Author's note: Just a reminder that I'm still taking Jack's 1920's morals into account. He may have learnt a lot from Miss Fisher by now, but she might be able to shock him yet...

To the guest reviewer who requested an undercover/roleplay story: I would love to write one, but I can't immediately come up with a suitable situation. Feel free to leave a comment if you have an idea or a preference :)

As always, reviews are so much appreciated! Honestly. They make my day :)
Enjoy!

'Remind me again – why are we in a closet?'
'Because we're observing…'
'I know that. But why aren't we doing it from a more spacious location?'
'We want to be inconspicuous.'
'Because…?'
'Honestly Jack, you're the policeman, you should know why. First of all, if we were to wait, say, in the middle of the living room, the thief would just run the moment he saw us and we might not get a good look at his face. Secondly, did you bring a gun?'
'Of course not, this is not the kind of situation for which I would request permission to bring a gun.'
'Well, our thief might have one, so we need to be careful he doesn't see us. Remember, we're just here to ascertain the identity of the thief, so we can apprehend him later.'
'Your hypothetical thief.'
She tried to turn to give him an annoyed look, which was difficult, since they were wedged so tightly together.
'I know you think Jocelyn is a silly woman, but she's not crazy. If she says things go missing, I believe her.'
Jack sighed and rolled his eyes, leaning back against the wall as he tried to remember how exactly they had ended up in the coat closet in the house of one of Miss Fisher's friends in the middle of the night.

It had started two days ago, when Phryne suddenly appeared in his office wearing an alarmingly familiar expression of determination.
'Jack, I need your help.'
He frowned at her suspiciously. It wasn't the request in itself that made him uneasy, but rather her tone, which told him clear as day that she knew he would need convincing before he would offer said help.
'Why?' he asked cautiously.
'A dear friend of mine, Jocelyn Wilders, has been to see me today. She told me that, over the course of the last few weeks, several small but valuable items have gone missing from her home: jewelry, pieces of silverware, etcetera. She said she didn't notice at first, thinking she'd just mislaid them, but after a while she began to see a pattern. Every time she and her husband left the house in the evening to go to the opera or a dinner party, something else would disappear.'
'So? One of the servants probably uses those evenings to steal things. Why don't they simply look through their rooms to see who the culprit is?'
'Well, the thing is, they don't have any live-in staff. And yet there's never been any sign the house has been broken into, so the thief must have a key. Jocelyn suspects it's someone on the staff who managed to make a copy of the key, but she can't figure out who.'
'You're saying 'Jocelyn suspects'. What about her husband?'
Phryne looked a little uncomfortable now. 'Well… he doesn't really believe there have been any break-ins. He insists that Jocelyn is imagining everything, saying that she's always losing things.'
Jack raised an eyebrow.
'So why do you believe her?'
'Because she's my friend, and her husband is an idiot. The thing is, they are going out again on Saturday night and she wondered if…'
'Oh no.'
'Well, yes, if we could keep an eye on things at her house while they're gone. I went and checked: there's a small cloak room next to the entrance hall that we could use. There are slats in the door, so we'd be able to see the thief when he comes in, without having to put ourselves in danger in case he's armed. Then we can arrest him in the morning.'
'If he exists. Otherwise I'll simply have spent a very tedious Saturday evening stuck in a cloak room.'
She smiled at him and moved closer. 'Well Inspector, even being stuck in a cloak room can be interesting in the right company.'
He turned down the corners of his mouth, and she knew he'd come with her.

'Oh no, I don't think so, Miss Fisher.'
'Come on Jack, it's not that bad.'
They were at Jocelyn's house, the Wilders having departed ten minutes earlier, and Phryne was holding open the door to her proposed hideout.
'Excuse me, but your description of the location was wildly exaggerated. This isn't a cloak room, this is a closet.'
She rolled her eyes. 'Must you nitpick?'
'I'm not spending an entire evening in a closet! There's hardly room for the both of us.'
'Nonsense Jack, we'll fit in just fine.'
Ignoring his continued protest, she steered him in with a firm hand, then squeezed herself in afterwards, closing the door. She had to admit that it was fairly tight, but it wasn't completely uncomfortable. She could feel Jack fuming behind her though.
'We won't be in here long', she tried to soothe him. 'It's already dark out, and our thief will want to get in as soon as possible, while the Wilders are still out.'
'Hypothetical thief', he grumbled.
'Fine', she said, then leaned back slightly and turned her head to look at him persuasively. 'If there's no thief, I'll make it up to you later.' He grumbled something, but she could almost feel him smile, and she knew he was interested. She flashed him a saucy look. '… that is, if you promise to do the same if it turns out I'm right after all.'
He raised an eyebrow. 'Agreed, Miss Fisher. If a thief walks through that door in a moment, I promise I will profusely apologize for my skepticism in any way you see fit.'
With a satisfied grin, she turned back to watch the front door.

Moonlight was shining brightly through the windows next to the front door, illuminating the entrance hall. Thanks to the slats in the door, the closet was not completely dark, and after a while their eyes adjusted enough to be able to see each other. Jack gradually felt his bad mood disappear as he resigned himself to the situation. This was just another Miss Fisher adventure, he supposed. He suddenly noticed how close she was, and he imagined the things they could have been doing if they had not been standing in someone else's closet. Suddenly, he smiled slyly as an idea occurred to him. The situation offered distinct possibilities… Because how often had she teased him, how often had she distracted and seduced him in inappropriate situations… he wondered if he would be able to play the same game. This was the perfect opportunity to try, since she would not be able to turn around and manipulate him like she usually did.

He sighed casually. 'Well, Miss Fisher, I hope our thief turns up soon. Think of what we could be doing with our evening.'
To his delight, she took the bait. Smiling, she leaned back into him. 'Like what, Inspector?'
'Well…' his voice was deep and slow. 'I imagine we would be in bed by now. That's a tantalizing thought…'
Slowly, he brought his mouth close to her ear and rumbled softly in his deepest voice: 'In fact… I wish I could take you right now.'
He saw with satisfaction that she shivered slightly and leaned in closer, captivated. He didn't touch her, using only his voice, in a tone that was so sensual, she soon felt her body react.
'I want to undress you, slowly', he murmured. 'Take off every layer of clothes until you lie naked in my arms and I can have my way with you.'
She sighed longingly, and he smiled.
'I want to kiss you,' he whispered. 'The softness of your throat…' Ever so lightly, he ran his thumb along the side of her neck, and she shivered.
'I want to touch you.' His mouth still close to her ear, he allowed his hand to wander downwards, moving between her breasts. She leaned her head back against his shoulder, surrendering to his touch.
'I want to make you sigh. I know exactly what you like. I want to hear you gasp, feel you tremble when I touch you.' Her breathing had changed, and he could not resist the temptation to brush a nipple through the fabric of her blouse, drawing a small sound from her lips. He slowly moved his hand downwards over her stomach as he continued.
'I want to kiss the soft inside of your thighs.' He leaned even closer now, his lips almost touching her ear. 'I want to taste you, and hear you moan.'
His hand moved between her legs, but lightly, only for a moment. She pressed her back to him, and he felt a stab of arousal that he nevertheless quickly controlled.
'Jack,' she whispered, 'Jack, I want you.'
He smiled in satisfaction as he pulled back his hand. 'Well,' he teased her,' if only we weren't stuck in this closet… But it looks like you'll just have to wait, Miss Fisher.'
'Hmm... I'm not very good at that', she said, looking mischievously at him over her shoulder. A moment later, she had allowed her body to relax, leaning against his. 'Put your arms around me', she whispered.
He did so, wondering what she was planning to do, then his eyes widened in surprise as he saw her slip her right hand past the waistband of her pants. In the soft moonlight, he could only see the slightest movements beneath the fabric, but soon she closed her eyes and leaned her head back against his shoulder with a sigh. He was too stunned to react, merely watching as she moved her body slightly against his, soft sounds coming from the back of her throat. When her legs started to tremble, he instinctively held her tighter, and her left hand grasped his arm as her breathing quickened. A moment later, she gasped, and he felt her body spasm slightly, before she relaxed again, leaning heavily against him. Then, she withdrew her hand, gave a satisfied sigh and smilingly turned her head to kiss Jack on the cheek.

He was speechless for several more moments before he found his voice again.
'What did you just do?' he asked incredulously.
She looked at him, uncomprehending. 'Wasn't that… fairly obvious?'
'Did you just…?'
'Well, yes.'
'But…'
'What's the matter?'
'It's just… I wasn't involved at all.'
'Do you need to be?'
He looked at her in disbelief. 'Are you telling me that I don't need to be?'
She frowned slightly, confused. 'Darling, you know how you can make my body react with your hands. So why wouldn't I be able to do the same?'
He stared straight ahead into the darkness for a moment, stunned into silence. True, until a few months ago, he hadn't even known that women could enjoy sex just as much as men. Phryne had taught him that, and much more, but he had always assumed, had never questioned the fact that a partner was an essential part of the experience. In fact, he had always felt that it was his prerogative to give her sensual pleasure. And now here was Phryne, telling him – no, showing him – that she could do just as well on her own. His mind was staggering. It didn't seem fair. He suddenly felt very … inconsequential.

His train of thought was interrupted when Phryne stiffened.
'Listen', she whispered, and he heard it too: someone was turning a key in the lock of the front door. They stood immobilized, careful not to make a sound, as the door opened slowly and a dark figure entered the hallway. As he turned to close the door behind him, the moonlight fell full on his face for a moment, before he turned and crossed the hall to climb the stairs.
When he was out of sight, Phryne turned to Jack. 'That's the gardener', she whispered. 'Do you want to go and arrest him?'
He shook his head. 'He's wearing a knife at his belt. Better let him go tonight, we know who he is now. We'll pick him up tomorrow. He'll probably have the stolen goods at his house.'
Only a few moments later, the gardener reappeared at the top of the stairs, putting something small into his pocket. He quietly descended the stairs, crossed the hall, and went out through the door again, carefully locking it behind him. The entire operation had taken under five minutes.
'Smooth', Jack remarked drily. 'Now let's finally get out of this damn closet and go home.'
Phryne opened the door and stepped out into the moonlit hallway. One look at Jack's face told her this was not the time to gloat about being right about the thief. He was clearly still struggling with something.
'Yes, let's go home,' she said. 'I think we need to talk.'

When they were home and in bed together, Phryne reached up and ran a finger over the crease in Jack's brow.
'What's worrying you so much?'
He sighed and looked at her, struggling to find the words.
'What you did…'
'Well, let's talk about it. It's a perfectly natural thing to do, you know. I'm not embarrassed.'
He hesitated. 'Why would you do something like that?'
She shrugged, looking supremely unconcerned. 'You were teasing me. I don't like waiting.'
'I get the feeling you've done this before?'
'Of course!'
'Why?'
She smiled. 'Well, you're not always here when I feel like it, are you?'
'You mean you do this often?'
She shrugged. 'Sometimes. It really depends on my mood.'
A thought suddenly occurred to him. 'Can all women do this?'
She laughed at that. 'Well it's not just something particular to me, darling! Yes, in theory all women can do it. But deplorably few of them do.'
'Why?'
'Because they simply don't know how. Most of them don't even know that it's possible at all to achieve pleasure on their own, just like you didn't know until a few hours ago.'
'So how is it that you know?'
'Mac', she answered simply. 'Remember how I told you that we once spent a night together?'
'Vividly', he mumbled.
'Well, she told me that women could experience sensual pleasure without a man, or without a partner at all. She showed me how. I must say, it was quite a revelation, and one I am still grateful for.'
'And why don't all women know this?'
'Because most of them don't have anyone to tell them. And, frankly, most women don't even want to know.' She smiled. 'I once tried to broach the subject with Dot, poor thing. She practically covered her ears and begged me not to continue. You see, most women still feel that it is sinful, or at least 'not proper' to touch yourself in that way.'
Jack privately agreed for a moment. Women should not… he stopped himself there and shook himself mentally. He was still dreadfully conservative at times. Phryne was right, why should they take into account what other people thought was proper? He tried to look at the whole picture, objectively, trying not to be guided by the prejudices of society. Why should a woman not enjoy her body? It was not fair of him to feel that women should be dependent on men for their pleasure. But there was one thing that still rankled with him…
'Phryne…' he hesitated. 'But then… what do you need me for?'
She laughed and kissed him. 'Oh darling, it's not the same! There's no reason I can't indulge in a little sensual pleasure when I feel like it and you're not here, but it's so much more with you. You're tender, and warm, and exciting. You kiss me, and hold me, and fulfill me in a way I can't do by myself.' There was a twinkle in her eyes. 'Let me put it this way: it's like having a snack, which can be delicious, but nothing compared to a full three-course meal.'
He smiled, but wasn't entirely reassured yet. He still felt a little uneasy about the concept. He frowned, and looked at her speculatively.
'Show me', he said suddenly.
'What?'
'Show me', he repeated seriously. 'Please.'
'You want me to…?'
'Yes.'
'Why?'
'I want to see… what it is like for you.' He felt a mixture of curiosity and apprehensiveness, but curiosity was quickly getting the upper hand.
She looked at him for a moment, then smiled and kissed him. 'All right. I'm always happy to instruct you.'
That made him smile. 'How very obliging of you.'
She winked at him. 'Aren't I always obliging?'
'True', he had to admit. 'Umm, what should I do?'
'Just make yourself comfortable', she said, throwing off the blanket, slipping out of her silk underwear, and settling herself back in the pillows.
He sat up next to her and retreated a little to the side of the bed to give her some space. She smiled at him, completely unabashed by his gaze, then closed her eyes, and, with a deep sigh, allowed her body to relax. He watched closely as she started moving her hand over her body, softly stroking her stomach, the inside of her thighs. To his surprise, she moved her hand upwards instead of down, lightly tracing her fingers over her skin. His eyes widened and he swallowed hard as she reached up to touch a breast, caressing the nipple until it went hard, then softly pinching it. Her lips parted slightly, and she sighed with pleasure. As she repeated the action on her other nipple, he noticed that she started moving her hips, squirming slightly on the bed, and he suddenly realized that this was all extremely tantalizing. He had to exert considerable self-control to keep himself from moving towards her and burying his face between her thighs, but he stayed where he was, and a moment later, her hand glided down her stomach, through her black curls, until it rested in just the right spot. He looked on in fascination as she moved her fingers, saw how she arched her back and tilted her hips, her left hand gripping the sheet. After a while, her breathing quickened and she started moaning softly, and Jack, a little flushed by now, had to admit that the sight was extraordinarily arousing.

Suddenly she stopped, and turned her head to look at him. He saw that her eyes were dark and slightly unfocussed, but there was also a question in them.
'I'm not sure if I should…'
'Go ahead', he said, not even caring what it was. He was a little beyond caring now.
She bit her lip, a mischievous look in her eyes. 'I don't want to shock you.'
He snorted. 'I think we've passed shocked a long time ago.'
She smiled, then closed her eyes again. While keeping up a delicate rhythm with her right hand, she lifted her left leg slightly, and moved her left hand around her hip.
'Oh God', Jack whispered hoarsely, eyes wide, as she pushed first one, then two fingers inside, gasping softly. When she started moving her hand rhythmically, her hips moved in the same rhythm as she arched her back even further. After a while, she suddenly threw her head back, moaning in a way that Jack knew so well. She was close. He watched on, fascinated, and felt that he had never seen anything so sensual, so arousing and so intimate.
A moment later, her body tensed, then shocked slightly as she cried out softly: 'Oh… oh, Jack…'
He looked at her in surprise, but she seemed unaware of him in the aftershocks of the orgasm. She shivered slightly, then he saw her gradually relax again, her breathing slowed, and she rested for a moment with her eyes still closed. Then, she looked up at him, and smiled a happy smile. He took that as his cue to move closer to her, and when he took her in his arms, she gratefully nestled into his warmth.

He had to ask. 'Why did you say that?'
'Say what?'
'My name.'
She looked surprised. 'Did I?'
'Well… yes.'
'Oh. I didn't even realize', she smiled.
'So why did you say my name when I wasn't doing anything?'
'Well, probably because I was thinking about you. I always think about you.'
He smiled, feeling suddenly very light-hearted.
She hugged him closer. 'So you see, darling, you're always here with me, even when you're not.'
He felt very happy as he kissed her head. 'Thank you', he murmured, lips against her hair.
She looked up. 'What for?'
'For letting me see this. I had no idea. I'm sorry I reacted the way I did earlier.'
'That's alright. I suppose the idea does take some getting used to.'
'To be honest…' he flushed a little, 'I quite liked it.'
She grinned. 'I thought you might.' Then she turned to him with a sly smile. 'And now, we have a bet to settle, Inspector.'
'A bet, Miss Fisher?' The events of earlier in the evening had been driven clean out of his mind.
'The thief. I was right about him. And I seem to remember that you promised to make amends for not believing me.'
He smiled. 'You are absolutely right. And I'm not a man to break my word, no matter how onerous the task may be.'
She gasped as he suddenly flipped her onto her back, and delightedly wrapped her arms around him as he kissed her.
'So… I hope you haven't spoiled your appetite, Miss Fisher', he teased her, a smile in his eyes.
She grinned back at him. 'On the contrary, Inspector.'
'Ready for a three-course meal?'
'With you… always', she whispered as she kissed him.