"Why?" Ruth asked quietly. "Why did you keep it going for so long?"

"Because it was exciting," Harry admitted. "It was illicit and she was…"

"Tell me," Ruth said quietly as Harry seemed to have no intention of finishing that sentence.

"She was trapped in a marriage to a man she disliked," Harry said slowly. "We carried on the affair because neither of us saw a reason to stop it. I loved her for a time, I'll admit that. In a time that was very dangerous for all of us, she was the opposite to that and all the spying. Passionate, vibrant and very alive."

"Three things I'm not," Ruth said quietly.

"Ruth," he murmured quietly, knowing that using that tone sent shivers down her spine. "You are passionate. You don't let many people see that side to you but we both know its there."

"Fair enough," she said with a raised eyebrow, both of them thinking of the night they'd shared on the roof of this very building. She blushed and started smiling even though the subject was less than light. He chuckled at her. "This isn't funny," she said.

"Are you sure?"

"Harry…" she said quietly.

He nodded and returned to the subject at hand. "No matter what happens now or in the future, I wouldn't cheat on anyone ever again. It causes nothing but hurt. I know that. I grew up Ruth."

"That's good to hear," she replied, biting her lip to stop her smile. Harry knew the mood was lightening and continued without as much dread as before.

"She was exotic and beautiful. And she gave me a lot of information, becoming a traitor to her country in the process. It got very complicated and messy. It would probably take a week to explain it so I'm not even going to try."

"I'm not asking you to rehash your past," she said. "I just wanted to know if you cheated on your wife with this Elena."

"Yes," Harry said simply. He turned from her and poured himself a whisky. He looked at her and she nodded so he poured two.

Ruth looked at the picture of Elena still on screen. "She's pretty," she said trying and failing to hide her jealousy. "She must have been beautiful thirty years ago."

"In my memory I suppose she was," Harry said begrudgingly. "But I don't look at her that way anymore. I don't look at any woman anymore. Only you. Its been ten years and I don't see anyone else."

She looked at him, took a sip of whisky, placed the glass down and then he saw her relax. The line of tension in her shoulders vanished and he could visibly see that he'd told her what she needed to hear. He sighed quietly and moved around the side of the desk and put an arm around her shoulders. "Thank you," she murmured. "I know I'm insecure about it but thank you."

Harry kissed the top of her head and stayed holding her. "Thank you for talking to me about it," he whispered. "A month ago you'd have let it fester and not said a word."

"You're not the only one trying to make this work," she said. "I want to ask you something else. The Gavrik's have a son. He's twenty eight. My maths is relatively good Harry." Her blue eyes were staring at him and willing him to speak.

"Sasha is not my son," Harry said, looking at her firmly. "Elena told me that he was but she lied to me. We spent a lot of time lying to each other then. I ran the DNA because I never could trust her. Sasha is not mine."

"That makes me relieved," she said quietly. "I love you whatever happens or happened then. But I'm not going to lie. I'm relieved."

He smiled and lifted her chin with two fingers before kissing her passionately. A soul owning kind of kiss. "God you taste good," he breathed drawing back from her for a second. "I love the taste of whisky on you."

Ruth drew away from him and reached for the glass resting on the desk. She finished the whisky and put the empty glass back and flicked her tongue over her lips lightly. Harry groaned as her lips parted slightly and her eyes sparkled, knowing exactly what she was doing to him.

"God Miss Evershed, I do believe you're teasing me," he murmured, inching closer to her even though she was still sitting in the chair.

"You got my name wrong," she whispered.

"Stand up Mrs Pearce," he said, a glint in his eyes that made her go weak at the knees. She did what he asked and he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her passionately. She moaned into his mouth as the taste of Harry and whisky invaded her senses. Not exactly the ending to the conversation she'd planned, but she might as well go with it. Especially when it felt like that…

"I should get back to work," she whispered, her voice shaking slightly as he held her waist.

"You should," he agreed.

"Find out why the Gavrik's are in Britain. Then let me know," she said disentangling herself from her husband.

"I will," he said watching her leave, filled with hope and happiness.


Thanks for the wonderful reviews. The end of this chapter took a more positive turn than I intended, but I don't think anyone will mind! Any ideas for where to go next?