspector: I simply can't keep my hands off you.'
He raised an eyebrow in a resigned kind of way. So that's what this was: he was getting his comeuppance for taking over the wheel, and she was using the best weapons in her possession to tease him to distraction, seeing how long he would hold. This was going to be tough. He groaned inwardly as her hand landed lightly on his knee, feeling that it was not a fair fight. Nevertheless, he was determined that he would not allow himself to be distracted, he was not going to give her the satisfaction of seeing him lose his composure. As her hand slowly started moving along his thigh, he mentally steeled himself.
Phryne smiled inwardly, observing her Inspector closely out of the corner of her eye. This was her favorite game to play. She could clearly see that he was getting ready for a battle of wills, and she was delighted. She moved slowly now, patiently, like a cat stalking its prey. If she was too bold now, he would get annoyed and that would ruin the game. So she had to keep him carefully balanced on that thin line between amusement and exasperation that was so typically Jack. Luckily, she was something of an expert in keeping him both amused and exasperated. Her fingers moved deftly, lightly, tracing the line of his jaw, then moving down to run just underneath the edge of his collar. She knew him so well. The way the corner of his mouth turned down ever so slightly told her that he liked what she was doing. She moved her other hand a little higher on his thigh, but the merest trace of a frown made her stop. Too soon.
She leaned in slightly, knowing all too well the effect her physical nearness had on him. Yes: she saw his body shift subtly, and read both discomfort and longing there. She smiled. Oh, how she loved this game. How she loved the long, careful process of drawing him out by teasing him, softly cajoling, sweetly seducing, until suddenly he would crack, and the gruff exterior of the Detective Inspector would melt away and her Jack would emerge, laughing and playful, tender and loving. It was a transformation that surprised and delighted her every time again. But it took time. Especially in a situation like this, when he was determined to resist. But she knew that would only make her reward all the sweeter when she finally succeeded. She leaned in closer to kiss, ever so carefully, a spot underneath his ear, and she smiled when she heard him sigh. Almost.
Jack had a hard time keeping his thoughts on the road. He could tell himself all he wanted that he was immune to her charms, but his body told a different story. He had to admire her subtlety this time: it was exactly because she held back that he wanted more. In fact, he was starting to suspect that she could read him like a book. He closed his eyes for just a second to enjoy the feeling of her hand running over his chest and stomach. She was too close; the smell of her perfume was clouding his mind, and the soft touch of her fingers awoke an aching hunger in him. He wanted her. He tried to resist just a moment longer, but when she bit his earlobe and he nearly crashed the car, he had to admit defeat. He braked sharply, steering the car off the road to park under a small clump of trees. The moment they stood still, he looked at her sideways, noting the glint in her eye.
'Phryne', he said, shaking his head. 'You'll be the death of me.' But he pulled her closer and kissed her, and she wrapped her arms around him to kiss him back enthusiastically.
The fact that he could hold her for a while, feel her warmth and taste her lips, had him momentarily satisfied. The game was over, he felt: she had won (had he expected anything else?) and he was ready to continue their journey. He threw a concerned look at the sky: dark clouds were gathering above them, and he decided that they better move on. It was only when she leaned in for another kiss and ran her hand down his stomach, over the buckle of his belt, that it dawned on him that she might have other plans.
He pulled back apprehensively. 'Umm… what do you think you're doing?'
The question answered itself when she moved her hand further down and started stroking him through the fabric of his pants. He tensed, and gasped as a stab of excitement shot through him. But when she started to undo his belt, he gathered all his willpower and stopped her hand.
'Public road, Miss Fisher', he reminded her, voice a little husky.
'Deserted road, Inspector', she corrected him, eyes sparkling. She leaned in against his chest, lips tantalizingly close to his, and he almost gave in when suddenly, he saw it. From the opposite direction, a car was approaching them. It was still far away, but it was quickly coming nearer. He was instantly alert again, grabbing Phryne by the shoulders and firmly pushing her back into her own seat. She looked confused for a moment, then spotted the car and uttered an 'oh!' of understanding. They tried to act normal, waiting for the car to pass them, only… it didn't. When it was almost level with them, they saw it slow down and stop. When a man in uniform got out of the vehicle, Jack rolled his eyes and sighed. That was just his luck. Phryne broke into a fit of suppressed laughter.
'Compose yourself, Miss Fisher', Jack rumbled sternly from the side of his mouth. 'And let me handle this, please.'
The policeman reached their car and glanced over the two of them with a wary eye. He was a middle-aged man with dark hair that was graying at the temples and a belly that was straining the buttons of his uniform. Unfortunately, he did not look like he had much of a sense of humor.
'Good afternoon', he greeted them in a professionally neutral tone. 'Having car trouble? Not a great time; looks like there's a storm coming.'
'Good afternoon Sergeant', Phryne replied, flashing the man a dazzling smile that clearly deepened his suspicions. Jack threw her a warning look before turning to the man with his best deadpan expression.
'No, Sergeant, no car trouble. We were merely… discussing directions.' He immediately realized how ridiculous that explanation was when he remembered that there was nothing but a long, straight stretch of road both in front and behind them, and he saw Phryne cover her mouth with her hand and shake with silent laughter. The police officer frowned up and down the road and seemed to come to the same conclusion. He looked back at them, eyes narrowed suspiciously.
'You do realize this is a public road, sir?'
'I'm perfectly aware of the fact, thank you, Sergeant', Jack replied firmly. 'We'll be on our way shortly.'
The man did not seem inclined to trust them, and assumed a warning tone. 'If there's any trouble here…'
At that point, Jack flashed his police badge, looking the man straight in the face and saying in his most authoritative manner: 'I'm sure I'll be able to handle it.'
That took the sergeant by surprise, and he backed off immediately.
'Meaning no offense, sir. Have a safe journey, sir.' He tipped his cap to Phryne and retreated back to his own car. A moment later, he was gone.
'Well handled, Jack', Phryne said admiringly, turning to watch the police car drive off. Jack couldn't help but smile a little.
'Oh, well', he replied. 'After all, we hadn't done anything wrong.'
'Yet', Phryne finished his sentence, that mischievous glint back in her eye as she leaned over to kiss his neck, hands snaking back to places they weren't supposed to be.
He pushed her away in disbelief. 'Seriously, Miss Fisher? We were almost caught by a policeman!'
She looked up at him in amusement. 'Which makes it highly unlikely that another policeman will pass by here in the next half hour or so.'
'But…' he started to protest, but was silenced by a great rumble coming from the clouds above them. They looked at each other in alarm.
'Quick, Jack!' Phryne called, hurriedly getting out of the car. 'Help me get the hood up.'
Together they struggled with the hood of the car, folding it open to form a roof as the first fat drops of rain fell from the sky. They got back into the car just in time, panting slightly as they watched how the heavens opened and the rain suddenly poured down in a solid sheet.
'That was close', Phryne said. 'Almost ruined my upholstery.'
They sat together silently for a moment, watching the rain reduce visibility to less than five feet.
'Better stay here for a while', Jack noted. 'We can't drive in this weather.'
He leaned over to pull Phryne close and rumbled: 'However shall we pass the time, Miss Fisher?'
She looked at him in surprised delight. 'Really Jack? Even with the public road and everything?'
'No one in their right mind will be driving through this rain. Better take advantage of the situation.'
'I couldn't agree with you more', she smiled, kissing him.
The sense of sitting there together in the small, dry cocoon of the car while the rain pounded on the roof created an atmosphere of intimacy that was increased when the windows started fogging up from their body heat. The curtain of water that surrounded them made them feel completely isolated from the rest of the world. He kissed her softly, longingly, then got annoyed that he was hindered by the distance between their two seats. He glanced over his shoulder.
'Back seat?' he suggested uncertainly.
She shook her head. 'There's not enough room, we'll never be comfortable.'
Instead, she pushed him back into his seat and kissed him, hands running down his body to undo his belt and pants buttons. He groaned slightly when she drew him out and softly stroked him, but when she bent over, he suddenly realized what she was about to do, and his body tensed. She stopped, looked up at him questioningly. He very rarely allowed her to do this, still not entirely comfortable with the concept, still feeling that it was, just a little, wrong. He usually stopped her at this point. Today, a short but fierce battle raged in his mind as he looked into her eyes. She was waiting patiently for him to decide, but when she softly bit her lip, he couldn't resist. He closed his eyes and leaned back with a sigh.
When her warm mouth closed around him, he gasped and gripped the wheel of the car convulsively. Once he allowed himself to surrender, the pleasure was absolute, and his world suddenly became very small as she did things he couldn't even begin to imagine, so unspeakably delicious, and everything else was firmly driven from his mind. He kept his eyes closed, letting the sensations wash over him. Soon, too soon, he felt the tension build, and knew that he would not be able to control it much longer. He softly touched her hair as he whispered her name. She looked up, understood, and did not insist. Instead, she lifted her skirt and, elegant even in such cramped quarters, she fluently managed to maneuver herself onto his lap, straddling him. There wasn't much room, and they both jumped when she accidentally pushed against the horn and it honked loudly. They both laughed, tension broken, and Jack hugged her close to kiss her, a smile on his lips. They were wedged closely together, but neither of them minded. Her mouth still on his, she lifted her hips slightly, then sank down on him with a moan in the back of her throat. He gripped her hips tightly to help her move, and they slowly rocked together in the close, steamy atmosphere of the car, with the rain still rushing all around them, drowning out the outside world.
The next thing he was aware of, was that the sound of the rain had stopped. He looked around a little dazedly. Yes, it was still drizzling slightly, but it would be possible to drive again. Other cars would soon be on the road. He gently nudged Phryne, who was slumped against his chest, still a little out of breath.
'Time to move,' he said softly.
'No, I don't think so', she replied, nestling her head on his shoulder. 'You're nice and warm.'
He smiled. 'Yes, but it's stopped raining. This is a public road again.'
She sighed and lifted her head to kiss him one last time, then disengaged herself and clambered back over to her own seat. She smoothed her skirt and patted her hair, then glanced over at Jack with a sweet look.
'You look a little tired, darling. Maybe you would like me to drive the rest of the way?'
He snorted. 'Not a chance, Miss Fisher.'
'Fine', she smiled lazily, curling up like a cat in her seat, a look of utter contentment on her face.
As he started the car and carefully maneuvered it back onto the wet road, she settled her head on his shoulder and sighed softly. After a while, the soft hum of the engine and the safe feeling of Jack next to her lulled her to sleep. Jack drove along silently, careful not to move and wake her. Every once in a while, he turned his head slightly to kiss the top of her head. A warm glow of happiness had settled in his chest, and a smile played on his lips. She really isn't so bad, he thought tenderly. You just have to know how to handle her. He was, of course, perfectly aware that she was handling him much better than the other way round, but he was prepared to overlook that fact. After all, she was worth the trouble.