Hi Hope everyone is well and still dodging Covid. For myself I find it somewhat ironical that after years of telling children not to stick things up their nose they are not being inflicted with tests that require them to do precisely that. I apologise for the time it's taken me to write such a short chapter but I struggle to write what a previous reviewer once described as the 'pink bits'. Anyway here it is for better or worse.

Lying back on his pillow - although strictly speaking it was Ruth's pillow since it was her bed he was stretched out in - Harry, for once, felt that all was right with the world. The sequel to his first tentative brush across Ruth's lips had followed at a pleasingly alarming rate. So speedily had events proceeded that his original intention of explaining himself to her had swiftly vanished, along with their clothing which now lay scattered across the carpet. A garment trail retrospectively signposting the progress of their passion from sedate start in the sitting room, where his tie lay draped across the arm of the sofa proceeding across the route towards the bedroom hosting Ruth's blouse and his shirt, the threshold between the two rooms had heralded the dropping of her skirt followed in close pursuit by her bra, the latter unhooked by him while her fingers had been fully occupied in fumbling with his belt. By the time they'd approached the bed all that remained had been for him to deposit her onto the duvet cover and complete her descent into nakedness by ripping off her tights and knickers. The latter followed in quick succession by his trousers and briefs revealing the urgency of his own desire.

Now with his arm around her shoulders and Ruth's body pressing against he was juggling his wish for an immediate repeat performance of the mattress tango against the conscientious need forgo his own pleasures in favour of following up the recent developments pertaining to the complicated ramifications of the operation which was in the official scheme of things the reason for their presence in Havensworth. It was decision taken out of his hands, almost literally, when Ruth adjusting her own position lightly guided his fingers towards her breasts mummering "I think we should make up for lost time." Harry's answer being to lift her bodily while suggesting, "Mmm but it's your turn to go on top."

The next few minutes passed very satisfactorily, concluding with Ruth resuming her previous position beside Harry, although her fingers continued to caress him intimately which was thrilling, but also slightly alarming. Delightful yes, but despite being in bed Harry was beginning to feel exhausted. Searching for words to substitute for the cries of satisfaction they had been uttering, it was, he decided time to discuss the future and clear up the previous misunderstandings. The last three months had been hell and he wanted more than anything to cement beyond argument their long term relationship.

"Ruth I hope this is going to be permanent – I love you and…"

He was halted by Ruth's placing the index finger of her free hand against his lips,

"I know and I'm sorry for all those awful things I said to you."

Harry, whenever he recalled on an almost daily basis that passage of mutual anger and recrimination in his office had winced, and now was not an exception as he informed her, "You do realise that I'd never have carried out my threat about reporting you to Dolby?"

Ruth signed as she confirmed, "I suppose not but just to avoid that ever happening I'll complete the form when we return to the Grid."

Oh dear confession time. He been forced to admit to worse on many a previous occasion, but never in this particular context of personal desperation. "Actually no – Dolby already has your form."

A statement that had the effect of making Ruth sit bolt upright, providing a nice cooling draft to his somewhat heated body as she expostulated,

"But I didn't…." Her voice trailing off as the implication hit her, making her wonder if she should renounce tolerance and hit Harry. "You didn't…"

Since she'd cottoned on to his meaning Harry remained silent while Ruth continued with indignation in every syllable, "So Dolby thinks that we've been…" pausing while she found words to describe their current and presumed activities, finally settling on the very respectable, "An item for the last three months."

"I wish, but yes."

Ruth didn't reply, although her fingers had returned to their previous lodging in his groin. Seeking to quell any lingering indignation he suggested, "It's no worse that you telling Aaisha that you were in love with me instead of just ….his final words blending into an agonised 'ouch' as Ruth's digits suddenly tightened around his balls.

Thankfully released in a second as she apologised, "Sorry Harry but I didn't…. why would I…" before recalling her own eavesdropping and adding her own accusation, "And anyway you've a nerve to complain when you confided in Malcolm."

Concern that he might just have been transformed into an accidental eunuch subsided into perplexity as Harry informed her, "But I didn't either…"

Ruth's exasperation wad becoming palpable, "Harry I heard them talking when I was watching the gym feed – they thought it was Malcolm there."

Harry was beginning to see the light, "Ah...and I overheard Zoe and company when they thought it was Malcolm there so…"

Joint realisation was dawning as Ruth said it for both of them, "We've been played."

Harry was now sitting bolt upright in boss mode indignation, "I'll have something to say about this."

Ruth grinned, "How about thanks?"

"Eh"

"Well how would you have preferred to spend the last hour…" Harry presumed this was not a question that required an answer given that she'd grabbed his hand while speaking and was now guiding it towards her more private regions.

"I suppose you have a point."

"I think you possess a bigger one."

Harry, not sure whether to laugh or choke, opted for the half way house of a smirk, "Whatever happened to that reluctant virgin of a few months ago?"

"She found what she'd been missing." Pulling the sheet down to expose his entire body she followed up with her own question, "So what are you going to do about their trickery?"

That was a question that required an answer but as Harry pushed her onto her back and positioned himself between her wide open thighs he managed to force out a reply. "I'll deal with the staff later. Right now I have another more personal policy to implement."

"Which is?"

"Never waste an erection."

Thanks for reading - if you have a moment a review would be appreciated. Now I just have to decide on the content of the next chapter