A combination of a cold and insomnia has meant that Chapter 2 has been written a little quicker than expect… so I thought I'd put it up for you lovely people :-D Hope you enjoy and have a Merry Christmas!

Chapter Two

"Hi."

"Hi."

"It's late."

He smiled up at her, unable to hide his happiness at the sight of her leaning in his doorway. Her relaxed shoulders and flushed cheeks told him that she had had a few glasses of wine over the course of the afternoon and he could not help but appreciate this more settled Ruth.

"Couldn't keep away?" he prompted, ignoring her soft scorns.

His dark gaze and soft tone caused her to blush and lower her gaze. "I… erm… I forgot something."

"Really?" His need to be closer to her won out and slowly he rose from his chair and perched, facing her, on the edge of his desk. At his movement, she looked up and smiled softly acknowledging his first move at closing the gap between them.

"Yes" she smiled at his raised eyebrow. However, his piercing eyes seemed to prevent her from continuing. Again, she dropped her gaze, but a burning in her chest made her ever more determined to fulfil her reason for being there. Swallowing her butterflies she looked up and smiled. "You didn't come to the pub," she stated, a little louder than necessary or intended.

"No. I didn't" Harry teased, slightly distracted by the realisation that Ruth had taken a definite step towards him.

"You were…erm… you were missed."

"I was?" His surprise was genuine and she found it rather endearing. She nodded at him and smiled so radiantly that Harry found he had stood up and stepped towards her before he had quite realised what he was doing. He stopped a mere breath from her. He was so close that he was sure she would feel his thudding heart beating out of his chest. Both took a deep breath and began to speak at the same time.

"I missed you, Harry."

"You were missed too, Ruth."

Catching each other's eye neither could suppress the broad grin that now painted their face or the somersaulting butterflies in the pit of their stomach. However, neither one of them seemed able to recover in time to continue down this potentially leading path of conversation, either. Instead they merely stood, only an inch away, grinning at one another and bathing in the desire and affection that sated them. After an insignificant amount of time, Harry spoke softly. "What was it you forgot?"

"I'm sorry?"

"You said you had come back because you had forgotten something. I was just curious as to what it was you had forgotten."

"Right." Ruth looked to the floor, to the wall, to the hem of her blouse, anywhere but the burning desire in his hazel eyes. She had come here to do this and she'd be damned if anything was going to stop her, even though it was admittedly taking a little longer than she had initially planned.

A sudden panic filled her chest as she realised what she was about to do. Would he think her foolish? Yes. Definitely! Having said that, she would say that had now become a given on a daily basis. Oh God! Should she just run now and leave this conversation unhad, like so many others? Leave this ridiculous notion unsaid? Every rational part of her seemed to think so!

"Ruth?" The heat from Harry's dark eyes and invitingly broad chest decided for her in that very second. As she looked up at him and truly appreciated his warm frame and the love and tenderness in his eyes she knew it was now impossible for her to move anywhere.

Fighting embarrassment, desire and the ever growing urge to turn and flee, Ruth finally gathered herself and spoke with all of the determination she could muster. "I...erm... It's just..." She let out a heavy sigh, inadvertently blowing cooling air over the nape of his neck and sending chills down to his very core, before forcing herself to look at him. "I forgot to wish you a Merry Christmas."

The swell of happiness that had been stirring in the pit of his stomach now erupted through his chest and spilled out into a wide grin and flushed cheeks. "Well Ruth," he teased, leaning close to her ear, "I'm all yours. You can wish away." The implications of the flippant statements were not lost on either of them. In fact, they were very much appreciated and acknowledged by both parties.

Slowly, Ruth tilted her head and he saw that her eyes matched his own passion and happiness, his desire and hunger, his love. Gently she reached out and placed a warm hand on his chest, feeling a slight jolt of delight at the rapid beating of his heart. She allowed herself a moment, her lips lingering mere millimetres from his, where she breathed him in. His slightly musked scent was so familiar to her, yet it seemed like the first time she had ever experienced it as well. She could almost feel the sparks between them dancing off her soft cheeks and leaving behind the gentle chill of desire. Swallowing, she leaning further forward, on to her tiptoes and whispered "Merry Christmas Harry." With that, she tenderly pressed her lips to his rough cheek. The act was gentle and, to any other, just a social sign of well wishing. However, to them in was a sure sign of the love they shared and the promise of what was yet to come.

Well… there is a potential for more maybe… or might leave it here? Let me know what you think xx