Disclaimer: I do not own Leverage nor am I associated with Dean Devlin, Christian Kane or Beth Riesgraf.

A/N: The Tin Princess is by Philip Pullman. I was sitting here looking over at my bookshelf that has all my favorites on it, trying to decide what Eliot would be reading, and for some reason it just jumped out at me. It's very melodramatic and involves a fair amount intrigue and headbashing so I thought he might enjoy it…

Tide Pool Books

Parker sat with her back to the horizon, liking the feel of the undertoe tugging on her body. Her legs were stretched out in front of her, ankles crossed, so the water splashed up and over them. She lifted one hand and shaded her eyes with it as she watched the others enjoying their day at the beach. Sophie and Nate were lying on chaise lounges under an umbrella, a ways down the shoreline so they could talk in private. But it was Eliot that held her attention. He wore a pair of swim trunks and there was a bottle of sunscreen on the sand beside him, but he lay in the shade of a low-hanging palm tree, reading a book.

His wire-rimmed glasses were slung low on his nose, his chin dipped toward his chest so he could read. Parker tilted her head to the side, squinting, but couldn't see the title of the book. So, she reluctantly lifted herself out of the warm water and padded to his side. Kneeling on the edge of his out-stretched towel, his calves between her legs, she tipped the book toward him so she could see it.

"The Tin Princess," she read aloud. Parker raised an eyebrow at him. "The Tin Princess?"

"Have you read it?" Eliot asked genuinely.

Parker settled her hands comfortably on her hips. "Ah… No. I'm not much one for reading, actually."

"It's too bad. This girl reminds me a little of you." Eliot grinned with laughing eyes.

"Oh really," Parker pretended to sound intensely curious, when really all she was wondering about was why the man couldn't just relax on the beach for a few hours.

Eliot rolled his eyes. "You want me to swim, is that it?" She blinked, caught off guard by his perception but a whooping and hollering down the coast interrupted what would have been her affirmative. They both glanced over at the bonfire blazing and the crowd already beginning to form around the few tables that were already set up.

"Looks like the party's starting," Eliot commented, closing his book. He pointed a finger at her, tapping the end of her nose. "We'll finish this conversation later; meet me out here at one o'clock."

"One o'clock?" Parker questioned as they both stood.

"Midnight's so cliché," Eliot winked.

The party did last until after midnight and Parker barely had time to get changed out of the shirt some idiot had spilt rum on before she had to meet Eliot. When she got down to the beach, he was already waiting, hands in his pockets. He turned at her approach and her eyes swept appreciatively over him, from the messy hair to the unbuttoned, white shirt to the bare feet.

He reached out a hand to her, which she easily slid hers into, and grinned. "Come on." He motioned with his head, leading her down the beach. It seemed hours that they walked but finally they reached a tide pool tucked into a grove of trees just far enough away from the hotel that most tourists would never have found it.

Parker watched as he stripped off his shirt, tossing it on the surrounding rocks, and slid into the warm water. A second later his swim trunks landed beside it. Eliot winked. "See, I prefer a little privacy when I go swimming."

"Yes, I do see," Parker agreed with a grin as she easily shed her one and only sundress on top of his things before slipping into the dark water with him. Eliot caught her hand, pulling her closer as he quickly kissed her.

She followed him as he pulled away, winding her arms around his neck. The second kiss was slow and gentle, each of them testing the other. His hands ran up and down her bare back, grasping at her shoulders. It was a long, dark night filled with light splashes and hushed whispers before they watched the sun rise through the trees, his arm around her shoulders, as they meandered across the beach back to the hotel.