Just as a warning (or treat) the italic part of this chapter is M rated.
On Monday morning Ruth kept feeling her face flaming. Harry kept watching her through the glass window of his office, and his knowing gaze on her. By about eleven she'd had enough. She walked straight into his office without knocking. He was on the phone. "I'll call you back in ten minutes," Harry said, putting the phone down.
"You didn't have to do that," she said, even though she was pleased he had.
"You could knock," he suggested. "What do you want?"
"You have to stop looking at me like that," Ruth said. "I'm filtering through information relating to rogue Mossad agents who want to bomb the country. It's hard to concentrate when you're watching me."
"I like watching you," he said. "Do you want to go out with me on Sunday?"
"No I can't," she said quickly. So quickly that Harry was hurt. "Kate goes to see her parents every Sunday," she explained. "I have no one to look after Lucy, and I won't leave her with someone I don't trust or have only just met."
"I'll take you both out to lunch," he said easily. "I'd like to meet Lucy."
"Are you sure?" Ruth asked in surprise.
"If you want to," he said. "I'd offer Saturday but I have to meet the American ambassador before he flies to Switzerland. It'll probably be a long meeting."
"Okay," Ruth said. "Yeah. If you want to meet Lucy, of course."
"Great," he said. "I'd offer to cook but that's a recipe for disaster. Sunday roast?"
"Mm," Ruth said. "Delicious." Ruth looked around the room and saw with disappointment that the blinds were open. She had wanted to kiss him, but wouldn't display the beginning of her relationship for everyone to see. Harry's lips twitched as if knowing what she was thinking.
"Or is Sunday too long to wait?" he asked.
Ruth sighed and then smiled. "I'll ask Kate if she'd minds staying an extra hour on Wednesday?" she suggested. "A drink… maybe?" she said nervously.
"That sounds great," he said, knowing that Ruth didn't ask men out often. He could tell. Harry's phone rang suddenly. Ruth excused herself and Harry sighed happily before picking up the phone with a curt "Pearce."
"She wanted to stay up and wait for you to get in," Kate said on Wednesday evening as Ruth came in. Lucy was curled up on the sofa in her pink pyjamas, a blanket over her. Ruth felt a stab of guilt go through her. She hadn't meant to be as long as she had been. But one drink with Harry had turned into two, and then before she knew it the pub was emptying and time had run away from her. Harry had realised how late it had got at the same instant she had, and had insisted on paying for her taxi home, so she wouldn't waste more time on public transport.
"Thanks for looking after her," Ruth said, taking Kates place on the sofa.
"Good night?"
"Very," she agreed.
"See you tomorrow." Kate put her jacket on and left. The door closing disturbed Lucy from her sleep.
"Mummy?" she said groggily.
"Hi gorgeous," Ruth said. "Shall I take you up to bed?"
"kay." Ruth picked her up, her sleepy limbs wrapping around her mother as she carried her upstairs to bed. She tucked her in and smiled at her daughter. There was something so peaceful, innocent and heart warming when she watched her sleeping child. Eventually Ruth closed the bedroom door and went to find her own rest.
Harry had her pinned up against his office wall, his body pressed hard and solid against hers. So warm and sure against her as he kissed her deeply, his tongue delving into her mouth. His hand pushed her blouse out of the way and squeezed her breast hard. She moaned as her legs wrapped around him pulling him close. He bent to her and sucked her nipple with his warm and welcoming mouth and her head hit the wall with a dull thump. There were far too many clothes in the way of this tryst. Harry clearly thought the same because he yanked the zip of her skirt down and plunged his hand into her knickers. "Ah!" she cried out as he stroked her wet flesh deliciously. "Oh there, God yes," she breathed.
"Look at me," he demanded. She opened her eyes and looked at his hazel ones, full of passion and urgency. He pushed two fingers inside her, finding her most exquisite place and she climaxed powerfully.
She awoke, her body shaking and breathing heavy from the force of that dream and the orgasm that had woken her. Her chest was rising up and down as if she'd been running. Her skin was covered in goose bumps and her nipples were hard. She had never had a dream like that in her life. Not one as vivid and shocking in its accuracy. She could still smell the scent of Harry's arousal, feel his erection against her thigh. Could a dream really be that specific?
She put her hand to her forehead and felt the cold sweat drenching her. Her heart rate was slowing down a bit now, but she couldn't forget that look in his eyes. That passionate and almost predatory look that said "you're mine." It took a long time for Ruth to manage to get back to sleep, but even then, she couldn't forget that level of intense passion in her dream. Maybe one day she'd experience it in reality.