Chapter 4

Harry and Ruth sat side by side on her couch, enthusiastically opening their gifts, anticipation beaming brightly in their eyes. Soft white snow has begun to fall gracefully like angels wings outside the frosted window of the house; a house warmed by heat from the log fire and from the newly discovered love of the couple currently inhabiting it's living room.

Harry managed to open his present first; he had ripped his way carelessly through the skilfully wrapped, brightly coloured Christmas paper.

"Wow!" he exclaimed with great awe, his eye filled with surprise. "This is like gold dust. How did you…"

In his hands he held am 1884 Wisden's Almanac of Cricket; an extremely rare find as it contains the obituary of creator John Wisden himself.

"Would you believe I found it in a small second hand book shop in Cheltenham when I was up there visiting my mother? The proprietor is a little old lady who I suspect didn't have a clue of its value."

"I have to admit, I'm a little surprised that you did? You don't strike me as a cricket buff."

"I'm not, but my father liked cricket so I'm not a complete philistine, and then there was Danny. I think he mentioned this book a couple of times."

"You say the old lady didn't seem to realise the value of this… I hope you reimbursed her appropriately? I'd hate to think of you fleecing a pensioner."

"Of course I did! I don't know their exact worth either, but I made out it was a big deal and insisted on giving her more than she wanted. Rather a lot more. And that's all I'm going to tell you."

A few minutes later Ruth had gotten into her present too. A bright smile broke across her face as she gazed at the beaded silver photo frame. In it was a photo taken on the Grid at Harry's birthday party several years preciously. She was in it, stood next to Harry, and on her other side, Danny. Behind them were Zoe, Malcolm, Tom, Colin and Sam.

"Oh Harry…" she gasped.

"You don't already have a copy do you?"

"No. I don't think I've even seen this before. I remember it being taken, but I don't think I ever got to see it. Thank you." She stood and placed the frame in pride of place on her mantelpiece.

"I know you miss them," he told her as she re-joined him on the sofa curling her legs under her and leaning into him, "so I thought…"

"It's wonderful Harry, truly. It's the right time too. It's taken awhile but I can finally think about them and remember the good times."

"It's good to see you smile Ruth. You don't do it enough."

"Well, when you're dealing with the threat to national security on a daily basis, it's not very often there's much to smile about," she reminded him.

"True, but I would still like to see you smile more often."

"I smiled earlier… when you kissed me," she prompted.

"Oh, yes so you did." Harry took the hint and leaned down, softly brushing his warm firm lips against the soft opulence of hers. He pulled back slowly watching her. She played the game and smiled up at him, passion filling her eyes. He pulled her closer with the arm that was over her shoulder and cupped her cheek with the other. Kissing her again, he slid his tongue across her lower lip.

Ruth opened her mouth to grant his tongue entry whilst reaching up and wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him tightly against her. This was a kiss full of passion and fire which was born of nearly two years of longing. Ruth had often fantasized of how it would be between them, how he would taste. She found herself engulfed by the smoky, earthy flavour of whiskey mixed with raw masculinity.

Harry allowed himself to feast at the banquet which was now offered freely before him. As he gently angled Ruth's head with his hands, he tasted her inner secrets. She tasted faintly of wine and chocolate. However floating just beneath those he could taste the essence that, even though he'd never tasted it before, he could only uniquely describe as hers and hers alone.

As Ruth continued to meet him kiss for kiss, she felt the tentative movement of his hand down her arm, slowly trailing along the soft fabric there, before moving carefully to the underside of her breast. She moaned, inadvertently breaking their oral contact. Her eyes slowly opened, meeting his. Her eyes were unfocused and dilated from her swirling desires. The passion clearly evident in her delicate features. Her mouth, pink and moist was parted ever so slightly, revealing her teeth, as her pursed breath rushed in and out.

Harry smiled wickedly, and brought his warm hand around front just a bit more. He cupped the ample swell of her breast through the silkiness of her dress. He ran his thumb across her nipple with a gentle stroke. Ruth's head lolled back on her shoulders and her mouth opened more as she gasped loudly. "Ahh… yes…" she panted quite breathlessly. The brown tresses of her hair fell gently down onto her shoulder blades. Ruth was in a state of bliss. Harry played her like a fine instrument, causing her to float weightlessly to the heavens.

Harry smiled one again, running his fingers across her now fully hard nipple once again, this time with a bit more force. The response she was giving him was causing his desire to burn out of control a fact evident by his ever hardening arousal, which was becoming increasingly uncomfortable.

"Oh God..." she muttered under her breath.

Harry pushed the thick veil of hair which obscured the curve of her neck out of the way, with his hand. Then with his warm moist mouth, he began to nip, lick and kiss his way up the curves, dips, and lines of her arched neck. As he reached her ear lobe, he took it in his mouth and suckled it gently and flicked it with his tongue.

"Harrrrrry!" she purred loudly. Harry took the small piece of sensitive flesh between his teeth and bit gently. Ruth's mouth fell open widely, as shallow pants escaped from her dry mouth. She was swirling, lost and out of control in a hot sea of sensation. Nothing she had ever experienced before had prepared her for this.

Harry was losing control; her moans and gasps engulfing him and arousing him more than any woman before. The pheromones she was releasing were driving him out of his mind, his loins burning with a fire he knew only she could quench. It took all that he had to keep from pushing her back onto the sofa and taking her there and then. Reluctantly he pulled away slightly.

"Wha... I...Don't stop..." she pleaded, her voice quite faint from his ministrations.

"If we don't stop, I can't be held responsible for my actions," he told her, flashing her a weak smile, his eyes shadowy and distant. Ruth glanced down; the bulge in his pants was clearly displaying his predicament.

"Who said I was going to hold you responsible?" she asked, unable to take her eyes of his arousal.

"I don't want to rush you," Harry tried to explain.

"What if I want to be rushed?" She began to slowly undo the smooth buttons of his shirt. Her steady hand progressed until the offending garment was hanging off his shoulders. She placed her small cool hands on his warm flesh and began to memorise every detail of the man before her.

Harry's head fell back as a new surge of arousal overcame him. Ruth found his nipples and she leaned in a bit and took one of them in her mouth, licking the smooth surface until it rose to meet her and became pebbled under her attentions. He groaned loudly and backed off from her slowly. His eyes met hers in the infinite expanse of space.

"Are you sure?" The glimmering tree light caught in the shattered glass depths of his eyes. He was expecting her to say no, she could see it.

Ruth stood and for a moment, Harry thought he had blown it, but she surprised him. She reached behind her and lowered the short zip at the bottom of the back of her dress and elegantly removed her dress. The air sends shivers over her skin. Harry stops breathing for a second. Then, standing there in nothing but her knickers and thigh-highs, she looked Harry straight in the eye.

"I'm sure," she replied, taking his hand and leading him upstairs.