Something Rare and Precious (1/2)
Title: Something Rare and Precious (1/2)
Rating: M
Author: jlrpuck
Pairing: Ruby Quarles, Elias McCoy
Disclaimer: The characters contained in this story are the products of my imagination; as such, I retain all right to and ownership of them.
Summary: And the last tale about Ruby and Elias. At least for now :)
Notes: Thank you to ginamak, earlgreytea68 and chicklet73 for their beta of this earlier this year.
Any mistakes in this story are mine, and mine alone.
Part I | Part II
“I love you.” Elias nuzzled Ruby’s cheek, his lips brushing gentle kisses across her skin as he rested above her.
She hummed contentedly, the elation of her orgasm still washing through her. As always happened after they had sex, Elias’s brogue was in full effect, his voice lovely and rich as he continued to whisper to her as he came down from his own orgasm.
She rested her hands on his back, enjoying the play of his muscles under her hands as he interspersed his words with soft kisses, marvelling that even after a dozen years of marriage she still felt as though having sex with him was something rare and precious. She loved tracing the lines of his body, loved the toe-curling effects of his kisses and the way he moved against her when they made love. She couldn’t help but smile, and slowly traced her foot down the back of his leg as she relaxed.
She finally caught her breath, turning to meet his lips for a slow kiss, her hand stroking up into his hair; he, in a manoeuvre long-practiced, held the kiss as he slid off of her, rolling them so they faced each other without parting. He pulled back after a few moments, his thumb coming up to stroke down her cheek, and she could see his eyes glittering in the half-light coming in through their bedroom window.
“What’s wrong, Eli?” Her hand moved to his chest, her eyes searching his for some clue as to why he suddenly looked so sombre.
“I want to have a wee bairn with you, Rue. Want us to have a child together.”
Her breath caught as time seemed to stop around them. Having children together was something they’d discussed when they’d first been married; something they’d both wanted, although not right away, something which had made both of them smile and giggle together in those heady days around their wedding. But then life had intervened, first both of them wanting to get settled in their careers; then the attacks by Lumic and the after-effects they’d had on the department; and then the corruption investigation which had stretched into almost five long years, upending their lives, making them worry about threats from within as much as without by the time the investigation reached its final stages. And then he’d been subsumed by the resulting trial, and then the welcoming on board of his new partner; and somehow several more years had passed since she’d last hoped they might finally discuss trying.
She smiled slowly. “You want a baby?” The words where whispered, but her soft tone couldn’t hide the note of hope in her voice.
“With you. Yes.” His teeth glinted a he smiled. “Absolutely.”
“When?”
“As soon as possible. Or at least we can start trying as soon as possible.”
She laughed. “Perhaps you should have mentioned that before we had sex this evening.”
“It’ll take a few weeks for your contraceptive to wear off.”
“Been doing a bit of research, have you?” She drifted her fingers along his jaw, the pads of her fingertips first tracing the rough stubble which was there every evening, then her knuckles.
“Aye. I’ve wanted one for years, Rue. But-” He shrugged his shoulders, and let out a sigh.
“Yeah.” Her fingers drifted down his neck, and then she rested her palm against his chest, enjoying the reassuring thump of his heart for a moment. “Work kind of threw a wrench into our plans, didn’t it?”
“Just a bit. But no longer.” His tone was decisive, sending a small thrill through her.
“No longer,” she agreed, leaning in to kiss him.
The worst part of trying for a baby, she decided a few weeks later, was the havoc wreaked on her by going off of contraceptives for the first time in nearly twenty years. Her moods became unpredictable as her body tried to adjust to her new hormone levels; and then the gut-wrenching cramps she experienced during her menses made her completely re-evaluate the idea of trying to have a baby at all.
The roller-coaster of emotion was short-lived, at least-and it was more than balanced out by the mind-blowing sex she and Elias started to have. He’d always been good in bed-bless him-but now, with the intensity born of him wanting to impregnate her, he was even more so, lavishing attention on her as he made love, being beyond generous as a lover. Even as the months passed without any luck he continued to try, eagerly; continued to surprise her with dinner, to make lazy love to her on their mornings off together; to whisk her away for a surprise minibreak in Scotland or Devon or anywhere outside of London.
It was almost too much, and she finally told him so after several months of his delightful attention. She tried to tell him as gently as she could, over dinner in their flat one night. “It’s just...it’s a lot of pressure,” she finished, watching him carefully.
He, not surprisingly, looked crushed. “I just...” He stared at his plate, his frown visible even though his head was ducked. “I simply can’t tell you enough how much I love you. So I try to show you.”
“I know, Eli.” She sighed. “But...it...I love it. I love how special it makes me feel. But...it’s that specialness that kind of makes it a bit intimidating, too. I love just being with you, here, in our flat. Just us, being us. Maybe knackered after work, or a bit tipsy from having dinner with Peter and Rose-but always just you being who you are, and letting me be who I am.”
“I didn’t mean to make you feel like you were being forced.”
“I know, Eli. And I do love it-but as a treat, not rote.” She pushed back from the table, walking around to where he still sat, his face drawn. He didn’t look up at her, and she let out a soft sigh. She glanced to the table, then back to Elias, and decided the china could be damned. She pushed the table out of the way enough to be able to fit on Elias’s lap, the glasses and plates rattling dangerously as the table legs dragged across the floor, but she noted with satisfaction that nothing actually broke. Elias looked slowly up to her as she straddled him, his expression confused.
“I thought...”
“This is me, seducing you.” She held his gaze as her hands found his tie, unknotting it with practiced ease, but leaving it in his collar before her fingers moved to start unbuttoning his shirt. “Not premeditated, just something that feels right in the moment.” She let out a hiss of frustration as she encountered his vest, and hurriedly reached down to his waist to pull the cotton free. It wasn’t coming loose, causing her frustration to spike, and she was perhaps a bit rougher than she normally would have been when she unbuckled his belt so she could untuck his vest.
He appeared to like it, though, his eyes dark when she glanced up to him, his hands finding her hips as her fingers slipped under his now-free shirt. She decided to use it to her advantage and leaned forward, whispering against his ear, “Take my blouse off of me, Elias.”
He watched her as he complied, his fingers deftly freeing her buttons, then tugging her blouse apart to expose her bra-clad torso.
“Touch my breasts,” she whispered, rocking her hips against his, encouraging the hardness she could feel growing where she rubbed against him.
He did, his hands cupping her, his thumbs rubbing her nipples through the satin of her bra. She reached down, unfastening his trousers, forcing herself to focus on pulling his zip down. She had to stand for a moment, her hand slipping into his trousers and pants, wrapping around his cock and guiding it free. Elias hissed at her touch, his hands stilling.
“Pull my skirt up, Elias,” she instructed, her hand still wrapped around him, teasingly stroking him. He once more obeyed, his palms sliding up her thighs, guiding the wool of her skirt to rest around her hips. He paused once done, his dark eyes locked expectantly on hers. She reached down, pushing her knickers aside, then guided Elias into her as she sank onto his lap. His eyes fluttered shut at the sensation; she grinned, leaning forward to nip at his neck before pulling her hips up. His eyes opened at that, his dark gaze watching her; she gave him a knowing smile as she then slammed down onto him, pushing him as far as possible into her.
She shagged him roughly at the table, enjoying watching his reaction as she rode him hard, as she climaxed with a shout, and then being rewarded by Elias’s own shout as he released into her. She continued to rock against him as their orgasms waned, her hips now gently rolling into his; her arms were wrapped around his shoulders, and her forehead rested against his.
His hands were still resting at her waist by the time he caught his breath, and he slowly pulled back. She stroked her knuckles along his sideburn, giving him a small smile as he watched her for a moment. She was surprised when he didn’t speak, and finally broke the silence herself. “I love you, Eli.”
He leaned up into her, kissing her forcefully, his arms sliding to wrap around her back and press her against him. He was like a man possessed, pressing so close to her that it seemed he was trying to crawl into her; she began to grow dizzy, stealing gasping breaths in between his punishing kisses. He held her to him as he stood, held her against him as she found her footing; his hands only moved to slide her blouse from her shoulders, then to unhook her bra.
He guided her to the bedroom before lavishing attention on her, his hands and mouth driving her to her second orgasm of the night. And as they lay together after-Elias still in his unbuttoned shirt and loose tie, his trousers around his hips; Ruby naked from the waist up, her skirt rucked around her hips and her knickers on the other side of the bedroom -he finally spoke. “No premeditation.”
From then on, he took delight in surprising her with his lovemaking. Some nights it was like any of the other nights they’d made love in their years together. But other nights he’d ambush her upon their entering the flat, shagging her against the wall, or surprising her in the kitchen, or bending her over the table as she cleaned it. It wasn’t often enough to be annoying; rather, it was just frequent enough to enhance the excitement, and she realized that she was having more fun being shagged by Elias than she’d thought possible.
Of course she, too, would surprise him-leaving him filthy notes on his desk, their contents echoes of the letters she’d sent him from Glasgow years before ; or waking him in the middle of the night for a rough, frantic shag; or demanding to be on top, dictating an achingly slow pace for their lovemaking before driving him frantically to his climax.
And then, finally, came the day when she found out she was pregnant. She still got terrible cramps once a month, so it was no surprise to wake up one morning and have to run for the toilet to vomit. She fully expected her menses to follow; but instead she spent every morning of that week repeating the routine without the appearance of her monthly visitor. She could tell what Elias was thinking as he held her hair, his hand stroking her back as she retched; he was always watching her carefully after, as she drank the glass of water he provided. But he said nothing, keeping his thoughts to himself.
He’d clearly spoken to Peter about it, though-most likely voicing concern, because while she was happy Elias had a good friend she really wasn’t comfortable with the idea of the two of them discussing Elias’s efforts to get her pregnant . And Peter, in turn, had clearly mentioned it to Rose, for it was Rose who finally dragged her to the doctor’s office at the end of the week under the pretext of taking her out for lunch.
“Some friend you’ve turned out to be,” Ruby muttered as they sat in the waiting area of the office. She was slouched in her chair, her arms crossed as she tried not to shiver. She hated doctor’s offices.
“Feel free to punch me after you’re done here,” Rose replied mildly, turning the page in the magazine in her hands. She let out a heavy sigh, drawing Ruby’s attention; and then Ruby laughed, noting the picture of Rose and Peter splashed across the page. Rose turned the page again, then let out a triumphant noise; she folded the magazine over, and handed it over to Ruby. “Laugh all you like,” she said, grinning.
There was another picture of Peter and Rose-but behind them were Ruby and Elias, Elias’s expression just as cross as Peter’s in the photo.
She remembered that night-it had been the month before, their annual dinner celebrating the anniversary of Peter and Elias’s partnership. They’d thought they’d been successful in dodging the zanzare, but had emerged into a hail of flashbulbs, resulting in much grousing on the ride to their flat. Peter and Elias had grown pleasantly drunk on whisky that night-dipping into the bottle of Single Cask Tomatin Elias had stashed in the kitchen cabinet for special occasions.
That had been one of the many nights from the past five years which Peter and Rose had spent in the McCoys’ guest room.
Rose stayed in the waiting room when Ruby was finally led back for her examination, and was still calmly leafing through a magazine when Ruby was released back into the real world forty-five minutes later. She had to admire Rose’s restraint as the two of them slowly pulled on their coats, then walked out to the lifts; but Rose finally couldn’t take it once they were alone, riding down to the ground floor.
“So?”
“Rose. If I were pregnant, do you really think I’d tell you before Elias?”
Rose’s face fell. “You have a point.”
“Good thing I already called him, then, isn’t it?” she grinned, then laughed as Rose pulled her into a hug.
She had a hard time keeping the smile from her face as she returned to work, and she was certain the way Elias appeared and generally hovered around her desk-something he did only rarely, usually relying on a note or quick phone call to check in on her-would give the game away. But when she went in to Devine’s office at the end of the day to tell him the news, he appeared to be genuinely surprised.
“Congratulations. When can we expect to lose you to your leave?”
“About four months. Give or take.”
“Planning to push it a bit late, aren’t you?”
“I’d work until the day I delivered, given the opportunity. Bad enough I have no choice but to take leave at the eight-month mark.”
Her DCI shook his head. “I’ll get you into the leave calendar, then. I’ll mark it ‘personal’ until you give me the go-ahead to change it to maternity.”
“Thank you.” She grinned, then left the small office.
Cox was next to be told, and then Bruce and a few other work colleagues. The news flew like wildfire after that, leaving her very grateful indeed that she’d been estimated to be almost four months along. She wasn’t superstitious by nature, but even she held to the idea of not breathing a word of a pregnancy until after the third month had passed.
Elias was working a staggered shift from her-the result of a case he and Peter had been saddled with, a bit of clean-up work after another team had mismanaged it-and so she made her way home alone on the subte, the ride lulling her into a doze. She was still a bit sleepy when she emerged from the station near the flat, and by the time she reached the flat itself she was ready to be in bed for the night. It was a relief to close the door behind her, to kick off her shoes, and then to head straight for bed, collapsing into it without bothering to take off her suit.
“Ruby?” Elias’s concerned voice pulled her from her slumber, and she slowly blinked awake to find him leaning over her, his tie loosened but not undone, his eyebrows drawn together in concern.
“Sorry, fell asleep.” She slowly pushed herself up, blinking as Elias moved and revealed the bright light of the room.
“Did ye eat?”
“No. Was tired when I got home.”
He pursed his lips, although she noted his eyebrows had relaxed. “I’ll get ye something, then. Any preference?”
“Soup would be lovely.”
“Soup it shall be.” He glanced over her, then added with a small smile, “Maybe ye should change into your pyjamas.”
She’d forgotten she was still wearing her suit, and winced at the thought of how wrinkled her clothes were bound to be.
Elias was like a mother hen that night, bringing her soup and water in bed, threatening to feed her until she swatted his hand away playfully. He lay alongside her as she ate, his eyes following her every move; he made sure to always be in contact with her, his hand resting on her stomach or his leg alongside hers.
“You already had supper?” she asked as she neared the end of her meal, noting that he wasn’t even filching a cracker from her tray.
“I did-we wrapped up over takeaway.”
“So the case is done?”
“It’s as cleaned up as we can get it. I doubt there’ll be any successful prosecution, though-it was just too shoddily done.”
“I’m sorry.”
He sighed, rolling onto his back, his head dropping onto the pillow as he pressed his fingertips against his eyes. “It happens.”
“What’s happened to-”
“On probation,” he replied shortly.
“Ah.”
Elias felt the mismanagement of cases keenly, especially when it resulted in guilty men going free. She’d not ask him, but she was sure he felt the two detectives who’d bungled the case should have been sacked outright. She suspected their probation offended his sense of justice.
She set the tray aside, earning a noise of protest from Elias as she bent over to make sure it rested soundly on the floor by the bed. She turned, capturing his hand as he moved to rise from the bed, tugging him back to join her. “Lie with me, Eli,” she whispered, knowing he’d be unable to refuse her request.
He did so without argument, snuggling against her, draping an arm across her midsection as she cradled his head against her shoulder. He still hadn’t changed out of his work clothes, his cuffs rolled up either from work or from making her supper. The scarlet of his tie provided the only flash of colour, the silk snaking between their bodies. She gently ran her fingers over his forearm, finally feeling him relax properly after a few moments of quiet togetherness.
“I’d so wanted to do something nice for you tonight,” he finally said, pulling back to look up at her.
“You did.”
“Properly.”
“You did. Been a long while since I had supper in bed.”
“Ye scared me, when I got home. The door was unlocked, and it was so quiet.”
“I was knackered-it hit on the subte, and by the time I got home I could barely keep my eyes open.”
“What did you eat for lunch?”
She blinked, trying to remember. Rose had invited her out for a meal, but then they’d gone to the doctor’s; and then she’d come back and had had some water and an apple, but then she’d got a bit distracted with work, and then sharing out the good news at the end of the day…
“Ruby.” He drew her name out, causing her to squirm. “Did ye nae eat at all?”
“I had an apple!”
“I thought you were going out for lunch.”
“So did I. But Rose took me for the examination, and we just…kind of didn’t get lunch after all.”
“You have got to eat.”
“I know,” she snapped, guilt washing through her.
Elias didn’t reply, instead reaching over to stroke her cheek. Her anger melted away, and she scooted closer to him. He slipped an arm under her shoulders, and pulled her against his chest as he rolled onto his back. “I’m so happy, Ruby,” he whispered against her hair, punctuating the statement with a press of his lips.
“I’m scared.”
“Why?”
“What if something happens? We’ve both wanted this so badly; what if it all falls apart?”
“It won’t, Ruby.”
“But you read the stories all the time of women dying in childbirth…”
“Just as you read stories all of the time of women giving birth to happy, healthy bairns, and being in fine condition themselves. You see it in the birth announcements section every day.”
“But what if I’m in the former group?”
“You won’t be.” The words were said fiercely, and his hold on her tightened. “Because we’ll both do everything we can to make sure you’re not.”
She relaxed against him, then had another thought. “What if I have morning sickness the entire time?”
His hold relaxed. “Then I suppose you’ll just have to eat more lunch and supper. And buy a lot of toothpaste.”
She glanced up to find a smile lurking at the corners of his mouth, leading her to tickle his ribs. That in turn led to him retaliating, and they were soon tangled together on the bed, breathless, the sombre mood completely dispelled. Elias was above her, and his eyes darkened as he gazed down at her, his hips resting against hers. She felt a flash of desire, the throb already building between her legs, and she slowly reached up to unbutton his shirt.
“I…can we?” he whispered as she parted his shirt, then reached down to tug his vest free of his trousers.
“I think so.”
“Are you sure?”
She sighed, her hands falling from where they’d slipped under the hem of his shirt. “I don’t know.”
He leaned down, kissing her cheek, whispering against her ear, “I don’t want to hurt you. Or the bairn.”
“Then at least let me work off some of this frustration,” she muttered, her hand snaking down between them and cupping his hardening cock.
“Alright,” he gasped, his head dropping slightly as she squeezed.
He wouldn’t have sex with her but he still brought her to orgasm using his mouth and hands, lapping at her as she arched against him. He’d already come, clinging to the head board as she’d sucked on him, and he collapsed against her as aftershocks continued to wash through her body, jolts of pleasure radiating from her centre out to her fingertips and toes.
“That was lovely,” she sighed, pulling him to her for a long kiss. He hummed then deepened the kiss, long slow swipes of his tongue serving to make want begin to coil within her once more.
“Tryin’ to do that again?” she asked, moving to drift her lips along his jaw, then down his neck.
“Do ye like that, then?”
“Oh yes.”
“Good.”
He chose that moment to pull away, to lazily strip before her and then reach over and turn out the lamp which had illuminated the room. She moved to pull off her pyjama top, but was stopped by Elias as he crawled back into bed. “Let me.”
She did, lying pliant as he mapped her body with his mouth, whispering against her skin as he moved, his hands guiding the fabric away from her body and laying her bare before him. Her orgasm, when it came again, was long and slow, building to an almost unbearable intensity before exploding through her in a wave that tore his name from her throat. He swallowed her cries with a kiss, his hands prolonging the sensation for as long as possible, and then he pulled her to him when she finally slumped, exhausted, on the bed.
“We’re going to have a wee bairn,” he whispered as they lay together, his hand now stroking against her waist.
“We are.”
She fell asleep curled into him, listening to him whisper about his hopes for their child.
~ - ~
Part II
Rating: M
Author: jlrpuck
Pairing: Ruby Quarles, Elias McCoy
Disclaimer: The characters contained in this story are the products of my imagination; as such, I retain all right to and ownership of them.
Summary: And the last tale about Ruby and Elias. At least for now :)
Notes: Thank you to ginamak, earlgreytea68 and chicklet73 for their beta of this earlier this year.
Any mistakes in this story are mine, and mine alone.
Part I | Part II
“I love you.” Elias nuzzled Ruby’s cheek, his lips brushing gentle kisses across her skin as he rested above her.
She hummed contentedly, the elation of her orgasm still washing through her. As always happened after they had sex, Elias’s brogue was in full effect, his voice lovely and rich as he continued to whisper to her as he came down from his own orgasm.
She rested her hands on his back, enjoying the play of his muscles under her hands as he interspersed his words with soft kisses, marvelling that even after a dozen years of marriage she still felt as though having sex with him was something rare and precious. She loved tracing the lines of his body, loved the toe-curling effects of his kisses and the way he moved against her when they made love. She couldn’t help but smile, and slowly traced her foot down the back of his leg as she relaxed.
She finally caught her breath, turning to meet his lips for a slow kiss, her hand stroking up into his hair; he, in a manoeuvre long-practiced, held the kiss as he slid off of her, rolling them so they faced each other without parting. He pulled back after a few moments, his thumb coming up to stroke down her cheek, and she could see his eyes glittering in the half-light coming in through their bedroom window.
“What’s wrong, Eli?” Her hand moved to his chest, her eyes searching his for some clue as to why he suddenly looked so sombre.
“I want to have a wee bairn with you, Rue. Want us to have a child together.”
Her breath caught as time seemed to stop around them. Having children together was something they’d discussed when they’d first been married; something they’d both wanted, although not right away, something which had made both of them smile and giggle together in those heady days around their wedding. But then life had intervened, first both of them wanting to get settled in their careers; then the attacks by Lumic and the after-effects they’d had on the department; and then the corruption investigation which had stretched into almost five long years, upending their lives, making them worry about threats from within as much as without by the time the investigation reached its final stages. And then he’d been subsumed by the resulting trial, and then the welcoming on board of his new partner; and somehow several more years had passed since she’d last hoped they might finally discuss trying.
She smiled slowly. “You want a baby?” The words where whispered, but her soft tone couldn’t hide the note of hope in her voice.
“With you. Yes.” His teeth glinted a he smiled. “Absolutely.”
“When?”
“As soon as possible. Or at least we can start trying as soon as possible.”
She laughed. “Perhaps you should have mentioned that before we had sex this evening.”
“It’ll take a few weeks for your contraceptive to wear off.”
“Been doing a bit of research, have you?” She drifted her fingers along his jaw, the pads of her fingertips first tracing the rough stubble which was there every evening, then her knuckles.
“Aye. I’ve wanted one for years, Rue. But-” He shrugged his shoulders, and let out a sigh.
“Yeah.” Her fingers drifted down his neck, and then she rested her palm against his chest, enjoying the reassuring thump of his heart for a moment. “Work kind of threw a wrench into our plans, didn’t it?”
“Just a bit. But no longer.” His tone was decisive, sending a small thrill through her.
“No longer,” she agreed, leaning in to kiss him.
The worst part of trying for a baby, she decided a few weeks later, was the havoc wreaked on her by going off of contraceptives for the first time in nearly twenty years. Her moods became unpredictable as her body tried to adjust to her new hormone levels; and then the gut-wrenching cramps she experienced during her menses made her completely re-evaluate the idea of trying to have a baby at all.
The roller-coaster of emotion was short-lived, at least-and it was more than balanced out by the mind-blowing sex she and Elias started to have. He’d always been good in bed-bless him-but now, with the intensity born of him wanting to impregnate her, he was even more so, lavishing attention on her as he made love, being beyond generous as a lover. Even as the months passed without any luck he continued to try, eagerly; continued to surprise her with dinner, to make lazy love to her on their mornings off together; to whisk her away for a surprise minibreak in Scotland or Devon or anywhere outside of London.
It was almost too much, and she finally told him so after several months of his delightful attention. She tried to tell him as gently as she could, over dinner in their flat one night. “It’s just...it’s a lot of pressure,” she finished, watching him carefully.
He, not surprisingly, looked crushed. “I just...” He stared at his plate, his frown visible even though his head was ducked. “I simply can’t tell you enough how much I love you. So I try to show you.”
“I know, Eli.” She sighed. “But...it...I love it. I love how special it makes me feel. But...it’s that specialness that kind of makes it a bit intimidating, too. I love just being with you, here, in our flat. Just us, being us. Maybe knackered after work, or a bit tipsy from having dinner with Peter and Rose-but always just you being who you are, and letting me be who I am.”
“I didn’t mean to make you feel like you were being forced.”
“I know, Eli. And I do love it-but as a treat, not rote.” She pushed back from the table, walking around to where he still sat, his face drawn. He didn’t look up at her, and she let out a soft sigh. She glanced to the table, then back to Elias, and decided the china could be damned. She pushed the table out of the way enough to be able to fit on Elias’s lap, the glasses and plates rattling dangerously as the table legs dragged across the floor, but she noted with satisfaction that nothing actually broke. Elias looked slowly up to her as she straddled him, his expression confused.
“I thought...”
“This is me, seducing you.” She held his gaze as her hands found his tie, unknotting it with practiced ease, but leaving it in his collar before her fingers moved to start unbuttoning his shirt. “Not premeditated, just something that feels right in the moment.” She let out a hiss of frustration as she encountered his vest, and hurriedly reached down to his waist to pull the cotton free. It wasn’t coming loose, causing her frustration to spike, and she was perhaps a bit rougher than she normally would have been when she unbuckled his belt so she could untuck his vest.
He appeared to like it, though, his eyes dark when she glanced up to him, his hands finding her hips as her fingers slipped under his now-free shirt. She decided to use it to her advantage and leaned forward, whispering against his ear, “Take my blouse off of me, Elias.”
He watched her as he complied, his fingers deftly freeing her buttons, then tugging her blouse apart to expose her bra-clad torso.
“Touch my breasts,” she whispered, rocking her hips against his, encouraging the hardness she could feel growing where she rubbed against him.
He did, his hands cupping her, his thumbs rubbing her nipples through the satin of her bra. She reached down, unfastening his trousers, forcing herself to focus on pulling his zip down. She had to stand for a moment, her hand slipping into his trousers and pants, wrapping around his cock and guiding it free. Elias hissed at her touch, his hands stilling.
“Pull my skirt up, Elias,” she instructed, her hand still wrapped around him, teasingly stroking him. He once more obeyed, his palms sliding up her thighs, guiding the wool of her skirt to rest around her hips. He paused once done, his dark eyes locked expectantly on hers. She reached down, pushing her knickers aside, then guided Elias into her as she sank onto his lap. His eyes fluttered shut at the sensation; she grinned, leaning forward to nip at his neck before pulling her hips up. His eyes opened at that, his dark gaze watching her; she gave him a knowing smile as she then slammed down onto him, pushing him as far as possible into her.
She shagged him roughly at the table, enjoying watching his reaction as she rode him hard, as she climaxed with a shout, and then being rewarded by Elias’s own shout as he released into her. She continued to rock against him as their orgasms waned, her hips now gently rolling into his; her arms were wrapped around his shoulders, and her forehead rested against his.
His hands were still resting at her waist by the time he caught his breath, and he slowly pulled back. She stroked her knuckles along his sideburn, giving him a small smile as he watched her for a moment. She was surprised when he didn’t speak, and finally broke the silence herself. “I love you, Eli.”
He leaned up into her, kissing her forcefully, his arms sliding to wrap around her back and press her against him. He was like a man possessed, pressing so close to her that it seemed he was trying to crawl into her; she began to grow dizzy, stealing gasping breaths in between his punishing kisses. He held her to him as he stood, held her against him as she found her footing; his hands only moved to slide her blouse from her shoulders, then to unhook her bra.
He guided her to the bedroom before lavishing attention on her, his hands and mouth driving her to her second orgasm of the night. And as they lay together after-Elias still in his unbuttoned shirt and loose tie, his trousers around his hips; Ruby naked from the waist up, her skirt rucked around her hips and her knickers on the other side of the bedroom -he finally spoke. “No premeditation.”
From then on, he took delight in surprising her with his lovemaking. Some nights it was like any of the other nights they’d made love in their years together. But other nights he’d ambush her upon their entering the flat, shagging her against the wall, or surprising her in the kitchen, or bending her over the table as she cleaned it. It wasn’t often enough to be annoying; rather, it was just frequent enough to enhance the excitement, and she realized that she was having more fun being shagged by Elias than she’d thought possible.
Of course she, too, would surprise him-leaving him filthy notes on his desk, their contents echoes of the letters she’d sent him from Glasgow years before ; or waking him in the middle of the night for a rough, frantic shag; or demanding to be on top, dictating an achingly slow pace for their lovemaking before driving him frantically to his climax.
And then, finally, came the day when she found out she was pregnant. She still got terrible cramps once a month, so it was no surprise to wake up one morning and have to run for the toilet to vomit. She fully expected her menses to follow; but instead she spent every morning of that week repeating the routine without the appearance of her monthly visitor. She could tell what Elias was thinking as he held her hair, his hand stroking her back as she retched; he was always watching her carefully after, as she drank the glass of water he provided. But he said nothing, keeping his thoughts to himself.
He’d clearly spoken to Peter about it, though-most likely voicing concern, because while she was happy Elias had a good friend she really wasn’t comfortable with the idea of the two of them discussing Elias’s efforts to get her pregnant . And Peter, in turn, had clearly mentioned it to Rose, for it was Rose who finally dragged her to the doctor’s office at the end of the week under the pretext of taking her out for lunch.
“Some friend you’ve turned out to be,” Ruby muttered as they sat in the waiting area of the office. She was slouched in her chair, her arms crossed as she tried not to shiver. She hated doctor’s offices.
“Feel free to punch me after you’re done here,” Rose replied mildly, turning the page in the magazine in her hands. She let out a heavy sigh, drawing Ruby’s attention; and then Ruby laughed, noting the picture of Rose and Peter splashed across the page. Rose turned the page again, then let out a triumphant noise; she folded the magazine over, and handed it over to Ruby. “Laugh all you like,” she said, grinning.
There was another picture of Peter and Rose-but behind them were Ruby and Elias, Elias’s expression just as cross as Peter’s in the photo.
She remembered that night-it had been the month before, their annual dinner celebrating the anniversary of Peter and Elias’s partnership. They’d thought they’d been successful in dodging the zanzare, but had emerged into a hail of flashbulbs, resulting in much grousing on the ride to their flat. Peter and Elias had grown pleasantly drunk on whisky that night-dipping into the bottle of Single Cask Tomatin Elias had stashed in the kitchen cabinet for special occasions.
That had been one of the many nights from the past five years which Peter and Rose had spent in the McCoys’ guest room.
Rose stayed in the waiting room when Ruby was finally led back for her examination, and was still calmly leafing through a magazine when Ruby was released back into the real world forty-five minutes later. She had to admire Rose’s restraint as the two of them slowly pulled on their coats, then walked out to the lifts; but Rose finally couldn’t take it once they were alone, riding down to the ground floor.
“So?”
“Rose. If I were pregnant, do you really think I’d tell you before Elias?”
Rose’s face fell. “You have a point.”
“Good thing I already called him, then, isn’t it?” she grinned, then laughed as Rose pulled her into a hug.
She had a hard time keeping the smile from her face as she returned to work, and she was certain the way Elias appeared and generally hovered around her desk-something he did only rarely, usually relying on a note or quick phone call to check in on her-would give the game away. But when she went in to Devine’s office at the end of the day to tell him the news, he appeared to be genuinely surprised.
“Congratulations. When can we expect to lose you to your leave?”
“About four months. Give or take.”
“Planning to push it a bit late, aren’t you?”
“I’d work until the day I delivered, given the opportunity. Bad enough I have no choice but to take leave at the eight-month mark.”
Her DCI shook his head. “I’ll get you into the leave calendar, then. I’ll mark it ‘personal’ until you give me the go-ahead to change it to maternity.”
“Thank you.” She grinned, then left the small office.
Cox was next to be told, and then Bruce and a few other work colleagues. The news flew like wildfire after that, leaving her very grateful indeed that she’d been estimated to be almost four months along. She wasn’t superstitious by nature, but even she held to the idea of not breathing a word of a pregnancy until after the third month had passed.
Elias was working a staggered shift from her-the result of a case he and Peter had been saddled with, a bit of clean-up work after another team had mismanaged it-and so she made her way home alone on the subte, the ride lulling her into a doze. She was still a bit sleepy when she emerged from the station near the flat, and by the time she reached the flat itself she was ready to be in bed for the night. It was a relief to close the door behind her, to kick off her shoes, and then to head straight for bed, collapsing into it without bothering to take off her suit.
“Ruby?” Elias’s concerned voice pulled her from her slumber, and she slowly blinked awake to find him leaning over her, his tie loosened but not undone, his eyebrows drawn together in concern.
“Sorry, fell asleep.” She slowly pushed herself up, blinking as Elias moved and revealed the bright light of the room.
“Did ye eat?”
“No. Was tired when I got home.”
He pursed his lips, although she noted his eyebrows had relaxed. “I’ll get ye something, then. Any preference?”
“Soup would be lovely.”
“Soup it shall be.” He glanced over her, then added with a small smile, “Maybe ye should change into your pyjamas.”
She’d forgotten she was still wearing her suit, and winced at the thought of how wrinkled her clothes were bound to be.
Elias was like a mother hen that night, bringing her soup and water in bed, threatening to feed her until she swatted his hand away playfully. He lay alongside her as she ate, his eyes following her every move; he made sure to always be in contact with her, his hand resting on her stomach or his leg alongside hers.
“You already had supper?” she asked as she neared the end of her meal, noting that he wasn’t even filching a cracker from her tray.
“I did-we wrapped up over takeaway.”
“So the case is done?”
“It’s as cleaned up as we can get it. I doubt there’ll be any successful prosecution, though-it was just too shoddily done.”
“I’m sorry.”
He sighed, rolling onto his back, his head dropping onto the pillow as he pressed his fingertips against his eyes. “It happens.”
“What’s happened to-”
“On probation,” he replied shortly.
“Ah.”
Elias felt the mismanagement of cases keenly, especially when it resulted in guilty men going free. She’d not ask him, but she was sure he felt the two detectives who’d bungled the case should have been sacked outright. She suspected their probation offended his sense of justice.
She set the tray aside, earning a noise of protest from Elias as she bent over to make sure it rested soundly on the floor by the bed. She turned, capturing his hand as he moved to rise from the bed, tugging him back to join her. “Lie with me, Eli,” she whispered, knowing he’d be unable to refuse her request.
He did so without argument, snuggling against her, draping an arm across her midsection as she cradled his head against her shoulder. He still hadn’t changed out of his work clothes, his cuffs rolled up either from work or from making her supper. The scarlet of his tie provided the only flash of colour, the silk snaking between their bodies. She gently ran her fingers over his forearm, finally feeling him relax properly after a few moments of quiet togetherness.
“I’d so wanted to do something nice for you tonight,” he finally said, pulling back to look up at her.
“You did.”
“Properly.”
“You did. Been a long while since I had supper in bed.”
“Ye scared me, when I got home. The door was unlocked, and it was so quiet.”
“I was knackered-it hit on the subte, and by the time I got home I could barely keep my eyes open.”
“What did you eat for lunch?”
She blinked, trying to remember. Rose had invited her out for a meal, but then they’d gone to the doctor’s; and then she’d come back and had had some water and an apple, but then she’d got a bit distracted with work, and then sharing out the good news at the end of the day…
“Ruby.” He drew her name out, causing her to squirm. “Did ye nae eat at all?”
“I had an apple!”
“I thought you were going out for lunch.”
“So did I. But Rose took me for the examination, and we just…kind of didn’t get lunch after all.”
“You have got to eat.”
“I know,” she snapped, guilt washing through her.
Elias didn’t reply, instead reaching over to stroke her cheek. Her anger melted away, and she scooted closer to him. He slipped an arm under her shoulders, and pulled her against his chest as he rolled onto his back. “I’m so happy, Ruby,” he whispered against her hair, punctuating the statement with a press of his lips.
“I’m scared.”
“Why?”
“What if something happens? We’ve both wanted this so badly; what if it all falls apart?”
“It won’t, Ruby.”
“But you read the stories all the time of women dying in childbirth…”
“Just as you read stories all of the time of women giving birth to happy, healthy bairns, and being in fine condition themselves. You see it in the birth announcements section every day.”
“But what if I’m in the former group?”
“You won’t be.” The words were said fiercely, and his hold on her tightened. “Because we’ll both do everything we can to make sure you’re not.”
She relaxed against him, then had another thought. “What if I have morning sickness the entire time?”
His hold relaxed. “Then I suppose you’ll just have to eat more lunch and supper. And buy a lot of toothpaste.”
She glanced up to find a smile lurking at the corners of his mouth, leading her to tickle his ribs. That in turn led to him retaliating, and they were soon tangled together on the bed, breathless, the sombre mood completely dispelled. Elias was above her, and his eyes darkened as he gazed down at her, his hips resting against hers. She felt a flash of desire, the throb already building between her legs, and she slowly reached up to unbutton his shirt.
“I…can we?” he whispered as she parted his shirt, then reached down to tug his vest free of his trousers.
“I think so.”
“Are you sure?”
She sighed, her hands falling from where they’d slipped under the hem of his shirt. “I don’t know.”
He leaned down, kissing her cheek, whispering against her ear, “I don’t want to hurt you. Or the bairn.”
“Then at least let me work off some of this frustration,” she muttered, her hand snaking down between them and cupping his hardening cock.
“Alright,” he gasped, his head dropping slightly as she squeezed.
He wouldn’t have sex with her but he still brought her to orgasm using his mouth and hands, lapping at her as she arched against him. He’d already come, clinging to the head board as she’d sucked on him, and he collapsed against her as aftershocks continued to wash through her body, jolts of pleasure radiating from her centre out to her fingertips and toes.
“That was lovely,” she sighed, pulling him to her for a long kiss. He hummed then deepened the kiss, long slow swipes of his tongue serving to make want begin to coil within her once more.
“Tryin’ to do that again?” she asked, moving to drift her lips along his jaw, then down his neck.
“Do ye like that, then?”
“Oh yes.”
“Good.”
He chose that moment to pull away, to lazily strip before her and then reach over and turn out the lamp which had illuminated the room. She moved to pull off her pyjama top, but was stopped by Elias as he crawled back into bed. “Let me.”
She did, lying pliant as he mapped her body with his mouth, whispering against her skin as he moved, his hands guiding the fabric away from her body and laying her bare before him. Her orgasm, when it came again, was long and slow, building to an almost unbearable intensity before exploding through her in a wave that tore his name from her throat. He swallowed her cries with a kiss, his hands prolonging the sensation for as long as possible, and then he pulled her to him when she finally slumped, exhausted, on the bed.
“We’re going to have a wee bairn,” he whispered as they lay together, his hand now stroking against her waist.
“We are.”
She fell asleep curled into him, listening to him whisper about his hopes for their child.
~ - ~
Part II