Smut in this Chapter BUT it's very dominant and not very nice at one point and I just thought I'd warn you in case anyone's not particularly happy with reading stuff like that. I'm still not sure about this chapter, but I've tried writing it other ways and it just doesn't work. The charcters want to do this, not me!

Alex stood in the stands, reading her race card and tried to work out what all the different abbreviations meant. In the end she gave up and picked horses with names she liked, a thoroughly clueless and random way of betting which she knew would make Gene sigh in frustration. He'd tried to explain the best strategies to her, but Alex had stopped listening after a while.

Windsor racecourse was crowded, everyone out in the sun, enjoying the last of the Indian summer before the autumn really set in. She'd been surprised when Gene had suggested taking the day off and going out somewhere, just the two of them.

"Where did you have in mind?" she'd asked him. It had been late and she'd got home to find him sitting on the sofa, working his way through a bottle of whisky.

"I don't bloody know. I'm from Manchester. What do I know about day trips from London!" he'd snapped at her, staring moodily out into the garden. He'd been grumpy from the minute she'd got back home from the theatre. She was surprised he was at home, the last few times she'd been out, he'd taken himself off to Luigi's with the boys, returning home after her, almost too drunk to stand.

Alex thought for a moment. "There's Brighton, I suppose." She tried to picture Gene on the Pier eating chips and candy floss and failed miserably "No, that's no good. That involves having fun" She'd smiled at him mirthlessly and Gene had snorted.

"I am fun, Bolly. Laugh-a-bloody minute me! Just not the fun you like. You've got your posh mate for that kind of thing anyway" And there it is, thought Alex. The same old problem, "Rebecca?" she'd queried.

"Yes, Rebecca. Why you need to spend so much time with that damn woman, I'll never understand."

"Lets not fight about this now" she'd pleaded.

"What would you like to do" she'd asked him, sitting down beside him and taking his hand. "Come on Gene, you choose"

"Alex, I'm not a complicated bloke. I like the pub, I like a bet and…….. I like shagging you."

He'd stubbed out his cigarette and enfolded her in his arms, pulling her close to him.

"I'm not that hard to please. I just don't like you out with that woman."

Alex had ignored his last comment. It had been too late to argue and Gene would never give her a straight answer when she asked him why he hated Rebecca so much. All he'd say was that he didn't like her, and until he could give Alex a definite reason for disliking her, she would continue to enjoy her company. She couldn't stop seeing her; it would indicate to Gene that he'd won, that he owned her totally. She hadn't surrendered herself completely to him, she was still her own person, and her friendship with Rebecca was a big part of this issue.

"Racing then? Windsor's good, I think?" she'd suggested and had seen his eyes light up, the bad mood vanished.

"Good idea, Bolly. That's a drink and a bet sorted, now what about the last thing on my list?"

He'd begun to kiss her neck, slowly and softly, pulling her across his lap. His hands gently began to undo the buttons on her shirt, slipping inside to brush lightly across her skin, barely touching her. He'd continued like this for a while longer, until Alex's shirt and bra lay on the floor beside the sofa, and she lay across his lap, waiting for him, desperate for him to touch her harder, to kiss her. Instead he'd continued to stroke her skin gently, his eyes drinking in the sight of her, an expression of longing on his face.

"How did I end up here, Alex?" he'd asked "Like this, with you?"

Alex had heard the emotion in his voice and had smiled at him.

"Some bastard shot you, remember?"

He'd laughed, and lifted her up, swinging her up easily into his arms. "Bed Alex" he'd stated, just as had done all those months ago. "I need to hold you properly." When they reached the bedroom, he'd lain her down on the bed and removed the rest of her clothes, refusing to let her help. He'd stood looking down at her, taking in every inch of her body.

"Come to bed, Gene" she'd whispered, the intensity of his gaze too much for her. The air of vulnerability about him had discomforted her; she wasn't used to seeing Gene so open, without the tough persona he usually wore.

He'd stripped off his clothes and lain down next to her, taking her face in his hands, his mouth finding hers, his tongue softly, gently tracing her lips, before dipping deeper into her mouth. Alex had felt herself began to physically ache for him, her heart racing, her breathing becoming shallow. All this from just a kiss, she'd marvelled, arching her body against his, wrapping her arms around him, running her hands down the length of his spine.

Turning her onto her side, he'd lain against her, her back against his chest. He'd reached an arm over her body, reaching for her breasts and stroking gently, his fingers softly pinching her nipples into hard peaks, sliding down her, his tongue tracing her spine, reaching the dip at the base of it. He'd moved her gently onto her stomach and spread her legs, slipping his hands under her and raising her slightly. She'd felt his hot breath on the back of her inner thighs and then his tongue, softly, so delicately she could hardly bear it, had begun to lick her, moving over her, searching for her clit, teasing, flickering across her, making her writhe with pleasure. He'd twisted round between her legs, turning her so that his head rested on her thigh, continuing to tease her, licking and sucking as she'd thrust her hips against his mouth, her hands gripping at the sheets as she began to climax, moaning his name. "Please, please Gene, I need you in me...now... so much...please".

He'd moved back up her body, pulling her onto her side again, entering her whilst she was still coming, pulsing around him. Holding her close, he'd moved in her slowly, his thrusts gradually becoming faster and harder until she was arching back against him again, feeling herself spilling over the edge for the second time, and he was gasping and urging into her "You are so beautiful Alex, …so beautiful. I…" he'd broken off, with a ragged breath, clutching her to him as he came, flooding into her, whispering her name into her neck, shuddering against her. They'd fallen asleep, locked together, Gene's arms wrapped round her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

So here they were, at Windsor races, and they were actually having fun. Alex had won £7.50 on the first race and had been ecstatic about it. Gene had smiled at her indulgently as he'd watched her jump up and down as her horse swept past the post. He'd refused to tell her how much he'd won; he would collect his winnings at the end of the day, having set up a complicated system of accumulated bets.

Alex was wearing her new red shirt dress, tightly belted at the waist and her legs looked fantastic in her black high heels. She'd seen the look of pride on his face as he'd watched her walk back to him from collecting her winnings. She also knew he'd noticed the admiring glances from other men that Alex knew she was getting. He'd slipped his arm round her and kissed her possessively, a public display of ownership that he normally didn't indulge in.

She watched him now, as he strode down to the track rails, standing a good head and shoulders above most of the other men in the crowd, his long, lean legs striding down the steps. She felt a shiver of pleasure in her stomach at the knowledge that she was his, that he was sharing her bed, sharing her life. She saw him stop to buy more cigars from one of the cigarette girl's trays, watching as the girl looked up at him, her eyes wide in appreciation of the Genie's charm.

We're good together, Alex realised. So why was she making him unhappy by continuing to be friends with Rebecca? She found it hard to explain even to herself, but there was a part of her that needed the friendship. Needed the conversation, the similar background and shared points of reference. It helped her to remember who and what she was. Where she was from. It would be all too easy to immerse herself completely in Gene's world and she needed this one tenuous link to her previous life. It was something she could never explain to him and she knew that her inability to do so and her refusal to stop seeing Rebecca made Gene as unhappy as she was with his instant and unexplained dislike of her.

As she glanced around the racecourse, she looked up at the rows of boxes to her right. Gene had been scathing about the people who took a box at a race meeting. "It's not really proper racing is it?" he'd said sneeringly "Up there away from it all, drinking champagne and talking bollocks." Now as she looked harder, she could see a woman waving at her from one of the lower balconies.

"Alex! Alex!" She walked closer "I thought it was you! What an earth are you doing down there darling! Come up and have some champagne!" Rebecca lent perilously over the railing of the balcony, clearly she'd had a little too much champagne herself. Alex hesitated for a second. Today of all days this was last thing she needed.

"Rebecca, I'd love to, but…I'm with Gene and he won't want….." Alex stopped, unable to say that he'd refuse point blank to go up and join them.

"Oh don't mind him darling! Bloody men always telling us what to do…. Come and have a drink!"

"Bloody men indeed!" Alex laughed.

She turned round to see where Gene was and he was there, standing right behind her. His face was blank, eyes hooded. "Well, go on then, darling" he mimicked "there is champagne after all. How can you resist?"

Anger suddenly flared in her. He'd instantly assumed that she would prefer to be with Rebecca than him. All she wanted was the chance for the two of them to meet for a second time, for Gene to maybe revise his opinion of her friend, but it abundantly clear that this wasn't going to happen. Well, bugger him, she thought, I'll go and have one bloody glass.

"Are you sure you'll let me, Gene? Will my leash stretch that far?"

He leaned into her "It's your choice Alex. I wouldn't want to be one of those 'bloody men always telling you wot to do'" He watched her intently.

She looked down, trying to calm herself, aware that Rebecca was still watching from the balcony "Gene, please, you're being very rude and it's really not nice. Just come up and have one glass."

He'd smiled humourlessly and looked away from her, staring out across the crowd "Not my style, Bolly. Anyway I've got bets to place"

"Gene, please come up with me. Leave the bets. Don't you think you've spent enough money today? How much have you lost already?"

He took a pace back, looking down his nose at her, and Alex saw his face, cold and distant now.

"You're not my Mam, Alex and you're certainly not my wife, so don't start nagging like them. It doesn't suit you. I'll see you back 'ere after the last race."

He turned and walked away, leaving her alone, smarting from the sting of his rebuke. Shit, thought Alex, but she wasn't going to go after him. Far better to leave him to calm down. Taking a deep breath and forcing a smile onto her face, she walked upstairs to meet Rebecca.

An hour and half later, she was back downstairs, giggly from champagne, the argument with Gene blurry and fuzzy round the edges of her memory. She looked up and saw him leaning against the rails of the winner's enclosure, counting an enormous roll of notes, a satisfied smile on his face. Catching sight of her, he came over, just as Rebecca and her party came down the stairs.

"Ah, DCI Hunt, how lovely. We were all just about to catch the boat up the river into Windsor and have some supper, weren't we Alex?" Alex floundered, her brain foggy, she'd agreed no such thing, she was certain of that. "You appear to have had a run of good luck" continued Rebecca, indicating to the wad of money in Gene's hand.

Gene looked at her, his face contemptuous.

"Racing's not about luck, luv" he said, his accent even more marked than usual "It's like life. It's about judgement of character. You've got to be able to see through all the glitz and the glamour," his eyes flicked over her, emphasizing his words, "right into the heart of the beast." He turned away and gave Alex an ice-cold look.

"Have fun, Alex. I'm off back to Luigi's. The boys will be there by now."

Alex let him go, although what she really wanted to do was go after him and tell him she was sorry, that she'd never had any intention of going into Windsor with them, but her pride prevented her from doing so. He'd walked out on her twice in one afternoon and she wasn't going to crawl after him like a good little girl. Instead she waited until Gene was out of sight, then made her excuses to Rebecca and left. She took the train home, it took far longer than she'd expected and by the time she reached Luigi's, it was late. She'd intended to join Gene for a drink, apologise, and take him home to bed to show him exactly how sorry she was, but when she walked into the bar, he was nowhere to be seen. Only Chris and Shaz were left sitting at a corner table.

"Shaz, have you seen the Guv?" she asked "he said he was coming in here for a drink.

Shaz looked shifty "No Ma'm. I've not seen him for a while"

Alex knew that something was wrong. She looked over at Chris who was drunk and sleepy by now.

"Chris!" she snapped" Where's the Guv gone?"

"Royal Oak" stammered Chris, his brain not able to keep his mouth shut "He took Ray with him"

"Why didn't you tell me that, Shaz?" she asked slightly hurt.

Shaz looked even more uncomfortable "It's a proper blokes pub, Ma'm. Girls and stuff. More like a club really. It's not nice. Please Ma'm, just go home to bed. He'll be back later. He was really drunk when he left here."

Alex shook her head "Sorry Shaz. I can't just go home to bed. I have to find him."

She ordered a double vodka from Luigi for Dutch Courage and left to find a taxi.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Royal Oak pub was as nasty as Alex had imagined it would be, set in a grotty back street in one of the worse areas of the old docks. The "girls and stuff" of Shaz's description turned out to be strippers. "Private dancers a speciality" the poster outside announced. The taxi driver had been extremely reluctant to take her there, until she'd shown him her warrant card. Even then, he'd dropped her off with a warning that it was no place for a nice girl such as herself to be walking into on her own.

Alex squared her shoulders, and taking a deep breath, pulled open the door. She found herself in an entrance lobby, dirty and dusty. There was nothing in it but a table, behind which sat a heavy made-up woman in her fifties waiting to take the £5 entrance fee. Next to her stood an enormous shaven-headed man, squeezed into a suit a size too small for him. They both stared at her impassively, the woman holding out her hand for Alex's money. She paid and they indicated for her to go through.

Alex stepped through the faded red velvet curtains that were pulled across the archway at the other end of the lobby. The music filled her head, loud and sleazy. Pausing to let her eyes adjust to the gloom and the smoke, she was able to make out that she stood in what was the main bar of the pub. The bar itself ran along the longest side of the room, mirrored by the low stage runway that projected out from the left hand wall, into the middle of it. This was surrounded by chairs and tables, most of which, by this time of the evening, were full of punters gazing up at a girl as she danced.

Alex saw Gene and Ray at once. They were sat over to the left, in the right-angle made by the stage and the runway part of it. Ray had his hand on the arse of a well-endowed blonde, who was leaning over and whispering in his ear. Gene had a pretty, elfin brunette on his lap and was handing a £10 note to what could have been the twin of the girl talking to Ray. The girls were dressed in nothing but sparkly, sequinned G-Strings. Gene's tie was loose and his shirt unbuttoned halfway. He was leaning back in his chair, totally relaxed, and very drunk. King of the bloody jungle, she thought bitterly, and doesn't he just know it.

Neither Gene nor Ray spotted Alex as she made her way across the room to the bar. The other punters did however and a few of them wolf-whistled in appreciation. She looked neither right nor left, reaching the bar and ordering herself a vodka. She leaned against the bar directly across the other side of the stage from Gene's table and waited for him to notice her.

She had no clear plan what she was going to do when he did. It wasn't that she objected to him visiting this kind of place, he was a bloke after all and places like this came with the territory with a man like Gene. It was the fact that he was here after having so publicly rejected her that rankled. That he was evidently intent on spending all his day's winnings on women and drink. Alex felt the anger begin to slow burn inside her as she threw the vodka down her neck and slammed the glass back on the bar. She nodded at the barman and he filled it up wordlessly.

"Look out lads, that one's feisty" came a shout from further down the bar. Gene must have heard the shout, for he looked up, straight at her. Alex saw his face freeze. Raising her glass at him in mock salute, she knocked back the second shot of vodka. He remained motionless, staring at her and then as the music changed, he said something to the blonde at his side and she walked away. Alex saw her some moments later, dressed in a costume now, climbing up the steps to the stage and beginning to dance. Gene continued to stare at Alex, the brunette still sitting on his lap seemingly unaware of what was happening.

Ray hadn't even noticed her; he was too transfixed by his busty blonde. Gene turned his gaze from Alex and focused it on the dancing girl, watching apparently riveted, as she slowly peeled of her costume. He stood up when she was almost naked, tipping the brunette off his lap unceremoniously, reaching forward to tuck another tenner into her G-string as she danced.

Alex had, by this time, politely declined the advances of four men in various stages of inebriation, and was determinedly ignoring the fifth who was going to be more of a problem. Roughly handsome, he was obviously a man who didn't give up, convinced that no woman was seriously going to turn him down. The drink he'd bought her sat on the bar getting warm. Alex knew better than to drink it. That would indicate there was some form of contract between them and she was fully aware of what that would entail.

She continued to stare at Gene, who in turn continued to ignore her and drink whisky at a rate of knots. Four or five dancers later, Alex was drunk and the anger was still roiling in her stomach. The brunette had returned to Gene's lap and had remained there throughout all this time and now he whispered into her ear, passing her a handful of notes. She nodded and standing up began to give him a private dance, winding herself slowly and sensuously around him. The days of looking but not touching are a long off thought Alex, as she watched his hand stroke her thigh, moving her closer to him. She bent over, her breasts inches from his mouth, then turning she arched her back and slowly swung her hips back and out, grinding to the beat of the music. Gene ran a hand down her spine and over her buttocks, staring over at Alex, his face set and defiant. As the girl turned back to him, he nodded and she straightened up and began to walk slowly round the bar.

The other punters watched expectantly. This wasn't the norm on a Friday night. The brunette reached Alex and began to dance in front of her, the same moves she'd used when she'd danced for Gene. Alex glanced over at him, raising an eyebrow sardonically. She read the challenge in the set of his head, his folded arms. He obviously expected Alex to be embarrassed, uncomfortable with what was happening. Well sod him, Alex thought smiling inwardly, lipstick lesbianism's perfectly acceptable in my time. Alex looked into the girls face and saw nothing but sorrow and apology. So she does know what's going on, she realised.

Alex smiled at her, a soft private smile, willing the girl to see the forgiveness that she was offering. She reached into her handbag and drew out a £20 note. The girl's eyes widened as Alex tucked it delicately into her G-String and she smiled. Alex grinned back, the vodka and the anger making her reckless now. The girl bent forward, her breasts brushing Alex's as she danced and Alex saw the question in her eyes. Alex nodded slightly and, slipping her hand round the girl's neck, she kissed her, full on her mouth. She felt soft, so different from a man's lips and her tongue when it pushed into Alex's mouth, was delicate and sweet, tasting unexpectedly of strawberries. Alex closed her eyes and lost herself in the strangeness of her mouth, a part of her heart aching at the unexpected tenderness of it.

The men in the pub roared in delight, as one. This definitely did not happen on your normal Friday night! They bayed their approval and then groaned their disappointment as Alex and the dancer pulled slowly away from each other. Alex saw her flick a "fuck-you" glance at Gene as she made her way along the bar, turning as she went through the door at the end, to blow Alex a kiss. When Alex turned back, his chair was empty. All she could see was Ray, staring at her open-mouthed. A second later, Gene pushed his way through the crowd of men who'd gathered round and stopped in front her. He radiated fury, almost incoherent with rage.

"That's enough Alex. Go home!" He spoke in a furious hiss, teeth clenched.

She looked at him, the vodka-induced courage running through her veins like fire, her face haughty.

"You let me off the leash, Gene. I can do what I like"

"Go home Alex".

The man at the bar began to interrupt, grasping Gene by one shoulder.

"Hey! I've bought her a drink, so you can fuck-off, mate. If she's going anywhere, it's with me"

Gene didn't even look at him as turned and sank his fist hard into the man's stomach. As he doubled over in pain, Gene punched him hard in the face, twice, jabbing his elbow into the side of his head as he fell, for good measure. The shaven-headed man from lobby made his way hurriedly across the room, dragging up the fallen man by the collar.

"Trouble Mr Hunt?" he asked.

"None that I can't deal with" Gene replied acidly, his eyes never leaving Alex's. She could see the tension in his whole body, his hands clenched onto fists.

He waited until the unconscious man had been dragged away and then as Alex reached for another vodka, he grabbed her wrist. "No more!"

She snapped her arm down sharply as she'd been taught to, shaking him off. His eyes widened in surprise as she took the glass and drained it, banging back onto the bar. "Make me stop, Gene!" she hissed back at him, her gaze burning with challenge.

"Right! Outside……NOW!" he spat the words at her, grabbing her firmly by the wrist and elbow, twisting her arm up her back, forcing her to walk with him. He marched her through the door where the dancing girls had gone, through a dingy back hall and out of a door that led into a narrow alley at the side of the building. He pushed her away from him roughly and stood, blocking her exit.

"What the fucking hell do think you are playing at?" he roared.

"I could ask you the same question, Gene" she spat back at him.

"I'm enjoying MY evening. I'm HAVING FUN, Alex! Didn't think you'd mind, seeing as how you were off having your sort of fun with those posh bastards you call friends!"

"Having fun! I don't call paying some common little trollop money to wave her arse in your face, fun!"

"You wouldn't, would you! Be very careful, luv .You're reverting to type. A posh, stuck up, toffee-nosed bitch" Gene thrust his face into hers, his eyes glittering dangerously.

Alex returned the gesture, her face inches from his. "But you like that, Gene, don't you. You like the fact that some posh, toffee-nosed bitch lets you shag her senselessly every night. Makes you feel like a man. Would you rather I was one of the girls in there, Gene? That I behaved like they do? That I had fun your way." Her voice was cold and hard and the anger within was at boiling point now.

"Well, let's have fun you way, shall we. Let's complete your list." She ticked the points off on her fingers, shaking with anger. "You like a drink – well, you've certainly had enough of those this evening. You like a bet – you've done that today as well, won more than enough money to pay those tarts to dance." She paused, her voice dripping with sarcasm."Now what's left? Oh yes – the shag!". She was shouting now "Well, come on then, Gene. Which one us are you going to choose? A word of advice. The girls in there expect to be paid. Me, I'm stupid enough to let you fuck me for free!"

He'd not moved since she begun to speak, his face livid with anger, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he tried to contain himself. Now he moved, slamming her forward against the wall, his hand holding both her wrists behind her back, the other in hair, pulling her head back.

"Not true, Alex," he snarled. "You make me pay in ways you'll never understand".

His hand left her hair, pulling up her dress, reaching up, roughly, fingers pushing into her. He leaned his whole weight against her and she felt the skin of her cheek catch against the rough brickwork of the wall. She clenched her teeth together, refusing to cry out, realizing that despite what he was doing, despite the anger and the force, she was so aroused she was shaking, soaking wet. His fingers flexed once, twice and she moaned with need, unable to stop herself. She struggled against him, trying to turn round to face him and he moved slightly to let her, taking his fingers from her.

She managed to free her right arm and brought her hand up hard across his cheek. The sound of the slap echoed of the walls of the alley. For a moment neither of them moved. Alex stared at Gene; she could see both the fury and the desire in his eyes, knowing he would see the same in hers. Reaching for her at the same time as she moved towards him, he kissed her roughly, viciously, his hand grabbing at her chin, forcing her head up. His other hand fumbled at the zip of his trousers and she raised her leg up, wrapping it round his hip. He thrust into her roughly, grunting through gritted teeth, not stopping for her to adjust to him. She bit back a howl and tangled her hands in his hair, pulling it hard, wanting to hurt him.

He slammed into her, her shoulders forced back against the wall. Alex heard the material of her dress rip as it caught on the bricks as her skin had. She kissed him back just as viciously, biting at him, moaning into his open mouth, not caring who heard her. Harder and harder he thrust into her, making no other sound other than to groan out his anger and his pleasure. He put both hands under her arse, almost lifting her right off the ground, pushing himself further into her as he did so, as deep as he could get.

Alex felt high on the sheer baseness of it all, the fact that she was fucking in an alley like a whore. She felt herself beginning climax, throwing her head back and arching against him, her hands in his hair. She lent forward and bit his neck hard, as she shook with orgasm, making him shout in pain.

"You bitch!"

She felt him tense his whole body, heard him groan agonizingly as he came, pumping into her hard, his legs shaking with the effort of pushing up into her. He remained where he was for a second, panting, before letting her leg down. He pulled away from her, running a hand through his hair, not looking at her.

"Wait there. I'll find a taxi". He was gone before she could speak, and she leant against the wall weakly, shaking with emotion. A moment later, he appeared at the entrance to the alley,

"Come on" he said brusquely.

Alex straightened up slowly and as she walked past the side door of pub, it swung open. The girl she'd kissed stood there, and Alex passed, she reached out her hand and gently brushed her grazed cheek. Alex saw the question in her eyes, a different one this time.

"I'm fine" she said "I'm fine; it's not what you think."

The girl shrugged and smiled sadly at her, before stepping back inside.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Neither of them spoke for the whole journey home, they sat apart, lost in their own thoughts. When they got into the house, Alex went straight upstairs to shower. She left her dress on the landing. It was ruined, the back of it ripped and ragged.

When she came out of the bathroom, Gene was standing there, holding it in his hands. He looked up, his face stricken, hardly able to meet her eyes. "I'm sorry Alex." His eyes rested on her grazed cheek. "I did that. Christ, I'm so sorry." He reached out a hand, stopping just short of touching her. "I treated you like a whore." He moved past her. "I'll sleep up in the spare room tonight"

Alex caught his arm.

"You treated me as I wanted to be treated at the time. I have a voice. I could have said no. I didn't though, did I?" She placed a hand on his cheek. "I know enough tricks to have stopped you. I didn't want to. Didn't bargain on this though." She touched the graze and winced. "We were both angry and we'd both had too much to drink." She traced the livid bite mark on his neck. "I hurt you too. Come to bed. Please" she held out her hand and he took it, following her to bed.

They both lay awake for a long time, in silence, holding each other tightly.