He toed off his boots and bent to pick Ewan up to carry him to the room that had been made up for him. His son was so deeply asleep that he didn’t stir until Dave carefully lay him down and covered him with the pristine blue duvet. Ewan snuggled into the cold bed, and Dave left him with a kiss to the cheek. He was taking advantage of a sleeping person again, but it was a kiss for his beloved boy, who’d not only outgrown his teddy but also his father’s kisses; he’d never know and, right now, Dave was bursting with love and gratitude. He couldn’t not kiss him.
“Dave?”
He jumped a little when he heard Rose whisper his name. He turned around and found her still lying on the sofa, but she had tilted her head so she was able to look at him.
“I’m sorry for waking you,” he said, walking up to her and kneeling on the deep-pile rug in front of the sofa.
“I was just napping,” she said, cupping his cheek. “Is everyone all right?”
“Aye. I’m not sure I like Lucy sitting with Paul, but Frankie threatened me with moon bloom.”
Rose chuckled softly.
“Is it true what she says then? About its potency?”
“Oh yes. I’ve been on the receiving end of it. I slept for almost a day; they put me on a heart monitor to make sure I was still alive,” she said, smiling.
“Oh.”
“Don’t worry, they know about the dosage now,” she reassured him. “But I know a far better sleeping drug.” She had dropped her voice a few notches that told him exactly what was on her mind. He felt a twinge low in his abdomen.
“Do ye now?”
“Mhm,” she hummed, shifting towards him a little so she could kiss him. She brushed her tongue over his lips to beg entrance. He yielded at her gentle touch, shivering at the familiar yet new sensation of her tongue against his. He had to admit that he had been irrationally afraid of Agent Tyler.
“I can’t imagine what that might be,” he said when they came up for air. “They say moon bloom is the best.”
“But only half the fun. Unless you like being poked by needles.”
He chuckled. “A bloke could misunderstand this, ye know.”
“Who knows,” Rose said, looking all innocent. “Some people get off on physical pain.”
“Not me, I don’t. As you should well know.”
“I do, my love. I do,” she replied, silencing him with another kiss, and this time she quietened his thoughts as well. There was nothing on his mind but kissing Rose and tasting her, falling into her.
“Bedroom?” Rose asked when it ended.
All he could do was nod. He climbed to his feet and held out a hand for Rose to help her up.
“Did Evie say anything about seeing us? Apart from the cuddling thing?”
“No,” he sighed. “That’s what worries me a little.”
“Do you think she’s going to tell on us?”
“Maybe she thinks this was only about a cuddle, that it’s all really innocent.”
“Well, we did have our clothes on,” Rose pointed out, giggling. She sobered quickly. “I’m sorry, it’s not funny. Assuming she thinks this is anything but innocent — just assuming — what are we going to do about it?”
Dave ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m not sure. I suppose we wait and cross that bridge when we get there? She likes you a lot.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning that she can keep a secret. Or think it’s a perfectly natural thing for us to do so it doesn’t need discussing. She did get her cuddle, after all.”
“And a story?”
“And a story,” he said, closing the bedroom door behind him. “Rose?”
“Yes?”
“Can we not talk about the bairns now?”
Rose nodded slowly. She stepped into his arms and drew him close. Holding her felt so good that for a wee moment he thought he’d be content just to snuggle up under the covers with her in his arms. But he also knew that that wasn’t enough, not tonight, no matter how tired he was.
He kissed her, hard and hungrily. Rose had to slow him down at one point. “I’m all yours, Dave,” she said.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. It’s just… I don’t think I can do hard and fast tonight.”
He chuckled, resting his forehead against hers. “I’m all over the place.” When he withdrew, his dark eyes were beginning to well up.
“I know. Let me do this for you.” She stepped away from him and began to undress. Bit by bit she revealed her creamy skin, taking her time to tease him. When she was just in her knickers and bra she stepped over to him, brushing against him deliciously as she stretched up to pull his long-sleeved t-shirt over his head. She then stepped back just enough so she could reach between them to undo the fastenings of his jeans which she pulled down along with his pants. She ended up kneeling in front of him, looking at his hardening penis. The erotic images that filled his mind were only compounded by the sight of her on her knees in front of him.
He jumped slightly as she touched his calf for him to lift his foot so she could take off his clothes and socks. Memories of the stormy Sunday when she had sucked him to orgasm washed over him. His cock hardened further at the memory, and Rose giggled. Her hands were on his thighs.
She looked up at him, licking her lips. Dave groaned.
“What do you want, Dave?”
His mind went suddenly blank. He knew exactly what he wanted. He wanted her to suck him and he wanted to come in her mouth, but he couldn’t find the words to ask her. He didn’t want to sound too crude. And then he realised. This was exactly what Rose wanted. Two could play at that game.
He bent slightly forward to pull the elastic from her lopsided ponytail, ruffling her heavy locks and running his splayed fingers through it like a comb. Then he cupped the back of her head, keeping his touch light so she wouldn’t be scared or feel forced to do something she wasn’t ready to.
“I want you,” he said. “I want you naked on the bed.” He let go of her and went around the bed to crawl onto it on the far side. The temptation to touch himself was great as he watched her slide off her bra and her knickers. Rose climbed onto the bed and stretched languorously on top of the chocolate coloured duvet. Her skin whispered over the satiny material as she rolled to lie on her side facing him.
“Do you trust me, Rose?” he asked.
“Yes.”
He lay down facing her, gesturing for her to roll and spoon up to him. He slid his arm around her from underneath so he could freely touch her with his right hand. She opened her thighs in invitation but he resisted the urge to dip his fingers into her as long as he could possibly restrain himself. He wanted to make this last. His fingers explored her thighs and the crease of her groin, grazed through her trimmed curls and pulled and brushed her nipples. Somehow, Rose managed to twist in his tight embrace so they could kiss, and as she did so she pressed against his cock. He moaned into her mouth.
“Dave,” Rose sighed as he removed his hand from between her legs to touch her lips with her own dampness.
“Yes, my love.”
“I need you. Please.” She reached between her legs and found his cock to give him a few strokes.
Reluctantly, he let go of her. He’d wanted to make this last, but her neediness rubbed off on him. As he scrambled off the bed to get a condom from his bag, he saw Rose shift onto her stomach, drawing one knee up. He hadn’t touched her folds and yet they shone wetly. The lighting in here was the same as in the lounge, and it cast the landscape of the scars on her back in stark contrast of day and night.
Dave joined her on the bed once he found one of the elusive foil packets, smoothing his left hand against the small of her back so she didn’t move. “Let me look at you.”
Rose shifted a bit, turning her face so she could watch him as he looked at her scars, her arm tucked under her, worrying her thumb with her teeth. “Touch them,” she whispered.
Never removing his left hand, he reached out to touch the hardene
d skin. It almost felt like the rubbery latex masks customers had worn for the Halloween shoot the previous year.
“What do they feel like?” she asked.
He told her.
Rose hummed in agreement. “Have I spoiled the mood? I shouldn’t have turned.”
“I want you like this, Rose. If you don’t mind.” He gave himself a few strokes before he rolled on the condom. Rose was about to rock back and push herself to her hands and knees but at his touch to the small of her back she remained still. He began to kiss her scars, ran his tongue along the hills and valleys, making his way to the long, curved line of her spine until he reached the top her bum. Following a sudden inspiration, he gently bit the globe of her bum, eliciting a soft cry and sigh from her. She opened her legs in invitation and as a plea. Holding her by the hips, he ran his tongue along her flesh, playing with her clit and gently nibbling her labia with the occasional kiss and bite to her bum thrown in.
“Dave!” she cried, pushing her hips up at him.
He straddled her thighs and guided the tip of his penis to her folds, teasing both of them before pushing past her lips and inside her. The feeling of being joined with her again was sheer bliss. He sank into her as deeply as he could, enjoying the ripples of her muscles as they squeezed him. Rose moaned and squirmed beneath him.
Once he was inside her, he leaned forward onto his elbows, stretching out half on top of her. He wove his fingers through hers as they scrabbled for purchase in the taut linen. She moaned his name.
“You okay?” he managed to say, cupping the top of her head with his free hand. He leaned down to kiss her temple.
“Yeah,” she sighed. “Just… let’s just stay like this for a while.”
He closed his eyes as he savoured the most intimate embrace he had ever shared with a woman. He had often wondered what it would be like to make love in this position, and being joined with Rose like this was one of the most exquisite sensations he’d ever felt. Eventually, he pushed his knee between her legs, nudging her to draw her knee up; he sank even more deeply into her, and Rose groaned as he brushed over every sensitive spot inside her.
“Oh Rose,” he whispered.
She pushed herself up a bit so they could share a kiss. Rose pushed her bum back against him. “Please, Dave.”
He began to move, slowly pulling out until only the head of his cock was nestled inside her. Rose gave him a little squeeze, pleading with him to push back inside. Soon, they managed to set up a gentle rhythm until Rose shifted, pushing against him so they rolled to lie on their sides. She twisted further in his arms, draping her leg over his hip and turning to reach for his lips in a kiss, and so he could touch her breasts.
“This is so good,” she sighed. “I love it like this. But I want to kiss you.”
“Aye,” he said, kissing her, touching her chin. Their rhythm was slow and lazy, a declaration of love in itself. “I love you, Rose.”
He dropped his hand to touch her her clit, but she soon pushed him away with her hand. “It’s so good without them,” she moaned. “Just caress me.”
He rolled her nipples between his fingers, gently massaging her breast or just feathering his fingertips over them. “I want you to come for me, Rose. I’ve got you. Let yourself go. Come for me.”
Dave pushed inside her with a few short strokes, brushing over the sensible flesh inside her. And she came, crying out her pleasure. He closed his lips over hers to share it and muffle it a little. He drew her close to him, holding her as her body trembled. Her muscles rippled around him, bringing him close to his own orgasm, but it wasn’t quite enough yet.
Rose rolled, pushing him off her. The air in the room was cold around his penis, and he sat back on his heels in surprise. What was she doing?
Before he could ask her, however, Rose had taken hold of his cock and ran her fingers along its slippery length before straddling him and guiding him inside her once more. “Your turn, my love,” she purred, sinking onto him.
Dave’s eyes fluttered shut and he groaned. He leaned back on one hand, draping his arm around Rose to hold her close, but he knew it was only a token gesture. She was going to ride him to orgasm, and he tried to meet each of her strokes as best he could. Her fingers dug into his shoulders, and her hair brushed his arm as she threw back her head. Unable to resist, he opened his eyes and looked at her, the long line of her neck, the curve of her breasts. Her mouth was open in a silent sigh.
“Rose,” he panted. “Look at me.”
She looked at him, and before he knew it, she was kissing him, her hips rolling against his, her muscles clenching around him.
“Come, Dave. Come for me,” she whispered, nibbling at his bottom lip, drawing her fingers through his stubble. “Come.” She rocked forward, pulling him in deeper and he came. He pulsed into her a few times as she clenched around him. A small orgasm rippled through her to accompany his. Light-headed, he held her to him, his face buried just above her breasts where her skin was damp and smelled so deliciously. He could hear her heart beat frantically, in time with his.
Rose cradled his head to her and stroked his damp back until they had to let go of each so he could clean up a little. The tissues on the bedside table would have to do for now, and he chucked the wad into the bin.
“That was wonderful,” Rose said, settling against him as he lay back in the pillows.
“You were wonderful,” he said, trying not to be too proud of himself. He had made her scream, and he hoped that the kids hadn’t heard them.
Chapter 36
The first time Rose woke on Sunday morning it was the crack of dawn. Dave was stretched out beside her, his face relaxed in the oblivion of sleep. It only briefly occurred to her sleep-addled mind that she had slept through the night in Dave’s bed. She had meant to sneak away to her room after he had fallen asleep so the kids wouldn’t surprise them. She ought to have stolen out of his bed, but she didn’t, wanting to stay with him just a few more minutes. Of course, she fell asleep again.
They'd stayed up too late after making love even though Dave had looked ready to drop when he'd found her asleep on the couch. So when she woke a second time to the gentle hum on the bedside table, she slid out of bed being careful not to jostle him and hurried to the en suite with the phone when she recognized the caller ID.
“Rose?” Dominic asked.
“Yes? What is it?”
“Isn’t this Dave’s phone?”
“Yes.”
“Oh. Right. Well, um,” Dominic said. “Paul’s condition has changed.”
“What happened?” Rose asked in alarm, turning towards the bathroom door. She fished for a towel and wrapped it around herself, tucking the mobile awkwardly between her ear and her shoulder.
“Paul is running a fever. It’s nothing to be afraid of. Actually, it’s a good sign because it means his body is fighting whatever’s inside him. Which is why we’re just monitoring him. I’ve already contacted Aquiouk,” he informed her.
“Okay.”
“His temperature is 38.5, Rose. It really is all right,” Dominic reassured her. “I just thought that it might reassure Paul a little if his father were with him.”
“Where’s Lucy?”
“She’s fallen asleep and I put her to bed in the next room. Poor thing was completely exhausted.”
“I’ll be there in a few,” Rose said. “Dave’s asleep and I don’t want to wake him.”
“He needs his rest,” Dominic agreed, but it was clear that he’d rather he came downstairs.
Sighing, she rang off and looked at herself in the mirror. Yesterday’s mascara had left dark smudges under her eyes, so she grabbed a fresh flannel and washed her face. The cool water roused her senses, and for a moment she was tempted to take a shower, but she decided against it. The splashing would probably wake Dave. So she hurried back to the bedroom as quietly as she could on the creaking floorboards.
Dropping a kiss on his bare shoulder, she tugged the duvet up around him and colle
cted her clothes. She didn’t bother getting dressed; the residential area of Torchwood would be deserted, so she might as well nip back to her own suite clad in only a towel.
Rose knew she ought to wake him and tell him about Paul’s fever, but Dave had been so upset about Lucy the night before. The fact that Paul had eaten dinner with them had filled him with hope, and the news of the fever would crush him, even if Dominic explained to him that it was actually quite a good development. If only there were something she could do to help Dave. No matter how close they were he was still left alone with his fear and his grief.
Bigger on the inside: Space, Time Travel, Alien Criminals (A Space Time Travel Mystery Book 1) Page 39