Rose wandered over to him casually and pulled up a chair.
"So, did you find the topic more to your liking today, Inspector?" she asked.
"It was more informative than yesterday but I still have several questions I'd like to ask seeing I didn't get chance."
"You were deliberately not asking questions today, I was surprised you were so quiet especially after you tried to find out last night."
Alec smiled. "Maybe you could answer them over dinner again? I wasn't really paying that much attention. Maybe you'd like to go out to the theatre, then dinner? You mentioned about seeing a comedy, I could phone around and see if I can get tickets. I could come and pick you up?"
"I could meet you the same place as last night, it will save you coming all the way out to get me. I don't know about eating afterwards though, it might be late."
"Well in that case, why don't you just stay here in town and we'll get something to eat and go straight to the theatre? That's if you don't need to go home and get ready, you look fine as you are." Alec smiled, she did indeed look fine to him.
Rose went to tell Pete she was going straight out and Alec used the internet on his phone to find out what was playing in the theatres around Leicester Square and asked Rose to choose one.
"Oh, can we go see 'Much ado about nothing', my favourite actor's in that," Rose grinned.
She hoped Alec wasn't aware that the actor looked like him and The Doctor, a fact she had often teased the latter with back on their own world and was relieved to find he was an actor here also and even more popular.
Alec said he would try, they might be lucky. Luck was on their side, there were two tickets remaining, good seats that had been returned so they left the conference and Alec went to park his car back at his hotel and they walked to the main area with plenty of time to eat and get to the theatre. They finished dinner early so they went for coffee and made their way to the theatre. Rose enjoyed herself but she saw the look on Alec's face when he realised the main character was almost his double. How would he react when he learned about The Doctor then?
She was worried now but didn't let it spoil watching the play, dragging Alec to the stage door to get the actor's autograph much to Alec's dismay when she asked him to put 'To Rose' on the programme before he signed it, remarking it was a lovely name. Rose went the colour of her name and Alec tried not to punch the actor for making the remark. He didn't want Rose to know that all through the evening he had been jealous. He had been jealous when men looked at her in the caf they went in, jealous when she had been watching the play and had sought her hand several times only for her to let go to clap at something silly the actor did. He was getting possessive and he knew it.
It was only their second date, he was still married and he was getting irritable every time she didn't pay attention to him. He told himself he didn't own her. She was a young attractive woman who could have any man she wanted, he didn't get to choose for her. After the play, Rose suggested going to a nearby bar and Alec went to get drinks. It was not quite ten and Rose didn't want the evening to end. She chatted to him about the play and he never stood a chance to tell her about himself. He didn't want to spoil it by blurting it out but she would find out eventually, tomorrow as he was due to go back on Thursday. Maybe he could book two days off and stay here but he would have to pay for the hotel himself and it was expensive, he was going to have to pay for a solicitor, find himself somewhere to stay and give money to his wife for Daisy, he couldn't afford to stay where he was.
He was going to have to find a cheaper hotel but if he stayed, Rose would wonder why he was moving into a different one. He could tell her the hotel was already booked up and he was having to find an alternate one. Rose had money, she wouldn't understand, would she? He decided to call his station the next morning and book two days off, they owed him time and then look on the internet for a cheaper hotel for three nights and see if he could get a good deal, then travel back on Sunday afternoon but before he did that, he had to make sure it was going to be worthwhile. There was no point in getting another hotel room if Rose wasn't interested in him.
All the while he had been thinking, Rose was talking about how she had been brought up not far from where they were, omitting it was in another universe until finally, he couldn't stand it any more and asked Rose if she would like to go back to his hotel room for further discussion of the topic of today's conference. Rose knew it wasn't just for that reason he was asking, she knew all the tricks. She allowed him to lead the way but not before he kissed her in the doorway as they were going out.
They walked back to his hotel holding hands and went to his room. This time, he didn't mess around as he kissed her again then helped her off with her jacket.
"Rose, stay with me?" he whispered in her ear, pulling her back for another kiss. Her lips melted on his and he thought it was the best kiss he had ever tasted.
"I'm lonely Rose, just stay to keep me company, please? I'm not asking you to do anything you don't want, I just want to hold you."
Rose looked up at him. He did look lonely, his eyes said it all. How could two men in different universes be so much alike and yet so different? She had spent all that time travelling with The Doctor and he'd never even tried anything with her and here was Alec Hardy, after two dates asking her to stay with him.
Rose put her arms around him and he kissed her again.
"I can stay a while Alec, I have to get home. I can't go to the conference tomorrow wearing the same clothes as today."
"Then I'll take you back early in the morning, please stay."
He pulled her towards the bed and they sat down, kissing. Alec leaned her back and lay gently over her. Rose was having butterflies again each time he kissed her. She had never felt like that before. He put his arms on her shoulders then started kissing them, calling her name then taking his jacket off.
"You're all I was thinking about during the conference Rose, I hope they don't ask me questions about it when I get back because I wasn't taking much notice," he smiled, kissing one of her shoulders and making his way to her neck.
Rose moved so her neck was exposed and he took advantage of it, whispering her name again. Her arms were around his neck, he fumbled with his tie and took it off, unbuttoning his shirt at the top. Rose put her arms on his neck then onto his back and he shivered slightly. Rose noticed.
"Is there something wrong Alec," she asked as she gazed into his eyes before he buried his face in her neck again.
"Mmm, nothing, it just made me jump, I wasn't expecting it."
Rose laughed. "You unfastened your shirt and you didn't expect me to take advantage of it?" She could hardly believe it. Now was she going to tease him or what?
She moved her fingers slowly down the back of his shirt. Alec smiled. He felt like a teenager again. It had been a long time since his own wife had touched him and then not quite the way Rose was doing it. He let her carry on as he made his way down her neck and only stopped when her dress was in the way. Rose looked up when he stopped.
"Not sure what to do next, Inspector?" she teased. "Don't tell me you're out of practice!"
Alec retaliated. He moved over to the other side and began working his way down. He looked up for a moment.
"I'll show you who's out of practice," he laughed.
Who was he kidding? Of course he was out of practise, his wife had made sure of that. Well he didn't mind practising on Rose if she was willing. He went back to what he was doing until he ran out of neck again.
Rose laughed. "You're definitely out of practice, don't you know what to do when you run out of space?"
That made him look up. She was taunting him. He reached around the back of her dress and found the zip, pulling it until it was halfway down then pulling the dress away from her neck and continued what he was doing. Rose was getting tired of only reaching so far down his back and withdrew her hands to make better use of them unbuttoning the rest of his shirt. Alec smiled as he got further down onto her shoulder. Rose pulled his shirt away from his shoulders, admiring the hairs on his chest then running her fingers across them. It sent another shiver through Alec. It had been far too long and he didn't want to spoil the mood by giving her the bad news that he shouldn't even be contemplating this with her. Instead, he said her name as he dared to move even further down and Rose put her arms around his back and onto his shoulder blades.
Then Alec felt a twinge of guilt as he was about to go further and pull her dress more over her shoulders. He had to tell her but gently and see her reaction. He looked up for a moment as Rose's head was on one side, she was smiling at him.
"Rose, I was supposed to be going back to Glasgow on Thursday but I was thinking about maybe staying a few more days, go back on Sunday."
"What? Oh, I didn't realise you were going home on Thursday. Any reason why you'd want to stay?" she teased.
"Well you for one, do I need any more reasons to stay?"
"Suppose not. Alec, why do you cringe every time I run my fingers over your shoulders?"
She could feel him melt under her every time she did it. This was a man who had not been touched like that for a long time and she wondered why.
"I wasn't aware I 'cringed' as you call it, it was just a nice feeling that I couldn't help. You don't know what you do to me Rose, I never thought I could feel like that again."
He so wanted to tell her outright. Maybe she would guess but would she get up and walk out, slap his face even? He could live with that, he deserved it. He shouldn't have let it get this far. Peter Tyler would hit him with everything he could think of if he broke her heart. He had stopped what he was doing and was looking at her.
"Rose, I need to tell you something, if you want to carry on with this."
Her arms were still around his back and she withdrew them and held him at arms length.
"What is it Alec? Is it about what I do to you? You've not been touched like that for a long time, have you? Why is that? Are you divorced or something, fallen out with your girlfriend? It's okay, you can tell me."
"Rose, I wish it were that simple but it's not. I'm married Rose but we haven't been together for almost two years, she went for a younger man and I never knew until recently. Now I'm seeing a solicitor when I get back and I should have done it two years ago and it was you that prodded me into deciding to get my life back. Do you know how she made me feel when I found out Rose?"
Rose couldn't imagine and his answer was not quite what she was expecting. Pete had done a check on him, why hadn't he told her Alec was married?
Alec decided to spare her the details. "I'm sorry Rose, I shouldn't have said that, it's my problem not yours."
He didn't know Rose very well then.
"It's okay Alec, I understand but you could have told me before you know."
She pulled him down for a kiss.
"I only came to my senses this morning and realise she had walked all over me for the last two years and now I want out. She made me feel like nothing Rose, she made me feel unwanted and that's not the worst of it, we have an eleven year old daughter called Daisy and she's been using her to get to me, leaving me to look after her."
Rose felt so sorry for him, what the hell was wrong with the woman?
"Well I want you Alec and I'm not sure what to say but I'm glad you decided to do something about it. Now you've got that over with, can you go back to what you were doing please? I was enjoying that."
Alec smiled, she should have walked out but here she was, acting like nothing had been said. He did as he was asked and went back to what he was doing as Rose resumed tilting her head and enjoying the feeling of Alec's lips and tongue on her neck. Suddenly though she stopped him.
"Alec, I need to go and phone my dad or he'll have half the Police in London looking for me."
Alec laughed. "Rose, you are with the Police in case you hadn't noticed."
Rose laughed as well. "That's as maybe but I still have to call, it's getting late, unless you want to take me back home and explain?"
Alec shook his head and raised himself up on his arms.
"Not me, I'm not that brave. What are you going to say?"
Rose got up, pulling her dress back on and went to get her phone out of her purse and raised her finger for him to be quiet while she made the call. She didn't want to tell Pete she was still with Alec in his room.
"Dad, I'm staying out tonight, I'll be back early in the morning to get changed. I didn't want to worry you."
"Are you staying out with that Alec Hardy?" Pete asked.
She couldn't deny it. "It's not what you think but yes I'm with him, he's taking the sofa. We just have a lot to talk about that's all. He's thinking of staying a few more days and I know what you were keeping back from me, he told me."
She ended the call and sat back down on the bed. Alec looked at her.
"You still want to stay? After what I told you?"
Rose nodded and allowed Alec to ease her back down, pulling his shirt over his shoulders until it was almost off, unfastening the cuffs, sliding it off him then pulling him down.
"So, are you going to take the sofa?" she asked playfully.
"What sofa would that be then?" he asked, reaching around the back of her dress and pulling the zip all the way down.
Rose smiled and just said, "Oops" and pulled him down for a kiss.
Alec pulled her dress down over her shoulders as she had pulled it back up to make her call and began kissing her neck then lower down, pulling her dress as he did, she had told him earlier that if something got in the way he knew what to do. His shirt was now off and Rose was running her fingers on his chest and debating whether to take this further. He made the decision for her as he slowly pulled off her dress, revealing her pink underwear and began to kiss her further down. She reached for his belt and slowly unbuckled it and Alec smiled, pulling down the straps of her bra and kissing her bare shoulders.
ooooooooo{silversurfer60}ooooooooo
The following morning, Rose woke up and slowly remembered where she was and who she was lying across. She was still in her underwear and could tell Alec was still wearing his shorts, she was lying directly on him. Alec was already awake, one arm across her back and laid on the other one. He felt Rose moving and said "Hi."
Rose moved around to kiss him.
"Morning, Inspector, I hope you were comfy on the sofa last night because that's exactly where you tell my step-father you were last night."
Alec smiled. "Yes, Ma-am," and grabbed her waist and pulled her onto him.
She squealed and started laughing. It was just gone seven and Rose had to go home and get changed and it was going to be cutting it fine but Alec wanted to fool around first resulting in them being delayed another half an hour and meant Rose would have to grab some toast when she got back home. She finally got him to let her out of bed and he drove her back. Luckily they didn't have far to go and Alec dropped her off saying he would grab some breakfast and see her at the conference then kissing her goodbye. Rose wanted to invite him in but didn't think it was that good an idea, not this morning, maybe tomorrow if things worked out. She had a lot to think about.