Author's note: I'm not entirely happy with this one, but I hope you still like it.
Enjoy!
They fell back onto the bed, arms wrapped around each other, kissing fiercely, most of their clothing already discarded carelessly all over the bedroom. While he kissed the soft white skin of her throat, Jack slid his hand under her camisole in search of a nipple. When he found what he was looking for, he let his fingers brush it lightly, teasingly, and he felt it harden under his touch. He pinched gently. Her soft moan of pleasure, however, turned into a sigh of exasperation when there was a sudden knock on the door.
'Yes?' she called out, unable to hide the note of impatience in her voice. Jack looked at the door with a slightly annoyed expression, withdrawing his hand.
'I'm really sorry to bother you, miss,' came Dot's nervous voice from the other side of the door. 'But there's a lady here who wants to see you. She says it's urgent.'
'Do I know her?'
'No miss, she says she wants to engage your services. You see, she thinks her husband might be having an affair and she hoped you…'
'Tell her to come back tomorrow, Dot', Phryne interrupted her. This was not the kind of case for which she was willing to abandon her current pursuit. She threw Jack a sensuous look, her mind already back to other matters. 'And I'm not receiving anyone else today, either.'
'The… the entire day, miss?'
Jack silently raised his eyebrows, amused.
'Yes, Dot, the entire day.'
'Alright then, miss. I'll tell the lady to come back tomorrow.'
When they heard Dot's footsteps retreat back down the stairs, Jack pulled Phryne closer with a satisfied grunt and kissed her.
'Sounds like you have big plans, Miss Fisher', he teased her, a smile in his voice.
'You have no idea', she murmured hungrily, squirming slightly as his hands wandered over her body. 'I haven't seen you nearly enough this week.'
It was true: he had been working hard that week, and he had spent the last three days sleeping at his own home, getting only a few hours' sleep before leaving for the station again. But now it was Sunday, and he had arrived at Miss Fisher's house around midmorning, only to be dragged straight upstairs before he even had the chance to take off his hat. Not that he was complaining.
He pulled the camisole over her head and closed his lips around her nipple, pulling gently. She gasped and tangled her hands into his hair. His hand moved slowly downward over her silk underwear, to softly caress the inside of her thigh. She opened her legs slightly, and his fingers moved to…
Another knock on the door made them both jump. Jack swore softly as he slumped angrily back into the pillows. Now what? He saw his own frustration mirrored in Phryne's face as she called out: 'This better be important!'
This time, it was Mr. Butler's voice on the other side of the door.
'Begging your pardon, miss, but Constable Collins just telephoned from the station, asking for the Inspector.'
Phryne glanced over at Jack, who looked very disgruntled by now. 'I'm not here', he grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.
She smiled. 'Hugh knows you're here, darling, I'm afraid that's not an option.'
Jack sighed. 'Yes, Mr. Butler, what did Constable Collins tell you?'
'That they've finally brought in the suspect you've been looking for, and they're waiting for you to come and interrogate him.'
Jack groaned and reluctantly started to get out of bed, then took one look at Phryne's half naked body stretched out beside him and changed his mind. 'Tell Constable Collins I'll be there… in an hour', he said.
'Certainly, Inspector', the butler answered, then left.
Jack threw himself back down on the bed and turned to Phryne, who was watching him with a bit of a wry smile. 'Third time's the charm?' she teased, as she slid close to him again and kissed him.
'This would be a lot easier if we weren't interrupted every five minutes', he grumbled.
Her face suddenly lit up. 'Jack,' she breathed, excitement in her eyes,' I just had the most marvelous idea! Why don't we go away next week, just you and me. A whole weekend alone, at the seaside, for example. Somewhere nobody will bother us.'
He frowned. 'That sounds nice, but I'm not sure I can get away…'
She sighed. 'Well, let's discuss it later. For now…' She wrapped her arms around him and gave him her most seductive look. 'Let's not waste the rest of that hour.'
'Agreed', he smiled as he kissed her.
The third knock caused such a comic expression of pained disbelief to appear on Jack's face, that Phryne couldn't help but laugh.
'What is it now, Mr. Butler?' she called out, as Jack buried his face in the pillow next to her.
'Terribly sorry to disturb you Miss, but I spoke to Constable Collins…'
'This is not happening', came Jack's muffled voice from the pillow.
'He asks if the Inspector can please come straight away. The suspect's not cooperating, and I had the impression that Constable Collins can't handle him alone.'
Jack heaved a great sigh, then lifted his head to answer in a resigned tone. 'Of course. Tell him I'll be right there.'
Phryne patted him sympathetically on the shoulder. 'Don't worry. We'll make up for this tonight.'
Jack grumbled something as he started gathering his clothes from all around the room. He suddenly stopped and turned to her, half-dressed. 'You know, you were right. Let's go away next weekend. I'm sure they can manage without me for a few days, and we really need some time alone.'
She gave him a delighted smile. 'Fabulous! I'm sure I can think of a suitable location.'
She got out of bed and started dressing.
'What are you doing?' he asked.
'Coming with you, of course. Uncooperative suspects are my favorite.'
They arrived home late that evening. Phryne had decided to take an interest in Jack's case, and had insisted on sitting in on the interrogation. Afterwards, they had continued their investigation by pursuing the new clues they had gleaned from their questioning of the suspect. When they finally made it home, Phryne smiled to see that there were two glasses of whiskey waiting for them in the parlor – Mr. Butler knew, as always, what was required. They talked about the case for a while, then Jack tentatively brought up the subject they had talked about that morning.
'Phryne… about us going away this weekend…'
She frowned. 'Don't tell me you've changed your mind about that. They can manage perfectly well without you at the station for a couple of days.'
'Believe me,' he smiled, 'nothing in the world could make me change my mind about that – especially after the morning we had. No, I was simply considering locations.'
'Oh,' she said, her expression brightening, 'Well, why not go to Queenscliff, for example?'
He raised an eyebrow. 'I've told you I'm not taking you to the beach anymore. You're a constant threat to public decency.'
She laughed. 'Well, what do you propose then, Inspector? Somewhere very secluded would be ideal. That way we certainly won't be disturbed and you don't have to worry about me shocking the locals.'
He hesitated. He wasn't sure if he wanted to tell her, but on the other hand, he really didn't like the thought of having to spend an entire weekend in a sumptuously luxurious environment where he would feel out of place, and that he wouldn't really be able to afford anyway. A rather alarming thought suddenly occurred to him: what if she wanted to pay for the whole thing? He couldn't allow that. He took a deep breath. 'I might know a place.'
'Really? Do tell!'
'I… I have a small cabin, up in the mountains. It's very secluded, and it shouldn't be too cold up there yet at this time of the year.'
Her eyes were shining. 'Sounds absolutely perfect, Jack! Why haven't I heard about this mysterious cabin before?'
He was a little embarrassed now. 'Well… I like to go there sometimes to get away from things. For a little quiet. To read. But… it's not very comfortable, really. Maybe I shouldn't have brought it up.'
'Nonsense, Jack! I never would have taken you for an outdoorsman. I'm quite intrigued,' she teased. 'I will definitely need to see this cabin now.'
He was still a little unsure. 'Are you sure you wouldn't rather stay somewhere more comfortable?'
'Jack, you sometimes forget that I wasn't born in luxury.' She smiled. 'A Collingwood girl like me doesn't mind roughing it a bit.'
He returned her smile, relieved. 'Well then, that's settled. We can drive up next weekend.' He shot her a warning look. 'But I'm driving.'
She rolled her eyes, but did not protest.
As they were driving the next Saturday, Phryne inquired how Jack had come to possess a cabin in the woods. 'You don't seem like the kind of man to go looking for a cabin to buy', she stated.
'No', he said, 'I inherited it, so to speak. It was my uncle's. He was always a strange man, nothing like the rest of the family. When he got older, he suddenly shocked the entire family by abandoning his proper middle class environment and choosing to come and live a simple and isolated life in the mountains. We never saw him much. When he died, the cabin technically became my parents', but I'm the only one who ever goes there.'
They were driving through a thickly forested area of the mountains now.
'Almost there.'
As they rounded a bend, a small log cabin came into view, settled snugly in a beautiful clearing between the trees. They stopped in front of the house, and when they got out, they stood together looking at it for a moment.
'Well… this is it', Jack said nervously, before continuing a little apologetically. 'It might be a bit dusty inside. I haven't been here since we… since our… since I've been staying at your house every weekend.'
She smiled at him. 'It looks absolutely charming, darling, don't worry.' She shivered slightly. 'But let's go inside, it's not very warm up here.'
'Yes, of course.' He helped her get her bags out of the car, wondering why on earth she had brought so much luggage, but deciding not to question her about this perpetual mystery of the travelling female. Inside, the cabin was very simple and sparsely furnished, but it did have a nice stone fireplace, a comfortable armchair, and a few shelves full of books. A small pile of wood was stacked neatly next to the fireplace, and Jack immediately set about making a fire while Phryne explored the cabin, curious to learn more about Jack's secret hideout.
As she ran her hand over the slightly dusty table, she tried to sound casual as she asked: 'Did you often bring Rosie here?'
He was kneeling with his back to her at the fireplace, but Phryne saw him stiffen at the question. He took a moment before he answered, and she feared that she might have hit a nerve.
'No', he finally answered her, and she was relieved to hear that his tone was normal. 'She didn't like it here. Said it was too remote, too uncomfortable.' He looked up at Phryne, a little apprehensive. 'What do you think?'
She looked around with a smile. 'I think it suits you. And I like it… it's nice to be out of the city.'
He smiled and continued to kindle the fire.
When it quickly became apparent that there were no big secrets to uncover, Phryne gravitated towards the fireplace, drawn by the warmth of the fire that was beginning to spread through the house. She was shivering now, Jack noticed, so he draped his own coat over her shoulders and invited her to sit down on the thick rug, close to the heat of the fire. When he took off his coat, Phryne noticed that he was much more casually dressed than usual, wearing a jumper instead of his signature three-piece suit. He went to fetch a blanket from the bed, and settled down next to her, pulling her close and covering them both with the blanket. They sat together snugly for a while as the warmth of the fire washed over them and the cabin slowly heated up. Every once in a while, Jack threw another log onto the fire, and the pile of wood dwindled quickly. When it was almost gone, Jack got up.
'I'd better go out and get some more wood before it gets dark', he said.
Phryne looked up curiously. 'And… how exactly will you get more wood?'
He raised an eyebrow. 'Well how do you think? I'm going to chop some, of course.'
She looked at him in incredulous delight, and laughed. 'Detective Inspector Jack Robinson, chopping wood! Well, I never thought I'd see the day', she teased.
He smiled at her. 'Never just think you've completely figured me out, Miss Fisher', he replied mysteriously, before disappearing through the door. She considered going out to watch, but it had started to drizzle outside, and the fire was nice and warm. The room had finally heated up enough for her to discard Jack's coat and her own, but she kept the blanket wrapped around her shoulders. She stared dreamily into the fire for a while, until the door opened and she looked up as Jack entered, wet from the rain, with his arms full of logs, and she felt her breath catch a little in her throat. He was only wearing a shirt now, rolled up to the elbows to expose his muscular arms. His hair was messed up, he was covered with a slight sheen of rain and sweat, and he had a smudge of dirt on his cheek. She bit her lip. He looked so…
Jack piled the logs next to the fireplace, then returned to fetch a bucket of water from the well. He placed it next to the fire to heat up, and turned to see Phryne looking at him with an expression he knew only too well. He grinned and kneeled down next to her.
'Are you warm enough?' he asked innocently.
She pulled him closer by the collar of his shirt with a sensuous look. 'Quite.'
He pulled back slightly. 'Don't you want me to wash up first?'
'Don't even think about it', she murmured distractedly, running her hand through his wet hair, then down his neck to his shoulder, where the shirt was clinging to his skin.
'Are you sure?' he teased her, stroking her nose with one finger and leaving behind a slight smudge.
She smiled, and did not attempt to remove it. 'Don't think a little mud will stop me', she laughed. It was really quite remarkable, she thought, how different he suddenly was. He hardly looked like her Jack anymore, always so proper and stiff. Now that they were far away from other people, in an environment where he clearly felt comfortable, he was relaxed and confident, laughing and teasing her unselfconsciously. She loved his disheveled appearance, too. She had never seen him like this, he always took such care to dress neatly, and she liked that about him. But she had to admit there was something particularly appealing about him right now. Out of his suit, with his sleeves rolled up and his hair messy, wet from the rain, he almost seemed like a different person, calm and strong…
'I think', she whispered, 'we should really get you out of those wet clothes. You might catch a cold', she added innocently.
'We wouldn't want that,' he smiled his crooked smile as he stripped off his shirt, then stood up in one fluent movement to throw more wood onto the fire. She watched the ripple of muscles on his back with a hungry look, which he recognized immediately when he turned around. He knelt back down next to her with a small smile and kissed her, pushing her back onto the rug. Outside, the rain kept falling in a cold drizzle, but it was warm in front of the crackling fire as he undressed her silently, then took her with an easy confidence that quite took her breath away.
When he woke up, it was dark outside. The fire was still burning – Phryne must have put more wood on it. He looked up to see her moving around the cabin, lighting candles here and there. She looked lovely in the candlelight, wearing nothing but his shirt, her hair tousled and her eyes dark. When she noticed that he was awake, she joined him in front of the fire again, and he saw that she still had a smudge on her nose. He smiled, deciding that the effect was absolutely charming.
'Are you hungry?' she asked.
'Yes, actually, now you mention it.'
'Good.' She went over to one of the large baskets she had brought, and started taking out different dishes, a bottle of champagne, and two glasses. So that was why she had brought so much luggage. While she was unpacking, he washed himself in the bucket of water standing next to the fire, then sat down to dry in the blaze. She brought everything over to where he sat, and he poured the champagne while she set out several of his favorite dishes. She sat down next to him, and they talked and laughed while they enjoyed the meal, Phryne feeding Jack tasty morsels from her fork every now and then.
When the meal was over, they cleared away the dishes, then Phryne flashed him a mischievous smile.
'For dessert, I propose a game… if you're up for it, of course', she said, looking at him archly.
Usually he wasn't much of a game player, but he felt pleasantly relaxed and happy, and ready to agree to anything she proposed. He raised an eyebrow. 'Well… what game?'
She rummaged in one of her bags, then pulled out a dark blue silk scarf. 'I blindfold you', she said, 'then you have to guess what I've brought for dessert.' She pointed at the last, unopened package in the basket.
'Can't I just close my eyes?' he asked, amused.
'Now Jack, where's the fun in that?' she asked him playfully.
So he leaned back with a smile and allowed her to blindfold him. When she was absolutely sure he couldn't see anything, he heard her unwrap the package.
'Alright', he heard her say, and he opened his mouth slightly, silently doubting whether this was entirely wise. He needn't have worried.
'Hmm. Apple pie', he mumbled.
'Is it sweet enough?' she asked, in a tone so innocent he knew she was going somewhere. He decided to play along.
'I suppose it could use some sweetening', he replied cautiously.
'Here.'
He opened his mouth again, and tasted honey on her fingers. He reached up to stay her hand, and took his time to taste the sweetness, taking a finger into his mouth to suck it, and he heard her gasp slightly. The honey had dripped down her fingers, and he followed the trail to slowly lick the palm of her hand, then her wrist. He couldn't see her, but from the way she stayed still, and the way she was breathing, he could tell that she liked what he was doing. By the time he could find nothing more, he was quite hungry for other things.
'Can I take off the blindfold now?' he asked huskily.
'Oh, I don't think so', she whispered, and he could hear that she was smiling. 'Just wait for a moment.'
He could hear her move, but he had no idea what she was planning to do. It took considerable willpower not to remove the blindfold to see what she was up to, because he felt quite vulnerable. Nevertheless, he decided to trust her. A moment later, he could feel her close to him, and he thought she was lying down. She took his hand to guide him to her, and his fingers touched bare flesh and… something sticky. He smiled. So that was her game. Well, he had no objections to that. He licked the honey from his fingers, then reached down to look for the source. His mouth found the soft skin of her throat, where she had traced a very thin trail for him to follow. His tongue followed the sweetness, upwards, until he reached her lips. He kissed the honey off of them, then kissed her deeply. When he drew back, she whispered: 'There's more.'
He grinned, and moved downwards, keeping his lips to her skin to guide him down her body. He tasted the sweetness in the little hollow of her throat, just above her collarbone. He knew where he would be able to find more, but he teased her by feigning ignorance, moving down to kiss her chest, her stomach, then drawing slow circles around her nipples before taking them into his mouth. She tangled her fingers into his hair and drew him closer with a soft moan.
When he tried to move further downward, however, she surprised him by suddenly putting her hand against his shoulder and pushing him so he rolled onto his back. He didn't try to resist – as long as he couldn't see, she was in control.
'I think you still have some honey on your fingers', he heard her soft voice, and he felt how she lifted his hand and, one by one, licked his fingers. The sensation was very tantalizing, but he thought the sight would be even more so, and he was getting frustrated at not being able to see.
'I'm taking this off', he said, reaching up to remove the blindfold.
'Don't you dare.' He heard the smile in her voice, but she caught his hands and held them down.
'But I want to see you', he said huskily.
Her voice was very close to his ear as she whispered: 'Jack, you need to learn to let go.'
He frowned uncomfortably. He didn't like the fact that he didn't know what was happening, it made him feel like he had no control over the situation. But he supposed she was right, so he tried to relax and surrendered to her touch.
He soon discovered that there was something particularly arousing about not being able to see. He was suddenly much more focused on the sensations he was experiencing, and not knowing where the next kiss, the next touch would be only added to his pleasure. She was moving all over his body, kissing and caressing, delicately using her tongue and teeth to make him shiver. But when she used her nails to trail down his stomach, he couldn't take it anymore.
'That's it', he growled, taking off the blindfold and pushing her down so he could kiss her.
She laughed and did not resist. 'Did you like it?'
'It was driving me mad.'
She grinned. 'Perfect.'
'I want you.'
'I'm yours.'
The grey light of dawn was creeping in through the windows by the time they finally fell asleep. Having dismissed the narrow, hard bed, they made a nest on the rug with all the blankets they could find, and fell asleep in front of the fire, wrapped around each other. Before he allowed his own tiredness to overtake him, Jack watched for a while how the light of the fire played on her skin. He had never loved her more than at this moment, loved how she didn't mind the floor, the mud, the discomfort of their surroundings. He realized that she hadn't complained for a moment, or even shown any inclination to complain. She had simply made the best of the circumstances, as she always did. He kissed her hair, and she stirred slightly in her sleep, nestling even closer to him. He might have underestimated her, he thought. She was tougher than she seemed. His Collingwood girl.