Chapter 6

Author's Note: I know I said the last chapter was the final one but since I started this story with Oliver's POV it only seemed right that I end it with Oliver's POV. This chapter picks up where we left off with our favorite couple enjoying a sweet porch swing and the next level in their relationship. I hope you enjoy! As always, I do not own any of these characters. They belong to the incomparable Martha Williamson and are portrayed to perfection by Eric Mabius and Kristin Booth.

The sunset was a glorious explosion of pinks, yellows and oranges blasting the night sky. Puffy clouds hung low on the horizon absorbing the vibrant colors and turning them into multi-hued fireballs. Oliver's arm stretched across the back of the swing, serving as a pillow for Shane's head. His hand reached up and his fingers sank into the soft waves of her hair as he massaged her neck. She leaned back into his touch, her eyes closed and lips turned up in a peace-filled, contented smile. "Hmmm that feels heavenly Oliver." Within a few minutes the swing slowed and Oliver felt Shane's head sink deeper into him as her body relaxed. Her breathing was steady and shallow and Oliver turned to see she'd fallen asleep. Using his foot to restart the movement of the swing he watched her as she slept. This must be how Disney princes feel when they are gazing on their sleeping fair maidens he thought.

His eyes crinkled as he studied her face. He was desperate to feel her lips on his but didn't want to disturb her rest plus it gave him the freedom to study her face unfettered. Oliver had known beautiful women in his lifetime, he'd even married one once but Shane's loveliness had an ethereal glow that transcended all others. From the moment of their providential meeting at the coffee cart her face had captivated him, he just couldn't admit it at the time.

The proximity of Shane's desk to his in the DLO made it possible for Oliver to steal furtive glances at her on a regular basis. Studying Shane's face had quickly become a habit borne out of what was, at the time, an inexplicable attraction he felt to her. Implementing a number of safeguards to thwart any undue behavior on his part was not something he set out to do but in retrospect was something that he needed to do. His reference to her only as Ms. McInerney may have begun as an office formality but as time progressed it kept the line between them professional. When Shane attempted to draw him into discussions of a personal nature he quickly made it clear that there were limits as to what he and the team were comfortable sharing.

The safeguard that posed the greatest challenge was maintaining a reasonable distance from her at all times. Given the nature of their work it was virtually impossible to do. Whether gathered as a foursome discussing the latest dead letter or traveling together to and from various locations, it was inevitable that they would sometimes be in close quarters with each other. The scent of her perfume lingered in his beloved Jag and he wasn't even bothered by it.

To Oliver she was a beautiful work of art. Should her portrait hang in a gallery throngs of people would crowd around her likeness fascinated not just by her looks but by the light that emanated from her face. Oliver's stomach swirled as he watched her eyelids flutter while they remained closed. Her skin was flawless save the freckles sprinkled lightly over her nose and cheeks. His eyes landed on her lips. He'd seen those lips through a variety of emotions. Surprise, pride, hurt, anger, fear, sadness, delight, but he most favored watching her lips when she laughed. To him there was no sweeter sound than the sound she made when something amused her. And this afternoon when he finally kissed those lips he knew he would never kiss another's.

He watched as Shane, still asleep, innocently licked her lips and he could no longer hold back. He brought his mouth close enough to hers that he felt the heat of her breath on his lips. She smelled of roses and he felt himself tremble in anticipation. His mouth went dry and he licked his lips before closing the remaining gap between them and pressing his mouth to hers. He felt her arm go around his neck in response. Her fingers curled into the hair at the back of his head and she pulled him closer. He brought a finger to her cheek tracing her jawline until he held her face in his hand.

Oliver broke the kiss and heat flushed his cheeks. "Ahem, I am sorry Ms. McInerney." Embarrassed, Oliver reverted to addressing her in the more formal and professional way. "I am afraid I got carried away."

Her eyes still heavy with sleep flirted with his. "I'm sorry too Oliver." As his face went white Shane lifted her head and quickly followed it with "I'm sorry that you are calling me Ms. McInerney again." Her lips spread into a teasing smile.

Relief poured through Oliver and he smirked. "I was afraid my taking advantage of your sleeping state might be construed as stepping over the line."

"Oliver, in case you didn't notice I was more than willing to step over the line right along with you." Shane's fingers traced the back of his hand her fingers stopping to wrap around his.

One side of Oliver's mouth turned up into a smile and his eyes found hers. "Yes, I did notice that. That doesn't mean I shouldn't show more restraint. I don't want you to feel I am disrespecting you."

Shane looked away from Oliver before turning to face him. "Can I be honest with you Oliver?"

"You can always be honest with me, Shane." Oliver relished how easily her name slipped from his lips.

"Please don't think me too forward but when it comes to you, I've been showing restraint for a very long time." She reached her hand to his cheek letting her thumb caress his cheekbone. Her eyes filled and she blinked back tears. "Much longer than I think you know. ." Her cheeks flushed pink and her face heated at her confession.

Oliver's heart sank. He knew her intent was not to foster feelings of guilt but her words were a bitter reminder of the mixed messages he now realized he'd been sending as far back as asking her to be his dance partner. He had been steadfast in honoring the vow he made that even when all signs pointed to his marriage's certain demise he wouldn't accept the writing on the wall.

Oliver let his thumb brush over her lips. "I'm sorry it has taken so long for me to bring resolution to my marriage. I failed to consider how my actions affected you." He leaned in pulling her to him and placing a sweet and gentle kiss on her lips. He felt her smile against his lips and he let his tongue sweep across her mouth. He chuckled when they were interrupted by the loud grumbling of Shane's stomach. He felt her body go rigid. Laughing he asked. "Are you okay?"

Shane's cheeks flushed at the involuntary reminder from her stomach that it was getting late. "I am fine. Embarrassed but fine. Oliver, as much as I would love to stay right here it's getting late and we haven't had dinner. Shall I order something for delivery?"

Oliver leaned in and whispered into Shane's ear. "That depends. Can we stay here until it arrives?" His voice was laced with heat and suggestion.

Shane pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders. "As long as you are amenable to keeping me warm while we wait." She flirted.

Oliver pulled her closer to him. "Oh, I'm amenable." His fingers wove through her hair pushing it off to one side. He brought his lips to hers and let them linger eventually moving them to her cheek and up to her ear. He stopped when Shane shuddered. A smirk crossed Oliver's lips. "Are you still chilled?"

"Oh, that wasn't from being cold." Shane teased. "I'm quite sure you raised my body temperature a couple of degrees." She giggled.

Oh how he loved that giggle. Oliver's gaze lingered on the lips he was now intimately familiar with and smiled back at Shane. His joy quickly turned to concern as he saw Shane's eyes well. He pulled her closer to him. "Shane, what is the matter?"

Shaking her head, she wiped her eyes. "It's silly. I've just dreamt of this, being with you, laughing and talking with you, and being free to express my feelings for you, for so long that I was beginning to think I would never realize it. Especially after…"

Oliver raised an eyebrow and tilted his head not sure what Shane was saying. "Especially after what?" Oliver posed.

Shane's eyes dropped. Oliver wrapped his hand around hers and brought her fingers to his lips. His other hand lifted her chin to meet his gaze. "Shane. Especially after what?"

Slowly she lifted her eyes to his, her voice a low whisper. "I…saw…you."

"You saw me what?" Oliver had no idea where she was going.

Shane fingered the necklace that Oliver had seen hang from her neck every day that he'd known her. The gold disc slid along the chain as she tugged it side to side. Her words spilled uncontrolled. "At the comedy club Caitlyn made a comment about her and Joey falling back in love on the way to their divorce." Shane took a deep breath and continued. "All I could think of was you and Holly and that maybe the same thing was happening with the two of you." She bit her lower lip. "I walked by the Mailbox Grille on my way back to the DLO."

Oliver knit his eyebrows together and he studied her with his eyes. His eyes closed as the realization of what she saw washed over his face. "You saw me with Holly?"

Shane avoided his eyes and nodded slowly. "It was wrong for me to have been there but I had to know."

Oliver took Shane's hand stroking the back of it with his thumb. "And what did you see?"

Shane turned away from Oliver hiding her face. "Enough to quit and ask Becky for a transfer."

Oliver's heart dropped. Had he known Shane was witness to what occurred between himself and Holly he would have certainly reconsidered his actions. "Shane, by the time you saw us Holly had already given me her decision. I don't know why I asked her to dance. I suppose I wanted to prove to her that I had made an effort by taking the lessons she'd gifted me." Oliver sighed. "And the kiss? It was just a goodbye, something to mark the end of our relationship and to do so amicably."

"I'm sorry, Oliver." She smiled at him weakly. "I'm really glad that I was wrong…if it matters."

Oliver drew her chin toward him and gently brought their lips together. His hand behind her neck drew her closer to him. He pulled back and tucked her head under his chin. "It matters."

Oliver laughed when another loud rumble from Shane's stomach brought them back to the current. Shane went inside and grabbed her iPad from the living room. Oliver had a hard time keeping up with Shane's flying fingers as she navigated the delivery menu for a nearby Chinese restaurant. It took her just a few short minutes to order their dinner and let Oliver know they had 20 minutes until it would be delivered.

Oliver stood as Shane eyed him curiously. Giving him her hand she rose. "Oliver are we dancing?"

He pulled her close to him wrapping one arm around her waist and the other around her hand. "Yes, we are and since we are sharing true confessions I have one for you." Oliver was slow to speak. "The night we were supposed to dance in the showcase was my wedding anniversary."

Shane nodded. "Ah, now it makes sense."

"I was conflicted because, though I wanted nothing more than to dance with you, I was still married to Holly. I knew if I danced with you that night I might not be able to keep myself from stepping over the boundary I knew must be held." Oliver swallowed the lump in his throat. "I was angry that I allowed myself to stay tied to someone who obviously didn't care about me and that I'd just hurt someone that I cared about. I am sorry."

Shane shushed him with her finger and picked up her iPad. Within moments she'd pulled up the song she'd suggested for their dance showcase. The familiar music from their charged dance in the DLO played softly in the night air. Twirl, twirl, back, side, close, forward, side close. They had danced this dance before, many times, but now the invisible barrier he always maintained was gone. This time he didn't have to hold back. He held her close to him as they glided smoothly across the porch dance floor. Their steps were in sync with each other. Looking into his eyes Shane smiled, her voice thick with emotion. "You don't have to stop yourself now."

Oliver placed his hand on Shane's back smoothly lowering her into a dip. Their eyes held and for a moment they were back in the DLO, him in his checkered shirt and her in a cobalt blue dress. Slowly he brought her out of the dip but this time he didn't stop himself from completing the movement as he'd wanted to months before. This time there was no awkward pause, only his lips finding hers. They broke their kiss but not their gaze. "By the way, I like what you've done with the porch." They continued swaying to the music.

Shane smiled brightly. He had noticed. "I thought my swing needed a beautiful setting."

Oliver nodded in agreement. They continued moving to the music. "Yes, but you know it's rather early to have all these plants out. You are tempting fate with the weather."

Shane rolled her eyes. "Yes, you are the third person to tell me that. Besides I thought you didn't believe in fate."

Oliver laughed "I don't but it seemed appropriate in this situation."

Shane matched Oliver's laughter. "Yes, well, I'm willing to take a chance." Her eyes locked on Oliver's. "On a lot of things."

Oliver and Shane were in their own little world oblivious to anything going on around them including the delivery boy who cleared his throat multiple times before he was noticed. Oliver pulled out some cash for a tip and took the bags.

"Let's eat inside Oliver. It's too cold to eat outside." Shane opened the door into her bungalow.

Oliver entered allowing his eyes to absorb his surroundings. "You have a lovely home Ms. McInerney."

"Thank you Oliver. Have a seat at the table and I'll bring everything out." Shane walked into the kitchen not realizing Oliver had ignored her and was following closely behind. When she stopped to get plates from the cupboard Oliver ran into her wrapping his arms around her waist to steady them both. "Oliver, I told you to sit down."

"Uh, yes, but I wanted to help you." Oliver grinned sheepishly. "I suppose I should have let you know I was behind you but I was appreciating the view. Running into you though was, shall we say, an added perk." Oliver shrugged his shoulders unashamed of his motive. "I do apologize if I have, yet again, stepped too close to the line."

Shane turned in his arms. "Mr. O'Toole, as much as I am enjoying this new flirty version of Oliver, if you keep this up, I may be tempted to erase the lines altogether."

Her innuendo was not lost on Oliver and he stepped back knowing he needed to regain some semblance of propriety before he, too, erased any more lines.

The table was strewn with empty to go boxes, discarded chopsticks and one lone wonton. The resultant spark Oliver felt as they both reached for it had him snatching his hand away. Shane picked it up and taunted Oliver waving it in front of his face before slowly biting into it. Her tongue licking the cream cheese filling from her lip almost put him under the table. He wondered if she knew just how provocative her simple appreciation of the crunchy fried dumpling was to him. Her cheeks reddened under Oliver's prolonged stare. Given the ease of slipping into less than gentlemanly thoughts he wondered what the long workdays in the DLO would look like given this new development in their relationship.

Oliver nervously straightened the remains of his dinner, took a sip of water and wiped his mouth with his napkin while carefully considering his next words. "Shane, I think we should discuss our return to the DLO in the morning."

The scrape of Shane's chair echoed as she dragged it across the floor moving closer to Oliver. Leaning in she let her fingers leisurely trace circles on the back of his hand sending shivers throughout his body. "I'm not sure I understand what you mean, Oliver." He found her coquettish smile distracting.

He pulled her hand away from his in an attempt to stop the short circuiting in his brain that threatened to make speech incoherent. He closed his eyes briefly to recenter himself. "Ahem, I think it would be judicious to withhold disclosure of our relationship until…well until."

"Until we know it's going to work?" Shane's teasing smile evaporated and her voice went flat. Pushing away from the table she popped up from her chair almost knocking it over and began gathering the remnants of their dinner.

Oliver reached for her but she shrugged him off. He rolled his eyes disgusted with himself for not better articulating what he wanted to say. How was it that he, a man of words, couldn't manage to string together a reasonable sentence to explain himself. He followed her into the kitchen. Once she disposed of their trash he grabbed her hand and turned her to face him. She avoided his eyes. "Shane, look at me." He waited for her to meet his gaze. "I told you I don't want to make a mistake and I don't intend to. We have both admitted that we have held feelings for each other for quite some time so while the closeness we've shared today seems natural to us it may not to others. I would hate myself if I opened you up to watercooler gossip."

Shane smiled sheepishly at his desire to uphold her reputation. She grabbed hold of his shirt and pulled him closer. Using one finger she traced the outlines of the pattern on the thin fabric of his shirt. Her voice carried with it a hint of seduction that took any reasonable thought from his head. "Hmmm, so are you saying you want to keep us clandestine, Mr. O'Toole?"

Oliver kept his hold around her waist and with one hand pushed aside a lock of hair that had fallen across her forehead. "I am saying that keeping our private life private gives us the time and space to write this new chapter of our relationship without the meddlesome interference of others."

Oliver held Shane's face in his hands kissing her briefly on the forehead and then the nose before allowing his lips to linger on hers. He held her firmly as she leaned into him. The more she leaned, the tighter he held her and the more passionate his kiss became. When he finally released her she leaned her forehead against his.

"Whew, that was something!" Shane blinked several times while still leaning into Oliver's firm hold.

Oliver narrowed his darkened eyes and in a sensual, throaty whisper confessed. "I want you to have something to think about while we're at work tomorrow pretending that we are nothing more than colleagues, Ms. McInerney."

"If you keep kissing me like that I am going to find it very difficult to pretend anything, Mr. O'Toole."

With dinner cleaned up Oliver knew it was time to take his leave but he was having a very difficult time saying good night. As they stood at the door Oliver wrapped both arms around Shane's waist and pulled her to him. "I am sure Norman and Rita will want to celebrate your birthday with you but I propose we suggest delaying until the end of the week. I would love for you to join me tomorrow night for dinner at my home for a private celebration." Oliver paused placing another kiss on Shane's lips before whispering in her ear. "I don't have a porch swing but I do have a rather large and private back patio, suitable for dancing."

Shane snuggled into his arms as they stood at the door. "I think that sounds just lovely Mr. O'Toole. I will bring my dancing shoes."