I apologize for the insane wait on this. This chapter has been a long haul but I appreciate those sticking with me. Your loyalty and words mean the world. Leah, you sexy thing, as always thanks for beta'ing my words and Lauzon, you will find that 'scene' you challenged me to write in this update *runs away*

There should be one final chapter after this.

Chapter 8

He wasn't going to lie. He was pissed off.

He had been from the moment she'd slammed that tiny piece of paper in his chest and gave up on this thing before she ever gave it a chance. He wanted to grab her right then and there and just shake the damn woman.

For as long as he'd known her, he'd always cut her slack. Whether or not she knew it was another story, but in his mind – he gave her a break. She didn't have it easy, her childhood, her mother, her father, her constant internal battles. The shitty men and fleeting relationships that had come and gone. She hadn't been blessed the way he had been with his family and although he knew it was a result of her own choices, he was always that little bit more lenient with her.

Now however, he was done. He'd opened himself up to her, divulged intimate details about the demise of his marriage, his undeniable attraction toward her and she threw it all back in his face.

As he walked the few steps toward his stoop a part of him wondered if maybe he would find her there. He'd seen the look in her eyes at the precinct and it sparked a hint of hope that maybe over night she'd seen the light. As he rounded the corner, the breath he'd been holding in anticipation was expelled heavily when he took in the empty stoop.

He should have known better.

He might have seen something in her eyes today but expecting her to offer up that olive branch was just a pipe dream. He knew the only way he would ever get it would be to tackle the woman to the ground and pry it from her hands.

He was done.

As he slotted the key into his apartment building it occurred to him that it may not be his family home but it was still his home and tonight of all nights he was thankful for his own space. It had been a shit of a day and all he wanted was to shower off the grime and crawl into bed. The exhaustion was such a heavy cloud he thought he might actually succumb to sleep tonight.

As he took the flight of stairs up to his apartment he felt the strain in his muscles and made a mental note to release some of the tension on the bench this week. He fingered the keys in his palm and it was when he rounded the corner to his apartment door that he stopped suddenly.

She was sitting on the ground, one leg propped up, her back against the wall and her head tilted to the side. He saw her turn at the sound of his impending footsteps and they locked eyes. He thought about the olive branch then and he knew he should be happy about this, happy to see her, but he couldn't escape the realization that he wasn't.

The anger that started the moment she walked away smothered all the other emotions he should have felt in that moment. He didn't need this - not tonight. Not after the retrial, the parent-teacher conference and the less than amicable dinner conversation with Kathy.

He cleared his throat and she just stared up at him with an indifferent look on her face and the fact that he couldn't read her irritated him. She seemed unfamiliar tonight and he had no idea what to expect from her.

"What are you doing here?" It was a rough accusation that echoed through the hallway before it slammed visibly into her chest.

It had hurt her. He could tell, but she ignored it, ignored him and slowly started to pick herself off the ground using the wall behind her as leverage. He watched her brush off the dust from her hands as she swiped them across her pant legs.

"Your neighbor let me in," she explained, barely making eye contact, but she knew that wasn't what he meant.

He looked down the hall then and he wanted to be polite, he really did, but the tolerance he had for anyone today let alone her, had been minimal.

"It's late," he informed her, looking at his watch for affect. "I've had a long day."

She nodded in understanding but something told him she wasn't going to back down that easily. He realized then that she would have been well aware of the time because she was still in her work clothes and appeared to have come straight to his place. He had to give her credit for at least that because it meant she had been sitting outside his apartment for hours.

It was bordering on 11pm.

"Parent-teacher conferences run late these days?" Her eyes lightened slightly when she made the joke but her underlying question was there. It was her roundabout way of asking where he went afterwards.

He knew he could easily brush it off without answering but the decision was made and he was going to use it to his advantage.

"I had dinner with Kathy," he told her directly, purposefully and watched, just waiting for the light in her eyes to fade, for the awareness to seep into her pores and make her visibly shut down.

She didn't.

Her breathing hadn't hitched, her eye contact hadn't faltered and instead she just nodded. Her lips even lifted upward in the makings of a polite smile as if the thought had somehow comforted her.

He was baffled.

He tried not to look skeptical or let the annoyance surface but he was a stubborn son of a bitch who couldn't just flick off the anger switch just because she'd thrown him a smile.

"Liv, what are you doing here?" The words came out in an exasperated exhale and his eyes told her he didn't have the energy for this.

She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear before she spoke.

"Can I come in?" The boldness of her question floored him. She had completely disregarded the warning in his eyes.

He scrubbed a hand down his face and felt the frustration mounting, he was looking down the hallway trying to fathom what words he could say that would actually make her leave.

"It's late," he repeated, "I'm tired." He hoped that the bluntness of his statement would register because he didn't want to loose his shit with her.

"Please," she asked and it didn't even seem like she had begged him, no emotion, no vulnerability, just a simple request.

Please.

It was clear then, he was weakening, because as much as he'd like to pretend otherwise - he didn't actually want her to leave. But he also didn't want to have this conversation tonight, not after the two-hour disagreement he'd just endured with Kathy.

"Go home Liv," he told her bluntly and it was the heatedness from his confrontation with Kathy that had escaped him in that moment and he immediately regretted it. A part of him wanted to apologize but at the same time, he thought she deserved this.

Her eyes flicked slowly between his. He could tell she hadn't expected that and as hard as she tried to suppress it, he could see she was noticeably affected. He realized then that she had come here intent on telling him something and he'd just severed that possibility with three words.

Her eyes finally dropped away from his and he knew he had seconds to fix this. She bowed her head slightly and started to walk the path around him towards the peak of the staircase.

He reached out as she passed and his hand sunk into her upper arm stopping her in her tracks. He felt her tense beneath him and he wondered if she would let him hold her or if she was about to rip herself from his grasp.

"I'm sorry," he whispered quietly before she had a chance to decide and he was looking at a scuffmark on the wall as their cheeks lined parallel. All he could smell now was her shampoo and he hated how that single fragrance made him weaken because he wanted to stay angry. "I can't do this tonight," he told her, narrowing his eyes at the wall in an attempt to steady his resolve. "I just want to shower and sleep." He tried to be honest with her, so she understood that they would deal with this eventually - just not tonight.

He waited for her to accept what he was telling her and walk away but she lingered, the warmth from her arm melded against his palm and he just wanted her to listen to him for once in her life.

"El," she breathed out, "let me stay."

He swallowed. Her voice was so goddamn breathy that it was making his mouth dry. He didn't understand why she was making this so hard for him, the Olivia he knew would have left minutes ago, hours ago. In fact the Olivia he knew wouldn't have come here at all. He'd made it abundantly clear that he didn't want company and yet she was refusing to leave.

He didn't let go of the grip on her arm and he knew it was because he didn't want her to go, but he was stubborn and frustrated so his voice continued to contradict the hold he had on her.

"I don't want to talk," he told her exasperated and even he heard the volume of his voice as it rose slightly in the process.

"We don't have to," she explained and her voice was low and soothing, juxtaposing the heatedness radiating from his. "We can just sleep."

The thought seeped into his body, the idea of her lying next to him, her presence, her smell, the shampoo, her warmth between his sheets. He wouldn't be able to sleep, he knew this, but the images were in his mind already and even if she left now, sleep would no longer be an option.

He released the hold he had on her arm and he wondered if he was doing the right thing, sleeping beside him wasn't going to change anything. It wasn't going to miraculously enable her to open up or finally tell him what she wanted from this but he figured it was a start. He'd pushed her hard tonight, repeatedly - and still she hadn't left.

He wondered if that was her version of an olive branch.

He removed the few steps between him and his door, inserted the key into the lock and waited just a few seconds before he turned it. He stepped into his apartment and when he turned around slowly, she was still in the same position he'd left her. They locked eyes and he left her in a calculated limbo before he finally felt himself give in. He nodded and shifted to the side, insinuating the invitation and he watched as she hesitantly complied.

As he closed the door behind her, he knew he should have played the gracious host and offered her something to drink or eat and wondered if she'd even had dinner tonight. He knew he should be polite and conversational and make her feel welcome but it was Olivia. She knew the drill, she knew he was exhausted and so he left her standing in his living room and headed towards his bedroom.

He stripped off his jacket as he walked through his door, tossed it to the side and pulled at the knot in his tie. He could hear her out in the living room and wondered if she was waiting for an invitation into his bedroom or if she was taking the time to inspect the apartment she'd never seen before.

He knew that once she had been between his sheets tonight that he could never go back. Her presence would become a fixture long after she was gone and her fragrance would linger well after the sheets were washed. Every morning he woke he would envision the fan of chestnut hair and bronze skin that he once had beside him.

A small part of him wondered if maybe that was why she was here, if her sleep last night had been interrupted by his mere absence. He wondered if she spent their night apart drinking in his smell, recalling his touch and god forbid even - touching herself. Despite his exhaustion his libido was rumbling because he still couldn't get the images out of his head, the warmth of her body, the ache between her legs, her pleading with him to touch her.

He masturbated in her bathroom that night, and again after their fight on her stoop. He shouldn't be this turned on, he was in his forties for crying out loud but any attention from her negative or otherwise hit him hard between his legs. He wondered if he would be lucky enough to sleep at all tonight. She seemed relaxed, there was a calmness to her and he was pissed that she would be able to control her body while he'd be dealing with yet another unrelenting hard-on.

As he unfastened his belt he felt the start of his semi forming already. He kicked himself because it was his own damn fault for thinking about her body while she wandered his apartment. He figured he should have had more discretion while he undressed as they weren't in that place yet but he left the door to his bedroom wide open because he had nothing to hide from her.

He wished he could say the same about her.

He glanced out the open passage way and he couldn't see her but he could hear her filling up a glass of water. He dropped his pants and made his way into the bathroom intent on taking care of his growing desire so he had a better chance of sleeping tonight.

He clicked the door shut and ran the water until the heat and steam began to rise. He still had his jocks on and the thought of touching himself while she padded around his apartment made the hardness between his legs a growing ache. As he waited for the water to form the perfect temperature he dropped his hand between his legs and tugged himself through the material twice, sending ripples of pleasure through his groin. As he held his other hand under the spray he could feel the water starting to heat into a soothing burn. He tugged his jocks down his body and his erection bobbed in front of him as he stepped under the spray. The water hit his face and he opened his mouth before he turned around and let the searing liquid drench his back.

There was a certain relief that only came from the warmth of a hot shower and it pummeled into the muscles of his back. The scorching water pressure slowly eased him into a state of relax as his hand located his cock. He circled the width and the warm water trickled beneath his palm, lubricating his grip. He began to stroke himself and it wasn't long until his eyes slipped closed and his mind wandered to her mouth. He didn't analyze why that was the first part of her body he had gone to.

Her lips were full and deliberate and he wondered if she realized just how much of an effect they had always had on him. Her mouth has always been there, giving him shit eating grins, curling up in a playful smile that she always tried desperately to stifle. Her mouth had spouted abuse, anger, words he wished she had never said to him and lines he never wanted to forget. He wanted that mouth, on his, her tongue plunging between his lips. He hadn't kissed her since that night on her doorstep after their date that never was, and in his mind that had been way too long.

He wanted to touch her, slip his hand inside her jeans and watch her mouth part when he pushed his fingers inside her. He wanted her mouth on him, on his lips, his throat, his chest, his stomach, trailing down the length of his body. It was a dark thought but he wondered just how it would feel to have her mouth close over his cock. He shouldn't be thinking about her like this. She deserved a hell of a lot better than his testosterone filled, sleazy desires but his mind was there and he couldn't tear it away.

He'd dreamt about her, dropping to her knees in his kitchen, her tongue circling his tip before her lips closed over him. The act itself in general had never been a particular turn on for him but if it were her mouth, her lips, her control – that was a different story. He knew she was too good for that, maybe that was it – the idea that she would never reduce herself to such an act. Somewhere though, deep within him he thinks that maybe she'd get a great deal of satisfaction out of having him powerless against her as she sucked him off.

He braced himself against the cool tiles as he continued to pump himself and he wondered what would happen if she walked in here right now and asked if she could join him. He would have her flush up against the tiles before she knew what hit her. He would spread her legs with his hips and slide his tongue into that wet, open mouth before he drove his cock between her folds without a second thought.

He leant forward until his forehead pressed up against the slippery cool tile as he continued to fist his cock. The guilt was a constant cloud above him and he felt like a prick for doing this, especially with her in the next room. The idea that she would think about him, dream about him to this degree seemed implausible. She'd probably be horrified to know what was going through his mind right now.

He wanted to sleep tonight, that was his justification for doing this. He didn't want to lay awake all night listening to her labored breathing and flexing his fingers, expelling the need to touch her. He wanted to prove to her that he had restraint, that he could lay next to her without sporting a raging hard-on but most of all, he wanted her to know that what he wanted from her was far from just sex.

He was picturing her now, that night - lying on her back, curled into his side, his hand between her legs, fingers thrusting into her, stretching her as her hips rose and she rocked against him. He heard the panting, the writhing, the moaning and it was the feeling of her walls clamping around his fingers that sent him over the edge. His hand pressed into the porcelain tiles as the muscles in his back strained and his body bucked forward. He spilled himself into the shower below, the aftermath of his orgasm circling the drain before it disappeared from sight.

He let out the breath he was holding as the tremors started to dissipate and he submerged his head under the spray once more.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

She heard the shower running and it had given her the opportunity to take in his apartment at her own pace. If she were honest with herself she had half expected to find mismatched mugs, minimal silverware and unpacked boxes scattered around the apartment – all signs indicating that this was just temporary.

It was the opposite.

Everything seemed to be in its rightful place and it was a strange sense of relief for her. She studied the pictures on his fridge, one of Maureen at graduation, another of Kathleen in front of a 21st cake, a third of Kathy holding Eli with the twins and slotted into the mix was a shot of her, Elliot, Munch and Fin circled around a booth at O'Malley's. It was taken several years ago, before Gitano, before Oregon, before the complications - before this irreversible tie between them first fused. They both sported hearty smiles with a light in their eyes that throughout the years and the cases had long since faded. It was an odd sensation after all this time to be taking in the picture of their past, while the man she would sleep next to tonight showered in the next room.

She had considered waiting for him on the sofa but somewhere in between D.C. and Hank Moore she'd relinquished the right to be subtle about this. She made her way towards his bedroom and briefly scanned the room before she perched herself on the edge of his bed. She shrugged her jacket off and tossed it to the side but she didn't unclip her badge or weapon. Instead she just sat there, with her forearms on her thighs and hands clasped between her legs. Waiting. The water was still running and her lips twisted up into the makings of a smile. He wasn't notorious for having long showers, so either he was purposefully making her sweat or –

She heard the pipes turn abruptly off and her stomach spiraled with nerves, snapping her out of her thoughts. She shouldn't be this uneasy, it was only Elliot after all but she'd pushed him hard tonight. He had made it clear he wasn't going to give into her that easily and the walls he had suddenly erected had completely thrown her.

She thumbed her palm anxiously as her eyes ran over the paperback perched on his bedside table. It was the hint of tattered yellow that stuck out from the pages that caught her attention. The post-it looked similar to the ones they used at the precinct and it wasn't the curiosity that grabbed her - it was the distraction. The idea that a semi naked Elliot was about to enter the room was enough to send her into a tailspin so she grasped the book in an effort to deter her thoughts.

She opened it to the spot where the post-it lay wedged between the pages and her eyes raked over the familiar handwriting.

Mathers confessed. You're buying.

-Liv

Her eyebrows rose in surprise as she recalled the case, it had to have been at least half a decade ago. They had bickered over the credibility of a suspect to the point where he told her hell would freeze over before they got a confession. The loser bought dinner. It had taken her a grueling 14 hours, Elliot had long since thrown in the towel and gone home to his family but she refused to give in. After the confession had been signed and sealed she packed up her things, clicked her desk lamp off and before she left grabbed the sticky note from her desk. She scribbled down her taunt with a small smile and left it for him to find in the morning.

She hadn't gloated the next day, the post-it had said it all and although he acted outwardly defeated she knew he was beyond relieved that she'd closed such an unsound case. They both were certain the son of a bitch was guilty, but the evidence was lacking and he was a stones throw away from getting off on a technicality. The victims had been Elliot's daughter's age so it didn't need to be said that he wanted nothing more than to lock the prick up. They needed that confession and now as a result of her pursuit Mathers was now safely behind bars.

She had never forgotten the look she'd seen in his eyes, it was a great sense of astonishment and appreciation but most of all - admiration. He was proud of her, and although he never outwardly voiced it, it had been undeniable. He had all intentions of delivering on his promise, they had tried a couple of times to make it out to a quiet place after work but the job kept getting in the way. As the days turned into weeks, the promise continued to slip and once the next big case broke, it was all but forgotten. As she looked down at the tattered memory her eyes flickered at the fact that it was clear now. Although it had appeared to just be a fleeting moment between them - it had never escaped him.

The door clicked open and she jumped slightly, pulling herself out of her daze. She closed the book hurriedly and looked up to catch him walking out of the connected bathroom. Her body was buzzing from the memory and as his blue eyes flicked to hers she clutched the book tightly in her hands. As the residual steam seeped from the bathroom her heartbeat became a deep throb in her chest.

She watched his eyes fall down to the paperback in her lap and instead of continuing his path to his dresser he walked the few hesitant steps towards her. She was aware that her peripheral vision allowed access to his exposed chest but she refused to tear her eyes away from his. She wouldn't watch the beads of water as they dripped down the thick column of his neck before descending between the valley of his pectorals. She didn't acknowledge them as they slid over the roughness of his abdomen and into the small trail of hair curtained only by white cotton. Instead she swallowed the saliva in her mouth, fingered the book and waited for him to break the silence.

"I still owe you that dinner," he said softly and she watched his lips curl up into a sheepish grin, as if he were well aware that he had left it too long. She wanted to acknowledge the humor, return his smile, but she was too taken aback by the sentiment of the post-it that now staked claim as his bookmark.

Instead she slid the book onto the bed next to her and rested her hand on top of it. She lingered for what seemed like a lifetime before she stood up, habitually pulling her sweater downward as she slowly walked towards him. She felt his senses heighten as she neared and she paused leaving a step between them. Her eyes moved slowly back and forth between his, searching for confirmation, for assurance, for permission. She felt lightheaded as the nerves, the heat and the emotion soared determinedly through her veins until they intermingled in her chest.

The pang rocked her on her feet and she wanted to close her eyes against his because it was all becoming so real, so tangible, so obtainable. The apartment, the photos, the post-it – all making his confession on her stoop a startlingly reality. She wanted him to step forward, to remove the space between them, or in the least reach out his hand and pull her towards him. His stance remained as is, frozen in front of her and it became clear to her that she would be the one who would have to take that initial step.

Her heart thumped in her chest as she moved a fraction forward and she tried not to let the nerves reach her eyes as they clung desperately to his. She wouldn't let her eyes dip to his lips because she needed him to know that wasn't what this was about. It never had been, but it was the first time she was ready to admit that to him, to herself.

She was tentative, cautious because she didn't want to rush this, push it or overstep the mark. Her hands were the first to slowly reach out until they landed just below his collarbones. He was warm and flushed from the shower and she shivered as the beads of condensation seeped into her palms. She felt the tense of muscle beneath her touch and she held her breath as she slowly let her hands slide upward until they curled around the peak of his shoulders and she gently squeezed. She watched his mouth part slightly in response and she felt her body swaying ever so slightly on the spot as she continued to stare into the pools of blue.

She would have expected him to look away by now, bow his head a little or step back somewhat because she could still see the hint of hesitation from earlier lying dormant. She needed to dispel it, to quench it, to make him realize she was no longer going to give him a reason to be angry at her. She let her hands slowly curl around the back of his neck and she brought her body that fraction closer until the cotton of her sweater skimmed across moist skin. She felt him react, his breathing had heightened but his arms still lay idly by their sides. She just needed something from him, anything, a palm against her lower back, hand on her waist, or the slight tilt of his head as he lowered himself closer to her.

She wanted to kiss him, badly. She was well aware that she had a half naked dripping man under her palms, with just a loosely tucked piece of cotton separating her from all his glory. She wanted nothing more than to lean in and capture those lips, but right now she needed patience – understanding, because if she rocked the boat too far, they'd both fall overboard.

Words flittered through her mind now as her brown eyes searched his and they were snippets, off cuts, sections of all the conversations that she had only ever had with him in her mind.

I need you. More of you. I trusted you to have my back, I want to trust you now. I don't want to run from this, but I'm scared. This is new. We've drifted so far before. Gitano, Computer Crimes, Oregon, Dani, Eli, Sin. This is our last shot, if I lose you because of this, I will have nothing. You have to know that what I feel for you is everything, that to use that four letter word would be an insult. I can't formulate words, I can't depict the feelings - just know, but the way I am looking into your eyes and grasping your shoulders that this is what I want. It's all I've wanted for 12 years. I'm yours.

As her fingers ran up the back of his neck she nudged him a little closer, until his forehead pressed against hers and she could feel his heated breath against her mouth. Her lips tingled with the need to press against his but she could sense the tension radiating from him was still thick. She could tell by the way the taut muscles of his neck flexed beneath his fingers that there was a good chance he would pull away soon.

She knew what he was waiting for, words, honesty, an admission. He gave her all he had to give on her stoop last night and now it was her turn to return the belated favor.

Her stomach spiraled at the thought of actually having to vocalize any of the admissions that had entered her mind and she was starting to feel lightheaded. The limp arms that remained idle beside him were starting to gnaw at her, she just needed a prod, something - anything. He needed to recognize that this was far from easy for her.

When acknowledgement or encouragement didn't eventuate, she realized that speaking right now was too daunting of a concept. Instead she wrapped her arms further around his neck and stepped closer until her chest meshed further into his. Her cheek slid across his in the process and her lips instinctively landed in the crux where his neck and shoulder met. She was still holding her breath, still waiting for him to pull away or tell her to stop. Her palms flattened on his shoulder blades and she succumbed to the warmth, letting herself sink further into his chest.

A few death-defying moments passed as she waited for him to either return the embrace or pull out of it. When she finally felt his fingertips brush the cotton of her sweater she exhaled the breath she was holding into his neck. She let her mouth press down into crux of his neck and her lips moistened against the damp flesh. The plan had been to show some restraint but the moment her lips met with his skin her control was abandoned. She parted her lips and let her tongue trail over the salty skin until she felt him physically shiver against her and his fingers bit into the skin at her sides. She moistened the area with her saliva and as she ran her wet lips over the slick patch she moved forward until her thigh pushed up against his crotch. She felt him squeeze her waist firmly before he moved her lower half a step backward and her arms slipped down from his neck in the process.

"Liv," he whispered and she knew then she'd pushed it too far too soon, he still had his hands on her waist and she let her palms slide down the outsides of his flexed upper arms trying to draw herself ever so slightly back to him. She watched his eyes dip to her moistened lips before he looked away.

"Liv," he repeated, warned, but all she could smell was the gel from the shower and all she could taste was the salt from his skin. She removed the space he tried to create and skimmed her mouth along the side of his cheek, nipping at his jawbone. She let a hand trail down the front of his chest, her scraping down the muscles of his abdomen before it reached the knot around his waist. Her fingers encircled the bunched material in an effort to untie it but he was grasping her wrist before she had a chance.

She heard the scoff and it snapped her out of her daze of arousal because she knew what was coming.

He stepped out from under her capture completely and rubbed a hand over his face. She felt the tension mounting and she was kicking herself for letting her libido take over just because she couldn't resist his state of undress. It was the dream, she told herself as her jaw clenched with frustration, that fucking dream blurring the line that bordered acceptable boundaries. She was looking at him, dead in the eyes, because if she looked away it would admit fault, blame, accountability and she wasn't sorry.

She braced herself for the accusation.

"Just like that?" he whispered and the look in his eyes made her stomach drop - he was pissed. "What's changed?" he pushed and she could tell, his defenses were up and he wasn't going to let her get away with dodging this inevitable conversation.

She sucked in a breath and closed her eyes. "I want this"

He scoffed again and the tendons in her fingers started to curl over.

"Tonight you want this," he told her stepping that little bit closer, eliminating some room between them, "but what about tomorrow, when you wake up and freak out over a toothbrush… or a goddamn fortune cookie?"

She deserved that.

She had to be honest now, give him something to make him believe that she was sure about this now, that he could trust her. The words circled over and over in her mind until finally they escaped through her lips.

"I don't want to run from this anymore," she whispered.

His eyes flicked back and forth between her as if he were debating whether or not to believe her. She swallowed under his scrutiny and wanted nothing more than to look away from his probing gaze. Finally his mouth parted and it was when he tore his eyes away from hers that her heart dropped at his impending blow.

"I'm not sure I want to risk that," he spoke mostly to the carpet.

She narrowed her eyes at the side of his face because damn it she was trying, she really was and he was dismissing every goddamn thing that came out of her mouth. She didn't come here to start a fight but the muscles in her jaw were flexing and she was done holding back.

"I don't think you realize just how hard this is for me Elliot," she spoke in a strained whisper in an effort not to yell. She watched his eyes lift and meet with hers before she continued. "Twelve years of respecting boundaries, knowing my limits, you can't just expect me to just flick - just like that. Jesus Elliot, I'm still figuring out how not to be your partner," the words finished off in a yell and she watched something flicker in his eyes, surprise, understanding and perhaps a little remorse. She took a breath and the realization of the words she had just voiced slammed into her.

Twelve years of respecting boundaries. Twelve years.

Fuck.

Without realizing it she'd just admitted a great deal more than she had intended to. She could see the admission registering in his eyes, he was softening, slowly backing down. It was clear that he didn't want to fight with her either, they had both done enough yelling to last a lifetime.

He removed the step between them and her breath caught in her throat as he let a palm run down her shoulder until it reached her elbow. His thumb smoothed reassuringly back and forth and then it was as if the honestly valve had been opened and she couldn't stop the words from flowing out.

"You know how I feel," her voice cracked a little because she was still trembling at the idea that after all this he could still walk away. She swallowed as he watched her and it all became too much, she tore her eyes away from his as the finale of her admission broke achingly from her lips.

"You always have," she breathed out.

She felt nauseous, light headed and if it weren't for his hand that was keeping her steady her knees would have probably given out by now.

She wasn't looking at him when she felt him tug her towards him, her legs were like jelly and she fell awkwardly into his chest, her forehead bumping his chin. A smile broke over her face at the clumsiness but when his arms encircled her back and his mouth slipped into the crux of her neck all the playfulness in her faded. She shivered as his lips ran across the sensitive skin of her neck and she moved her arms to wrap around his chest, basking in the way it felt to be holding each other so close.

"Liv," he breathed against her skin and she'd heard the gratitude, the thanks, the sheer relief that she had finally let her guard down. She felt guilty for keeping her feelings at bay and for fighting this for so long but it was all she had ever known. They stood like that for what seemed like eternity, breathing in each others scents, feeling the crevices diminish as their bodies fused closer together.

She held her breath as one hand started to slide up her shoulder blades, over the column of her neck and into the loose strands of hair and she shivered against his touch. His mouth was still pressed against her neck as his other hand slid further down until it sunk into the crevice of her lower back and he pulled her tightly against him, his warm breath sparking a flurry of goose bumps across her flesh.

She moved her arms upward, her palms sliding up the firmness of his upper arms until they curled around his neck and she brought his forehead down to hers. With eyes closed, they stood, motionless, their foreheads connected and she waited because patience was paramount; she would wait all night if she had to. The silence ticked by and all they exchanged was short, soft breaths that made her feel lightheaded on the spot.

When he slowly slipped a hand beneath the hem of her sweater and brushed his course fingers against her lower back her nipples immediately hardened against his chest. With one hand still holding the back of her head he tilted her mouth, bringing her closer, until she felt his lips press against her. He kissed her flush up against her mouth, lip to lip, a lingering peck before his mouth slid across her cheek. It was a brief, fleeting moment that made her head spin and instantly crave more.

She didn't open her eyes because the feel of him was all she could withstand right now. She could sense he was going to take his time with this but her heart was an incessant thump against her chest and she wasn't so patient. With her hand still coating the back of his head she pulled him forward closing her lips over his, dragging his top lip between hers. He moaned against her mouth and the vibrations filtered through her body.

Her impatience must have set him off because he tilted his head immediately and wedged her mouth open. The hand in her hair kept her mouth against his as he slid his tongue between her lips. When it swiped across hers a weak moan vocalized the pang between her legs. His free hand came up to cup her cheek and the way in which he kissed her was poles apart from the alley, from their date, from her dream. She felt like he was kissing her for the first time, exploring, learning, seeking, urging.

He walked her a step backwards and his hand skimmed down, moving over her weapon and holster and pulled them from her jeans. As he reached out to place them down on the dresser, he fumbled, knocking her into the drawers. The arm wrapped securely around her upper back had braced her body from connecting and the contents of his dresser shook as he tried to steady her. Her stomach dropped as his free hand slipped between them and grasped her badge, his knuckles brushing the bare skin above her jeans as he unclipped it. His mouth moved back over hers and his tongue swiped her lower lip as he bumped her ass into the dresser. The drawers rattled under the brunt of their bodies and he dropped his forehead against hers, reaching for her belt.

"Lie down Liv," he whispered as he pulled the leather slowly through the buckle and chills flooded through her body. They were miles away from the bed and he was already desperate to get her horizontal.

She stepped forward brushing her mouth across his lips until the words escaped her mouth. "Lie down El," she breathed against him because control over the situation wasn't something she was ready to relinquish that easy.

His lips curled into a smile as his hands moved from teasing her hip lightly to grasping both her hands. He led her towards the bed and her eyes followed him right up until the backs of his knees came in contact with the mattress. He waited half a beat before he tugged her towards him. She bumped into his chest until gravity gave way and they crashed onto the bed.

Her gaze locked onto his immediately and he wasted no time reaching up and grasping her cheek, brining her lips forcibly down to his. She opened her mouth immediately and his tongue plunged into her mouth, a moan erupting from her throat before she could stop herself.

She didn't know whether it was the fact that they were now horizontal, but she felt his restraint slip just as fast as hers did. He grasped the hem of her sweater dragging it up her back and it wasn't until he got it over her chest that he released her mouth to pull it off her. She felt him flush against her stomach, her tank bunched up around her breasts as his mouth returned to hers. He kissed her hard and her stomach dropped floors when she felt his hand move between their bodies and seize the lip of her jeans.

She felt lightheaded, still trying to catch her breath when suddenly she was on her back and he was unbuttoning her jeans, unzipping and pulling them down her hips. She helped shimmy herself out of them until they ended up in a pile on the floor and it was when he attempted to settle himself on top of her that she moved her hands up.

Her palms resisted his chest and he let her push him onto his back and climb on top. She watched his eyes rake down from her lips to her breasts and he took in the generous view above. His hand came out immediately, clutching the material between her cleavage and yanking her downward, bringing her lips closer to his. She fell into him, her mouth crashing into his and he kissed her hard, one hand snaking around the back of her neck to hold her in place, the other gliding up the side of her torso raking the material upward.

He slid his tongue into her mouth and his hand moved under the white material until he found lace. He thumbed the side of her bra as his tongue trailed over hers and she could feel his hard on digging through the cotton towel. It made her mind spin. She wanted this to last but the ache was too severe and she could tell they both were lacking control. His hand slid further around until he cupped her breast under her tank and he dragged his thumb across her erect nipple. She moaned into his mouth, hard.

He moved his free hand under the material and suddenly he was pushing himself upright in an effort to rid her tank. As he got it over her head, her ass sank down into a straddling position and he groaned as she connected with his lap. He tossed her tank to the ground and she tried to push him back down but his hand ran up her back and he pulled her into him, grinding himself against her through the towel. Her mouth parted because it hit her between the legs and she rocked herself against him in response.

She tried to push him back down again but he was already urging her backwards. She fell out of her straddling position and suddenly he had her on her back, wedging himself between her legs. His mouth came down meeting with hers and she moaned when his palm found her breast. Her head was up the foot of the bed and as he started to rock into her, she felt them begin to slip. He was too busy getting himself off against her to realize her head was now coming off the mattress.

She gripped onto his biceps to stop from slipping but when his hips collided against hers in earnest there was nothing she could do to prevent their bodies from falling. She sensed he felt the pull but by then it was too late. He grabbed her on the way down and twisted around so that when they hit the carpet he took the brunt of the fall. A noise of exertion escaped his throat as they thumped onto the ground and her hipbone pushed firmly into his erection. Her mouth twisted into a smile and she couldn't deny the low rumble that vibrated through her throat. He gripped her hips and flipped her so that she was the one on her back and she felt the rough carpet against her bare skin as he dropped his weight on top of her.

"Somethin' funny?" his voice grated in her ear before he let his mouth trace the perimeter of her jawbone. She tried to bite back the inevitable laugh but it was the stifled jolts wracking through her body that gave her away. "Say it," he whispered in her ear and she could tell he was smiling. "I know you want to."

She sunk her teeth into her lower lip, to stop the words from coming out but she couldn't help herself. "Smooth El," she said with a wide smile. "Real smooth."

As he brushed his lips against the column of her throat his low laugh rumbled into the crux. She relaxed against him and took the moment to just breathe because up until then it had been a frantic rush. He didn't respond to her comment and she could tell his ego had been bruised but because he wasn't one to let defeat linger, she knew redemption wouldn't be far off.

His mouth pressed against her neck and she held her breath as his thumb swiped over her collarbone. He kissed firmly into the sensitive crux and her eyes drifted to a close. His thumb slid underneath her bra strap and he started to draw it down her upper arm.

The nerves rippled through her at the notion that things were taking a softer turn and her breath became lodged in her throat. His hand snuck around her back and she arched her chest, lace pushing firmly into the hard plains of his chest as he located the clasp. She slid a hand through the back of his cropped hair and inhaled his scent. She felt the clasp as it released with a snap and he gently lowered her back onto the floor.

He hadn't seen her breasts, not like this and suddenly she was a pile of nerves. He started to drag the other strap down her arm and the gentle way in which he was touching her sent shivers through her body. As he tossed her bra aside, her nipples hardened beneath his gaze and she watched his eyes rake over the peaks. He pulled his lower lip into his mouth, coating it with a light layer of moisture and when his blue eyes flicked up to hers they had darkened considerably.

It hit her between the legs.

She didn't want the control now, he could have all of it, she wanted the desire she had just seen in the depths of his irises on her, around her, in her. Now.

He slowly lowered himself until his lips dangled above hers and pulled her lower lip between his. He then sunk down enough so she felt the scrape of her erect nipples against the hard plains of his chest. Her mouth opened immediately and her breathy moan echoed into his mouth. She arched up, trying desperately to make contact and when her nipples raked firmly across his defined muscles he groaned into her mouth.

She needed more, she needed his hands or more contact from his chest but he was keeping himself elevated, teasing her only with the slightest of touches. She felt the cotton of that fucking towel as it brushed against her thighs and decided she was going to use the space between their bodies to her advantage. She reached down and slipped her fingers into the knot at his stomach and she was surprised when he did nothing but watch as she pulled the towel open. She slowly slipped it off his backside and he lent down brushing his mouth across her temple.

With his forearms propped above her, she let one hand smooth down the outside of his torso while the other raked down his chest. He let her trace the ridges of his muscles and it wasn't until she reached the small patch of hair that trailed down to his groin that he reached down and encircled her wrist. He slowly brought it up until he planted it shoulder height. She let her free hand run over his hip bone, teasing him lightly until he grasped her other wrist and brought it up. He let his thumbs brush over her pulse points as he held her wrists softly against the carpet.

He hovered above her, his cock throbbing between their bodies and he looked her dead in the eyes. She swallowed and decided to test his patience by lifting a thigh between his legs and letting it softly brush the tip of his penis. She watched his eyes draw to a close, mouth part and his body practically shudder. She assumed he would retreat but instead he wedged himself between her legs and lowered himself against her. She moaned as his cock pressed directly against her panties and he rocked into her.

"Fuck," she whispered because she hadn't expected that. He rubbed himself against her with more persistence and she arched herself against him, her movements restricted by her wrists. Her eyes were closed when she felt his mouth drag down the softness of her breast until he clamped down on her nipple. She called out as his tongue flicked the hardened nub and his hips drove into her sending ripples of pleasure between her legs. As his teeth raked over the peak, a noise escaped her throat and she tugged at her wrists in his grasp. He didn't let up, in fact his grip tightened as he continued to flick his tongue relentlessly over her nipple as she twisted below him panting and writhing.

"Fuck El," she gasped and he pushed his cock into her in response. She could tell she was already as wet as hell because she felt him penetrate her partly through the lace. She rocked herself against him and tried to ignore the building pleasure swarming in her lower belly because she was going to come any moment now and he wasn't even inside her yet. As his mouth closed over her nipple and he sucked, a noise escaped her as she attempted to detach her lower half.

"Donnn't," she managed and her eyes were still closed when she felt his lips come off her breast and the grip around her wrists loosen. She opened her eyes to find him staring down at her.

"Or I'll-" she breathed unsteadily cutting herself off now that his hands had released hers. She felt his lips slide across her temple and she could tell she was perspiring.

"Or you'll what?" he whispered, his free hand coming down as he grasped a breast and thumbed her already sensitive nipple.

"Come," she whimpered, praying that he would leave his lower half stationary long enough for her to gain some control. He flicked his finger across her nipple from top to bottom as his lips slid down towards her ear.

"Then come," he moaned.

She felt his hand move down her breasts, across her stomach and towards her lower half. Her stomach was in her throat as she braced herself for contact. Her lower half was burning as he slipped a hand between their bodies and under the material of her panties. Before she could catch a breath he slid his fingers down her slit and drenched them in her juices.

"Fuck Liv," he groaned as he pushed a finger immediately inside her and she whimpered and arched her hips against him.

Her mouth parted and she could feel his eyes on her face as he pushed in a second. Her eyebrows came together as she moaned in response and without thinking she dragged a hand up and over her breast before it continued up to her shoulder. She felt his mouth drop down at her temple and he groaned as he pushed against her. When she started to lose her breath she felt him slide his fingers out of her core and rub firmly across her clit. Her hand left her shoulder as she grasped his bicep and he increased the pressure on her clit before he plunged back inside her.

She called out and she realized she was barely going to last a second with Elliot Stabler's hand between her legs. She chalked it down to 12 years of foreplay and that damn, mind-blowing dream but it didn't matter because there would be a lifetime of opportunities for them to take it slow. It wouldn't always be this rushed, this heated, this urgent, but she thought for a good while she'd have trouble with restraint.

He rocked his lower half against the hand inside her and she could feel the rough carpet beneath her slightly chafing her skin but it was a welcome burn. When his fingers curled inside of her and he rocked against her clit she bucked against him, her fingers digging into the muscle of his arm.

Her eyes were pinched tightly closed when her walls tightened around him and the noise of her orgasm ripped through her throat as her body rippled with pleasure.

"Christ Olivia," he breathed against her neck as her body shuddered against him, "what was that? 30 seconds?" his voice rumbled but she was too dizzy from the orgasm to react. Her cheeks were flushed from her climax but mostly from the embarrassment that she came so quickly. It was the dream, the fucking dream, her body hadn't calmed down since.

His mouth nudged into her. "What, did you start without me?"

"Shut up," she whispered but there was a smile in her words. "Just, shut up." She found the strength to roll her body into his so he fell onto his back and his fingers slipped out of her in the process. She moved a leg over his body and settled herself on top of him, her breasts skimming his chest as she rocked her lower half into his erection. She felt his cock slide against her damp panties and her mouth came down to kiss him. She pulled his lower lip between hers and her tongue came out to trace the edge.

"I'm not the one who just got myself off in the shower," she mumbled into his mouth and she felt his body tense slightly before his lips curled into a smile.

"I've just got more restraint," he whispered and grabbed her hips, pushing his erection into her reiterating his point.

She knew she could bite back but images of him touching himself beneath the spray were far too pleasing to disregard. She broke away from the kiss and her lips trailed down to his jawbone.

"What did you think about?" she whispered throatily, because she wanted to know what went through Elliot Stabler's mind in his darkest, most private moments. She heard the low chuckle and could tell by the tone that his comfort level had just lowered considerably.

Instead of answering he pushed his cock against her opening and she groaned when she felt him slightly penetrate through the lace. She suddenly hated the fact that he hadn't discarded her underwear when he had the chance. He seemed to think his grinding action sufficed as a response but she wasn't ready to give in so easily.

"Tell me," she moaned into his neck. She felt the air in his lungs expel as a hand ran down the side of her torso and squeezed her hip.

"What do you think Olivia?" he growled and the sarcasm was evident.

But she wanted details.

"Specifics," she whispered and suddenly her hand was moving south between their bodies down his chest, abdomen and towards his cock. Her stomach spiraled when she felt him relax in anticipation of her touching him and in one breathtaking moment she ran her fingers across his shaft. As she began to stroke the length of his penis his fingers dug into her waist, sending shivers through her body. She let her thumb brush over the tip and he exhaled heavily into her neck before she encircled his length and started a slow rhythm, sliding up and down his cock. He bit into his lower lip and she watched his head lull to the side as his hips rocked subtly into her fist.

"Unh Liv," he whispered as he settled himself into a steady rhythm. She started to increase the pace to match his, and with one forearm bracing herself above him she dragged her mouth across his and whispered.

"Tell me."

He just breathed against her as his hips got more insistent and his mouth clamped around her lower lip and sucked. She continued the motions on his cock and he parted her mouth with his and slid his tongue between her lips, seeking out her own.

She decided she wanted to beat him at his own game, he had been a cocky son of a bitch and it was his turn to succumb to her. She wanted to move down further, drag her lips down his chest, run her tongue down the plains and close her mouth around him. The nerves were out of control and she needed to rein them in. She needed confidence, she needed power - she needed him to say it.

As her thumb swiped his tip she could feel the slickness of his pre come and as he called out she sunk her teeth into his lower lip. She soothed the bite with the softness of her lip as her hand returned to its steady rhythm. She felt his breathing start to heighten and her impatience was quickly starting to deteriorate.

"Say it," she repeated against his mouth, this time with no playfulness and he just exhaled and rocked himself into her hand. He was ignoring her, he didn't want to admit it and she was about to loose her cool.

"Elliot-"

"Your mouth," he rasped almost simultaneously, "I thought about your goddamn mouth." He grabbed her then, his hand bunched a fist full of her hair and he pulled her mouth against his. He plunged his tongue between her lips and her stomach flipped, her body tingling with nerves and heat because she knew, she'd just broken him. There was a darkness within Elliot that rarely saw the light and she wanted him to give up that control with her.

Her hand was still on his cock and she could feel him grasp the side of her underwear, the urgency amplifying a few thousand notches. When he couldn't seem to get her panties past her hips from the angle he rolled her onto her back and moved down, sliding the piece down her thighs. She knew it would be moments before he climbed on top of her and parted her legs so she was quick to move.

She pushed him onto his back and climbed on top, her mouth skimming the side of his neck.

"What's the rush?" she whispered into the crux smiling to herself as her mouth trailed over his collarbone and down his breastbone. She wanted to see just how much of this so-called restraint he thought he had.

As she made her decent her mouth came in contact with his peck and let her tongue flick across his nipple. He tensed beneath her and tried to clumsily grab at her biceps but she quickly moved downward before he got a hold of her. She wedged her hips between his legs and his erection pressed into her stomach as she dragged her mouth over the ridges of his abs. She pressed her mouth into the muscles, kissing him firmly as she lowered her body further downward. She felt his cock slide between her breasts and he couldn't help but rock himself into her, groaning at the contact.

Her hands ended up on his thighs and when she slipped a little lower she felt his erection brush the side of her throat. His body tensed beneath her and she could feel the aching throb between his legs. There was a dark part of her that wanted to make him suffer, she leaned in just a little so that her soft breaths expelled purposefully against his penis. She felt the tension and frustration radiate as she caressed his thigh muscles. She wanted to push him as far as she could and there was a nervous swirl spiraling through her lower belly because she knew she only had moments.

As she slipped forward she brushed her lower lip against the underside of his penis and it was a soft, featherlike skim that made his body twitch beneath her. She skimmed her top lip across him and she heard the low frustrated growl escape from his throat.

"Olivia," he rasped the warning, but the crack in his voice reminded her that she had control here. Her lips curled up into a smile as she swiped her mouth across him once more.

"Mmmm," she responded, the nose vibrating from her lips to his cock. She knew she could make this an agonizing hell for him but it was her own lack of restraint that pushed her forward.

Her tongue came out and slid up the length of him and she felt his muscles tense beneath her palms. As her tongue trailed up the hard slick extent of him she flicked it across his tip before she closed her mouth over him completely and slid down his length.

She heard the moan and it was weak and breathy and he was reaching out, one hand closing over the top of hers that was positioned on his thigh. As she slid back up, she moved down once more taking him just a little bit deeper. He moved his fingers between hers as he arched into it. As she continued with her motions she felt his hips start to rise and he rocked himself gently into her mouth. She met his motions with her own and let her tongue flick across his tip before she closed her mouth over him once more. As she increased the pace, his breathing heightened and she felt his fingers begin to dig into hers before they slipped off and moved into her hair. She got shivers as his hand raked through the loose strands until they finally slid down and grasped her shoulders.

She took him just that little bit deeper and his jagged breathing escalated to moaning. She could tell by the way his fingers started to bite into the muscles of her shoulders that he was close. She let a hand move from the grip she had on his thigh to the base of his cock before they slipped down to his balls, gently massaging as her lips continued to slide up and down.

"Unh," he moaned and as his hips bucked into her mouth she waited for the climax but his grip on her shoulders were slipping down to her upper arms and he was pulling her upward. His cock slipped out of her mouth and he was dragging her up his chest before she knew what hit her and rolled her onto her back.

He wedged his hips between her body and she was pissed off because he couldn't give up the control for one damn second. "I wasn't finished," she rasped against his neck as he spread her legs with his hips.

"I want to come inside you," he told her, his voice pure gravel and her stomach spiraled at his intense need. She felt his tip prod at her entrance and all thoughts of their battle for control were now lost because she wanted him inside her. Now.

The tip of his cock teased her opening and she opened her legs a little wider in an effort to urge him forward. He moved forward and when she felt him begin to penetrate she found it hard to catch her breath. Her body tingled with the realization that this was actually happening and it wasn't out of rage or anger or loss of control. She didn't need to worry about their partnership, or his marriage or their future. Her mind centered only on the sole fact that he was slowly slipping inside her, filling her, stretching her, fulfilling her. It was when his hands sought out her own and his fingers intertwined with hers that she relaxed beneath him and their hips finally connected.

The sheer amount of pressure on her body was overwhelming, he had stretched her internally and his bulky mass was pressing her into the hard floor. There was no bow of a mattress beneath them and she felt the strain on her shoulder blades and tailbone. With their hands intertwined he was no longer bracing his weight on his arms and she had to focus on her slow, languid breaths in order to take him in this position. Her eyes were closed when he rocked his hips against hers and the pleasure rippled through her. She was thriving on the feeling of being wedged beneath him, feeling every single inch of his toned body as it pinned her to the floor.

His hips started to grow more impatient and he rocked into her once - twice, three times and her whimpers became muffled by his moans. He pulled himself part way out, his chest rising slightly off hers and she used the opportunity to catch a deep breath before he drove back into her.

"Unh," she moaned and he wasted no time pulling back before he drove back into her again. He continued the motions and she met him thrust for thrust, gasping at the small offerings of oxygen she could manage as he continued to pummel into her. As his mouth slid across her neck, his teeth dug softly into her skin as his hips continued to crash against hers. As he detached a hand from hers, she felt the night air hit the sheen of perspiration he had left behind. He dragged his palm across her breast and thumbed her nipple as he continued to slam his lower half into hers. Her breathing was erratic now, languid breaths were now a thing of the past and the pleasure was building with each thrust. She felt his thumb and forefinger as they closed firmly around her nipple and as he angled himself higher he rocked against her clit.

"Fuu-" she started but her breath was stifled from the burnt of his body weight. She swallowed the start of the curse word and instead arched her back as he continued to tweak her nipple.

She was well aware that since the alley this was supposed to be the softer version, the redemption, their form of making love, but neither of them were playing by the rules. She used her free hand to side through his cropped hair and held herself against him as he drove himself between her legs. As he grasped her hip, the pressure began to mount and she could feel her walls begin to contract around his cock. Her eyes were closed, the oxygen was lessening and when he rocked himself against her clit she lost control. Her fingers pressed into his neck, her walls tightened around him and she shattered into her second orgasm. Her breath-deprived cry got lodged in her throat as she succumbed to the release. She felt his fingers dig firmly into her hip and the yell of his orgasm reverberated through her haze as he spilled himself inside her.

His deep pants against her neck became a tickle and she tried to focus on the small breaths of air she could manage each time his chest rose high enough to steal one. The after effects of her orgasm continued to pulse around his cock and she let her hand slip from around his neck until it encircled his wrist at her hip.

She felt him sink further into her and the wind was now officially knocked out of her. She felt the perspiration from his body as it seeped into her and every muscle in her body began to pulse under the pressure.

She attempted to rock him to the side but all she felt was the sensitive pang as her lower half rocked against his. He felt like a dead weight and she thought it would be moments, seconds until she passed out from the pressure.

"El- "she choked out and with the small amount of strength she could muster she pushed him at the hip. He got the message and slid off her body, slipping out of her as he sank down onto his back. She sucked in the deep breath she had forgone for the better part of their ordeal and closed her eyes. She could feel him breathing heavily as they both lay side-by-side and the realization seeped into her post orgasm haze.

She knew now that sex with Elliot would always be a frantic need for her, a power struggle, a physical ache that no matter how many times he made her shatter around him, she would always crave more.

TBC