Authors note: I've had this story ready to post for a while, wasn't really sure what to do with it. It almost became a chapter in one of my other stories, but I really couldn't fit it into the timeline so figured I would just let it stand all by itself. Not sure if there's going to be another chapter to follow, but I think there will be. Hope that you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. DeeDer

Jack's knock was quickly answered by Mr. Butler, who took his hat and coat, asking the inspector to wait in the parlor and he would inform Miss Fisher that he was here. Jack poured himself a drink from the tray Mr. B had prepared, sipping slowly as he leaned against the mantle. He knew Phryne might not have been expecting him this evening, they had done their personal post mortem of their latest case the other night. She'd offered him an open invitation to stop in for a nightcap so many times over the months that they'd worked closely together that he had decided to finally act on it.

Why he'd decided to respond tonight he wasn't really sure. Granted, it had been a few days since they'd seen each other, but that wasn't new. There'd been gaps between their cases before where he hadn't seen her for weeks. Why, he asked himself again, had he stopped in tonight?

It hadn't been a conscious decision, at least not until parking at her house. Phryne had been in his thoughts more than usual today, her siren's call luring his attention back to her whenever it strayed to police work. This last case had lasted longer than most, throwing them together every day and many evenings as they bantered and brainstormed their way through clues, interviews, a dead body, and a deadly suspect.

The corner of his desk was particularly bothersome lately. By habit he left it empty, ready for Miss Fisher to perch next to him, all silk and satin and perfume, sending his thoughts rioting to endless scenarios of his hands and her skirts. Staring down into his glass he instead saw her blue eyes coquettishly looking back at him, a quirky smile on her cherry lips, lips that had been dogging his attention unmercifully. Lips that would utter soft sighs as he lavished attention on her smooth neck, whispering encouragement as his mouth and hands followed where his mind had been wandering endlessly.

Lost in his fantasy, allowing it to sweep him along as he rarely could, Jack didn't see Mr. B pause in the doorway. With a smile and a slight shake to his head the older man viewed the younger, lost in thoughts that he could guess were about Miss Fisher. Perhaps, he felt, tonight would be the night the Inspector would finally take the lead in the dance Miss Fisher had been leading them through.

Noting that Phryne hadn't appeared after a short while, Jack had to assume that Mr. Butler wouldn't have let him in if she was too busy for company. Having rarely been alone in this room for any length of time, he finally shook off his intimate musings and took some time to really admire the eclectic and yet calm feel of the room and its contents. The window seat was a particularly favorite spot, he walked over and sat there now, leaning his elbows on his knees and cupping his drink in both hands.

Without Phryne's energetic presence to draw his attention, he finally noticed a doorway at the far end of the room. It was nearly concealed, being painted in the same aqua blue and stenciled gold as the room's walls, but it was definitely a door with hinges and a knob, and someone had left it slightly ajar.

Jack stepped to it, and pulled it further open. Behind it was a short hallway, with a door at each end and cabinets all along the far wall. Assuming that the door to his left lead to the hallway, the other apparently going outside. Leaving the wall-door open behind him, he opened the outside door, and was pleasantly surprised to find himself in a fragrant garden. It took up a small area off the back of the house, away from the street, several medium height trees providing a natural fence and privacy at the same time.

Quietly closing the door behind him, Jack stood for a moment letting his eyes adjust to the shadows, taking another sip of the whiskey he still had in his hand. Moving a few steps forward onto the grass, turning slowly full circle to take in the simple beauty of the quiet night, the leaves lightly singing in the night breeze, the heady scent of flowers in bloom, he could feel all the cares of the day falling away.

What he wouldn't give to have a little oasis of peace like this at his cottage. Face raised to the ebony sky shimmering with stars, he took in a deep breath, wondering what was blooming here to fill the night air with such soft fragrance.

It didn't take him long to know that Phryne was here, somewhere in the shadows. He'd caught a hint of her perfume among the garden's mingled scents, familiar and enticing in the quiet darkness. Jack tried to maintain his relaxed stance, trying to sense just where she was. He wasn't sure if he should acknowledge her presence, or leave her in peace. She surely must see him, must have heard him enter, yet she'd not betrayed her presence.

Convinced that he was trespassing on her solitude, he turned towards the door fully intending to leave and perhaps wait for an invitation before stopping by again. The subtle rustle of silk stopped him. She stopped directly behind him, her perfume unmistakable now.

" Stay" Phryne whispered. "Enjoy the garden with me."

" I wouldn't want to intrude, Miss Fisher" he softly replied, not moving away, holding his breath as he hoped she'd want him to stay.

" Share it with me, Jack, please. You aren't intruding. Even I can see how it's relaxed you already."

A soft hand on his shoulder turned him to face her. In her black silk robe she blended into the night, only her face visible to him. Without her usual heels she was forced to look up to meet his eyes, head slightly tilted to one side, she held his eyes with hers as her hand drifted down his coat sleeve to take the glass tumbler from his fingers. Lifting it she took a slow sip, his gaze watching her tongue glide across her lips to savor the lingering taste. Heat started in his chest at her actions, spreading tendrils of slow desire that tightened his collar and pooled low in his belly.

" Come, share your nightcap with me, Jack. It's too beautiful a night to sit inside." Her fingers reached for his, twining them lightly together, backing away she tugged him along with her back into the shadows.

Whether to his doom or his delight, he followed Phryne.

It's only a nightcap, he told himself, we've done this many a time before, don't read anything else into it. That's what his head said, his heart and parts lower had other thoughts entirely, running right back to his fantasies of silken skin and soft sighs.

It only took a few steps to make the cushioned lawn swing visible at the garden edge. Phryne released his hand, halting him with a palm against his chest. She didn't speak for a moment, looking at the ground before raising uncertain eyes to his.

" I do have a few rules for sharing my haven, Jack."

" Rules Miss Fisher? That doesn't sound like you."

" Well, that's true, but here I think I need some. You're the only person I've ever welcomed here Jack, no one else has ever sought out or been invited."

" I haven't been invited, would you prefer me to leave you to enjoy your quiet alone again? I didn't realize where the door led, or I wouldn't have intruded."

" I know that, Jack! If I hadn't wanted you to stay I could have remained hidden and let you go. But, when you turned away I realized that I can share this with you, that I want to share it ...with you."

The moment stretched between them, her small hand against his waistcoat centering all his senses in one place.

" Well" he cleared his throat as this came out roughly, " and the rules are? "

" Rules? " Phryne seemed lost for a moment as her eyes traveled over him " Rules? That's right, my rules. Firstly, I come here to soak in the quiet and to be honest with myself, so you must too."

" No problem so far" Jack nodded.

" Next, hmmmm, this is my private place, so whatever thoughts or soulsearching I do here remain private, never being taken outside of the garden. I guess that's all then. Honesty. Peace. Privacy. It's what I come here for. "

Jack smiled a bit in the dark, somehow restraining himself from removing her wandering hand from his chest, his thoughts following its path up to his collar and then caressingly stroking his tie.

His" Agreed" came out rather more strangled sounding than he would have wished, but under her touch he was surprised it was coherent at all. Jack didn't think quiet would be a problem, he could barely string two thoughts together let alone two spoken words.

Phryne's pleased smile welcomed him into her haven, she gently pushed him to sit at one end of the swing while she curled her legs beneath her at the other.

With an impish grin she informed him that it was his job to push. Once he started the swing in slow movements, she wrapped her arms around her raised knees and leant her cheek on her arm.

Jack wasn't sure how long their joined silence lasted, he became lost in his own thoughts as they rocked back and forth together. He shifted a bit, stretching an arm along the back of the swing, turning slightly to relax more comfortably but also to face Phryne better. She could have been asleep for all he knew, she was so quiet and still, so unlike what he was used to when with her. He was intensely relaxed but also intensely aroused by her earlier touches and his own thoughts. She had stated honesty as one of the rules, and to be honest with himself he knew that he wanted her at this point, to the exclusion of all else.

She stirred at last, lifting her head and uncurling from the tight ball she'd been in. Still facing him she stretched her legs towards the ground and leaned against the back, finally seeming to relax. Whatever demons she had come here to wrestle with in the dark must have been vanquished, he could only hope that his presence may have helped. Maybe this is what had drawn him here tonight, a sense that Phryne had needed company as much as he did.

He smiled at his silly idea that Miss Fisher needed him for anything other than detective work. Phryne caught the smile despite the darkness.

" A penny for them? " she whispered.

" I'm not sure that's according to the rules, what happened to privacy? "

" Privacy meaning it can't leave here not that we can't share while here! Come on Jack, what are you hiding? Remember, honesty too! "

" Not fair Miss Fisher. I've left you to your thoughts you should leave me to mine." Their voices remained soft but their usual bantering prevailed.

" Oh very well, Jack, but on one condition."

" More rules? "

" Yes! " Her voice took on a less taunting tone, " you must call me Phryne. No formality between friends when we're here."

" I concede to your demand, Miss..." but as her eyes narrowed at him he quickly murmured instead" ...Phryne"

" Now shhhhh" she scolded him, relaxing again into silence. Her head against the back was close enough to his hand that the invisible black strands of her hair were teasing his fingers. They seemed to work themselves around his fingers, silky and smooth, defying his attempts to wind them into curls. Phryne leaned forward, reaching out and taking the whiskey tumbler that he held, forgotten, against his leg. When she returned it to his grasp her fingers lingered, brushing against the back of his hand, following down to the tips of his fingers before she settled back again. Only, this time her cheek rested in his outstretched hand, the glitter of her eyes letting him know she watched him, gauging his reaction.

Jack was the one holding still now, almost holding his breath. Threading through her hair, he stroked the nape of her neck, she returned by cuddling her cheek into his palm with a hum of pleasure. His desire, which had been on a low simmer, flared to life. If this had been any woman but Phryne, Jack would have known just how to react, just how he would kiss and caress her, just how they would come together. They'd spent so much effort maintaining their distance from any hint of real intimacy that he hesitated to change it.

Jack had surpressed his desires for Phryne for so long that he'd been hesitant again when they'd first sat together on the swing. The flirting, the innuendos, the innocent and not-so-innocent touches over the months had sorely tested his resolve. But tonight was different, tonight he'd reached a point where he was walking away no longer.

She reached again for the whiskey, this time he didn't release it. When Jack gave a small shake of his head she let go, but remained leaning towards him, resting her hand on his knee to steady herself, which only served to unsteady him further. Phryne started to speak but was stopped by his index finger pressed to her lips. After shushing her it went on to stroke across her mouth, outlining the usually crimson arch before resting at its center again. She could feel his eyes continuing the path around her lips by the tingling that seemed to follow his dark gaze.

Jack raised the tumbler and finished the whiskey in one drink, reaching blindly behind him to set the glass on a small table there. Phryne was just opening her mouth to protest when Jack leaned forward and firmly pressed his lips to hers. Her indrawn breath of surprise allowed his tongue entrance, smoothly stroking hers as his warm breath and then the even warmer whiskey followed. The heady combination of the shared liquor and Jack's kiss sidetracking any coherent thoughts.

Jack was revelling in the taste of her lips, the warmth of her mouth, the stroking of their tongues as they both deepened the kiss. His hands cupped her face, angling her just where he wanted her, tasting deep and long of what he'd only thought possible in his dreams. His fingers felt the pulse throbbing in her neck, as he slowly withdrew from her lips, their separation sounding wetly between them. Her deep sigh and the thrum of pleasure in her throat made him smile, as did her hand creeping up his thigh. When her eyes meet his, he saw answering desire and need reflected there.

His strong hands lifted and turned her fully into his arms, settling her close across his lap, one arm firmly behind her shoulders, the other hand bringing her mouth back to his. Delving deeply again, sighs and hums punctuating their kisses, roaming over cheeks and jaws but always returning to tangle lips and tongues together.

Phryne was lost, sensation taking over her thoughts as strongly as Jack was guiding her body. His whiskey kisses taking her by storm into a whirlwind of pleasure and desire. The one corner of her mind still functioning outside of his touch knowing she'd not felt like this before. Strong men had made love to her before, some had tried to impress her with their demands and at times she had been a willing participant in those games. But now she knew what had come before was shallow, a weak imitation of what Jack brought her to now.

Her arms around his shoulders held him close, her hands stroking his collar and finally loosening his tie as they had longed to do again. She felt his smile against her lips, and she laughed briefly before kissing her way along his jaw, returning to his drugging kisses.

Jack let his hand glide down her throat, grazing her collarbone as he slipped it under her robe and the lace of her night dress, cupping her bare breast in his palm at last. Kneading her flesh firmly, his thumb and fingers squeezing and pulling on her nipple, rolling the hard nub between them tightly. He knew she must have felt the answering throb against her hip by the way she pressed herself closer into his lap.

Pulling away from her kisses, he watched the pale skin of her breast appear in the moonlight as his hand pushed her clothing aside. Bending his head he took her pink nipple directly into his mouth, sucking on it deeply, laving it with his tongue in between nips of his teeth. Her head fell back against his arm, her sighs punctuating the night air as she succumbed to his caresses.

Phryne ran her hands through his hair, tossling it as she pressed him to her breast. She could feel the throbbing length of him firm against her hip, his warm hand shaping her breasts, drawing them to his mouth to be devoured by his lips and tongue, each tug of his teeth pulling an answering response from between her legs. Shifting against his erection, rubbing her thighs together to try to relieve the tension budding below, her heat and wetness fairly screaming for his touch.

Jack sensed her increasing arousal, lifting his head from feasting on her bared breasts to look at the beautiful woman in his arms. Phryne was everything he'd dreamed of, fantasized over, longed for all the long nights alone in his bed, wanting her there. Warm, aroused, delectable and responsive, and becoming more demanding as he continued to stare at her in his arms. Bending again to her mouth, stroking his tongue in deeply to slide along hers, drawing hers back between his lips. Phryne was holding his head between her hands again, giving as good as she got from Jack, loving every moment they spent learning the taste and contours of each other's mouths.

Despite his heightened arousal and the clamoring sensations of loving Phryne, Jack was totally in control. He wanted to methodically batter down her facade of shields and defenses, to get to the Phryne underneath all the flirting and innuendo, the woman that he was in love with, and not the one that jumped into bed with every man that lifted an eyebrow at her beauty. She could be outrageous, devil-may-care, adventurous, none of that really mattered, what did matter was that she recognize his love for her, and allow their relationship to grow. Only in his dreams did he hope that she would love him too, that she could care as much as he did for her.

She was systematically baring his skin to her touch, her busy hands hadn't stopped at his collar and tie! The tie was gone, his waistcoat and shirt unbuttoned to his belt, her hands sliding inside to caress firm muscles, their path leaving tremors of heat wherever they went. Her lips were now worrying his earlobe, nipping and kissing it in turn, before wandering down his neck. When her hands made contact with his nipples he groaned, bringing her mouth back to his. Slowly thrusting his tongue forward to meet hers, loving the feel of her sucking along its length.

Jack loosened the belt of her robe, pushing it aside, sliding his palm smoothly up her leg to where her thighs were squirming against each other trying to satisfy the demands of her body. He firmly pressed up between them, following the damp trail to its source, her thighs spreading to give him access. Very hot and very wet registered into his thoughts, his fingers sliding along her length once, twice, the third time two fingers plunging into her as far as they could go. Jack caught her gasp with his mouth, feeling her tense briefly and then practically melt in his arms. His fingers began slow strokes in and out, his thumb finding and caressing the hardened nub shielded between her wet folds.

Phryne was on the verge of shattering, holding tightly onto his lapels, face pressed to his throat, her focus centered on his hand pleasuring her so intimately. His thumb rotating and pressing her quivering flesh, three fingers now stretching her open, responding to her rhythmic squeezing by reaching deeply and stroking in and out.

Jack felt her climax build, heard the catches in her breath, the heat of her lips against his neck, her thighs clenching around his wrist as she ground against him when the first wave of passion hit her. Pressing his cheek against hers he urged her on, whispering " Come for me Phryne, come for me darling, let me feel you letting go! "

oo oo oo

The darkness didn't alarm her, she knew it was night, she just wasn't sure where she was. She knew she was floating, odd though that should be, her body still thoroughly throbbing with pleasure. Strong arms held her, a deep voice whispered her name, drawing her towards it, and she wanted to go to it. " Jack" she whispered back, " Jack" more firmly this time, wrapping her arms tightly around him. " Oh Jack! " she murmured into his ear, softly kissing the tender skin just below his jawline.

His lips were in her hair, she was curled into him with her thighs still clutching his wrist snuggly between them. His palm was cupped against her wet curls as his fingers stroked lightly through her folds.

" That was..." Phryne searched for words but nothing seemed to fit.

" Good?" Jack suggested.

Her gentle laughter answered the smile in his voice, " Good?! Nothing as lukewarm as that! Let me think a moment."

" The night is young, I'm sure you'll come up with something by morning." Releasing his arm from her grip Jack pulled the silky robe back over her legs. Arms around each other they shared soft kisses, Phryne still feeling the hum of passion pulse through her. Pressed against Jack's chest she could feel the deep beats of his heart, the warm and yet tense feel of his embrace, the hardness pressing itself against her thigh.

The night

is

young, she thought to herself, anticipation sending a shiver through her. His kisses deepened as his hands began roaming over her again.

" Jack! " she chided him gently, " let's take this somewhere more...comfortable? ...before we continue. "

Smiling broadly Jack scooped her up in his arms, rising from the swing. Phryne had only a moment to grab his discarded tie from the cushion before he carried her to the garden door. She reached the knob and he strode with her through the parlor to the stairs. As they climbed to the landing Mr. Butler appeared at the bottom.

" Mr. B" Phryne called gaily down to him, Jack's tie dangling from her fingers " it appears the Inspector will be joining us for breakfast! "

" Of course Miss Fisher" He smoothly replied, as if the Inspector carrying his mistress up the stairs in the middle of the night was a normal experience.