Short update for my fabulous reviewers. Hope Ruth isn't too out of character near the end.
On Wednesday night, once they'd caught their teenage hacker, Ruth was organising some files to be sent back to registry when she felt a hand on her arm, making her jump. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," Harry said, dropping his hand quickly. "Would you like a drink?"
"Is that wise?" Ruth asked as she glanced around the grid, pleased that no one was in ear shot and most people had gone home.
"I'd like to talk to you," he said sincerely. "Away from prying eyes, pricking ears and twenty four hour cameras."
"Alright," she said after a moments thought. "I need about half an hour to finish these files."
"Okay," he said, relieved that she'd agreed. He'd have waited a good deal longer than thirty minutes for her. "I'll be in my office." Ruth nodded as she picked up the files, and headed down to registry, her arms full. What did Harry want? Well, whatever it was, she vowed to exercise a bit more self control than she had last time she'd gone out for a drink with him.
Ruth wasn't sure it was a great idea to go back to the same pub, but she didn't have a better suggestion and she wanted to find out what he wanted and get it over with quickly. So that she wouldn't be tempted. Harry, like a gentleman got the drinks in and brought hers over, their fingers brushing against each other as she took the glass.
"What did you want to talk about?" she asked quickly.
"How did you know?" he asked quietly. She frowned, needing more information. "About the quote. The titans, Zeus and Kronos connections. How did you know?"
Ruth smiled, pleased that her intelligence was being praised, even if in a roundabout way. "I spent three years reading the classics and a lot of ancient texts at Oxford," she said. "I knew where to look."
"Still, that was… brilliant." Harry nodded in her direction and Ruth fought the blush that was burning on her cheeks at the compliment. "Would you like to go out to dinner with me one night?"
"No." She spoke so surely and firmly that Harry was hurt, even if he tried to hide it. "You don't trust me Harry."
He didn't answer straight away because, professionally he wasn't sure that he did. But otherwise… The silence seemed to be confirmation and she smiled to herself. "Harry, there is so much that is… difficult about this. Us. Outside of work. You're my boss and it will seem to everyone that I'm just trying to sleep my way ahead, which for the record I'm not."
"No, I realise that," he agreed.
"Also, I refuse to sleep with someone who doesn't trust me," she said firmly.
"It didn't stop you last week," he said with a smile on his face.
"Yes, well that was a one time lapse in judgement," she said, smiling back as their eyes caught and held, her lips twitching.
"I seem to remember it being a three time lapse in judgement," Harry said, eyes on fire.
"Yes, well… it won't happen again. At least, not until you change your opinion of me."
"You have absolutely no idea what I think of you," he said in a low voice. The flirting between them was now so clear in the air between them that Ruth was surprised the air wasn't crackling with the tension between them.
"Well, enlighten me," she teased, eyes glowing.
"I think I'll keep that to myself for the time being," he said, smiling at her. She smiled back for a moment before returning to her drink.
"I'm going home," she said certainly. "Alone," she added as he gave every indication of following her. He smirked at her.
"I won't argue," he said. As she passed him, he gripped her arm to stop her leaving. She looked down at him, waiting for him to speak, her flesh burning from his grip. "But I will get you in bed again Ruth. One way or another." He let her go and for a moment Ruth stood stock still, completely forgetting what she was doing. Then she leaned over and whispered, "Promises promises Harry." She kissed his cheek before she left the pub, giving Harry a brief backwards glance as he smiled at her, the door closing after her. He returned to his whisky, thinking to himself. He didn't blame her for holding back, and he didn't want her to be labelled as sleeping with the boss simply for her career either. But they both knew it was more than that. Harry had no intention of leaving her alone, he was far too attracted to her for that, but he didn't know how to get closer to her. If she was stubborn and kept saying no, it would prove… tricky to say the least. But he knew she was attracted to him. The tiny blushes on her cheeks and the look in her eyes made that clear to him.
Draining his whisky he thought about going home. After all, it had been a long day.
Please leave a review! I love to read them and they mean so much. Thank you.