The title of this story is taken from 'Hobart Paving' by St Etienne. Do look it up, it's a really lovely song.

Millie walked into the bathroom, carefully negotiating the half-open door with two steaming mugs of coffee. She set one down next to the sink and sank down on the blanket box against the wall, pulling her legs up so that her feet rested on the chest, holding the other mug close. She blew onto the liquid, looking up through her lashes at the man washing himself in her shower. So far, the noise of the water and the steam had rendered him unaware of her presence but somehow he seemed to feel her stare and looked round to her.

"Brought you your coffee" she nodded towards the mug. Max smiled his thanks and stepped back into the water raining on him from above to rinse the shampoo out of his hair, lifting his chin and closing his eyes to avoid the soap. Millie continued to watch him, committing the sight to her memory, it would help her get through the more uneventful periods of her day and make the paperwork less mundane. She watched the shampoo suds trickle over the musculature of his body, defining each ridge that her fingers had been lazily exploring just an hour or so before. Her eyes and fingers knew every inch of his body better than she knew her own, that was his responsibility and one he took equally seriously as she did. She smiled to herself but Max had opened his eyes and noticed her amusement.

"What are you looking so satisfied about?" he called while busily helping himself to her shower gel, slowly lathering it over his body in a way he knew she would approve of. This was just one of their little games, he knew she liked to watch him but he preferred her to join him. Max held out his hand to invite her into the water but after a momentary hesitation Millie shook her head.

"Don't want to get my hair wet." Max pushed out his lower lip as a sulky little boy might do but resigning himself to her immutable response he rinsed himself before switching off the shower. He emerged dripping water from his body and grabbed a towel. Millie was reminded of Daniel Craig rising from the sea in whichever Bond film it was that he tried to make her watch last night, only this was better, much better. She was far more likely to stay awake for her own real life version.

Her robe had slipped down, exposing alabaster skin. Too enticing to ignore, Max ran his fingers down her neck and along her shoulder.

"I thought you wanted to be in work early today?" Millie smiled up at him, she knew where this would lead.

Damn, he thought, I did as well, but the thought of work paled into insignificance next to the woman seated beneath him. She unfurled her legs to stretch them out, her robe slipping further as she did but making no effort to right it. Max watched her move and silently took the mug from her hands, placing it next to his on the counter top. He knelt and settled in between her knees drawing the robe down over her other shoulder, loosely but effectively pinning her arms to her side. He sat back on his heels to admire her dishevelled state. Her hair tumbled over bare shoulders, its colour in striking contrast to her skin. Pleased with himself he rested his hands on her ankles and ran them up her outstretched legs, so smooth, so toned, each inch of skin was nothing but pure delight. As his hands reached her upper thighs under the robe, he leaned into her once more, his mouth seeking hers, excitement building but thwarted as she deftly ducked away and whispered in his ear.

"You really did want to go in early. You'll be so pissed off later if you don't."

Max groaned with frustration and dropped his forehead onto her shoulder.

"No I won't. Please Millie just one kiss…" he pleaded.

"It never is just one kiss though. I'm doing this for your own good, sacrificing myself as always" she continued in mock piety. "Everyone will call you Mr Grumpy and I couldn't bear to have that on my conscience." Her tone was haughty but her expression was suffused with love and warmth that filled every part of him.

"I don't care" he wailed up at her.

"You will later. Now, stop dripping water all over my bathroom floor and get dressed."

"Love it when you get stern" he murmured cheekily into her neck.

"You love it however I get."

"I know."

"Get dressed, Acting DI Carter."

Millie closed the apartment door behind him, listening to his footsteps jog down the half flight of stairs to the car park. She smiled and nestled into her robe, still able to detect his lingering scent in it from when he had kissed her goodbye. It was a deeply languorous kiss that threatened to go on forever. Both wished that it could but reality was never far enough away and eventually Max was the one to detached himself sorrowfully. Shift patterns and other commitments meant that he most likely wouldn't be able to stay over again for a couple of days but as he had almost moved in since Becksy & Jasper had moved out, there were plenty of his belongings about the place to remind her of him. He liked that. As Millie heard his car start, she ruefully considered the first reminder was the half-flooded bathroom she needed to clear up before getting herself ready for her own shift.