Thanks for all the lovely reviews; you've earned yourselves another chapter …

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Phase 3

Gene sat at his desk, swirling the whiskey round his glass, deep in thought. He sighed heavily. He'd done it again, run away like a nervous schoolboy. What was wrong with him? He wasn't usually in the habit of turning down potential shags, especially not when the woman in question was as gorgeous as Alex Drake. And therein lay the problem, he realised. In his heart of hearts, he still thought she was out of his league and as a consequence he was letting her call all the shots.

He lit a cigarette and put his feet up on the desk, taking a long drag and blowing the smoke out slowly while he considered his next move. He'd never wanted a woman as much as he wanted DI Bollykecks, so what was he so afraid of? Surely she was worth taking a risk for? Time to seize the initiative, he thought, do something unexpected to surprise her, and regain the upper hand. He drummed his fingers on the desk, his brows furrowed, thinking back to his younger days, and a smile tugged at his lips. He'd had a lot of fun and learned a thing or two back then. If she continually made him feel like a teenager, then maybe he should behave like one again.

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She thought there was something different about him that night in Luigi's, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She'd teased him about running off and made several flirtatious remarks concerning his naked torso, but he wasn't remotely flustered: if anything, he was coming on to her even more strongly, and she had to admit it was unsettling her.

"C'mon, Bols, yer know it's only fair. I showed yer mine, the least yer can do is return the favour."

His intense gaze lingered on her lips before his eyes moved back up to meet hers again, the hunger in their brilliant turquoise depths turning her stomach to liquid. She swallowed nervously. Maybe she should call his bluff, he was almost certain to back down. Wasn't he?

"Fine. Well, unless you think I should dance topless in front of the rest of CID, we'd better go back to mine."

To her surprise, he grinned wickedly at her and stood up, extending his arm.

"Lead the way, Bols."

As he followed her upstairs, her mind was in overdrive and her legs were shaky.

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It was pouring with rain and she fell through the door in some relief, turning round to him to make some disparaging comment about the British weather, but before she could draw breath she was backed up against the wall, his hands either side of her head and his penetrating blue eyes boring into hers. Her pulse began to race as he took a good long look down her cleavage.

"So Lady Bols, 'C' or 'D' cup? Time ter find out."

He waggled his eyebrows at her, and she blinked nervously.

"Surely you don't really expect me to strip for you, Gene?"

"Well, I could throw a drink over yer if it'd make yer feel more comfortable."

Touché, she thought. Her mouth opened and shut again, and he couldn't keep the pretence up any longer, his eyes alight with mischief.

"Your face … what a picture …"

She blushed and made as if to hit him but he caught her hand, pressing a gentle kiss against her palm, catching her completely off-balance.

"Please don't punch me again, Bols, me gob still hasn't recovered from the first time. And it'll make it a lot more difficult ter do this …"

Without warning his mouth was on hers, his tongue darting and teasing between her lips in delicious provocation, and she responded eagerly, her fingers entwining in his blond mane as he deepened the kiss. If anything, it was even better than the first time and she sighed against his mouth, her head spinning, her knees going weak as he hoisted her up into his arms and carried her in the direction of the sofa.

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When her mind drifted back to that night, as it did frequently afterwards, it was the full sensory experience that was so clear in her memory. Sam had said he'd felt alive in a way he never had before, and she understood exactly what he meant.

She was lost in Gene's sensual kiss, their tongues snaking together, duelling, exploring, breathing in his intoxicating masculine scent as desire coursed through her veins. His mouth dropped to the soft skin behind her ear, the lightest touch of his lips sending a shiver through her as his fingers made short work of the buttons on her blouse. Slowly, he pushed it back off her shoulders as he trailed hot kisses down the exposed skin of her throat and along her collarbone, the fingers of one hand caressing her bare back while the other slid up to expertly undo her bra.

The sound of the rain pounding against the window mingled with her little cries and moans of pleasure as his tongue teased a taut nipple, lapping at it before he took it into his hot mouth and sucked hard.

"Gene! Oh God … "

She fell back against the cushions, arching her back, pushing her body up to him as her hands fisted in his hair, all her senses reeling. The pulsing between her legs became more insistent and he sensed her increasing need, moving a hand slowly up her thigh and rubbing her through the fabric of her jeans. The friction was delicious torture, and she groaned as his lips sought hers again, his tongue insistent, demanding, plundering her mouth as she writhed underneath his teasing ministrations.

He was playing her like an instrument, alternating between his clever fingers and the heel of his hand, taking her steadily closer to release as his mouth clamped over a nipple again, his teeth grazing the sensitive bud.

"Fuck! … Gene … more …"

Who cared if they were making out like a pair of teens when it felt this good? She was almost incoherent with need now, gasping and panting as he pushed her ever closer, her hips rocking as she ground herself against his hand.

"Oh Jesus … please don't stop … ohhhh … yeeessss …"

She toppled over the edge, her whole body shuddering as a powerful orgasm ripped through her in an unstoppable wave of bliss so intense she thought she might pass out. He rested his head on her chest, her heart thundering in his ears, and she wound her fingers through his hair as she drifted slowly back down to earth.

"Bloody hell, Gene. When did you get so good at that?"

He looked up into her flushed face, his eyes gleaming, and flashed her a lopsided grin which made her heart flutter. Suddenly, the years fell away and she could picture him as a young copper with everything ahead of him and no shortage of women craving his attentions.

"I might 'ave spent some quality time on the odd sofa in the past, now yer come ter mention it …"

"Ah, my sixteen year old self remembers those days very fondly. Although it was never anything like as good as that, sadly."

She grinned, stifling a yawn. It had been a while, and she felt suddenly exhausted.

"Gene, I owe you one. Come to bed …"

He kissed her softly on the lips before moving back and taking her hands in his.

"Not tonight yer don't, luv, yer look shattered. Although I will hold yer ter that some other time."

She started to protest, but he put a finger against her lips.

"Alex, I've been beatin' it down with a big stick since the first day I met yer, I can wait a while longer. When we finally go to bed together, you'll need ter be wide awake fer what I've got planned."

He smirked at her and a bolt of desire ran through her, despite her weariness.

"Promises, promises …"

"You bet. Now get some sleep, luv."

He tucked a blanket round her and she smiled fondly up at him.

"Gene Hunt, you never cease to surprise me."

He flashed her a wolfish grin.

"Just wait till I get yer naked …"

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He allowed himself a well-earned moment of smugness as he glanced up at her darkened window, leaning back against his beloved Quattro with a cigarette dangling from his long fingers. Downstairs outside with his gorgeous, annoying, sexy, mouthy DI: who'd have thought it? He was still almost painfully hard but it'd been well worth it, hearing her lose all control as she came apart in his hands.

And he was undoubtedly on the best promise of his life in the near future. His erection twitched in approval as he climbed into the driver's seat. He didn't think there could be any going back now, knew they wouldn't be able to keep their hands off each other for very long. He started the car and then paused for a second, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel as the doubts came creeping back in. What if this was just a physical thing for her though, just the scratching an itch with a bit of Northern rough? He knew it was much more than that for him. And if he slept with her, he'd be lost …

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That man. What is she going to do with him? All will be revealed soon … ;)