This chapter is the reason for the rating, so if you'd prefer you can skip without any major upset to the storyline. Really difficult to write this and stay 'decent' and would appreciate hearing from you either way as it's the first time I've written this and edited out! Mostly because I'm not organised enough to send Word files on emails! I may publish original on AO3.

OOOOOOO

Harry can't quite hide the tremble as she looks at him, looking at her. It's a strange collision of nerves, a jolt of desire and the anticipation of him. She almost wants to cry at the intensity of his gaze, for the woman she used to be and lost along the way. He seems to sense it because he catches her with his fingertips learning the pattern of her shoulders, sternum and arms, holding them here on the edge as they move from friends to lovers.

"You've got beautiful freckles," Harry hears him say. She blinks.

"Don't go." He mumbles into her neck, his warm breath tickling her, drawing her into this intimacy. He is reluctant but immediate when he releases her so she can study his face for signs of teasing or mistake.

"I thought you might notice… well, I don't know." Of all the things Harry thought he might say, commenting on her freckles wasn't it and she can't help query Dempsey. "I don't really much like my body. Men have fawned over me, I've been judged by it and I married the one man who didn't care for it."

Harry points to invisible inaccuracies of herself as if to put him off. The thought of him being right is overwhelming. His jaw tightens at her actions and words, but he doesn't stop the gentle strokes of his hands. Up and down. Nor does he still the trace of his dark eyes watching as her body responds to his touch.

"I thought you'd just get on with it…" Harry sighs, she feels briefly lost and uncertain. Her vision of him rolling a confident other self onto her back and making love to her is almost invisible. She wonders what James thinks of her now and how she must be fretful compared to his past girlfriends. "I'm sorry, I expect your other women…"

"I'm not with any other women, I'm with you." Dempsey stops her words with a gentle kiss, and another. "Harry, you're beautiful and different. You and me ain't the same, not to me."

She falters a little. He's looking at her with the same longing look that she's seen on his face when he thinks he's not looking at her. She's worn that look on her face too. This is new to them both, not just her.

As if he's reading her thoughts, he takes her hands in his. "I'm not him, I've no intention of hurting you, or making you uncomfortable."

"Dempsey…" Harry can't think of what else to say to this, so she pours what she feels into a kiss. He is such a good kisser. No, she thinks. They are good at this together. A heady jolt of excitement runs through her. It has been so long since she felt like this with anyone which explains why, when she had first set eyes on him, she felt a magnetic pull so acutely. Only it wasn't the feeling, it was him. Harry felt as she did because of all he has become to her. She feels her need rising, this heady desire breaking loose. Yes, it is different.

"They're beautiful freckles. Millions o' pieces of you. The other half of me." Dempsey reassures. His fingers lightly brush her bared breasts. As his tongue laves and teases them, she wishes they could do this for hours, if it wasn't for the hot coil of need that demands more, she would let him. This wonderful moment, this heady anticipation of what next.

"I was eyeing you up, just in case you thought I wasn't. I'm like any guy, a bit.. huh… basic with our desires." Dempsey admits, when he looks up with a cheeky grin on his face. She is taken in by the juxtapose of his dark hair against her pale skin. She hopes her flushed, happy face tells him all he needs to know. He's not a saint and she loves him all the more for that. Gently he rolls her onto her side and continues his exploration.

When he's within reach, Harry pushes at the waistband of his shorts helping him to slide them off. She wants to treasure this newness a little longer, and pours her fledgling confidence into the study of his body, reaching to feel the weight and size of him. She hears his intake of breath and a low moan of her name. She uses humour to deflect what she thinks, good grief, he's gorgeous. "I'm eyeing you up too, I'm impressed."

He grins and preens, giving a small thrust of his hips that makes her giggle like a teenager. When did she last laugh in bed with a man? Has she ever? When he moves down her body to use his mouth and fingers to bring her to an unexpected, heady completion, she lets go without any thought beyond how wonderful this is. He's watching her with a gaze that ignites her further. It feels as natural as breathing, even if she's never done this before with any man.

"I knew you'd be fine…" Dempsey murmurs, traveling back up to her lips, angling his mouth to hers, reconnecting. In his hands, that's absolutely true.

Harry hesitates just once when he moves above her body. Before she can explain, Dempsey draws back, waiting. Once again Harry appreciates his study of her that means he knows there is something she needs to say. "I don't feel like I can escape, it's like you have control of me."

"You're in charge too, we're both equal partners here," She could kiss him again and again when he simply asks her to show him what feels right. And she does both, because she can and he lets her take what she wants from him. They can try next time.

Dempsey pauses to caress her stomach, his fingers gliding downwards and she writhes against him feeling bravely wanton, "It's sexy when you tell me, I like it."

He learns how to coax her, encouraging with heated kisses, until she's is certain that there's not a part of her that he hasn't endeavoured to heal with his touch. "I want to kiss you everywhere…"

"You're well on your way to doing that." Harry breathes. His hands are soft, gentle and confident. Firmly keeping them tethered together in this exploration. "I want to do the same for you."

"Next time.." Dempsey looks wickedly youthful for a moment, as he raises himself up, back onto his heels, gently lifting her legs around his waist. There is a rich timbre to his voice and breath. He must be close, she thinks.

There is a brief moment of pain as her body stretches for him, a teasing battle of her wanting him immediately and his careful slide, but her desire takes over, rising in response to him. "Yes…perfect..." Harry tries to answer the question in his eyes before her words follow her body and dissolve into a heated, loving litany.

Dempsey nods, looking down at where they join, "Yeah, we're perfect together..." is all he can manage. The rest of his speech makes little sense, a ramble of cursing and her name, said over and over again, until he follows her into bliss when she soars beneath him. His name is a delicious, breathless sob of pleasure from her lips.

His mouth finds her as they come down. Shaking hands brush tangled hair from eyes and she feels like she's seen his soul. He's certainly found hers.

"You okay?" He finally manages to say when he falls beside her.

Harry raises herself up on one arm and looks at him, unable to keep a loving smile off her face. "Very okay, you?"

"Perfect." He strokes the side of her face with the back of his hand.

Before she finds herself falling into sleep, Harry slips to the bathroom and he does the same after her. Dempsey regards her with a look of wonder as he climbs back into bed. "Thought you'd go back to your room. I don't wanna get into trouble with Freddy."

Harry laughs as he draws her into the circle of his arms, "No getting rid of me now." And she means it. "You're it for me, James Dempsey."

"Good, that's just the way I want it." Dempsey murmurs as sleep claims them.

OOOOOO

When he wakes, it's not due to the light crawling through the curtains but the reactions of his body, he feels glorious. Dempsey comes to his senses briefly enough to move the sheets and look down. He manages to croak a polite 'morning' before cursing. Then he hits the back of her throat and he can't remember his own name. He finds the lone brain cell that's not just left his body to utter a word of warning and exclaim "Harry!"

His arms give way. He is sated and made pliable from pleasure as his head hits the pillows. "I could get used to this."

She eyes him with a lustful look he's never seen before. God, he loves her. "That's alright then, I heard you're in need of a new place to live soon."

He nods, wide-eyed and speechless.

More chapters to follow through December. Keep safe and well