Disclaimer: Still not mine, sadly…

A/N: Apologies for the delay in updating but RL has been hectic of late. This is the last chapter (although I could be persuaded to write a short epilogue if anyone is interested) – some fluffy naughtiness to perhaps take your mind off the impending Series 10…


Ruth tucked her purse back into her bag and watched the lights of the taxi disappear into the distance. With the cab gone, and wearing new shoes she could barely walk in, she didn't have much choice but to go through with her plan. Either that or look very suspicious as she hung around waiting for another taxi. As she considered that idea, Frances' voice echoed around her head.

"Sex is the answer, Ruth. You need to seduce him. Dolly yourself up; flash a bit of thigh, show some cleavage and make it clear a leg-over is most definitely on the cards. He'll be putty in your hands. Well, hopefully not all of him will be putty but you know what I mean."

So, with her friend's help, Ruth had 'dollied' herself up. The skirt was shorter than anything she usually wore and had been relegated to the pile for the local charity shop until Frances had salvaged it with a cry of 'perfect!' The blouse was one she'd bought on impulse and then decided was far too low-cut for the Grid. It too had been destined for helping others until Ruth had decided it might just help her. Underneath the outfit were the new bra and knickers that had been languishing, unworn, in her underwear drawer for the best part of six months. The finishing touch was new shoes; not quite the obscenely expensive killer heels Frances had tried to persuade her to buy but not her usual style, or price range, either.

Ruth carefully made her way up the stone steps to the front door and rang the bell. Her stomach fluttered with nerves. This was quite a progression from their trip to the zoo, which had ended at the tube station with a chaste farewell kiss on the cheek and an agreement to go out again soon. Ruth wasn't entirely sure what Harry's reaction would be despite Frances' insistence that he would 'love it – all men want to be seduced'.

Surprise was writ large across Harry's face when he opened the door and saw Ruth, and not just because he hadn't been expecting her. Having finally managed to get his brain to send coherent words to his mouth and invite her in, he watched, appreciatively, as she walked past him. She had lovely legs and he wondered why she usually kept them hidden away. Then she turned around and Harry was once again confronted with something else Ruth was normally reticent about displaying: cleavage.

Fully aware she was being eyed up, Ruth decided to return the favour and subject Harry to some uninhibited analysis. He was wearing jeans and a navy shirt, the sleeves of which were rolled up. To further emphasis that he was very much off-duty, the shirt hung loosely over the faded denims and was buttoned in a way that suggested he wasn't expecting to be keeping it on for any great period of time. Which, thought Ruth, would prove to be a fortuitous bit of planning on his part, providing she didn't lose her nerve.

"You look lovely," Harry said, as Ruth's gaze finally returned to his face. "Are you going somewhere?"

"Going somewhere?"

"Yes, afterwards."

"Afterwards?"

"After you leave here. I'm assuming you called in en route somewhere else."

As he spoke, Harry was fervently hoping that his house was her intended destination and it was him she wanted to see.

"Oh no," replied Ruth, relieved she could once again do more than simply repeat Harry's words back to him. "I'm here. I mean this is where I am…where I was going…I'm not planning on going anywhere else. Afterwards."

She looked at him, willing him to understand the jumbled sentences that had fallen out of mouth without any intervention from her.

"In that case," said Harry, moving closer to her, "I'm beginning to feel a little underdressed."

"No, you're fine." Ruth took a deep breath, unaware of the effect it had on him. "I've decided to be proactive. I'm here to seduce you."

There was a moment of silence before he responded. "I think the whole point of seduction Ruth is that the seducer, or in your case, seductress, is not supposed to tell the seducee what the plan is."

"I thought it might be better to make my intentions clear."

"I see."

"There have been so many misunderstandings between us in the past that I decided a new approach was called for. And this is it. My new approach."

Harry slowly raised one eyebrow. "Now I'm beginning to feel overdressed."

Given the way he was looking at her, Ruth thought it was more likely she was going to be putty in his hands. "Then perhaps we should do something about that," she suggested, valiantly ignoring the temptation to abandon her plan and let Harry take over seducer responsibilities.

She began to sashay towards him in what she hoped was a suitably sexy and alluring fashion until, unused to the heels she was wearing, she stumbled.

Harry moved quickly, his hands ending up on her waist as hers came to rest on his shoulders.

"My mother called those 'taxi shoes'," he said, eyes twinkling with humour, "because you could only get about by taxi when wearing them."

"I should probably take them off," Ruth gabbled, convinced she was going to end up sprawled on the floor in an unattractive, unsexy heap. "You don't mind do you?"

"Not at all. And my hall floor will be eternally grateful to you."

"Right," Ruth replied, vaguely, as she attempted to kick off the shoes. Apparently though, that wasn't an option. Stupid, bloody, strappy, waste-of-money pieces of-

"Would you like a hand?" Harry offered.

She nodded at him and he crouched down in front of her and slowly slipped the shoes off her feet.

"Better?" he asked, as he straightened up.

"Yes, thanks."

Despite the difficulties Ruth had had in walking in the heels, they'd given her a certain degree of confidence but the last vestiges of it trickled away when she realised Harry now had a perfect view down her blouse. And he was clearly enjoying it if the lustful look on his face was anything to go by.

As she tried desperately to think of something, anything, to say, his voice broke the loaded silence.

"I think we should have a cup of tea."

"Tea?" Ruth repeated, unsure she'd heard correctly.

"Didn't you know? The most successful seductions always start with a cup of tea."

"Speaking from experience?"

"That would be telling," he said, turning from her and heading towards the kitchen.

Tea was the last thing Harry wanted but he felt in need of something to take his mind off the positively x-rated thoughts he was having about Ruth. He'd only just managed to resist the temptation to run his hands up the length of her legs after he'd removed her shoes, and then as he stood up again, he'd been presented with a beautiful, groin-tingling close-up of her cleavage. And although his un-tucked shirt was preventing his excited state from being too noticeable, he still thought it prudent to keep his back to her for a few moments. Even if she was serious about her intention to seduce him, she was clearly nervous and he didn't want to do anything that might frighten her away.

"You've had a haircut," Ruth remarked, as Harry got two mugs out of one of the cupboards and dropped a teabag into each of them.

"You compared me to a penguin."

"No I didn't!"

He looked over his shoulder at her. "You said the Rockhopper's 'sticky-up hair' was just like mine."

She pouted at him. "I was joking. Anyway, I much prefer your hair the length it is now; it makes you look more…it suits you."

"Thank you."

Ruth moved a little further into the kitchen and then stopped again. She really had no idea what she was supposed to do or say next and she was beginning to wish she'd been a bit braver and asked Frances for some tips.

Whilst she contemplated her next move, Harry turned around and casually leant back against the sink as he watched her.

"Come here," he demanded, albeit gently.

"Why?"

"Because I said so."

"I'm supposed to be seducing you."

He laughed. "From the other side of my kitchen? You must be good then."

The challenge was irresistible and Ruth walked across the floor and stood in front of him.

Harry gently gripped her wrists, lifted her arms up and placed them around his neck. "That's better," he said, pulling her close.

It was devious but good; he was the one backed up against the sink with her pressed against him. She could move away, put some distance between them if she wanted to. But she didn't.

"Are you going to tell me the next stage in a successful seduction is a cuddle?" asked Ruth.

"No, it's an experiment."

"An experiment?"

"I'm curious to know how cuddling Harry-the-toy-penguin compares with cuddling me."

"You're assuming I've cuddled the toy penguin."

"You said he reminded you of me," Harry replied, sliding his arms more tightly around Ruth. "So of course you cuddled him."

"Very presumptuous."

"But I'm cute with it, don't you think?"

Heart pounding, Ruth whispered in Harry's ear, "Sexy, too. And much more fun to cuddle than a toy penguin."

A soft chuckle greeted her comment. "I thought so."

"Cheeky sod," she admonished, humorously.

Deciding to risk pushing his luck a bit further, Harry said, "We could have dinner afterwards, if you want. There's enough for two."

"What is it?" Ruth asked, struggling to focus on 'dinner' rather than 'afterwards'.

"It's Coq au Vin. It only went in about ten minutes ago."

"How long does it need?"

"A couple of hours."

"Really?"

"Didn't you know? The longer it takes, the more tender it is."

Ruth was almost certain they'd stopped talking about the food and, when Harry kissed her, she knew without any doubt that the subject had definitely changed.

-x-

Ruth quietly placed the two mugs of tea she'd made on the beside cabinet. Harry was still asleep, lying on his front, sprawled across the bed with the sheet barely covering him, so she took the opportunity to admire the expanse of smooth skin on display. He was in quite reasonable shape and had clearly been very fit in his younger days. Not that he was in bad condition now, as her still slightly shaky legs could attest to. Ruth felt her skin flush as she thought about what they'd done. It had been undeniably passionate and tender but also much more than just sex. She couldn't quite believe that it had taken them so long to get to this stage but it had definitely been worth it.

As she was looking at him, Harry shifted in his sleep, dislodging the bedclothes and, much to Ruth's delight, exposing his backside. It was far too tempting; she reached out and gently stroked his smooth, firm buttocks.

"You seem to have something of a penchant for fondling my bottom, Miss Evershed."

"Christ, Harry! I thought you were asleep."

"So you decided to take advantage of me? Naughty."

"You didn't seem to mind earlier," retorted Ruth, trying to hide her shock at having been caught out.

Harry rolled onto his back and it was clear he'd been enjoying her caresses. Despite having already seen him, and experienced him, in that state, Ruth blushed.

"You better come back to bed and make it up to me," he teased, amused by her reaction.

"Dinner's nearly ready," said Ruth, "and I've made you a cup of tea."

"Bed, Ruth. Now."

"But Harry-"

"Ruth, are you saying you'd rather have coq au vin than co-"

"Harry!"

"Good choice," he replied, moving quickly and pulling her onto the bed. "Very good choice."


Thanks for reading. :)