“I wouldn’t start making a habit of this you know; fightin could get you quite a reputation.” A warm smile spread across Sam’s lips as she let the sparkle of her joke dance across her eyes.

“I, I don’t normally, ever, really, its just they tried to steal my shopping,” Cat struggled, her fingers twirling themselves around each other as she got more nervous.

“Really, I didn’t even hit him, I just didn’t let go of my bag” Cat’s eyes didn’t leave the table; she was concentrating so hard on a small dot of a stain she had found on the surface that she struggled to focus.

“Cat,” Sam started, trying to get the woman’s attention.

Cat’s eyes shot upwards, to be met by the warm chocolate pools that were DS Murray’s eyes.

“Yes,” Cat struggled; her resolve to stand up for herself was slowly fading.

“Do you ever think that maybe you should just not be in that part of town if you keep getting mugged?” Sam let a sly smile shadow across her lips for a moment.

“REALLY? You’re blaming me for this, I know it’s the second time this week but, I, thought we,” Cat couldn’t finish the sentence, she knew from experience that Sam made her nervous, put her in a police station and her nerves were heightened yet again.

“What was in the shopping bag that you were desperate to hold on to?” Sam tried a different route, desperate for Cat to look at her so she could see the smile in her eyes.

Cat paused, a blush flooded her cheeks, and in the dim light of the questioning room she looked as if she had physically shrunk.

“It must be something nice; it’s a nice looking carrier bag” Sam leant back on her chair and ran a hand through her hair, letting it tousle and fall back around her face.

Cat let her eyes linger on Sam’s hand as it ran through her hair, her mind flashing back to two nights before when those hands had been running across her body. The flush that had crept up her face rose again, this time the warmth a much more welcome feeling.

“It’s, urm, something for, well, you as it happens” Cat cleared her throat and looked up, boldly looking Sam in the eyes where she finally spotted the playful look she had been wearing since she walked in.