They sat downon the leather couch, and ate salad out of the same plastic bowl. She pricked apiece of chicken with a fork and guided it towards his mouth. He batted herhand away.

“Stop it,everyone’s watching.”

“So?”

“I’ve areputation to maintain.”

“Right,they can’t find out you’re actually nice.”

“Exactly,they’d lose all respect for me.”

She pokedhim in the leg with her toes, and he almost cracked a smile. He caught herankle and brushed his thumb over her skin.

He droppedit when someone knocked at his door. SOCO Brian had a report for him, he lookedbetween Hardy and Hannah, obviously expecting an introduction.

“Anythingelse, Brian?”

“Let meknow when you’re ready to see the fingerprints.”

“Yep.”

Hardyclosed the door.

“That wasso rude,” Hannah said with a laugh. “I’m beginning to think you’re ashamed ofme.”

“Erm, well,it’s not— I’m not, erm, you know…”

Hannah stared at him, biting back a grin, as hestammered. His voice reached a higher octave.

“I’m not ashamed. It’s none of their bloody business.What would I say anyway? ‘Hannah she’s my— my’…”

“Your what?”

He sighed. “Help me out, here, Han.”

“Nah, you’re right. I was just taking the piss.”

She’d beenone of his best friends for many years, but after his divorce, their friendship hadtaken a not-so-unexpected turn into more intimate territory. He didn’t get thefeeling she wanted to be his girlfriend, and he wasn’t ready to dive intoanother relationship no matter how much he cared about her.

She avertedher eyes and ate the last of the salad in silence. Hardy looked out his officewindow and saw that a group had gathered around Brian. Great.

“Well, I’dbest get back home and let you work.”

He walkedher towards the exit, she didn’t say anything, not even to tease him. He stopped dead in his track about mid-way there.

“Wait,” he said.

“What is it?”

“You’reupset.”

“No, s’likeyou said, we’re not— I don’t know.”

He took her hands in his. “We are something. There isa ‘us’... right?”

She squeezed his hands and took a step closer to him. “Yeah.”

“Good.”

He couldn’t deny he was relieved. She took anotherstep closer.

“I want you to know that, well, even if what we areisn’t official or anything, I want you to know that there’s no one else for me.Okay? Only you.”

Hardy rested his forehead against hers, toooverwhelmed by her words to say anything. She knew what he’d been through with Tess. 

Hannah stroke his scruffy cheek ashis hands settled on her hips.

“You all right?” she whispered.

He could only nod. She splayed her fingers over hischest, right where his heart beat for her. He swallowed thickly.

“Right now, you’re… you’re everything to me.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he hugged her back. How lucky he was to have her. He’d go mad, get swept off by waves of guilt and anger, but she kept him afloat. He held on tighter.

“Alec, I really, really want to kiss you right now.”

He chuckled and looked over her shoulder.

“This way.”

She followed him to another corridor. He unlocked thedoor to an interrogation room as Hannah gawked at him. She sat on the table, andhooked her fingers in his belt hoops to pull him between her legs. He cupped her cheeks and kissed her. An urgent kiss full of wet moans andgrasping fingers.