"Turn over." Harry did, folding his arms and resting his head on them while Ruth reached for the massage oil. She poured some between her hands, rubbing her palms together and straddled him, before gently touching his left shoulder. He hissed with pain as she began to touch him. "Sorry," she said quietly, but not slowing either.

"No, it'll feel better when you're done," he said as the pressure of her hands intensified. His shoulder had been aching all day, the bullet wound from Tom Quinn's gun caused some discomfort from time to time. Past experience told him that her hands rubbing his back made the pain simply sink away, but those first few touches were always a little painful. He sighed with satisfaction as her thumbs pushed into the muscle. That felt good.

"You need more rest," she said, keeping the criticism in her voice to a bare minimum.

"It's hardly my fault our bed seems so much more attractive for things other than sleep is it?" he said and she grinned happily even though he couldn't see her face. She gently pushed her fingers over his shoulder and he sighed with bliss. "You do this so well," he murmured.

"I enjoy it," she said honestly. She stayed silent as she kept rubbing his shoulder, letting the oil absorb into his skin. When it had all disappeared she pressed a soft kiss to his shoulder.

"Thank you," he whispered. He went to move but she stopped him with a hand in the centre of his back.

"Don't move," she said. He didn't as she put some more oil between her palms and moved to his other uninjured shoulder. As her hands went across his upper back, she could feel the tension there. "Should I feel offended?" she asked quietly. "You're thinking of politicians while in bed with me."

Harry laughed quietly. "I don't mean to be. And your hands are doing a wonderful job of driving thoughts out of my mind." She moved her fingers lower, following the lines of his ribcage gently, fingertips following the bones. She let her thumbs gently press against his spine, the oil warming up between their skin. By the time Ruth got to his lower back, all the tension had disappeared from him.

"That's better," she said, her voice low as her fingertips sneaked under the top of his boxers.

"Oh, so I see where this is leading," he said in a suggestive tone, making her laugh.

"I could always stop touching you instead," she said, without any expectation that that would happen. Without waiting for a reply she pulled his underwear off and threw it to the floor. Then she took up her place again, put more oil on her hands and started rubbing his very attractive bum, thoroughly enjoying the task.

"Enjoying yourself?" Harry asked, knowing she was smiling.

"Very much," she agreed and he chuckled. "I'm sure you are too."

"Shall I turn over so you can see how much I'm enjoying it?"

"Maybe when I'm done," she said with a laugh, her hands kneading lightly, making him groan. She dragged her fingers down the backs of his thighs lightly, sending jolts of desire through him. "All right, you can turn over," she said, moving away from him to let him flip over. He did and Ruth could see that her touch certainly was getting a reaction from a rather impressive part of his anatomy. He gave every sign that he wanted to pull her down to him and take her quickly but Ruth resisted his hands on her waist and shook her head with a smile. Harry collapsed on the pillows.

"Look, if you're going to take your time with me, you can at least give me something… irresistible to look at." Ruth looked at the ratty T shirt she wore to sleep in and conceded that he had a point. She pulled it off and her knickers too, feeling a surge of satisfaction as Harry's eyes went to her breasts. Smiling she used yet more oil and picked up his right hand. Harry frowned at her slightly as her index fingers started rubbing small circles up his inner arm, from wrist to elbow. "What are you doing?" he asked, taking his arm back for a moment.

"Touching you everywhere," she said simply her forehead creasing in a frown. "Why?"

"I just thought… that my arm seems a rather un-erotic place for you to be focusing your attention," he said.

"Harry, I love you," she said. "Everything about you, and I love your body too. Not just the parts of you that can make me scream with delight." He smiled at that and didn't argue when she picked his arm up again, rubbing his skin softly. "I know you struggle to believe this, but I find you a very attractive man. And I always want to touch your body.

Harry didn't answer, instead he closed his eyes in contentment at her touch, just letting her touch him as she wanted to. Her hands were warm, her fingers sure.

"Where did you learn to massage like this?" he asked, as her hands went past his elbow and up his arm. "Actually on second thoughts, maybe I don't want to know. Past lovers and all that, I'm a jealous man you know."

She laughed lightly. "I've never been taught how to do this," she said, picking up his other hand and starting the process again. From wrist to elbow to shoulder. Harry felt like he was beginning to dissolve from her soft touch. "I used to treat myself to massages every now and then. They relaxed me. I'm just copying what I liked on you."

"You have talented hands," he said, opening his eyes to focus on her blue ones. All she did was smile, pulling her thumbs across the skin on the top of his shoulder. Getting more oil, she dripped it onto his chest and he shuddered at the cold. Very gently she let her palms glide over his chest, slipping slightly in the oil and he closed his eyes again. She was very careful, lightly going over his many scars with no pressure at all. He reached for her, resting his hand on her back as she moved, liking her closeness to him. Her skin was soft, it always was and warm as she rubbed his chest.

"I love you," he said simply. She smiled and carried on, her hands moving lower, sliding over his stomach. Harry could feel his arousal spiking from her touch and knew he needed her badly. He groaned aloud in frustration when she avoided his erection and started stroking his inner thighs instead, with slippery damp fingers. "Ruth…" he said hoarsely. She smiled and pushed her thumbs up the muscles on the inside of his legs. He groaned, loudly. Then he groaned again when she took him in her mouth. "Oh Ruth…" He gripped her hair tightly, thrusting into her mouth as her tongue quickly flicked over him, licking the oh so sensitive skin. His breathing was hard and ragged as he felt his climax coming quickly. He moaned as he came in her mouth, shuddering with pleasure. She pressed a kiss to his hip before pulling herself up the bed and lying next to him, puling the duvet over them both. She turned the lamp off and closed her eyes, intending to go to sleep.

Harry was in such a haze of pleasure, his body so relaxed, skin feeling the tingling echoes of her touch that it took him a few minutes to realise that he'd given her no satisfaction at all. His hand went to her legs quickly.

"No," she said slowly. "I'm fine."

"I haven't given you anything," he said quietly.

"Did it ever occur to you that bringing you pleasure, touching you like that, so intimately as I feel every muscle, every contour of your body… Did you never stop to think that that might be enough for me? That I might enjoy it for myself? Not just for you," she said quietly, keeping her thighs together, away from his questing fingers.

"No," he said simply. She kept her legs together and kissed his lips softly.

"Go to sleep," she said, her voice low.

"Fine," he replied. "But, it'll be your turn tomorrow."

"Oh, I look forward to it," she murmured, curling herself against him and slipping into sleep. He put a hand to her back, holding her close, all the while revelling in the softness of her touch, still feeling her fingers on his skin.

M is for massage

Sorry if it crosses over with the oofoof's new fic, it was completely unintentional!