A/N: I am sorry it took me so long to update, but life is a bit hectic at the moment. I thank you for your patience and your lovely reviews! Enjoy! xxx

Time stood still, just the two of them looking into each other's eyes, before Thomas lowered his head to hers and their lips meet in a tender kiss. Both, vaguely aware that their kiss was a bit to long for a traditional mistletoe kiss. Thomas pulled her in close; Barbara buried her hands in his dark hair, desperately trying to pull him closer still...

Could he ever end this kiss?

Did he want to?

From where had all these emotions come?

Where would this lead?

Eventually both had to wrench their lips apart as the need for air became imminent. Barbara's hands untangled themselves from his hair and slowly drifted down his collarbones, finally halting on Lynley's chest, feeling his tensed muscles. With an almost in audible sigh she rested her head on his chest, feeling the scent that was pure Lynley surround her and relished this moment of bliss.

Lynley placed a kiss on top of her head, like he had years ago after rescuing her from the pub where the Police officer had her at gunpoint! Remembering the relief he felt, the memory of those moments where he could relish in her kiss and feel her warm vibrant body, pulsating with sweet life so near to him. If he was honest with himself it was something he had wanted to do for a long time, he never thought their first kiss should have been at a MET party in front of everyone but he didn't care, all that mattered was that he had got the chance to finally kiss her.

He leaned down slight to whisper in her ear: "Maybe we should find a more private place? The whole room is staring"

"Let them stare!" Havers shot back with a wide grin on her face. "But you are right sir, lets get out of here, I think we need to talk" She said as she moved out of his embrace and grabbing his hand pulled him in the direction of the corner where they had met minutes earlier.

As they approached Lafferty and Nkata, Barbara tried to avoid eye contact with both of them. Thomas grabbed his jacket off of the stool he had been standing next to, where he had ordered his drink when he first arrived. Nkata was the first one to speak:

"So I thought you weren't going to dance with anyone, Barb" he said teasingly.

"Well to be fair Winston, they didn't dance much" Lafferty added to the teasing.

"Oh shut up both of you! No, I wasn't going to dance with anyone, but this man isn't just anyone, he is the eight Earl of Asherton, remember? Besides it's none of your business" Barbara shot back at them with a mischievous smile as she turned to leave. Thomas threw a "Merry Christmas" over his shoulder as he reached Barbara. They picked up her coat at the cloakroom where upon Lynley helped her to put it on, touching the bare skin of her shoulders as he did so. 'Did she feel that spark too?' Thomas wondered.

They walked side by side out of the venue as Lynley said with an irresistible grin:

"I hope you won't mind me saying, but you should really wear a dress more often Barbara"

"Nah, I won't be able to chase down criminals dressed in this, and definitely not in these shoes! I was suppose to go on a date but I decided against it" Havers said trying to avoid eye contact with Lynley.

"Well I am glad you did wear it, what made you change your mind about the date and then the Christmas party?" Lynley asked offering her a genuine smile.

"Well I've only chatted with him online, a few times but I didn't really feel we had much in common. But when he asked me to go on a date with him, I thought why not give it a go. An hour before we were suppose to meet up I got cold feet, and because I won't settle for second best - so I cancelled. I realised I was all dressed up with nowhere to go when I remembered the party! The rest you know sir" she told him as she clasped her hand with his. 'Feeling bold huh Barbie!' she thought to herself.

They had walked and talked for about half an hour, not knowing where they were heading. They stopped and noticed they had unwittingly walked to Lynley's flat; they shared an earnest smile, before entering the flat. Lynley took Barbara's coat and hung it up, before doing the same with his own. He followed her into the living room. Barbara knew her way around his place; she had been there quite a few times in the past year. She sat down on the couch and kicked her shoes off, wriggling her toes, giving her feet a chance to relax, they weren't used to high heels like that.

"Can I offer you anything to drink Barbara?" Thomas asked.

"I'll have whatever you're having, Tom" she said as she leaned back, resting her head on the backrest of the couch. 'Why on earth did I call him Tom?' She thought 'I'm not supposed to cross that line - oh whom am I kidding that line is so crossed.'

She was dragged out of her musings by the sound of Lynley approaching her with two glasses of red wine. She took a glass and a small tentative sip, she wasn't used to wine but this one she found tasty. After Barbara had accepted the glass he had offered, he too sat down on the couch, leaving some distance between them. 'I need to give her room, I need to go slow, so she won't feel suffocated - even though I would love to embrace her again, she felt so good in my arms. And that kiss! Mmm, I wish we would never have had to part.'

"Any chance of a repeat of that mind blowing kiss? It was really something!" Thomas said realising his thoughts hadn't stayed in his head but had jumped out of his mouth! 'So much for going slow huh pal.'

He felt Barbara shift in her seat, before he knew it she was pacing around his living room...

How was he going to soothe Her?

How could he make her see it wasn't just a game for him?

Had he heard right had she called him Tom?