Massive apologies that it's taken me so long to get this up. Life, the universe and everything seemed to conspire against me and Gene and Alex proved to be elusive for a lot longer than was strictly fair...

Many, many thanks to all of the wonderful people who've read, reviewed, favourited and alerted this fic - it spurs me on!

As ever more feedback would be fantastic! Thank you.

A Bird in the Hand

Chapter 4

Alex lay silently on the bed and stared at the ceiling, fixing her eyes on a darkened damp patch which looked suspiciously like Italy right down to the boot shape looking poised to kick Sicily off the map. Not so much The Ritz as Holiday Inn, Alex mused a faint smile developing. By now the haziness of the alcohol was wearing off and had been replaced by the muzziness of a slight drink-induced headache, coupled with a dull ache in most of her muscles. It had been one hell of a day already and still it wasn't over.

With seconds ticking by as she laid there an increasing sense of vulnerability and embarrassment flowered in the pit of her stomach. Never in her life had she felt this exposed, this ridiculous and yet still so unbelievably aroused. Except in the first flush of their romance, with Pete it had always been a case of backs turned as they undressed and then an awkward diving under the covers to get the customary, mechanical 10 minute shag out of the way before they quickly faced the opposite direction from one another and fell asleep. It wasn't that she didn't know there should be more to it, more to a relationship with someone she was supposed to be in love with, it was just that it was convenient to convince herself that this was what happened. You meet someone, eventually the excitement fizzles out and then you spend the rest of your life stumbling through like you're seeing things through a sheet of glass: cut-off and detached. That was the status quo and you dealt with it the best way you could, by burying your head in the sand like everybody else.

In stark contrast this all felt so acute, so real. The irony certainly wasn't lost on her. A few months ago she was convinced that this world and all of its inhabitants were a figment of her vivid imagination. Right now she was almost certain that even her fertile mind couldn't have cooked this particular situation up. Could it? If so and events had sent her further back in time to nineteenth century Venice, she concluded that Freud would have had a field day.

Finally, eyes still staring upwards, she dared to break the silence.

'So what now?'

Her voice wobbled slightly betraying her nervousness, which was instantly picked up on by the man who stood less than two feet away from her - watching her; taking in the contours of the beautiful woman before him in the soft light. The woman he wanted to strangle half the time, but longed to hold the rest; for whom these sentiments nearly always overlapped. Now here she was flat on her back on his bed in his hotel room, her knees drawn up and her thighs parted and all at his bequest. Not in his wildest dreams... Well, that wasn't strictly true, was it? A wave of longing swept from the pit of his stomach down to his groin, compelling him forwards. He needed her- needed the physical contact.

'Well I dunno your Ladyship... I was goin' to play it by ear, but if you want me to draw up an itinery?'

Grabbing her ankles Gene dragged her further down the bed towards causing Alex to gasp audibly and rested his hands on her still parted knees, his fingers drawing insistent circles there.

'No I'm quite happy to go with the flow.'

Her breathing had quickened resulting in her chest rising and falling in a way that captivated the man who now loomed over her, his eyes raking over her hungrily causing her to close her own and bite down on her lip as she contemplated his touch, all the while moisture flooding to her core.

'I thought you would be.' He commented distractedly, thoughtfully drawing breath and opening his mouth to speak once again. 'Jesus Bolly! You've got the sexiest cunt I think I've ever seen...'

Not quite sure if she'd heard properly Alex shot up and rested her weight on her elbows, looking him square in the eye. Judging by the half smile on his face there'd been no mistake.

'And you.' She paused, her tone midway between angry and embarrassed. 'You really do have a way with words don't you Gene?'

Her cheeks flushing and her fingernails clawing at the sheet, she tried not to betray the equal mix of lust and annoyance coursing through her, but she knew he knew he had her right where he wanted her and at this moment in time the part of her psyche the feminist abhorred couldn't give a damn.

Moving to kneel on the mattress Gene ran his palms down the backs of her thighs, sending a shiver up her spine and forcing her to choke back a moan.

'Well credit, where credit's due, Bolls. If a member of my team has an exceptional asset...'

Lowering his head Gene began to plant gentle kisses on the inside of her thigh, intermittently tracing circles with his tongue.

'You're on seriously shaky ground right now...' Alex croaked hoarsely, evidently teetering on the edge of losing her self-control as she tried to think about anything else aside from the fact that her boss was inches away from the crux of her and eliciting such sensations she wasn't sure how much longer she could cope with it: supply audits, reports on missing pets – no it was sodding hopeless! Sensing the conflict between her head and her body Gene couldn't resist.

'Slippery ground might be more accurate,' the DCI quipped, one hand moving to gently caress her, making her arms buckle and forcing her head to flop back down as he parted her folds and nudged her clit with his thumb. This time she did moan, her hips unconsciously lifting up to meet his touch.

'God you're wet...' For a split second he was tempted to taste her, to lave her into another earth-shattering orgasm, but he knew he couldn't last much longer. He needed to be inside her and sooner rather than later.

'Please!'

It was a cry of utter desperation. He knew what she wanted but was determined to make her ask for it; she'd knocked him back too many times and this was self-preservation. At least if they woke up tomorrow morning and realised this was a horrible mistake she couldn't accuse him of taking advantage. Working his way up her body with a trail of sensuous kisses he finally loomed over her, his cock twitching as it nudged against her entrance. Looking down and noticing the dilated pupils, the parted lips and the unevenness of her breathing he realised just how much he needed her to vocalise what she wanted. His stomach tightened and his mouth went dry.

'Alex?' Locking glances both searched for something in the other's eyes. That connection. It was there and there was no denying it.

'Gene... I...' Running her fingers down his cheek she noticed all his imperfections. He was so different from the men she'd been with before. She'd longed to feel the way he made her feel right now ever since she could remember: wanted and unfeasibly sexy.

'What d'you want?' His eyes bore into hers seeking an answer there.

'I want...' The rest of the words caught in the back of her throat. Grabbing her left hand Gene forced it and her right one above her head. She was his for the taking now but it was all pointless if she didn't ask him, no tell him what she needed.

'Say it Alex.'

A momentary silence hung in the air between them, invaded only by shallow breaths and a quiet shuffling of feet from the room above them.

'Fuck me Gene...' It was little more than a whisper, but it was enough. Not tearing his eyes away from her as he slammed into her hot, wet centre with a little more force than he'd originally intended, he watched in awe as Alex arched into him, her head thrown back, eyes practically rolling to the whites and her mouth hung open in what looked like a silent scream. In that instant a flash of panic rose through him, Shit! I've hurt her.

'Alright Bolls?' After a few moments the question finally registered. Looking at him through heavy lids eyes she eventually came the husky reply.

'Do it again...'

Gene couldn't quite believe his ears, but he wasn't about to pass up on the opportunity. Evidently her need was as great as his. Slam. This time a string of profanities fell from the DI's lips as she once again arched into him. He filled her in a way no other man had before, forcing her to admit somewhere at the back of her mind that despite all their differences they fit beautifully.

'Am I hitting the spot your Ladyship?' Gene managed to hiss through gritted teeth. Being inside her felt so exquisite it was almost surreal, as he fought with himself not to lose control.

'Please!'

Dipping his head the DCI began to nuzzle just below her breast, alternating between light kisses and gentle nips and smiling into her skin as he acknowledged her appreciation from the intermittent moans and the staccato movements of her body writhing underneath him. Once more he drove into her, eliciting yet another groan of pleasure, matched by his own.

'Always knew you were dirty Bolly, but Christ!'

Moving his head slightly further up, he caught her pebbled nipple between his teeth causing his DI to almost hum her gratitude. Alex Drake was no porcelain doll and he was glad of it: finally he'd met his match in more ways than one, the stark realisation of which made the DCI's heart skip a beat. This couldn't be happening, could it? What the hell WAS happening anyway?

'You don't know the half of it Mr Hunt,' she responded hooking one leg over his back, encouraging a gentler, but equally intense rhythm to build, his hands still holding hers above her head, but now with their fingers interlocking.

'Should I be takin' down your particulars then Ms Drake?'

'I thought you already had...' She paused clearly concentrating on getting the words out, and not falling prey to the distracting sensations their coupling was making her feel. 'More than once.'

For a split-second his mind contemplated the contents of his trouser pocket as their mouths and hips collided into each other; the handcuffs that he technically didn't need to bring with him, but force of habit had compelled him to tuck them away 'just in case'. This wasn't exactly the circumstance he'd envisaged using them in, but... Don't run before you can walk sunshine!

Her breathing becoming increasingly ragged, Alex abruptly pulled away from their embrace and began to struggle against the hands that covered hers.

'I need to...' She looked desperately above her where his fingers splayed possessively over her wrists, down to where they were joined and then back up to meet his steely blue eyes. Knowing what she wanted Gene removed one hand from above her head and snaked it down her achingly slowly, gently rubbing his thumb over one nipple and sensuously stroking her stomach before reaching his destination without breaking their rhythm.

'Oh fuck! Fuck... There!' The DI's back arched once more, forcing her head back and her eyelids to droop, as well as leaving her neck on display. Gene could see she was close, the thought of which nearly sending him over the edge, but he was determined she'd be the first one to cross the finishing line in spite of the hefty head start he'd had: Slow and steady, Genie Boy. Slow and steady.

It may now seem old-fashioned but 'Ladies first' was a rule which he'd always tried to adhere to. Besides in the past letting some young, blonde female patron of the same bar he was frequenting through the door first usually meant he'd get a good view of her pert backside as she walked in front of him, if not a pretty good vantage point of downstairs, inside if the evening panned out well and said blonde wasn't averse back alleys and a quick knee-trembler. Manners did indeed have their advantages.

Running his tongue from her upturned jaw up to her ear he leant forward and whispered into it.

'You gonna come for me Bolls?'

'That an order?' Her reply was barely coherent as she fought back the groan that was rattling at the back of her throat and the urge to express her undying gratitude for the man who was making her feel like this. In response Hunt stepped up the assault on her senses, now grinding his hips against hers with a renewed ferocity and gently pinching her clit between his thumb and index finger as he smothered her neck with lingering kisses.

'Damn right!' he growled into her soft skin.

And there it was. The trigger that launched her over the edge. White fireworks bursting behind her eyes and the insistent fluttering of her muscles, from the tips of her fingers to her toes, as she clamped around him calling out his name and that of her maker, along with a few choice words that turned the air blue. A few thrusts later and Gene was following her over the edge, grinding out her name as he came inside her, his arms and legs eventually buckling making him collapse on top of his DI.

As minutes trickled by they both lay there catching their breath and allowing their heart rates to return to normal, neither of them wanting to move for fear of breaking the spell or letting the inevitable awkwardness burst onto the scene any earlier than it had to. Noticing a muscle twitching in his arm Alex absent-mindedly rubbed his bicep with her the heel of hand until it stopped, before tracing her fingers up his back and gently stroking his neck as his head rested on her shoulder.

'Gene?'

'Hmmm?' He sounded half asleep.

'My legs gone dead... Would you mind?'

Without saying anything he slowly began to pull away from Alex, both of them secretly and simultaneously lamenting the loss of their connection, and rolled to the other side of the bed without making eye contact, resting his head against the headboard and staring straight ahead thoughtfully. This wasn't the Gene Hunt who typically 'loved and left 'em'. He'd given Alex a peek behind that facade tonight and now he felt like she had his balls in her hands. This really was new territory. Sensing his unease Alex turned on her side and rested her weight on her elbow, her head leaning on her palm.

'Gene?'

'Yeah?' His gaze still fixed on the pattern of the wallpaper and his trademark pout becoming increasingly pronounced by the second. Alex didn't need her PhD to realise that he needed some sort of reassurance.

'I forgot to do something...'

'What?'

Before he had chance to realise what Alex was doing she was inches away from his face, her thumb running gently down his cheek as his eyes snaked a path from hers to her lips and then down to her chest, a trace of a smug smile ghosting across his face. Placing a finger under the cleft of his chin Alex lifted his head forcing him to meet her gaze.

'This.' Closing the gap between them Alex embraced him gently but intensely, revelling in the taste of cigarettes that still lingered on his lips, as one hand rested possessively on his chest. Eventually she pulled away taking in his brief look of disappointment and smiled. He'd obviously enjoyed that just as much as she had.

'What was that for?' Gene asked, his raised eyebrow betraying his confusion.

'You complaining?'

'God no!... For the record I don't have a problem snoggin' yer Bolls...' Gene answered, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards as he watched Alex clumsily try and get under the covers, obviously now feeling the cold.

'Well that's good to know... You getting in?' she asked tugging at the sheet he was currently sat on. He grunted his response and stood up allowing her a brief glimpse of his backside as he pulled back the covers and leapt in. God he has a glorious arse, Alex thought to herself resisting the urge to cop a feel as he shuffled around next to her trying to get comfortable and beating his pillow more than was strictly necessary. Christ you're getting as bad as he is! Finally Gene settled on his side facing her, not having a clue what to say or do. It'd been so long since he'd actually shared a bed with someone other than to shag them that he'd forgotten what was or wasn't required of him. As much as it pained him to admit to himself, Gene Hunt - Sherriff of the Manor, was nervous and not just because he was sharing a bed with any woman, but because it was her.

'It was for putting this ridiculous smile on my face.'

'What was?' Alex tutted instantly clicking his brain back into gear. 'Oh. Yeah... Weren't bad was it? Tonight I mean.'

'No.' She paused momentarily as if reliving the events, a mischievous glint sparking in her hazel eyes. 'Not bad at all.'

Once again a thoughtful silence hung in the air between them for a few seconds.

'Was I better than him Bolls?'

'Who?' Her brow furrowed deeply as she spoke.

'Mr Twatty-Twangy-Red-Braces. That banker bloke. You know him...' Then his voice lowered. 'Was I better than him?' An exasperated sigh escaped Alex's lips just before she launched into her answer.

'Oh for God's sake that was months ago! Don't tell me you're still smarting over that?'

More than once Gene's mouth opened as if he was about to speak but couldn't find the words, each time his steely blue eyes breaking contact from hers and looking into the middle distance as though he were searching for the right response there.

'Was I though?'

In that instant Alex saw the years fall away from the man laid next to her, along with the barrier he'd built up against the outside world. There before her was the vulnerable, pensive young man he must have been once, untainted by the job – by life in general. Despite herself Alex felt privileged to get such a glimpse, however brief it may be. She knew she could hurt him if she wanted to. There was a time that would have suited her down to the ground, but now things were different. They were different.

'Well most of my underwear is shredded, I've practically screamed myself hoarse and tomorrow I'll probably be walking like John Wayne. Does that answer your question?'

Gone was the worried look on his face as he began to smirk casually, yawning and stretching his limbs out, locking one leg over hers.

'Tart.'

'Bastard.'

'Slag.' Now his eyes were starting to droop.

'Arsehole.'

'Shu'rrup Bolly some of us are trying to get some sleep,' he muttered groggily without opening his eyes as he stretched back, fumbled with the lamp until the room was eventually plunged into darkness and then settled back into his original position, his breathing deepening as he began to drift off to sleep.

'Night Gene,' Alex whispered, rousing him slightly as he threw an arm round her, dropping his hand to give her backside a firm squeeze before once again dozing off. As her eyes fell shut out of sheer exhaustion too, she came to the guilty realisation that right now she didn't want to be anywhere else except for next to him, images of a mousey haired girl flashing tauntingly through her mind as she fell into a fitful sleep.

TBC...

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