I don't own Ashes to Ashes

Huge thank you to everyone, yet again, for continuing to read along :-)

Hopefully, this chapter will be a bit more enlightening about Rosa, as well as a little bit of a break from the angst... I'm sure you know what I mean!

Enjoy!

----

Gene sent Benji home a while later, giving Ray and Chris the job of ferrying him, before returning himself to the interview room, where Alex was waiting impatiently, biting at her nails and grasping at the table as she did so.

The moment he entered, Alex was in his arms, one hand tangled in his hair and her face buried in his neck, her breathing heavy as, unknown to him, she inhaled lungful after lungful of his scent, squeezing him tight against her as the door swung closed behind him. Gene wrapped his arms almost hesitantly around her, cradling her gently as his fingers combed through the softly curled locks of her hair, and then down the slender column of her neck. Alex said nothing, though the slight hitch of her breathing betrayed the tears that had broken free of her eyes, and Gene instantly tightened his hold on her, lips pressing into her hair before he spoke.

"I'm fine, Alex," he murmured reassuringly, feeling the heat of his own breath against her head as he spoke. "Still breathing, see?" He lifted her face up gently, blew softly against her skin for a few moments, and then moved to press his lips tenderly to her cheek. Alex smiled up at him weakly, her hand moving from his hair to the back of his neck, fingers stroking up and down in a way that mimicked his own actions, although it was laced with a tenderness that sent shivers down Gene's spine.

"I know," she whispered, shaking her head and swiping her spare hand at the tears that slid unbidden down her cheeks. "I'm just being silly..." She moved to pull away from him, sniffing lightly and attempting to look nonchalant; Gene drew her straight back, resting his head on hers and half-smiling as she slid her arms around his back almost instantly, her fingers digging in slightly, as though afraid he might slip from her grasp if she allowed him to get too far away... After a few moments of silence, she let out a small, terrified whisper that made Gene's heart clench in his chest, the words quiet, shaken and scared. "I really thought he was-"

Gene didn't want to hear it, didn't know how to handle it himself, and a moment later he was pulling her head back towards him, drowning out her next words with a long kiss, his mouth fierce and insistent as he drew her tight against him. She kissed back desperately, lovingly, almost greedily, and her hand slipped upwards, tracing from his waist to his chest before grasping tightly at the lapels blazer, at just the same moment in which he nipped lightly at her lip.

"See?" He murmured, his mouth still touching hers as he spoke, backing her further into the room, hands skimming down her back and over her hip. "I'm fine," he kissed her again, more gently this time, soft and easy as his lips whispered against hers, before drawing back and meeting her eyes, his hand on her cheek. "Take more than a scrawny bugger to get rid of me," he promised, brushing her lips softly with his once more as his fingers teased down her cheeks.

When he drew back, Alex was looking at his neck, her trembling fingers tracing downwards, tickling against his skin as her eyes bore into him, fearful and haunted. "He gave it a good go," she whispered softly, biting her lip as her cool digits brushed a particularly tender area of skin. "You're bruising..." She said, gulping. "I really thought-!"

"That's your problem, Bols," he murmured fondly, catching her hand in his and drawing it to his lips, as much in an attempt to stop her pressing too hard against his injury as it was to distract her from her worry. His lips whispered against her knuckles as he spoke again, voice soft and gentle, teasing her lightly; "You think too much." There was silence for a few moments, and then Alex was sighing, slipping into his arms once again and pressing her ear to his chest, seeking the gentle thud of his heartbeat as she lost herself in his arms, her nose squashed against him as she inhaled his scent greedily once again.

"Are you always this brave?" She murmured after several moments of companionable silence, her voice soft and warm, even as her fingers tightened slightly on his hip.

"Dunno," Gene replied, shrugging and rubbing her back softly, "are you always this dramatic?" He smirked down at her, his arms tightening on her slender figure as he moved to press a kiss to the shell of her ear, ignoring the roll of her eyes as he went on, speaking in a lower tone now, gentle and honest as he held her close.

"I'm not being brave," he murmured softly. "I'm just glad he didn't choose to grab you instead; I'd have ripped his balls from the sack if he'd tried..." He was silent then, stroking her hair as Alex looked up at his tense features, her delicate fingers stroking the harsh lines of his frown, though she kept her quiet, simply waiting for Gene to speak as he continued to hold her against him, his face set almost stubbornly as he continued to gently run his hand through the soft ringlets of her hair...

"You lied to him," Alex whispered after an age of thoughtful silence, her fingers still caressing his face as she tentatively breached the quiet. "She did love him..."

"Did she?" Gene asked bitterly, releasing Alex almost instantly, untangling himself from her arms and sitting himself on the table, lighting up a cigarette before he spoke again. "Didn't look like love from where I was sitting, Alex."

"But you've read her diaries," Alex said, moving to settle herself next to him, her hands in her lap as she watched his face carefully for any flicker of agreement. "You know how she felt about him... You read what she said about-"

"Even if she did love 'im, Bols," he interrupted, "an' I ain't sayin' she did, mind - d'you really think that's what he needs to hear right now? 'Sorry mate, she was a two timing cow who didn't mind some other blokes dick up her fanny, but she loved you'..." He laughed, his tone bitter and resentful, mocking and coarse; Alex said nothing, staring as his face clenched in disgust. After he'd spoken, he took a deep drag, exhaling softly before he went on. "That ain't love Alex; what she did was evil - pure an' simple."

Alex nodded, her eyes looking downwards before she murmured, "I suppose so..."

Sighing, Gene glanced sidelong at her, his face set thoughtfully as he spoke, trying to explain, and fearing, as he did so, that he'd failed. "She pretended to hate him, shagged another bloke and flaunted it under his nose," he muttered, "s'far as I know, that ain't the way things are done..." he took another drag on his cigarette, and then shrugged, nudging her knee lightly with his in a vain attempt to force a smile. "You tell me, Bols," he murmured, playfully adding; "You're the psychologist."

Alex laughed, shaking her head as she nudged him back. "You're doing alright psychology wise," she assured him, smiling. "I was very impressed with the way you spoke to Benji earlier; I didn't know you had it in you..."

Gene smirked, blowing smoke gently in her face as he murmured, "I'm very impressive..." With a smirk, he added, "so, come on; give me a profile."

Alex frowned. "Of who?"

"McKellen," Gene replied, stubbing out his cigarette on the table leg and tossing the end towards the nearby bin, not really caring when it fell a few centimetres short.

Alex looked at him, apparently taken aback at his request, before her brow crinkled thoughtfully, her lips tight as she did so. After a moment, she shook her head, smiling. "Tell me what you think," she said, "and then I'll give my opinion..."

"Meaning you'll tell me to stick with drivin' and keep me gob shut fer as long as humanly possible?" He quirked an eyebrow, but Alex rolled her eyes.

"Meaning," she corrected, "I'll see if we're concluding similar things from identical evidence." She teased him lightly, tucking her ankle around his as she nudged him with her shoulder. "Come on," she said, "indulge me."

Gene hesitated, and then sighed, pulling out another cigarette. "She was a head case," he said bluntly, lighting up again smoothly. Alex sighed, shaking her head.

"That isn't a profile," she laughed, settling back on her hands and looking at him encouragingly. "Come on; tell me what you really think..." Her foot traced up the back of his calf as she smirked at him, one eyebrow raised in challenge. He wet his lips, meeting her eyes as he took another drag.

"Fine," he said eventually, exhaling loudly as his forehead creased in thought. "Bible basher, but she doesn't stick to it..." he frowned, and then said. "Reckon she didn't really believe it."

Alex blinked, taken aback. "What?"

Gene grimaced. "Bollucks, did it wrong..."

"No, I mean... why did you say that?" She looked genuinely interested, and Gene felt his eyebrows lift skywards before he answered her.

"Not being funny Bols, but she's openly religious an' shaggin' two blokes at once... Hardly Mother Theresa, is she?" He inhaled slowly, before continuing. "She thought she was gunna die young; probably crapped herself thinkin' about it a couple of times, then figured if she convinced herself there was a God, she didn't 'ave to worry about there being nothin' on the other side, so ter speak... S'long as she kept tellin' herself he was real, she didn't 'ave to be scared..." he glanced at her, seeing her look of shock and immediately misinterpreting it, instantly turning defensive. "Well you told me to tell you what I thought!"

"No, no!" Alex said, waving her hand dismissively, "I just- I had no idea you'd thought about that! You've just made a psychological profile based on-!" Sensing her obvious excitement, and trying to disguise the smug smirk that threatened to break from his lips, Gene rolled his eyes and interrupted.

"I told you some bird was fantasisin' about God, Bols, not that I was about to shag you over the table; tuck yer tongue away before we both start panting!" He couldn't resist a small smirk as she snapped her jaw shut, and a moment later he added, "So that was ok?"

Alex nodded, smiling slightly. "Gene, you could really be onto something! This could be key to understanding Rosa's state of mind before-"

Gene interrupted, eyebrows raised. "Don't mean to burst the magic bubble, Bols, but she's already dead; don't think she cares too much about how her brain got to thinkin' it'd be a good idea."

"Maybe..." Alex murmured, tapping her chin thoughtfully and getting up to pace slowly. "But don't you think it's curious how she called him 'Angel' rather than Ciaran? How she had to reinforce that name reference with biblical quotations in her own diary? I mean, a diary should reflect complete honesty- people use it to get things off their chest, to think things through, to make things more understandable, palatable..."

Gene stared, his eyebrows practically hidden in his hairline as he followed her frantic pacing with his eyes, saying nothing.

"And that all makes sense if you think about it; everyone's professed that she was a strong Christian, but evidently not strong enough to follow her own religion's rules... She was committing adultery, she was having sex outside of marriage, she was lying to both parties about her feelings, and she was trying to convince herself that Ciaran was an 'Angel', which goes against the rule that you won't idolise anyone else, and-!"

"Bols," Gene interrupted, running a hand through his hair distractedly. "We've already decided she'd twanged her Royal Virgin Hymen a couple times too many; this isn't helping."

"Think, Gene!" She said, meeting his eyes for a moment. "The name on her bank statement was 'Angelo Heart', not Ciaran Merlot.... why would that be? It's not like anyone else would be looking into her accounts; she must have needed the assurance..." She bit her lip, breaking eye contact and continuing to pace as she carried on. "Angels are supposed to be spectres of beauty, of help, of protection, right?"

Gene nodded tiredly, although he wasn't sure that she really noticed his input, since she was already talking again.

"Maybe she was uncertain..." Alex continued. "So uncertain, that she needed the positive reinforcement of the name on the bank statements, of the biblical quotes to in her diary, to remind her of what she was working towards..."

"Which was?" Gene asked, frowning.

"Death and salvation," Alex explained matter-of-factly, still pacing, at a speed so quick that Gene wondered how she wasn't dizzy. "Heaven, the afterlife, freedom from her disease..." She paused, then nodded to herself and carried on. "So she was convincing herself of Ciaran's biblical status, in some ways; so she couldn't possibly call him Ciaran, because that would humanise him, and all that she believed about him was supposed to be so unearthly and perfect, that any such reference to humanity would just eradicate any sense of progress! She needed all the reinforcements she could find; even when she feared he was being too human, if she called him 'Angel' she could convince herself otherwise and-"

"Like in the diary?" Gene suggested. "'bout the shag, you mean?"

"Yes!" Alex said, "Exactly like that! She had to believe that he was this figure of perfection, even though he was demonstrating human weaknesses and temptations –sex, women, love... of course, deep down, she always knew he was just human; otherwise, how could she possibly have used Benji as leverage against him? She was just displacing his humanity with the characteristics of angels..."

"An' there was me thinking she just liked blokes in white dresses," Gene muttered, rolling his eyes and running one hand through his hair. "So she didn't believe it?"

Alex sighed, settling back on the table for a moment and shrugging weakly. "Maybe she did... Or maybe she didn't... maybe all the 'God hates me' talk was just a way of convincing herself there was one..."

Gene frowned, "Bols, that makes about as much sense as Hitler marryin' a Jew..."

"Not if you think about it," Alex murmured. "Better to think God doesn't like you than to think there's no God at all..."

"Not from where I'm sitting," he answered, watching her carefully.

"You don't want to die though, Gene," she replied, slipping her hand gently into his. "If you want to escape, even though you think there's nothing to escape to, you'll find yourself making excuses to stay... I suppose when Ciaran came back into her life, she might have started to believe God was forgiving her..."

"For what, though?" Gene frowned, brow crinkling. "She was six years old when she got diagnosed; what could she have done before she was six?"

Alex shrugged, biting her lip. "Anything... nothing... something as simple as dropping her Mum's favourite vase, but if that came just before her diagnosis, then she could have grown up convincing herself she'd deserved everything she got..."

"You'd grow out of it though," Gene said, frowning. "Wouldn't yer?"

"Depends," Alex murmured sadly, "if that was all she thought about for years, then it'd be enough to stick with her until she was a teenager..."

"So she broke her Mam's vase, and then she grew stones from her face?" Gene frowned, evidently unconvinced. "Christ, I should've died years ago if that's how it works!"

"It's not," Alex said, shaking her head. "It's just negative reinforcement; one thing precludes something negative, and that one thing becomes the bane of your life because it's the only sort of explanation you can come up with..."

"So, she was just a sad little bugger then?" Gene concluded, squeezing at her hand.

"A very messed up, sad little bugger," Alex agreed, nodding her head. "Yes..."

There was silence, in which Gene could practically see the cogs of Alex's brain whirring. He hesitated, then added, in a falsely hopeful voice, "'course, we could be wrong..." He nudged her playfully to try and break the solemn mood that was painted across her face, but saw nothing but grief and sadness in her eyes.

"And if we are," Alex murmured in reply, "then she was just an evil little girl, who broke two boys' hearts in exchange for stopping her own..."

Gene gulped, unsure what to say now that his plan had backfired, and instead moving to slip an arm around her shoulders, drawing her tightly against his chest and pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. He swallowed hard, glancing down at her as she pressed her face into his shirt, her hands clinging desperately to his back.

"Alex?" He whispered, his throat dry. She said nothing, but he knew she was listening, when she shifted her head slightly, letting his fingers comb tenderly through her hair. He hesitated for only a moment, the words catching slightly in his throat before he managed it, speaking quietly in the small room; "I love you."

She stilled slightly, before pulling back slowly, looking up at him with gentle, glistening eyes, before she smiled, cupping his cheek. "You've told me that quite a lot in the last few days..."

Gene shrugged, nodding non-committally as he murmured, "well, you looked like you could do with an excuse to punch someone..." His fingers traced up the column of her neck as he looked at her, his eyes warm and teasing on her own.

Alex smiled up at him, stroking lightly at his cheek. "You're just a soppy romantic at heart, aren't you?" She laughed, smirking as he raised his eyebrows suggestively and leaned forwards to murmur in her ear.

"The only thing soppy around 'ere is your knickers," he growled, nipping at her neck before pulling back, his eyes darkening slightly. "But don't worry," he said, smirking, "I can 'ave you out of 'em in a jiffy!"

Alex laughed, jabbing him in the ribs and shaking her head in despair. "You're really disgusting," she said, but Gene could tell that her solemn mood had lifted somewhat, and seized the opportunity to keep her smiling.

"Disgusting is as disgusting does, Bolly," he muttered seriously, slipping his hand to her waist before he added, "and I 'do' you rather alot..." With a glimmer of triumph in his eyes, he pulled her face to his, drowning the giggle that rose in her throat and slipping his tongue eagerly into her mouth. She smiled against him, letting him kiss her soundly for several minutes before she reluctantly pulled away.

"Come on," she sighed, toying with the cuff of his shirt. "We still need to interview Sophia, and finish talking to Joe..." She kissed the corner of his mouth gently, and then moved to stand up, heading towards the door with a sigh.

"Later," Gene answered, pulling her straight back against him and resting his head tiredly on top of her own. Alex frowned, and was just about to speak when he murmured softly into her hair, "I need a nap, Bols; feel like I've had ten rounds with Larry Holmes, with my hands cuffed the whole time..." he kissed her lightly on the forehead, stroking her hair.

"Are you sure you can't wait?" Alex said, glancing worriedly up at him. "The Super's already got problems with us; we don't need to give him more reason to-!"

"I'm half-cut, Bolly," he sighed, running his hand distractedly through his hair. "I've had three coffees since we got here and me eyes are still droopin' like an old ladies tits... I'll end up shooting meself in the foot the rate I'm going..." He stood slowly, kissing her lightly on the cheek before adding, "I'll crash at the flat; you've still got the key, right?" Alex sighed, nodding and reaching into the pocket of her jeans for the ring of keys she always kept there.

"Don't be long," she said, stroking his cheek. Gene chuckled, tracing his mouth from her cheek to her lips before whispering softly against them with his own.

"Gimme an hour," he murmured. "Shouldn't need much more than that."

Alex nodded hesitantly, drawing his hand into hers as she headed to the door. Gene followed her lead and rose slowly to his feet, a slight frown creasing his forehead as he took her in.

"New top?" He asked, taking in the low-cut V of the cerulean blue fitted blouse she was wearing. She blinked, apparently shocked, and then smiled radiantly.

"Yes..." she said, practically beaming. "I didn't think you'd notice!"

Gene smirked, stepping forwards and slipping two hands to her waist as he tugged her against him. "I always notice when yer tits look like that," he murmured, drawing back enough that he could bend his head, his lips gentle against the curve of her breast. Alex smiled, dropping a kiss on the top of his head and tangling her fingers in his hair, before gently tugging him away.

"You'll get me into trouble if you stay down there," she laughed, pushing him in the shoulder and turning to leave. His arm snaked around her waist, drawing her right back against his chest, hands moving to cup her breasts as he chuckled huskily in her ear.

"How about now?" He asked, moving down to nip playfully at her neck. "You in trouble yet?"

"Not really..." Alex breathed, "right now, I look like a very unwilling participant... but you will be in very big trouble if Harrison finds you with a hard-on."

Gene grumbled, releasing her breasts and slipping his hands back to her waist. "Your fault," he muttered grumpily, pressing a kiss to her chin. "Too willing for yer own good..." His right hand gently smoothed over the curve of her arse, lips an inch away from her skin as he sighed wistfully. "If I wasn't so tired, Bols, I'd punish you..." With a smarting smack to her behind, he pulled away, smirking as he opened the door. "Right then, Little Miss Shagworthy," he said, motioning for her to leave. "Get yer soggy knickers back to the office – I'm off." His lips descended briefly on hers, warm and inviting, tasting strongly of coffee and cigarettes, before he broke it off and stroked tenderly down her cheek with his hand. Alex smiled up at him, her eyes sparkling.

"Get to bed, Gene," she said, her voice gentle. "You can punish me later." With a swift kiss to his cheek, she left, her hips swaying perfectly as she swanned off to the main office... Gene watched her arse until it had rounded the corner, then headed out of the building and across the street.

---

Having sent Ray and Chris off to collect statements on a local burglary, and after giving them explicit instructions to remain away for at least an hour and a half, if not more, Alex settled into her chair and lethargically picked through her paperwork, attempting to be as thorough as possible, even as her mind drifted elsewhere; Rosa, Benji, Ciaran, Joe... but most of all, it seemed to slide through the open window and bounce across the street, towards the small flat above Luigi's, where Gene was probably crashed out on the old sofa, which they'd negated to remove when they transferred their belongings to their new home... She sighed, twirling the pen between her fingers and tapping it agitatedly on the desk as the minutes hand slowly dragged itself around the clock millimetre by millimetre, waiting impatiently for the door to open and Gene's unmistakeably heavy footsteps to break into the odd quiet that had descended on CID.

It took her about fifteen seconds once the hand had completed a whole circuit, for her to leap from her chair and toss her white jacket around her shoulders. "I'm off out, Shaz," she explained airily, hoping the younger girl didn't notice the impatience in her voice, or the way she was halfway out of the door before she'd finished; Shaz simply nodded, smiled, and waited until the door had closed in Alex's wake before the knowing smirk played across her lips.

---

He wasn't on the sofa, as she'd expected him to be, and after dropping her jacket over the back of the armchair, she slipped into the bedroom, treading quietly into the room and pausing in the doorway, her tooth toying at her lip as a flush of warmth spread through her body.

He'd removed his shirt and trousers, hooking them neatly over the tops of the wardrobe doors to prevent any creases, and was laid out on his side, one arm stretched in front of him, as though searching for something or someone. She shivered delightedly, watching as he slept, his breathing soft and yet grating in the quiet flat. The bed remained unmade, the mattress of pale yellow looking gaudy and unattractive, whilst the old blanket Alex had once used for cuddling up in on the sofa was pulled loosely up to his waist. With a smile, she slid her shoes from her feet, gingerly sitting before him on the mattress, before wriggling easily beneath the arm he had stretched in front of him. Almost instantly, it curved around her, tugging her closer as he slept onwards, pulling her familiarly towards his chest and allowing her head to rest, as it often did, against the firm thud of his heartbeat. Alex felt herself sigh, closing her eyes for a few brief, wonderful moments, before she moved to press a kiss to the base of his neck, her mouth gentle and warm.

"Gene..." she murmured, moving higher and revering every inch of skin with a soft, loving kiss, feeling his pulse quicken slightly beneath her lips. He stirred, moving slightly in his sleep, but didn't wake. "Gene," she repeated, nibbling gently at his jaw and stroking at his cheek with one hand. "You have to wake up..." Her whisper was warm, sweet, and welcoming, and a moment later, Gene's hold tightened again, his lips barely even opening as he let out a gentle murmur of enjoyment.

"That'll do it..." he breathed, his eyes still closed as her lips trailed gently across his cheeks, his jaw, and, finally, his mouth. The return kiss he gave her was gentle and easy, lips lazily caressing as one hand worked its way beneath her new blouse. "Mmm..." he murmured, "'e's definitely wakin' up now..."

Alex giggled, moving to draw away from him, but his arms pulled her closer, the length of his body pressed firmly into her own, and there was no mistaking the insistent pressure at her hip, nor the desire and warmth that flooded through her whole body, pounding through her veins and chasing down to her centre, pulsing and thundering as he kissed her again.

"Gene..." she murmured weakly, her breathing heavy and wanton between each brush of their lips. "Gene, we should really-"

He ignored her token protests, rolling her onto her back and easing his knee between her legs, alternately grinding it against her, and then urging her hips against his leg in turn. His lips slid softly down her neck, peppering the way with gentle nips and bites that had her gasping and murmuring, along with the more urgent moans as his knee continued to rub her teasingly and erotically through the fabric of her jeans.

"We should..." he murmured, slipping one hand to her blouse whilst the other held her hip firmly in a vice grip. "...stay here..." he popped the buttons expertly, unhindered by the lack of his other hand as he slowly, yet eagerly, revealed more of her body to him. "...and do naughty, naughty things to each other..." His lips fell to the curve of her breasts, tongue peeking out to caress the warm skin as he gently pushed the blouse from her shoulders. "...until I say 'stop'..." He eased the cup of her bra back, closing his lips sensuously around Alex's nipple as she reached for the button of her jeans, sliding the zip down, even as she whispered her protest.

"Have to talk to Joe..." she murmured, whimpering as he snapped her bra free and tossed it away from them.

"Mmm..." he murmured, easing his fingers beneath her knickers and stroking her gently, biting slightly harder on her breast as he felt her wet and willing. "We will... later... you're very wet though..." he kissed up to her neck, nuzzling and sucking as he whispered softly against her. "Don't wanna flood the place... best stay 'ere a bit..." His fingers moved slightly faster, thumb pressing briefly against her clit before he drew away, removing her jeans slowly as his mouth trailed down her stomach, teasing across her hip and down her thigh as he dropped both jeans and knickers on the floor without a care.

Alex whimpered, tangling her fingers in his hair and tugging him impatiently up her body, her mouth clashing against his as she pushed the boxers from his body, abandoning all pretence of protest as her teeth and tongue entwined smoothly with his, her leg wrapping firmly around his waist as he teasingly rubbed his length against her hot, slick centre. He kept one arm tight around her back, whilst his free hand moved to cup her right breast, massaging it gently and rolling the nipple between his fingers until she was grinding her hips repeatedly up at him.

"Gene, please..." she murmured, her eyes glazed as she dragged her mouth away and stared up at him. Her hand cupped his cheek, her skin cool against his own as she stroked her fingers gently downwards. "I need you now," she whispered, leaning up to capture his lips again, pressing herself closer to him with a groan of frustration, practically sobbing when he drew away, his tongue peeking out to wet his lips as he nodded, trailing his hands down the curves of her hips, over her arse and down the backs of her thighs...

"Roll over, Alex," he murmured, pressing his lips to her neck as he softly directed her onto her knees, easing his lips down the spinal column as he pressed his erection firmly against her. "Love this..." he whispered, stroking her slick channel with long, teasing fingers. "You're soaked..."

His other hand skimmed over her body possessively, firmly stroking and teasing as his mouth left a trail of red marks in its wake, scattered across her shoulders and neck as the tip of his erection brushed against her. She moaned softly, the sound heady and desperate, and Gene could barely restrain the whimper that threatened to break forth from his lips as he urged himself swiftly into her, one hand on her hip, the other cupping her breast.

Alex gasped slightly, rocking her body back against his own as he thrust into her, tender and aggressive all at once, filling her up completely. She closed her eyes, panting and sighing as he bit into the gentle flesh at the base of her neck, before pushing in deep, slow and hard, teasing her easily.

"You feel incredible..." he told her, his voice husky in her ear as he continued steadily on, delighting in the feel of her tight heat, and the sound of her hitching breath as he kept thrusting, gradually increasing his pace, spearing her with his length as his fingers slid down to her centre, brushing her clit, teasing her gently as she writhed, and then-

"Stop!" She gasped, her breathing heavy as Gene stilled himself instantly, still hard inside her, even as his body froze with worry and he began fumbling to apologise for some unknown feat. Almost instantly, she brought one hand to his, stroking it softly as she turned her head towards his, her eyes fluttering closed as she pressed herself back into him, capturing his lips for a brief second before she spoke.

"Want to see you," she whispered, reaching behind her to cup his balls in one hand, teasing him softly until he was gasping and whimpering against her mouth. He withdrew from her swiftly, just as she turned around and pushed him back down to the bed, straddling his waist with her thighs as she slid back down onto him, head thrown back in delight.

"Oh God!" Gene gasped, clenching his fingers on her waist as she rotated her hips, angling them so that he was inside her as fully as possible. "Fuck!" He tried to sit up, to lift himself towards her and cover her glorious breasts with his mouth, but her hands pinned him to the bed, and, easy as it would have been to flip her over and fuck her senseless, he stayed still, staring up into her hazel eyes as she moved herself over him with deliberate, slow movements, one hand finding his, their fingers twining together as she went, whilst the other reached to cup his cheek. He stayed still, but for the gentle up-thrust of his hips, his eyes almost fluttering closed as she stroked across the soft stubble on his jaw, moving over him with an intimate gentleness that he never wanted to lose.

"I love you..." she murmured, leaning forwards, bringing both hands to the sides of Gene's face, but keeping his fingers twined tenderly with her own. His eyes burned, flickering with heated lust, but softening as she moved to brush her mouth to his, keeping her eyes open as she went. He groaned, the hand that had previously rested on her hip shifting up to cup the back of her head, tongue tangling with hers as he too kept both eyes open, locked with hers as she continued to move slowly against him. She felt him twitch within her, felt his hips urge slightly faster against her own as she brought his lip between her teeth, nipping lightly at him and watching as his eyes blazed, his hand suddenly more insistent on the back of her head, tongue swiping passionately against hers before she dragged her mouth away, lifting herself up and letting his hand slip from her hair.

The fingers wrapped around her own tightened, and he drew her hand to his lips, not once breaking eye contact as he pressed a soft kiss to her palm, and then her wrist. As he drew away from her wrist, his lips moved, and she watched as he mouthed those same three words back at her, totally inaudible, and yet somehow all the more poignant for being so. She stilled above him, her heart racing and head spinning with emotion, before suddenly he leaned upwards, taking her left breast in his mouth and letting out a soft groan as she tangled her hand in his soft blonde hair, holding his head against her, urging him on whilst his arms wrapped around her, guiding her over him easily...

Alex leaned into his touch, her lips brushing Gene's ear as she rocked against him and repeated her previous statement; "I love you..." She reached between them, stroking herself gently as Gene began to sweat, as his arms tightened and his mouth bit hard against her breast; "I love you so much..."

He grunted in agreement, one hand tracing down to join hers, fingers tangling together as they both worked her clit, sending her whole body rigid as the orgasm built up, a large block in her stomach that exploded into dust at the same moment that Gene's back arched, as he thrust once, twice, three times, before he released with a loud groan... Alex's head flew back, a loud, guttural moan of pleasure torn from her lips as she bucked against him, white stars bursting before her eyes as Gene's teeth closed once again on her nipple, heightening the sensation as her fingers dug into his back, her breath heavy and gasping as he drew back from her chest, kissing her lightly, almost chastely, barely brushing her lips before resting his head against her own.

His eyes met hers in the dim light of the room, and she saw them softening and burning in one simultaneous moment, just before his arms tightened around her, drawing her into his chest as he lay them both back down on the bare mattress.

Her hand tangled in his hair, combing lightly through the soft locks, Alex pressed a soft kiss to his forehead, watching as his eyes fluttered closed at her touch. Wistfully and regretfully, she let out a soft sigh. "We need to go back, Gene," she murmured, resting her forehead lightly against his own, half-smiling as he let out a dull grunt of acknowledgement. His hand slid down her back, resting just above her arse before he spoke, his voice rough and grating with exhaustion.

"Can't," he muttered, shuffling himself slightly closer and turning his face towards hers. "I've been fucked into an early grave, by some gorgeous bint who's out of her very over-sized mind..." He kissed her affectionately, silencing her gasp of protest. He waited a few seconds. "Ten minutes..." he murmured. "An' don't bloody complain, either; if you hadn't come in 'ere an' started rubbing up against me particulars, we'd 'ave been there by now!"

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Huge mega 'thank you!' to Vintage1983 for beta-ing once again, and filling me in with the 'Larry Holmes' info rather than Mike Tyson!

Hope the smut broke up the angstiness for you, but it's more plot next chapter!

Let me know what you thought of it!

Mage of the Heart