It was about five o'clock and the guests on the beach were thinning out.

Both had had enough sun but neither truly wanted to move.

"Ruth, would you like to have dinner…together, tonight?"

"I would," she said and he smiled a warm smile, "but I can't," the smile faded.

"It's just that I have a friend who I went to University with and he lives here now and I said I'd go for dinner with him."

"Oh," said Harry more than a little disappointed.

"He's just a friend," said Ruth.

"Right," he wasn't convinced.

"So I'm meeting him and his wife."

"Oh," said Harry this time a little happier, "okay, well, no problem. Have a lovely time, Ruth."

"Thank you," she said, wishing she hadn't said yes to the invite, "I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Yes, tomorrow."

"I'll be around about here," she said, as he got up from the sunbed and she tried not to look at his attractively hairy legs.

"Okay. I've got some things to do first thing but I'll see you late morning."

"Good," she said, "bye Harry."

"Bye, Ruth," and unwillingly he left her.

That evening Harry ate by himself. It wasn't unusual. It didn't worry him. He thought about Ruth and he thought about seeing her in the morning and he thought about her bikini and all in all life was certainly more interesting then being on the grid.

That evening Ruth sat in the restaurant with her old friend, David and his wife Ella. She thought about Harry. She thought about his pink shirt. She thought about how he had looked at her and she was more than happy that he had appeared seemingly from her dreams and become a reality.

That night Harry went to bed and thought about Ruth. He thought about sitting next to her on the beach and he thought about swimming with her and he thought about having a romantic dinner with her on the beach and the rest of his thoughts, well they were for him alone.

That night Ruth received another invite to David's own house a couple of days later. She thought about Harry and how it meant she would be another night without him. She hesitated and Ella picked up on her hesitation, Ruth admitted there was someone she might be 'seeing'. Ella invited both of them back to theirs for a meal. Ruth said she'd let them know. She went to bed and thought about seeing Harry tomorrow and wondered if he'd be wearing his pink shirt.

The next morning Ruth was on the beach early. There was a part of her that thought tanned nipples were a good idea and should Harry ever see them, they'd be all the more attractive. Then there was a part of her that screamed what are you even thinking, stop it. But she couldn't stop it and so she took her bikini top off and decided she had at least two hours before he was due to appear. Fine. She'd be tanned for herself and not for him. Don't think about Harry.

It was mid morning and Ruth was absorbed in her book.

"Hi" said Harry and then his face fell.

Ruth's face was trying to hide her horror. She tried to look casual but how can you look casual when you're talking to your boss topless.

Harry was regretting forgetting his sunglasses. He was at war with his eyes. His eyes wanted to linger over Ruth's body, Harry was trying to command them to be anywhere but. Ruth was aware of the battle. Harry was winning but it was a close call.

Ruth recovered herself enough to say "hi" and then she turned casually onto her front. Harry's eyes followed her, he told them not to, they didn't listen and then he was looking at her back. He turned away to the sunbed that she had already pulled up alongside her, in anticipation of his arrival later in the day. His arrival that had been somewhat earlier that expected.

Ruth was trying to focus on normality, practicality, fact, any bloody thing but then Harry decided that she might feel more comfortable and less vulnerable if he took his shirt off. Ruth was now almost beside herself.

"You're early," said Ruth.

"Yes, I got up a bit earlier than expected."

"Been doing anything interesting?" she asked, wondering where her bikini top was and seeing with horror that the breeze had moved it out of her reach. She didn't know how she was going to get out of this rather embarrassing situation.

"I went to the gym and for a swim and then I had some emails to go through."

"Harry, you're on holiday," she admonished.

"It was a late decision and there were things I didn't have time to clear up."

She looked at him.

"Last ones, honest."

"You promise?"

"Yes, Ruth, I promise."

And then they lay and casually chatted about how their respective evenings had gone and what they had eaten. Neither said how much they had been thinking about the other. Ruth never mentioned the dinner invite, nor did she mention that her back, which was unprotected by sun cream, was burning. How could she? She couldn't turn over without further mortification.

Harry looked at her.

"Ruth, your back looks red. I think it might be burning a little."

"Oh, really?" she said casually.

"Do you need some cream on it?"

"…er..yes..that would be good, nice, a good idea."

Harry knelt at her side and took the cream from her bag.

Ruth lay her head away from him so that he couldn't see the emotions running uncontrollably across her face.

And then she felt his hands upon her back. They were gentle but strong. His fingers worked the cream into her skin. His hands pushed up from her lower back up the length of her spine and then across, slowly and deliberately to her shoulder blades, his fingers moved up and curled over her shoulders and across her neck before plunging down once more, moving in circles now, as they dipped towards her hips and around her waist. Ruth didn't care if she burnt to a cinder. He could do this all day.

Finally he knew that he could not indulge himself any longer.

"There we go," he said.

"Thanks," she said breathlessly.

"How are my legs" she asked knowing that they'd been in the shade and were fine.

"Not as bad as your back, but a bit pink" said Harry lying blatantly.

"Oh," said Ruth.

"Do you want me to do them while I'm here?" asked Harry with the cream already poised in his hands.

"Okay, then," said Ruth casually, trying not to hyperventilate.

Harry started at her ankles and worked his way up. Both hands massaged simultaneously up her calves, lingering around the back of her knees and then they moved slowly and steadily higher. His palms were flat, his fingers outspread, as his thumbs worked their way up the inside of her thighs.

Ruth let out a slow moan.

"Okay?" asked Harry.

"Yes, yes, fine," she said brightly.

And then he was rubbing the last of the cream around the top of her thighs and she was thinking it would be a good idea to get sunbeds on the roof of Thames House for when it was warm enough. She was thinking that amongst other things.

Once more he had run out of time and respectability.

"Done," he said and took a moment to calm himself before he moved back to his sunbed.

"Thank you," she said and looked the other way.

They both sat on the beach, their thoughts were elsewhere.

Harry needed a moment away from her, if he was to remain in any kind of control.

"Drink?" he said.

"Yes, yes a water. Lots of ice," said Ruth. She definitely needed cooling down.

More to come, if desired.