A/N: Hey guys. It's been a while. I am so sorry; the summer just was not conducive to writing and since I've been back at school, it's just been really busy. Here's a nice long fic to say thank you for being patient with me.
Nurse Me: a fic about one character nursing/healing another
"AAACCCHHHOOO!"
Ruth looked up suddenly in the direction of Harry's office. He'd been fighting a cold for the past two days and he was losing badly. His symptoms had just been getting worse.
Ruth picked up a spare box of tissues and approached the open door. Harry was leaning forward, his forehead resting on his hands that were clenched into fists on top of his blotter. She announced her presence at his door with a gentle, "Harry?"
His head snapped up and he flexed his fists. His nose was red and raw around the bottom and Ruth noticed a crumpled paper towel from the Thames House bathrooms on his desk. She smiled gently and held out the box of balsam tissues. "I think these might be kinder to your nose."
"Thank you Ruth," he croaked, accepting her gift. He immediately ripped two tissues out of the box and held them up to his face as he sneezed again. He noisily blew his nose and then looked up sheepishly. "Sorry."
Ruth dismissed his apology with a small smile. "Why don't you go home, Harry? It's already three o'clock. Take the weekend and rest and try to get better."
He hung his head and shrugged. "If I go home," he said slowly. "I won't know what the hell to do with myself anyway. And I have a meeting at four with the DG."
"About the latest recruitment drive?" Ruth inquired. Harry nodded. Ruth waved a hand negligently. "Forget it. It can wait till Monday, surely?"
Harry nodded. "All right. I'll call him and cancel our meeting. I'll go home. I don't quite know what I'll do with myself, but I'll go home."
"I'll tell you what to do," Ruth replied. "You'll go home, dig out some Lemsip Cold & Flu and then go to bed after you've consumed three large glasses of water.
"Yes sir!" he replied teasingly. He would have saluted her, but he didn't really think he had the energy to lift his arm. "Although I don't think I have any Lemsip; I'll have to stop at the chemist."
"I'll call the DG's office for you," she offered. "The last thing you need right now is to be dealing with Patricia." Harry grimaced; he'd forgotten about the DG's PA. "Go to the chemist and then go home."
"Don't stay too late," he told her. "You've put in more hours this week than most of that lot put together. You deserve a break."
"I'll call the DG and then I'll leave. Now go... before you infect the whole team."
Ruth watched him as he turned and left his office, leaving the Grid through the pods, staring at the lower half of his body. For a man his age, he was in pretty good shape. He could probably stand to lose a few pounds but Ruth didn't mind, in fact she preferred a man with a bit of a paunch.
Ruth was startled out of her reverie by the appearance of Adam and Zaf. "We just passed Harry in the corridor. Has he gone home?" Adam asked.
"Yes, I convinced him to go home to bed."
"He wasn't in any fit state to be here," agreed Adam, "but I'm surprised you got him to see that."
"It must be that mystical power that Ruth has over him," Zaf replied cheekily.
"Oh my power is much more wide ranging than just Harry," Ruth replied, a glint in her eye. "For example, you are going to ring the DG and cancel Harry's four o'clock meeting whilst I go home, aren't you Zaf?" She flounced passed them to her desk, where she shut down her station and gathered her things.
On her way to the pods, she could hear Zaf trying to reason with Patricia, the DG's personal assistant. It served him right, she reasoned, but by the time she was in the lift she was feeling a little guilty; Patricia could be very persistent! Ruth was so busy trying to think of a way to make it up to Zaf, that she missed her stop and before she knew it the lift had delivered her to the underground car park.
Ruth frowned when the lift doors opened and she saw that Harry was still in his car. She walked over and looked in. His head was back against the headrest, his eyes closed and his mouth open. She tapped lightly on the window. He jerked awake and turned his head towards her. He wound down the window before rubbing his hands over his face. "Shit, I must have dozed off. Thanks for waking me up."
He reached for ignition, where his keys dangled. Ruth reached in through the window and grabbed his forearm. He turned and she found herself inches from his face. "No," she said.
"Ruth!" he started to protest.
"Get out and get in the passenger side. I'm taking you home and that's all there is to it. I'm not having my relaxing weekend ruined by worrying whether or not you've wrapped your car around a lamppost after falling asleep at the wheel."
He snorted. "I'll be fine, Ruth. I just dozed off for a minute."
"You are not fine! You are sick and you are tired! Now get out and stop being so damn stubborn!" Ruth's voice had gotten progressively louder as she let her frustration get the better of her. She began to wonder what would happen if he did have a car accident. That thought brought tears to her eyes although she didn't let them fall by blinking rapidly. She swallowed hard, shaking her head to dislodge the thought.
She didn't hear him get out of the car, but suddenly he was in front of her, sliding one hand down her arm pressing his car keys into her palm with his other.
"I'm sorry Ruth. I didn't mean to upset you."
She shook her head. "It's nothing. It's okay."
He gently placed his hands on her shoulders and stared at her face until she raised her eyes to meet his. "It's not easy working for me, is it?" he asked gently.
She swallowed and licked her lips looking at his broad chest. She looked up again to find his eyes riveted to her lips. He jerked his eyes up to meet her gaze. Ruth was suddenly very uncomfortable. She cleared her throat. "I don't remember ever working for anyone quite as stubborn," she replied finally, trying to bring some levity back into the situation.
One corner of his mouth turned up. His thumbs traced random patterns on her collarbones and she realized his fingers had slipped inside the collar of her blouse. She pulled back and turned, saying, "Come on. Let's go."
She slipped into the driver's seat and Harry, somewhat reluctantly, walked to the passenger side and slid in, fastening his seatbelt.
They rode in silence for about five minutes, until Harry sneezed, breaking the silence. Ruth pointed at the glove box. He opened it and pulled out a small pack of travel tissues, grinning. "Always prepared, aren't you? Were you a girl guide?" he teased.
He blew his nose, his eyes twinkling with amusement. He was a handsome man, but when he smiled, he was just so damn endearing. Something about all that bulk looking amused or sheepish just melted Ruth's heart. She knew she was dangerously close to falling for him, and it really wasn't a good idea. Better women than her had their reputations ruined by getting involved with someone from work. She knew Zaf and Jo were quickly careering towards a relationship but that was different; no one seemed to care if they were together or not. With Harry and her it would be different, she knew. He was her superior for a start.
Ruth pulled into the car park of the local Sainsburys and hopped out, waving off his offer of money. She trotted inside, going to the pharmacy section and grabbing what she wanted, plus a few other things that caught her eye. She doubted he was very prepared. He was a bachelor after all.
Ruth paid for the items and hurried back to car. Harry was resting his head again but wasn't asleep. His eyes opened slowly and he turned his head to look at her. His eyes widened when he saw the bulging bag. "More in there than Lemsip," he commented.
Ruth tossed the bag into the back of the car, before turning the ignition and backing out of the parking space. Once back on the road, her thoughts turned to back to the events in the Thames House car park. She suppressed an involuntary shiver remembering the warmth of his hands and the surge of nervousness that appeared every time he touched her. He didn't do it often. He was very professional and he knew better than anyone how easy it was to be accused of sexual harassment. Maybe because it was so rare, those touches stood out in her mind.
Ruth was so lost in thought; she nearly drove passed his house. She hit the brakes and made a quick turn into his driveway. She followed him out of the car to his front door. "What are you doing?" he asked.
Ruth met his gaze squarely. "I'm going to make sure you take care of yourself," she said, waving the Sainsbury's bag at him.
He shook his head but didn't argue as the entered the hallway. He didn't want to admit it, but Ruth wondered if he was secretly happy to have the company. As he'd mentioned, he didn't know what to do with himself when he was alone. She realized that he must be a lonely man. She wondered how many friends he had. Did he even have any? Were they all friends that disappeared after he divorced Jane? If he had ever had any social life it would have been because of Jane. But now he practically lived on The Grid.
Ruth felt a wave of sadness for him as she followed him silently through the house to the kitchen, where they were greeted by a very excited Scarlet. As Ruth bent down to pet the Jack Russell, Harry gently pried the shopping bag out of her hands. "Jesus, Ruth," he exclaimed as he felt the weight of it, "Did you buy the entire shop? What on earth have you got in here?"
"Bits and bobs," she replied as she stood up and took the bag back from him. "You have a nice house," she smiled.
"Better than you expected?" he asked.
Ruth looked around again and blurted out, "It's clean."
Harry threw his head back and laughed. Ruth blushed about ten shades of red. When he had his mirth under control, he said, "Expected me to live in squalor, did you?"
"No! That's not what I meant! It just ... it wasn't what I …"
"Wasn't what you were expecting," he finished for her, letting her off the hook.
"Yeah, sorry. I don't know why I said that."
"You're blushing," Harry pointed out. Ruth hung her head, embarrassed, clutching the Sainsburys bag to her chest. He was suddenly in front of her and lifting her chin with two fingers. "Don't be embarrassed."
"How am I not supposed to be embarrassed? I'm in my boss's kitchen for the first time and I'm making an idiot out of myself."
"No, you're not. It's cute."
"Great, I'm cute. Just what I always wanted."
He was suddenly still. Too still and his thumb brushed across her cheek. His voice was just above a whisper. "Your comments were cute. YOU are beautiful," he said, staring at her with an intensity she'd never seen on his face before.
Ruth opened her mouth to say something, anything, but words failed her. What the hell was wrong with her? 'Say something!' she thought. "You should go and change; that suit can't be comfortable. I'll fix you some things," she said too quickly, moving to the worktop and emptying the bag, glad to have something to do.
She didn't turn around, but she heard him climb the stairs and close a door somewhere above her. A picture of him undressing flashed through her mind and she shook herself, murmuring, "That way madness lies."
Flicking the kettle on, she grabbed a coffee cup from the mug tree and poured the Lemsip into it before unpacking the rest of the bag; soup, bread, energy drinks, nasal spray, several boxes of tissues. It took a few minutes of rummaging, but she finally found a saucepan and put it on the stove, pouring in the soup. She busied herself self for the next few minutes while she waited for the water to boil. She hoped Harry hadn't fallen asleep yet, not before she could get some medicine into him. She wasn't sure if he had a nasty cold, or really had the start of the flu, but either way, the medication would help. She refilled Scarlet's food and water bowls too, to save Harry the trouble. At least he wouldn't have to take her out tonight; she could come and go into the garden as she pleased, thanks to the dog-flap cut into the back door.
A few minutes later Harry reappeared wearing grey tracksuit pants and a tight, white t-shirt. Did he have any idea what he was doing to her? Ruth hoped not. He leaned negligently against the doorframe, as the kettle clicked off, and she poured hot water into the mug. He approached and took out a teaspoon, handing it to her. She stirred the medicine while he peered into the saucepan. "Chicken soup?" he asked.
She looked up. "You don't like it?"
"I love it. Haven't had it in a while though."
"It's just out of the can, unfortunately," Ruth stated.
"Out of the can is the best!" he said.
"Typical man. You'd probably rather eat a frozen dinner than a home cooked meal."
"Ah, now that's not true. I love home cooked meals. But these days I get those even less often than I get chicken soup."
Before she could stop herself, Ruth said, "I'll have to have you over for dinner sometime."
Silence descended and the looked at each other awkwardly again. "Ruth..."
Desperate to avoid his gaze Ruth handed him the Lemsip. "Drink up. Sit down. I'll pour this when it's ready. By the way, where do you keep your bowls?" She was babbling and she knew it.
He set his mug down after taking one sip and grimacing.
Ruth began opening cupboards, looking for a bowl, realising she really had no right to rifle through his cupboards. "Sorry, I shouldn't snoop. Just tell me where they are."
He stepped behind her and took her forearms in his hands gently, lowering them from the cupboard where she'd just left the door hanging open. She froze and lowered them to the counter, grabbing the edge and squeezing until her knuckles turned white. He reached up with one hand over her head, to the cupboard door next to the one she'd just been in, opened it and pulled down a big soup bowl. "Are you having some?" he asked softly. Ruth shook her head. Harry closed the cupboard doors and then brought both his hands down gently on Ruth's wrists, prying them off the edge of the counter. "Turn around, Ruth."
She shook her head again. "I'm sorry, Harry. I don't know what's wrong with me today. I really did just want to help you out, and I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I'd never want to do that. I'm forgetting who you are and ..."
"Ruth, turn around," he said in that voice that brooked no argument.
She took a deep breath, steeling herself and slowly turned as he released her wrists. He was so close and she could feel the heat coming off his body again. "I'm sorry," she muttered again, looking at the ground.
He lifted her chin with two fingers. They stared at each other for a couple of seconds and Ruth felt traitorous tears sting her eyelids again. She tried to wrench her head away but he held her by the chin, gently, but firmly. He leaned close, and whispered, "I'd love to come over for dinner, Ruth. I'd like it even more if you'd relax around me. I'm not going to bite you."
"I know Harry. Like I said, I don't know what's wrong with me."
He placed his index finger softly on her lips, halting her words. She sucked in a tiny gasp. "There's nothing wrong with you, Ruth. We're just not used to spending time together as friends."
His finger fell away from her face and took a tiny step back giving her some space. "Friends? Are we friends?"
"After three years of working together, I'd hope we're friends."
"Yes, you're right. Friends. Of course we are. Your soup's going to burn." She turned away quickly and made her way to the stove, stirring the soup and taking it off the heat. She poured it into the bowl and turned, asking Harry, "Do you want bread?"
"Yes, but I don't have any." Ruth pointed further down the counter to the bread rolls she'd bought. He smiled widely and said, "What would I do without you?"
"I don't know. But you don't look like you're starving to death."
"No, that's not one of my problems," he answered, chuckling. He grabbed a roll and a knife and began cutting it in half.
"No, it's not," Ruth said, finding her eyes drawn to his body again. He paused in the action of cutting the bread and stilled, watching Ruth watching him. She realized what she was doing and pulled her eyes away, bringing the pan to the sink and running some water. She picked up the washing-up liquid, intending to do the dishes.
"Leave it, Ruth. Come on. Make yourself some tea and sit with me."
Ruth nodded, feeling stupid again, but put more water in the kettle and retrieved another mug as he sat down at the table with the soup and started to eat. He hummed contentedly as he ate and Ruth smiled, thinking about how little it really took to please him. He smiled up at her and said, "I think this is just what I needed. I didn't realize it, but I felt so crappy, I don't think I ate all day."
"I know," she said simply.
He paused for a moment with a spoonful halfway to his mouth, taking in the implications of her simple statement. Did that mean she'd been watching him? Ruth poured her tea and sat down opposite him. He continued to eat and she pushed his mug of Lemsip across the table to him. He grimaced but took sips in between mouthfuls of soup. They were both gone in no time and Ruth cleared away his dishes, squirting soap in the sink.
"You don't have to do that, Ruth. Just leave it."
"I don't mind. Besides, you need to sleep. Go ahead. I can let myself out."
"Not yet, but I will move on the sofa. Come and join me?"
"When I've finished this."
Harry rolled his eyes, but left her to her task. She quickly finished up the few dishes and put them on the drying rack.
She walked into his living room intending to tell him she had to go. She'd crossed too many lines today. Although he didn't seem to mind, Ruth knew she was setting herself up for a fall. He was just responding politely because she was being nice to him, mothering him a little. It'd probably been a long time since anyone had mothered him. She rounded the end of the couch and opened her mouth, and stopped dead. He was half reclined against the corner of the couch, one leg on the floor, the other dangling half way off the couch. His head was back against the cushion, his eyes closed. He looked so peaceful and relaxed. It was then Ruth realized he wasn't wearing any shoes or socks. She looked at his bare feet appreciatively, even they were sexy.
Yes, her boss was a very sexy man, especially when he pouted. Despite her intentions of leaving, Ruth inched closer and sat gingerly on the edge of the couch near his hip. She allowed herself the guilty pleasure of staring at his body while he was unaware. She didn't usually get the chance to be this open about her perusal. He was snoring lightly and she felt her heart rate increase slightly with their proximity. In slow motion, she found herself reaching toward him with her hand. She placed it gently on his sternum and he sighed, but didn't wake. He was so warm. What if he weren't sick? Would something happen? Did she want it to?
Yes, she did. Very much, she realized, and it scared her. Not enough though that she could stop her hand from sweeping gently across his chest. Her hand slid lower, her eyes following its trail. She moved it over his abdomen and felt something brush her elbow. She jumped slightly as she realised he had an erection tenting his trousers and she had moved her hand down far enough to brush against it. Move away, she shouted to herself. But she was frozen.
She turned her head to really look at it and it looked impressive. It was difficult to tell through the sweats, but he clearly wasn't fully erect and it looked good size already. She jerked back to awareness when his hand landed on her wrist. She gasped and turned to look at him. His eyes were wide open and she tried to pull her hand away. He held it firmly in place. "Harry... I'm sorry… I have to go."
She tried to stand up but his other arm came up and grasped her hip, stopping her. She plunked back down from the few inches she had risen. "Don't go," he said roughly.
"You're sick, Harry. I'm sorry. I've really crossed the line. I'm so sorry." She tried to stand again but he held her in place. The hand on her hip slid around and up, exerting gentle pressure on her back, tugging her towards his torso. "Harry..."
"Let me hold you, Ruth," he said in rough whisper. She didn't say anything, just stared at him, wanting it so bad but so afraid at the same time. As if he'd read her mind, he said, "I won't hurt you, Ruth. I'd never hurt you. Please, just stay with me a while. Let me hold you." His bottom lip quivered slightly. "It's been so long since anyone touched me," he whispered.
She couldn't tell him no and felt her muscles relax as she sank down towards him, gently laying her head on his chest, his chin on the crown of her head. But she still tried to hold up her own weight. "Harry…"she began.
"Shhh," he admonished. "Come here." He moved his legs up onto the couch and turned on his side, making room for her. He tugged gently and she fell next to him, rolling into his body. He lifted his leg and Ruth's slid in between, her knee rising as if it had a will of its own. She stopped when she felt it brush the heat of his groin. Her skirt was bunching around her waist, and her shirt was untucked and all askew. Harry groaned quietly as her thigh brushed against him and she felt him harden further against her.
"You're sick," she repeated not knowing what else to say. Her head was cushioned on his big bicep and his head lay against a small throw pillow that was on the couch.
"Just hold me," he whispered.
Ruth felt sadness again for this incredibly lonely man and slipped her arm over his torso. He hummed with pleasure and she realized that Harry wasn't the only one that was lonely. When was the last time she'd had a date? She kicked off her shoes and snuggled closer.
His warmth and the soft rumble of his chest lulled her as he hummed. The next thing Ruth knew, Harry was shaking her awake gently. Panicked about letting things go so far, Ruth tried to extricate herself from him quickly.
"It's all right," he said. "I just need a tissue. I need to get up."
"Oh, right. Of course. There's some in the kitchen." Ruth rolled away from him and nearly fell off the couch. He steadied her as she righted herself and stood up. He followed slowly, groaning slightly as he stood. "Should I go home now?" Ruth asked. "You really should go to bed."
"No." That was all he said as he walked through to the kitchen. Ruth heard him blowing his nose and then he returned holding the entire tissue box. He approached her and with his free hand, slipped it over hers and tugged gently.
"Harry, what are you doing?"
"Come on." He simply turned and pulled her behind him upstairs to the bedroom. It was large, but dominated by the king-size bed in the centre. "We only slept a couple hours."
Ruth glanced at the clock on his wall. Indeed, it was 7:00 PM. It was still light out. "Harry, I don't know... I mean..." she hesitated.
He walked over to his dresser and opened a drawer. He pulled out a tee shirt and tossed it to her. "You can sleep in this."
She swallowed hard. "You're sure you want me to stay?"
"Very sure." He could see her nervousness and hesitation. "Please, Ruth."
Damn it. He'd said the magic word. Ruth never could say no when he said please. She nodded and walked out to change in the bathroom. She removed her wrinkled skirt and blouse. She hesitated but then removed her bra, throwing the tee shirt over her head. It swirled around her in a billowing cloud of Harry-scent and she inhaled deeply. Luckily, the shirt was big on her and fell to a respectable length. She folded her clothes carefully and carried them back into the bedroom. She set them on the dresser and found herself having an attack of shyness. He was already lying in the bed and she could see his eyes drooping as he looked at her languidly.
"Come to bed Ruth," he whispered. Oh how she had longed to hear those words from him, but never imagined it would be like this. "I know you're probably not even tired and I'm sorry I can't stay awake. But I really don't want you to leave."
"I could sleep on the couch. You could just shout if you need anything."
He shook his head. "I want you next to me. You don't need to worry, I'm too tired to try and seduce you," he assured me.
"I know," she answered finally. She stepped quickly to the bed, lifted the comforter and sheets and slid quickly underneath onto her back, pulling the covers up to her chin.
Harry pulled her toward him and manoeuvred her onto her side. He slid his arm under her head again and tugged on her hip, pulling her back into his body. Ruth felt bare skin against her legs; he'd taken his jogging bottoms off, but was still wearing his tee-shirt and boxer briefs. He settled her firmly into the cradle of his hips and sighed loudly. "Feels so nice," he mumbled, burying his nose in the hair at the back of her neck, making her shiver.
'I can do this,' she told herself. She didn't have to freak out. Harry was sick and lonely and just needed her for company and to feel a little tenderness for a change. She took a deep breath and relaxed into his hold. He hummed happily in the back of his throat and slid his hand off her hip and up onto her stomach, squeezing her gently. Ruth moaned softly, unable to help herself.
She didn't think she was tired, but within moments she was fast asleep, wrapped in a warm cocoon of Harry.
The next time she woke, she found herself flat on her back, with Harry draped over one half of her body. His nose was buried in the crook of her neck. She turned to look at the clock and realised it was now about three in the morning; they'd slept a long time. Ruth's slight motion must have disturbed him because his arm squeezed her gently where it lay across her stomach.
He made adorable humming sounds and snuggled closer, one leg sliding between hers. She suddenly had the inane thought of wondering whether she'd shaved her legs yesterday. The hair on his legs sliding over her sensitive skin made her shiver again. Her nipples hardened. Then she felt his bare leg slide up and brush gently between her thighs. She moaned and felt wetness pool between her legs.
Her hand began sliding up and down his back, realising he'd lost his shirt at some point during the night. He'd probably been too hot. He groaned softly and squirmed against her. She glanced down as his head moved from her neck down to her shoulder. He was still asleep. Ruth bit her lip when she felt his warmth breath cascading over her breast. She could feel the moist breath torturing her nipple into a hard, little peak, even through the shirt she was wearing.
She tried to lie still. She was enjoying this way too much, but knew she couldn't let it go any further. It was dangerous. It was stupid. It could end her career. She noticed she could no longer hear the rattle in his breathing and hoped he was feeling better. Then all thought left her as his hand slid up her torso under the shirt and cupped her unfettered breast, squeezing gently. "Oh God," she moaned softly.
He suddenly stiffened and Ruth knew he was awake. He went stock still for several moments, assessing the situation, realising he was lying half on top of her, had his head on her shoulder, his hand on her breast and his leg wedged between hers. Then he let out the sexiest moan Ruth had ever heard, flexing his erection against her hip. His lips slid up, brushing across her pulse, which was suddenly very rapid, and his tongue snaked out and licked her neck.
He sucked gently on her skin and she gasped, "Oh God, Harry." He moved so fast Ruth hardly had time to realize what he was doing before he was straddling her and his lips came down on hers, forcing her mouth open and sliding his tongue inside. Ruth thought briefly about the fact that he was sick and she would probably catch it, but then thought of nothing as she sank into the pleasure of being kissed by Harry Pearce.
His fingers wove through her hair, holding her head in place as he firmly but gently plundered her mouth. He pulled back briefly to nip at her swollen lips and lick them. His eyes finally opened and he stared at her, his erection huge and throbbing against her stomach. His voice was ragged when he finally said, "I want you so badly."
Ruth gasped and ran her hands up his bulging biceps and onto his back. He threw his head back, closing his eyes. "Harry..."
His eyes opened again and without saying a word, he lifted Ruth's tee shirt. She lifted her torso without realising, unconsciously assisting him as he pulled it over her head. He left it tangled around her forearms and wrists and pinned her hands above her head. "Let me make love to you, Ruth."
"You're delirious, Harry. You're sick, and..."
"I'm fine. I'm not delirious, and I want you Ruth."
She panted as her exposed breasts ached and her nipples hardened even further from the cold air. "I can't lose everything just because of sex," she sobbed suddenly.
The tension was instantly gone from his face. "You won't."
"How can you say that? You're not in my position... You're just horny, but what about later? You're my boss Harry!"
He lowered himself gently above her, his hips touching down as her legs spread as if they had a mind of their own. He grunted as they made contact, their underwear seeming to be little barrier to the heat they were generating despite this impromptu conversation. "It's not just sex," he said.
"It's not?" Ruth whimpered, feeling like an idiot.
His lips brushed her eyelids, then her nose and finally moved to her mouth, stopping, but brushing her lips as he talked. "You know it isn't."
"Do I? How the hell would I know that?"
He scrunched his brow and, as if he realised she had no reason to think otherwise, said, "I'm crazy about you, Ruth." He kissed her gently. "I've been crazy about you for a long time."
Ruth's head was spinning. Could this be really be true? Or was he just telling her what she would need to hear to get her to sleep with him? "What are you saying?" she finally asked.
His eyes locked with hers and she saw them pool with tears that didn't fall. He brushed his lips over hers. "I'm in love with you, Ruth Evershed. I've been waiting for the chance to tell you... to ask if I had a chance with you."
Ruth is almost speechless. Almost. "Why wouldn't you?"
"Well, as you just pointed out, I'm your boss. Aside from that, I'm older than you, and I don't have the best track record with relationships. What would you want with a wreck like me?"
Ruth was stunned by his emotional admission. Harry didn't do emotion. This was not Harry Pearce, Section Head. No, this was Harry, the man. Tortured, lonely, and laying his soul bare for her. And what was she doing, just lying there!
Suddenly all Ruth's concerns about gossip and the career implications flew out of the window. She wanted him. She cupped his face with her hands and pulled him down to meet her in a searing kiss.
Harry responded immediately, kissing her back with passion and tenderness. Ruth's mind was awash with pleasure as she felt him remove her panties. She squirmed and kicked them down her legs. He flopped to the side, ripping his boxer briefs off and tossing them over his shoulder. He was back quickly, kissing her, his hand roaming down her body and finally finding her centre, feeling her arousal "Oh Jesus, Ruth," he muttered.
Ruth reached down and her hand slid over the hot, pulsing flesh of his erection. She slid her hand from the tip toward the base; down, down, down… He was certainly well endowed. She tossed the covers away as he groaned and they moaned together as the watched her stroke him. Harry leant over and kissed her breasts; sucking and licking until she was whimpering under his ministrations.
Then he was there, poised at her entrance. She lifted her legs and wrapped them around his hips. He nudged her entrance with his penis and pushed. She sucked in a breath as she felt him enter; it had been a while and he was bigger than her previous partners. He moved gently and slowly though, sinking deeper into her.
"I need to say Harry… I love you too," she choked out.
Her admission made Harry lose control and he pushed into her hard and fast, sliding all the way.
"Oh God!" she yelled as the heady mix of pleasure and pain spread through her.
"Sorry… M'sorry. Are you okay?"
"Mmm," Ruth replied. "More than. Move Harry. Please. Make love to me."
"Oh yeah," Harry agreed, and started to stroke in and out of her, gradually lengthening them until he was almost pulling all the way out of her before sliding back in.
"Faster," Ruth urged, feeling her orgasm approaching.
He moaned again. "Oh God Ruth, this is…"
She smiled and raised her hips to meet his thrusts. He sped up slightly and a couple more strokes was all it took for Ruth to reach her climax. "Oh yes Harry! Oh God!" He sped up at her words; sliding in faster and harder. As she recovered, he panted harshly above her and she rubbed his arms and the back of his neck. "Yes Harry. That's it. Come for me." She reached down and scraped her nails gently over his buttocks. He cried out and two thrusts later, spent himself inside her.
He collapsed against her, catching his breath, before leaning into kiss her. "Still want to leave?" he asked playfully.
"Nope. You're stuck with me now."
"Good," he smiled and rolled off her, manoeuvring them into a spooning position.
"How are you feeling?" Ruth asked.
"Better; they should offer sex on prescription," he chuckled.
She reached behind to smack him gently. "You do realise you've probably infected me now?" she teased.
"Oh well, you'll just have to let Doctor Harry take care of you then. I prescribe Lemsip Cold & Flu, combined with large doses of fantastic sex and many, many orgasms."
"Many? You're extremely confident in your abilities, aren't you?"
"I'll prove myself, you'll see."
She couldn't wait.