Rose didn't know what to say. She felt exactly the same way but would he think she was just saying that? He was looking at her, his brown eyes saying he was telling the truth.
"Alec, I don't know what to say. You might change your mind when you move in with me?"
Then he did go to put his arms around her.
"Never. If anything, it will only make things better. I did not plan on this, when I moved here, to Broadchurch. I wanted somewhere quiet after my last case and to get away from the messy divorce. I'm not the easiest person to get along with."
"Neither am I, trust me. I didn't mean to spoil your rescue, I shouldn't have said anything. I did spoil things, didn't I?"
"No, I did not mean it to sound like I was disappointed. I would have been more upset had you been hurt. Just promise you will not try that with Harkness or his partner."
"Ok, not when there are two of them but if Ianto comes after me, I can't promise I won't give him something to think about."
"Well you gave Carter something to think about, no-one has seen him but he may be hiding from Harkness. Speaking of which, Miss Jones seems to have gone quiet, I think I gave her enough of a warning."
"She does it every time Alec, she thinks she's better than me, just because she's a nurse and I'm the arcade owner's daughter."
"I am sure she does not think that."
"Yeah, she does. If someone new is in town, she makes a point of making a play for them, then she wonders why they back off. I mean, men don't like being chased, do they?"
"Personally, then no. Some men may like it but not me. She seems now to have got the message."
"I hope so, at least she's not been in the shop making a scene but there's still time yet. I think I was flirting with you in the arcade."
"Well I did not notice."
"Aw, are you just saying that?" she asked, leaning into him.
He kissed her forehead and looked down at her.
"I was the one who went to sit with you outside the arcade, I came after you."
"So you did. I'm glad we settled that then."
Even though it was still light outside, after they had kissed, Alec pulled the curtains over as they laid on the sofa. When they finally got up to go to the bedroom, Rose had only just managed to keep her underwear but had her bra unfastened as was Alec's shirt. As they lay in bed, Alec hovering above her and kissing her cleavage as she had her hands on his shoulders, she realised she should tell him before it was too late.
"Alec you said you were falling for me but I think I'm more than falling for you."
"Is that so eh? I was only saying that, in case it was too early to say what I wanted to say."
"Then what did you want to say? That you love me?"
"Is it too soon to say I love you?" he asked, going to kiss her neck.
"Definitely not, if I was to say I love you too Alec."
She pulled him down and went for the waistband of his shorts.
"Show me exactly how much Alec."
"The pleasure would be all mine."
They woke to Alec's alarm going off, well he was trying to silence it without waking her, with no success as she smiled and moved for him to reach his phone.
"Morning love," he greeted her, checking he'd set the right time for the alarm.
"Hi, handsome, I wasn't dreaming then? It's gonna be tough the next two mornings, waking up without you."
"Then stay here for now? We can stop off for you to get your things on the way back, well enough for two more nights. I do not want to wake up on my own either."
They kissed and Alec went for her thin cotton knickers she had put back on but instead of removing them, he moved them to one side, meaning to tease her. As she murmured beneath him at his delicate touch, any remaining doubts she had about it being too soon to move in with him disappeared.
"Alec, I want to move in with you, tonight."
"Oh, well I imagine you want me to do this every morning then?"
"Only when we have to go to work, Sundays, you won't get away with just that."
"Then it will put me in a good mood for the day. Did I tell you how boring it was from kissing you goodbye until meeting for lunch? Then there are the afternoons to contend with."
"I'm sure you'll manage. So why do you have to go see about the music festival?"
"That is what I asked the chief," he told her as her face lit up at his touch.
Rose took some time to recover, Alec laying on his back and pulling her on top of him.
"That was wonderful."
"That was amazing to watch. You are so beautiful Rose and I am very lucky you chose to flirt with me in the arcade that morning or I may never have invited you to the dance."
"I wasn't flirting with you for you to ask me to the dance," she told him, glancing up.
"Whatever you were doing, you are here now, with me," he told her, his arms wrapped around her.
"You'd never have considered asking Martha, even if you'd not met me?"
"No, end of story. She thinks she knows where I live but if she has still been following me, she will know you are here and we will be gone by Sunday."
"Yeah, we will, won't we? Time for another kiss before breakfast, since I don't have to go home or walk to work?"
"Oh yes, there is time for another kiss. Come here gorgeous."
Rose was even five minutes earlier than normal with getting a ride to work. Her manager let her in, looking at her.
"Had a good day off?"
"Yeah. I'm moving on Saturday, I'll need to change my address with you."
"Good for you Rose. Living on your own?"
"Not exactly but I'm not ready to admit anything yet."
"Well that's up to you, what you tell people. Be careful though, the word will soon get around and people will jump to conclusions."
"Yeah, I know what you mean. Did Martha come in yesterday by any chance?"
"No, should she have?"
"We both wore the same dress on Saturday night, I thought she might have come for an exchange or a refund."
"Not once the dress has been worn or if there's a fault. Did you know you'd bought the same dress?"
"Yeah, that was rather the point but loads of women have bought the same one."
"Were you two the only ones at the dance though?"
Rose smiled.
Alec got to work, annoyed about the task of sorting out the music festival and even more annoyed he wouldn't get away with not going and meeting Rose instead. Ellie knocked on his office door to set off just before twelve and she saw he wasn't pleased.
"Why has it fallen to us to go?" he asked, getting up.
"We're the senior officers around here. I had to take Frank with me last year, the other DI wouldn't go see to something like a music festival."
"Well aren't you lucky you got me then?" Alec asked dryly.
"I supposed you're here to give me the benefit of your experience then?" Ellie quipped back.
"Just get on with it, I am missing having lunch with my girlfriend and I am not in a good mood."
"I saw you with her yesterday, it's not such a good idea to go snogging her opposite the police station."
Alec thought it was a good thing Miller had no idea about the questionable photos of Rose on his phone. He would have to be very careful but why shouldn't he be able to kiss his girlfriend outside?
"Don't go watching then," was all he could think of as they walked out of the station door and across the harbour to the showground.
Pete had a fairly peaceful morning. Mickey had turned up for work so he'd said nothing more about their conversation yesterday, unless Mickey was still playing both sides. He'd talked to Tony on the way down saying things were being put in place and everything would be revealed one way or another by Monday.
Ianto had been on his tablet PC, looking up Alec Hardy and apart from the so-called missing evidence incident, which was deemed as not the detective's fault, he didn't know where else to look.
"We have to find something Ianto," Jack urged him just before eleven. "Rose gets out around twelve, we have to be there waiting for her, away from the shop. Come on, dig something up. What about his divorce? Were there any accusations, well apart from her having an affair?"
"Not that I can find. The divorce was a bit messy, she threw a few accusations back at him when he found out but nothing came of it after Claire Ripley was arrested."
"So, he could have been cheating with her, before the divorce?"
"There was no actual proof but Rose doesn't know that, does she?"
Jack slapped Ianto on the shoulder.
"That could be just the thing to get her doubting him. Just go along with what I tell her then, I may exaggerate a little."
"Just how much?"
"I'll make it up as I go along. Now all we have to do is wait until Monday and see what Tyler decides. If Rose is all upset and Hardy keeps going on at him between now and Monday, he'll be only too glad to accept my offer."
Rose was being quizzed by her part-time workmate Amber as it was Alice's day off.
"Come on Rose, how are things really between you and the detective? I did see the paper, you looked really cosy."
"We were just dancing, well putting on a bit of a show for Martha. Shame you weren't there."
"I knew it. I said to Alice yesterday you'd lay it on in front of her. Did you have any more trouble with her?"
"No, she's keeping out of the way though I dread to think what she's been saying about me. Shame you won't be here at five, he's picking me up."
Just on twelve, Rose was preparing to go get something from the bakery to bring back with her since going down to the harbour wouldn't be the same with Alec not being there but she'd had a message from Pete, asking her if she was free for lunch and to meet him across from the arcade.
She text him back saying she was on her way and waved to Amber as she went out. She was about to cross over to walk back to the path leading to the esplanade at the side of the hotel when Jack and Ianto got out of their SUV type car and walked up behind her.
"Hello Rose, going somewhere?" Ianto asked, taking her arm.
"You have five seconds to get your grubby little hands off me Ianto. Did you not hear what I did to Nigel last Saturday night?"
"Relax Rose, come and sit with us in the car," Jack invited her, steering her back to the car.
"Get off me Jack, I'm going nowhere with you."
"You will when you hear what I have to say about Hardy."
"You are joking, right? Let me go Jack or when he gets to hear about it, you two are finished."
"Five minutes, then we'll leave you. Fair enough?"
"I have a lunch date and if I'm late, someone will come looking for me."
She felt no need to tell him she wasn't meeting Alec.
"Then we'll give you a ride down to the harbour, won't we Ianto?"
"Yeah, just listen to what we have to say."
"If you're trying to find out what my dad's planning, you already know he's not told me."
"We're not talking about that, I have something to tell you about your boyfriend. After you?" Jack indicated for her to get in the back seat.
Rose was hoping Amber would be being nosy and see her getting in the car and call the station but Alec was out. She knew she should call herself but Jack was preventing her going into her shoulder bag.
"You know I'll call him when you let me go."
"Good," Jack replied as he made her fasten the seat belt and Ianto drove off. "You'll have plenty to talk about. Ask him about his ex wife, how he was cheating on her, before they got divorced."
"That's rubbish Jack, she was cheating on him."
"Why was that then? He must have given her cause? Has he mentioned Claire Ripley?"
"She got locked up for her part in his last case, she stole the evidence to protect herself and her husband."
"That's Hardy's version, she stole it to get his attention and she got it, until he figured it out, well so he told everyone. What do you think really happened? She felt sorry for him and turned it in, then he betrayed her by arresting her."
"I'm not listening Jack," she told him as Ianto stopped in the harbour car park but Jack wouldn't let her out.
"Ask him about it, she had an abortion, why would she do that if it wasn't his? She didn't want her husband to find out, it's on record he took her to a clinic."
Jack was hoping she wouldn't check, since Claire had actually had one but just days after Lee was arrested and she'd gone home to tell him the night the two girls were killed but he could see Rose was listening. He knew she wouldn't actually check.
"Let me out Jack, I have to go see my dad."
Jack was hoping it was about Hardy.
"I'll let you go but think about it, Hardy doesn't care about you, he's using you to get to your father, your father thinks the same though he's not said in so many words. You're free to go, no charge for the ride but I'm here, if you want to talk?"
Rose got out and stood for a few moments as Jack and Ianto drove off. She couldn't believe Jack would actually try and turn her against Alec, why was he doing it? She walked across to the arcade where Pete was pacing up and down waiting for her, looking in the other direction.
"Rose, where have you been?"
"I got delayed, by Jack."
"What? You were supposed to call Alec if he tried anything."
"Alec's gone out to the music festival, I'm fine, really. I'll just grab something quick and take it back with me. Why did you want to meet?"
"To see if things were ok, with you and Alec. I just wanted to clear something up, I'm not encouraging you to go out with him so he'll leave me alone you know?"
"I know that Dad. You can't tell Alec that Jack just tried to get to me."
"What did he say?"
"Some rubbish about Alec cheating on his wife with the wife of the main suspect in his last case."
"Don't believe anything that man tells you."
"I won't. Come on, I just have time to get something to eat."
They got their orders and walked around the other side of the harbour so it was nearer for Rose to get back.
"You have to tell Alec what Jack said, you're moving in with him on Saturday."
"I'm staying tonight as well, he asked me. Yeah, you're right, I can't keep something like that from him. He'll go crazy, I didn't have chance to call him or the station."
"Then I'll call him for you, we're both worried about you. Go back to work and wait for him, Jack abducted you, he'll take that very seriously."
"I don't want him to make a big deal out of it, that's all."
"He will make a big deal out of it but I'll make sure he knows the full story, leave Alec to me. Harkness was foolish to try something, so close to him telling me I have until Monday to let him be part of it. Don't worry, I do have a plan."
"You won't try and put Alec off will you?"
"No, now get back to work or you won't be able to afford to move, even if he does want to pay for it."
"I told him only when he moved in and now, he's moving in the same time as me, well if this doesn't put him off."
"It'll take more than that," Pete assured her.
Rose just hoped he was right as she set off back to the shop, to ask Amber if she'd seen any of it.
"Were you looking out of the window when I left?" Rose asked her as they tidied a display.
"No, I had a customer, why?"
"Nothing, don't worry about it."
"I thought you weren't meeting Alec, did he surprise you?"
"No but someone else did."
She had to take her afternoon break early due to Amber leaving and found a message from Alec – 'We have to talk' and Rose thought that was a bit of an understatement.
"Alec, hi. Did my dad call you?"
Pete had indeed called Alec via the station and reminded himself he needed his mobile number.
"Alec, listen don't go mad with Rose but Harkness was waiting outside the shop for her at lunchtime."
"What?" he asked as the music festival's organiser turned to attend something else and Miller was looking at him. He stepped away from her and continued. "Is she ok?"
"She's fine, just a bit upset. Apparently he tried telling her a few things about your past."
"She knows everything."
"Well I hope so. She thought you'd be annoyed she didn't call you herself but by the time I met her, she was upset and just wanted something to eat, I don't think she could face calling you herself after what you said for her to do if they tried again."
"I understand. I will send her a message for her to call me during her break but she should have at least called the station if I didn't answer, she has all three numbers."
He dreaded to think what she was using as the contact photos after the ones she'd taken, one was more risky than what he'd taken of her as she'd caught him unexpectedly as he was moving.
Ellie had been half listening.
"Something wrong?"
"Harkness tried to get to Rose again. If I'd not been dealing with these morons, he would not have got near her. That was the last time, trust me."
He caught up with the festival's organiser, Craig.
"Right, now listen. You comply with that list I gave you, I'll be back tomorrow to check and I'll cancel it if you do not comply. Got it?"
"We never had a problem before," the man protested, looking at Ellie. "Ellie, tell him."
"It's DS Miller and I know, that was when Hunter was in charge. Do as he says, we'll be back tomorrow."
They walked off and Ellie stopped him.
"Sir, you're being a bit hard on them."
"Am I, really? The public's safety is paramount, so is traffic control or there will be queues all the way back to Weymouth."
"You don't think you are putting what happened to Rose above everything else?"
"Is that what you think? You think I should step back and let you deal with it?"
"I usually do. Call her, she might not have gone back to work yet."
He looked at the time, it was almost one so he just sent her a message. He was in his office when she called back.
"Rose, yes, your father was concerned you went off with Harkness, after what I told you. What were you thinking sweetheart?"
"He made me get in the car, there was no-one around and he knew it, well not anyone that would care he was holding my arm and steering me to the car. I told him to let me go and you told me not to do what I did to Nigel."
"Yes, I know I did. Rose, they could have hurt you love, we need to talk about this. What did he want this time?"
"To talk about you. I'll tell you when you pick me up."
"Yes, don't you go anywhere until I get there. Rose, what made you go with him?"
"I'm sorry Alec, I had no choice and I knew he wouldn't hurt me, dad said he's so close now to finalising his plans, Jack wouldn't risk it."
"I hope not. I should let you get back to work. Rose, we are still good are we not? You are staying at my place again?"
"We'll talk, about what he had to say."
"You don't believe what he says? Was it about me?"
"Yeah, Alec, did you have an affair with Claire Ripley?"
"Of course not, she tried to make out she was innocent, she asked me to help her if she turned against her husband but she got desperate and stole evidence we found. You know all this Rose, when did I have time to have an affair with her?"