Olivia felt Elliot's hand cover her mouth as she clawed deeper into his back. The old metal filing cabinet that she was seated on top of rattled with each thrust he made into her, clanking against the walls. Despite her cries being muffled by his hands, their attempts to be as quiet as possible were moot.

"You need to quiet down!" he urged in a hushed tone, trying to make eye contact with her. "We're gonna get caught with all of those filthy noises you're making."

If she had any grasp on the reality around her, she would've laughed. However, her mind was too busy drowning in a sea of oxytocin to even hear what he'd said. The clinking of the cabinet became more prominent with each passing moment, and he prayed that nobody would be wandering the halls to hear it.

Her legs squeezed harder around his waist, forcing the friction to its height. Her shuddering sob vibrated against the palm of his hand.

She clung to him as her orgasm flowed through her, his own climax following closely in suit. A shivering moan managed to make it past the barrier of his hand and she squeezed around him, milking every drop he had to offer.

Elliot fell forward against her, panting as he tried to catch his breath. "Jesus Christ." He rasped, "I forget how good office sex could be." His head rested on her shoulder, placing appreciative kisses up and down her neck.

Her hand lazily stroked up and down his back as she steadied her own breathing. "Agreed. However, we have to find a better place because I'm pretty sure the entire building could hear the cabinet hitting the wall." She giggled as she moved her hand up to the nape of his neck, gently caressing the soft skin.

After his return to the office, things had heated up to an even higher degree than before. It was hard enough to keep their hands to themselves even in private, but having to even try to do so on a daily basis in public was agony.

It wasn't until he had gotten back that she'd realized how much she'd actually missed it all. The rush and thrill of sneaking off, fucking her boss in any private room they could find. Both his and her libido seemed to skyrocket once the normalcy returned.

He finally lifted his tired body off of hers, deciding that it was best to get back to work before running out of borrowed time. He reached down, grabbing his grey button-up from off the ground and slipping it back on his body.

"I think you wanted them to hear," he smirked, doing up the buttons. "I think you that's why that pretty little mouth of yours just can't stay quiet." He leaned in forward, pressing a hungry kiss to her lips as she giggled.

When he pulled away, he crouched down on his knees, picking up her discarded heels and gently slipping them back onto her feet.

"Yeah, you wish," she replied with an eye roll. "Have you seen my thong? It must've gotten tossed somewhere."

"Oh, you mean these?" He reached into his pants pocket, flashing just enough of the lacy red fabric for her to recognize it.

Her eyes widened at the sight. "Hey! Give me that!"

She reached out but he turned his body away from her, raising his brows with a devilish grin. "They're mine now. Sorry, finder's keeper's, losers weepers." He shoved the material back into his pocket, stealing one more kiss from her before reaching out his hand for her to take. With his help, she landed with her feet back on the ground instead of dangling from the cabinet.

"You're paying for those if you're keeping them," she narrowed her eyes but still decided to wrap her arms around his neck.

His hands went to her waist, traveling downward until he was squeezing her ass through her dress. "I'll buy you fifty new pairs, but I'm keeping these. I need something to remind me of how glorious the sex was."

She feigned a pout. "Isn't the sex glorious every time?" she asked, pressing her chest against his as she kissed the corner of his mouth. "Or do I need to up my game, Mr. Stabler?"

He bit back a groan at the use of the title. "Oh, your game is perfectly up to date, Miss Benson. However, I just can't seem to get enough of you." He bit down on her lower lip before slipping his tongue in. He could feel her beginning to melt in his hands once more as she cradled his face in her palms.

"Mmph—" she moaned before forcing herself to pull out of the kiss. "Listen, are you gonna be okay without me for a little while? The coding team is coming down to look over the design for Red Light and I'd like to be able to hear their thoughts just in case."

"Look at you." He smirked, fixing his tie and cuffs. "You're very sexy when you're charging headfirst into business mode. Anyway, yes, I think I can manage a few hours on my own. Although, I can't say it'll be fun."

"You just had your fun." she giggled, raising a brow. "A few times if I recall correctly. Don't be too harsh on Casey while I'm gone, you tend to behave a little less rationally when I'm not around." Giving in to the urge, she pressed one more longing kiss on his lips.

"Can you blame me?" He asked as she walked out the door, smirking once more when she turned on her heel and rolled her eyes at him. "Hey, one more thing before you go."

Olivia hugged the door frame as she watched him adjust the last of his disheveled outfit. "What would that be?"

"What do you wanna do tonight?"

She hummed for a moment, looking down at the floor before looking back up at him with a grin. "Surprise me."

The street lights reflected on the puddles from the leftover rain. Bright orange blurbs of light floating along the pitch-black roads. Olivia strutted out from the lobby of her building, adorning a black dress that hugged every inch of her while holding her clutch bag at her side. "You're late." she grinned.

Elliot stood against the limo that was parked on the side of the street, his feet crossed at the ankle as he smirked at her. "And you're sexy."

She snorted softly, cocking her head at him. "Well, this is my favorite dress."

"Mmm, mine too." He licked his lips, eyeing her up and down. She just laughed and waved him off. He stepped away from the limo, opening the door for her to slide in. He followed directly behind her, closing them off from the surrounding city in the back of the darkened vehicle.

"So, where are we going?" Olivia whispered against his lips, wrapping her arms around his neck to deepen her attempt at a kiss.

He gave into her for a moment, allowing himself to appreciate the taste on her tongue before pulling away. "You told me to surprise you. You can wait until we get there to find out."

The limo pulled off into the street but neither of them were focused on that or anything other than the other person. Olivia pouted, her forehead pressed against his. "At least give me a hint?" she asked, her voice rising in pitch, mimicking a whine that she knew would crack him. "Please, Daddy?"

He exhaled deeply through his nose, fighting off the urge to rip her dress off right there. "Brooklyn. The rest is a secret."

She laughed against his mouth. "Brooklyn, huh? I didn't even think you knew that place existed."

When he pulled away, he laughed again, matching her signature eye roll. "I'm not that uncultured, you know."

Her chuckle was like a holy praise to his ears, an ever soothing sound that knew right where to rest inside of him. Bliss settled in his system as he relaxed into the leather seat. He was enjoying the simplicity that life was returning to him. He had his job, he had Olivia, and he wasn't taking either for granted again.

The stars in her eyes were slowly returning as soon as she realized that he wasn't going to leave again. Every day, her smile had a little bit more sparkle in it and her laugh was more frequent. With him back, the vibrations between them was nearly as high as the tension.

He had become addicted to her all over again. They do say absence makes the heart grow fonder, but whoever said that forgot to mention that it also made the sex much hotter. Becoming reacquainted with her was like subjecting himself to the torture of her pheromones. Being in exile had flooded his imagination with all of the things he wanted to do to her, and returning had opened the gates to all of the possibilities.

She moaned as she peppered kisses along his neck. "Today was impossibly long. All I wanted to do was drag you up to the apartment and blow off the rest of work."

"That's certainly no way to talk to your boss," he replied sarcastically. He leaned into her touch as her hand felt up his chest.

"Oh, but it's okay for the boss to have his cock buried inside of me during the work-day? Or were you not my boss during that?" Her eyebrows shot up before she leaned into him and tugged his lower lip between her teeth.

"I'm always the boss." he said gruffly. Being careful not to hit her head on the roof of the limo, he swiftly picked her up and thrust her into his lap. She giggled and protested until she was fully seated on him. With her straddled on him, his palms squeezed and kneaded her ass. "Don't forget that."

A shallow breath left her lips and her childish expressions were nowhere to be found. She had quickly slipped back to pleasure mode, feeling the hardness between his legs grinding against her center. His hands lifted the thin material of the short dress, exposing her bare skin to his hands. Without warning, a small slap came down against her cheek, her body jerking in response. A whine escaped her lips as her head fell forward into his shoulder. "How could I forget?"

Elliot double checked ahead to make sure that the partition was up and that they were in private. Even then, he kept his voice in a low drawl. "I have an idea on how to make you remember."

She pulled away to look at him, her eyes glazed over with need. "I have a better idea." Without another word, she slid off of his lap and onto the open floor of the limo. He looked down at her with confusion as she settled herself on her knees. The confusion soon turned to unadulterated lust when he realized what she was doing.

"Have you ever had your cock sucked in the back of a limo before?" she asked, batting her eyelashes. Her fingers trailed along the inner seam of his pants.

"Can't say that I have, no." It was clear to her that he had to fight to get the words out. His breathing was speeding up and the sight of her on her knees was always one he wanted to memorize. His hand lifted, gently stroking her cheek as she licked her lips.

"Well, there's a first time for everything." She bit down on her bottom lip as she leaned forward, palming the bulge beneath the fabric of his suit. His breath shuttered at her delicate movements, shivers sparkling through his spine.

She paused to look up at him through her lashes, waiting for the silent permission that came with a nod a few seconds later. With that, she took it as her cue to continue. She carefully freed his erection from the confines of his pants. He hissed as soon as the cool air hit his warm skin.

It always amazed him how small her hands looked wrapped around him. Enough so that he almost always had to look away before getting too excited. She leisurely stroked him up and down a few times, feeling him harden further from her touch. She licked her lips once more as she took in the sight of him in front of her.

Elliot sucked air through his teeth as soon as she leaned forward, swiping away the precum with the tip of her tongue. As if on instinct, his hand trailed up the back of her neck, gathering her hair into a make-shift ponytail in his grip.

Her tongue dragged a slow line from the base of her grip up to the tip of his cock, her head bobbing as she sucked in the tip between her lips. He groaned as quietly as possible when her tongue swirled around the sensitive skin. The passing street lights sparkled in her eyes and God, she was so fucking incredible. He'd never find the words to describe it.

She slowly introduced more of him into her mouth, teasing him with the kitten-licks of her tongue. He forced his eyes up to the roof of the car, fearing that the sight of her would become too much too fast. His hand gripped tighter in her hair, fighting off the urge to buck forward and fuck himself into her mouth.

This time when her head bobbed, she surprised him by taking the entirety of his length into her mouth. The tip of her nose brushed against his clothed abdomen, a strong groan ripped from his lungs at the sensation of her taking him all in. Her hands traveled down to his balls, cradling and massaging them in her palm as she slid him against the back of her throat. His hand yanked her hair on accident, a string of profanities leaving his lips.

She rose back up, fighting for her breath as she released him with a pop. Her tongue resumed its streaks up and down the backside of his cock, licking and teasing every area of skin that was available. When he looked back down, he could see the impending evil in her eyes. The plan to drive him wild, just waiting for the right moment to strike.

She had gone from delicacy to intensity within a blink of an eye.

Her cheeks hollowed out as she took him back into her mouth, her head falling and rising as he twitched against her tongue. Her hand wrapped around what didn't fit in her mouth, pumping him in sync with the tempo of her mouth working him.

She sucked harder, vehemently urging him closer to his climax. He knew he wasn't going to last much longer given the intoxicating sight of her on her knees mixed with the velvet softness of her mouth. "Christ, 'Livia," he grunted, becoming lost in the sensation that was her and nothing but her.

His hands searched for any sort of purchase in her hair but there wasn't much to receive. He writhed against the leather seat, hanging onto a prayer that he wouldn't lose control without warning.

She eased up, pulling back just far enough so that only the head of his throbbing cock was in her mouth. Her hand went back down to his balls, massaging the delicate area with her fingertips. Her tongue swirled and sucked on the tip of him, refusing to go down. She knew what she wanted, she was going to get it.

"Olivia, I'm gonna —" he was cut off with another incoherent moan as she teased his most sensitive nerves. Her tongue licked along his slit, egging him on towards his finish. "Liv," he warned one last time.

She moved her hand up towards the middle of his shaft, holding his cock in place as she opened her mouth. His swollen red tip resting on her tongue was his undoing. Her mouth was open enough for him to watch himself as he painted her tongue with white spurts. The sight was enough to make his climax feel twice as long. His grasp of her hair was stronger than she had ever felt it.

Staring directly into his eyes, she closed her mouth and swallowed the remnants of his orgasm with a nearly invisible smirk. His hand left her hair, harshly grabbing her by the back of the neck and pulling her up until his mouth crashed against hers. He devoured her mouth, tasting himself on her lips with a fury.

When he parted, his hands cupped her cheeks and his forehead rested against hers. "You... you are such a good girl," he muttered, gasping for air. Her lips were swollen and bruised, but she had never looked more perfect to him.

"Oh... my... God." Olivia blurted out, eyes wide as her head turned in each direction. "I have always wanted to see the Botanic Gardens at night. This, well this just blew my expectations away."

She looked around at the most stunning setup she had ever seen. Trees layered with fairy lights that reflected in the water surrounding them. The foliage was unlike anything she had ever seen; as if she had stepped into the perfect photograph of some mysteriously secret world. It was clear that each flower had been planted with a delicate touch, allowing the garden to blossom into perfection.

"And it's ours for the night." Elliot smiled as his hand came to rest on Olivia's back. "They're setting up dinner in The Palm House for us."

Olivia turned around to face him, her smile nearly reaching both of her ears. "Tell me you didn't rent this entire place out for us!"

He laughed in return. "You told me to surprise you." His palm cupped her cheek as he leaned down to kiss her. "Surprise," he mumbled against her lips.

She wrapped her arms around his torso as she leaned into his kiss. "You're too much," she giggled as he kissed her again.

When he pulled away, his hand found hers and he began to guide her towards the indoor venue. "Yes, I am. So, how does braised lamb sound for dinner?"

"Honey," she giggled, leaning her head against him as they walked. "After seeing all this? They could serve me leftover Chinese food and I'd still be just as happy."

Even Elliot had to admit that the inside of the venue was absolutely stunning. He had seen a lot of beautiful places in his years, but something about this stirred in his heart. The gorgeously crafted chandelier that hung in the middle of the room and the way the windows overlooked every angle of the gardens. It took away the breath from both of them.

Olivia knew he probably had some guilty pleasure of showing off, but the view was enough to throw away any care she had about that. Nobody in her entire life had put this much effort into thinking about what she might like. Although, she didn't expect them to either. But seeing the way Elliot knew exactly how to make her feel like the most special person in the world, she couldn't have felt luckier.

Their table was set with flickering white candles and dishes that probably cost more than her entire apartment. He pulled out her chair for her, making sure she was comfortable before settling himself in.

"I think you set the bar for a date pretty high, Stabler." Olivia smirked. "How will you ever outdo yourself again?"

He grinned back at her, swirling his wine glass in his hand. "Oh trust me, I'll find a way."

Dinner was beyond anything she had ever eaten in her life. However, it wasn't the meal she had been most excited for. It was the gardens themselves. She had always meant to find the time to do a tour, but she never expected to have the place at night, entirely to themselves.

Everything about it was so beautiful that even one wilted petal would've felt like a sin. It looked like a dream that even she could never have conjured up the image of. The water flowed gently as they walked alongside, taking in the sight of the natural beauty.

Elliot was silent, seeming to enjoy the simple company of having her by his side. Though, Olivia could sense a shift in him since they had arrived. Elliot didn't do 'nervousness'. That was never an emotion he portrayed. But if Olivia didn't know any better, that's what she would've assumed from him.

Elliot stopped in the middle of the bridge that they were crossing, catching her in the perfect light. She smiled softly at him, the reflection of the twinkle lights sparkling in her eyes. "There's something that I've been meaning to say. I just... I guess I couldn't find the right time. Everything has been so crazy and it's finally going back to normal now, I didn't want to mess it up."

Olivia's eyes widened as he spoke. It was starting to hit her. The dinner, the gardens, the rampant overload of unnecessary luxuries.

He was going to say it...

"Olivia, I —"

"Don't say it, not yet." She whispered, gently resting her hand on his arm. He would've been alarmed had it not been for the glimmer of hope in her eyes. "Not until you are completely and fully certain that you mean it, because once you say it, there's no going back. And it will change things. I've almost said it too, more times than you'll ever know. But the moment can't be full of grandeur. It can't be in the heights of emotion because we all come down eventually. The words need to be more special than the moment"

A teary whisper of a smile formed on his face.

"Say it when you least expect it. Say it when we're lying on the couch watching House Hunters, drinking wine and laughing at the choice of flooring. Say it when it's the middle of the night and one of us hogs the covers but it's okay because we keep each other warm. Say it when the ride home has been too long and you're just happy to be back where you've been longing to be. Those words need to be sustainable in the caverns of normalcy, not just on the exciting top of the mountain. However, if you can hold on saying those words until you are as certain as can be that it's the right time, I promise you that I will say them back."

"Everything's a business deal with you, Benson," he chuckled, forcing himself not to tear up.

She sniffled and laughed in return. "Yeah. But more importantly, I need the words when they're just you, El. As beautiful as the gardens are and as lovely as the dinner was, it's best if you tell me those words when there's nothing to lose; when it's just you and the things you feel."

His hands gently guided down to her waist, her hands clasping his cheeks as he enveloped her in a deep kiss. At least the moment was memorable, and that's all he really could've asked for. However, he wasn't walking away empty-handed. He knew one thing, and it was the most important thing: she felt the same way.

Those three little words that weren't so little would wait to see another day.

​​