Thank you guys so much for the overwhelming support on Chapter 1! I hope you enjoy the second part just as much! I've decided to make this three parts so keep an eye out for the third!
Off Limits - Ch 2
To say the firm was in crisis mode would be the understatement of the century. Harvey and Donna had been working non-stop for the past 48 hours, which unfortunately meant they'd had to cancel their first official date. Neither were too upset over it, but both were having a hard time putting the other out of their mind. Louis caught Harvey daydreaming several times in their first meeting, lost in a sea of thoughts about porcelain skin and freckles.
Louis was also surprised to find Donna humming in the kitchen as she poured herself a coffee the next day. The senior partners and the COO had spent the entire night going over their strategy and most of the staff was exhausted come morning, yet here was Donna, humming.
"Everything okay?" he asks
"Everything's fine. Why do you ask Louis?"
"It's just. There's something different about you and I can't put my finger on it" he turns to study her
"How are things with Thomas?" he asks
"Actually Louis, we broke up" she chimes, before brushing past him with her coffee and heading out of the kitchen
She seemed to be in rather good mood for someone who was going through a break up, Louis thinks. Maybe it was the lack of sleep, she'd been through a lot these past few days, he tells himself. He takes a seat at the table and sips his prunie. Wait a minute, Donna had that glow about her, one he hadn't seen in years. Something was going on here and he was going to get to the bottom of it.
Harvey was disappointed they had to move their date, but not nearly as disappointed as he was that he hadn't gotten to spend any time alone with her since they stepped off that elevator the morning after. His desire to touch her, to kiss her, was eating him alive and he was sure that he wouldn't make it through the day.
Even though they'd both spent all night at the office, he'd been stuck working alongside Louis and hadn't had a chance to see her. He makes his way down to the coffee cart and orders two coffees before taking them back to the kitchen to add a splash of vanilla before dropping hers off. It's not the first date he imagined, but at least it was something. Plus, the walk downstairs was a welcome distraction from the chaos that filled the firm and the visions of red and lace that filled his head. He smirks to himself as he fixes her coffee, closing his eyes to watch her close her eyes as trailed kisses down her neck, pulling her as close to his body as the layers of clothing between them would allow. Holding her against that wall because he couldn't wait to have her, to feel her lips on his.
"For someone who's ship is sinking you sure do look happy" Samantha chimes, walking past Harvey and taking a seat at the table behind him.
"That must be one hell of a coffee" she eyes the multiple beverages next to him, "Or coffees" she corrects raising an eyebrow in question
"I thought Donna could use a coffee" he answers, focus remaining on the drinks in front of him
"Right" Samantha remarks sarcastically
"She seemed pretty happy too, for someone who accidentally screwed over her own firm"
"That's enough" Harvey warns
"Is it? Because from where I stand Robert lost his job because of what she did. Don't get me wrong Harvey I love Donna as much as the next person but I have the right to be a pissed off here! He lost everything. Everything he worked his entire life for and you two show up this morning with smiles on your faces! How am I supposed to react to that!"
Harvey turns to look at Samantha and tilts his head, waiting for it to click. He watches as she begins to piece the puzzle together, a puzzle that had been falling into place for a decade.
Samantha, being Samantha decides to toy with Harvey. She knew there was more to his and Donna's relationship the moment she started working here and she was glad the two of them had finally figured their shit out, but she was still hurting and needed him to say it. To reassure her that they felt the pain of Robert's lose as she had. She could at least forgive them if they felt the lose but were too caught up in their own little relationship bubble to show it.
"Where did you run off too, last night?" she questions
"I had somewhere to be. You reminded me how hard it was to come by that one person that would stick with you through anything. That would love me despite my flaws. I had to tell her what she meant to me before it was too late"
Samantha's slightly shocked at his outright admission but impressed with how forward he was being. He didn't directly tell her they were together, and the broadness of his words make her think they want to lay low while the firm gets back on its feet, she admires that.
"And?"
He raises his eyebrow once again, he knows she's just goading him into saying it and he plans on respecting Donna's wish of keeping things quiet for a while. He grabs his coffees and makes his way out of the kitchen, pausing in the doorway
"Thank you, Samantha" he offers a tender smile
"I'm happy for you Harvey. You know I admire that women, you're a lucky man"
"I am" he grins, heading to her office, coffee with a splash of vanilla in hand.
When he gets back to his office, he finds her sitting in his chair, legs crossed and rested on his desk and his pulse starts racing.
"You know your office is next door, right?" he flirts
"I brought you a coffee" she gestures to the cup in his desk
He holds up the two cups in his hands and laughs, "So did I"
"They say great minds think alike" she says, moving to get up
"Leaving already? That desk has never looked so good" tone heavy with the flirty banter they'd used for years
"I have a meeting with Samantha in 15, I just thought I'd stop by" she walks over to him and places both the coffees he's holding on his desk, reaching out to adjust his tie out of habit, as she leans back against the edge of his desk.
He freezes when her finger grazes his chest, loosening and then re-tightening his tie to straighten it up. He'd much rather having her rushing to remove it. The blood rushes to his head as he tries to stay focused and not let himself drift back to the other night. He subconsciously leans into her, stepping between her legs, his lips falling just above her ear.
"I miss you" he whispers, causing every nerve in her body to come alive, skin tingling at the anticipation of his touch.
She closes her eyes as the words leave his lips, visions of the last time he stood rooted between her legs, his hands roaming her body, getting tangled in her hair. She pulls back and her eyes find his, both momentarily forgetting where they're standing; in the middle of Harvey's office, in the middle of the day. She can feel his lips hover over her ear, trailing back to where her lips are, his hand planted on the desk behind her, trapping her between the desk and his body. She opens he eyes and finds his eyes soft and trained on hers. The desire in his eyes matches the desire pooling in the pit of her stomach and she lets out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding.
Samantha clears her throat, cause the pair to dart apart, both blushing.
"Sorry to interrupt" she smirks, "Just needed to borrow Donna for a meeting" Donna grabs a cup of coffee off the desk and wills her knees to stop shaking, desperately trying to pull herself together.
"Come find me after, we'll grab lunch" he whispers to her, motioning to Samantha to take one of the 3 remaining cups of coffee on his desk.
She smiles in response, following Samantha towards the door
"If you want to keep things quiet, I suggest cutting back on the eye banging in an office with glass walls" Samantha laughs
"We weren't..." Donna tries to protest
"It's okay Donna, she's already figured it out" Harvey interjects, offering her an apologetic smile
"How?" Donna looks to Samantha
"Oh please, I've never seen Harvey so happy in my life. And besides after he sprinted out of here the other night it wasn't hard to figure it out"
"Sprinted out of here?" she looks at Harvey, making a note to tease him for literally running to her apartment
"Thanks for that Samantha" Harvey groans
"Who is it that were meeting anyways?" Donna asks Samantha
"Harvey didn't tell you? It was his plan"
"And every good plan starts with Mike Ross" Mike chimes in from behind Donna
"Mike Ross" he says, sticking his hand out to shake Samantha's hand
"Samantha Wheeler" she shakes his hand
"I leave and all hell breaks lose. You really do need me" Mike mocks as he moves to hug Harvey and then Donna
"How long are you here for?" Donna asks
"Until we get whatever-firm-name-you-guys-go-by now back on it's feet"
"Rachel?" Donna asks hopeful that her best friend tagged along for the trip
"She couldn't make the trip, but she sends her love"
"Shall we?" Samantha gestures towards the conference room
"Let's do it" Mike follows, "Harvey, I'm taking you and Donna for drinks later" he calls as he trails after Samantha towards the conference room
"So, is he still just as big of a pain-in-the-ass as when I left?" Mike asks Samantha
"You have no idea" she chuckles
Donna stares at Harvey wide-eyed, "The pup? Really? He's going to have a field day with this"
"Surprise" he shrugs
"Have a good meeting. See you for lunch" he grins, taking a quick look around and noting there was no one around he places a quick kiss on her lips before strolling out of his office and leaving her swooning and wanting more.
The meeting went surprisingly well, Mike and Samantha really hit it off and they had come up with a solid foundation for getting the firm back on track. Unfortunately, Donna was having a hard time focusing because all she could think about was Harvey. Mike had to call her attention back to the matters on hand several times and when he asked if she was okay Samantha helped out by saying Donna had had a long couple of days. Donna knew that Mike was well caught up on her situation thanks to Rachel, whom she'd called after her break up with Thomas, and she was grateful he didn't ask or bring it up.
As the meeting concluded Mike walked down the hall with Donna, "Want to grab lunch?" he asks
"I actually have lunch plans, but I'll see you tonight" she smiles watching Harvey check her out from the end of the hall.
"No worries, I'll just ask Harvey" Mike shrugs, gesturing towards the man that's already staring at them
"He has a meeting!" she panics
"Oh, alright" Mike gives her a weird look in response to her outburst, "Guess it's just me and Louis today"
"Donna" he nods, standing next to her as they wait for the elevator
"Harvey" she nods back, shuffling her coat and purse in her hands
The elevator dings and they step inside, standing side by side facing the lobby of the firm as the doors slowly shut. As soon as the door clicks shut his hands are cupping her cheeks and he's backing her into the wall. She drops her stuff and runs her hands though his hair and down his back. Their kisses are desperate, sloppy and filled with longing. He lifts her and pins her once again between the wall and his body, hiking up her skirt as far as the material will allow him too as she wraps both legs around his waist.
He intertwines his fingers with hers, holding her arms above her head as he once again places sloppy kisses down her neck, causing a moan to escape from her lips. She reaches for his belt as the elevator dings, indicating it's reached the building lobby and he sighs, gently placing her back on the floor and helping her pick up her stuff.
"Will anyone really notice if we take the afternoon off?" he pouts
She straights her skirt and runs her fingers through her hair as the elevator reaches the ground floor, opening to reveal a waiting Louis
"Louis" Harvey nods, brushing past him and out of the elevator
"Harvey, Donna" Louis acknowledges, picking up on the charged energy between them.
They make their way out of the lobby and Louis watches Harvey open Donna's door before rounding the car and nodding to Ray before joining her in the back seat. Those two had the weirdest relationship he'd ever seen, one day the screaming at each other and the next they're going to lunch, he thinks to himself.
Donna has some work to finish up after her extended lunch break, so she opts to meet Harvey and Mike at the bar. She also decided to go home and change into a form fitting black dress that nearly makes Harvey's eyes bulge out of his head when he sees her. She kisses Mike on the cheek as she slides into the seat next to him and sends Harvey a smile, watching as his eyes roam from her head to her chest. She should roll her eyes at his subtleness but the way he's looking at her across the table sends chills down her spine.
"You look amazing" Mike says
"You do" Harvey mumbles in agreement, eyes staying locked on Donna's. He's so grateful Mike has stepped in to help but as much as he's missed having him around, all he wants to do right now is take Donna home and see how good that dress looks lying on his bedroom floor.
"I'll grab us some drinks" Mike excuses himself, leaving the pair alone at the table
"You look, wow" is all Harvey manages to come up with, but it's enough to make her blush
"Thank you" she smiles
"So, I didn't exactly get to take you on that date, and I was, well I was wondering if I could take you tomorrow?"
"We don't have to do anything formal Harvey, really it's okay"
"No, it's not. You deserve everything Donna. It may have taken me a while to get here, but if we're going to do this, I want to do it right" he smiles, grabbing her hand and squeezing in beneath the table
"You're it for me Donna"
Her heart sores at the softness in his eyes and she squeezes his hand.
"Alright, what are we talking about" Mike asks, placing drinks down on the table
"Just how much we miss you" Donna says
"Not much changes around here, does it?" Mike jokes, oblivious to the fact that Harvey is still holding Donna's hand under the table.
.
.
"So, you're telling me you actually tried to get Kevin Miller to help you?" Mike laughs
"I would've loved to see you try that" he adds
"Well it wasn't all me, Donna helped" he smiles at her across the table
"We all know that plan never would've worked out if it wasn't for the city's best closer over here" she compliments
"Good god why don't you two get a room already" Mike teases as Harvey mumbles 'I wish' under his breath. Mike had noticed a weird energy between his friends, glances lingering longer than usual, their flirty banter had a softness to it he'd never seen before and he could've sworn Donna was about to melt into a puddle over something Harvey had said when he returned to the table. He knew Thomas and Donna had broken up, and he had a feeling it had something to do with her unresolved feelings for Harvey, not just what happened with the firm. Likewise, he knew that despite his protests, Harvey as in love with Donna, and watching his two best friends at this table he was starting to wonder if maybe the two of them had finally got their shit together and sorted their feelings out.
"Harvey, what do you say we head back to your place for a night cap?" Mike suggests and watches as Harvey's eyes flick to Donna
"You too Donna" he adds
"Sure" Harvey answers
"Oh, and Harvey, that's me you're playing footsie with, not Donna" Mike smirks, taking pleasure in how uncomfortable he's managed to make his former boss as Harvey nearly chokes on his drink
.
.
Mike drops the subject and the group quickly begins to talk about his new firm as they make their way to Harvey's. Donna, being Donna is pretty sure Mike knows something is going on, but she pushes the thought to the back of her mind, choosing to stay in their little honeymoon bubble just a little while longer.
The night winds down and Mike decides to get going. They both walk him to the door and see him out. As soon as Harvey shuts the door behind him, Donna's lips are on his. It had been a long, exhausting day and both of them had been waiting for the moment they could just be with one another. It seemed ridiculous, that adults couldn't go a few days without taking their hands of each other, but after 13 years, they had a lot of time to make up for. He pulls her closer, arms wrapping around her waist, deepening the kiss as they become a blur or arms and limbs desperate to free the other of their clothes. Donna is undoing the third button on Harvey's shirt when the door opens - a sound they are both too preoccupied to hear.
"Sorry I forgot my jacket" Mike calls as he stumbles back into the apartment, stopping in his tracks when he realizes what he's just walked in on.
"You know what, never mind. It's not that cold out" he exclaims before walking right back out the door.
"Should we tell him to come get his jacket?" she grins
"He can have it tomorrow" Harvey replies, taking her hand and pulling her towards the bedroom.
.
.
Harvey checks his phone when he goes to get some coffee and can't help but laugh at what the kid had sent him.
Glad you finally had the balls to tell her. Hope you were safe. (Really though, I'm so happy for you guys)-M
He climbs back into bed and pulls her into his side, showing her the message as he lets his fingers run through her hair.
"I guess Rachel probably already knows by now too" Donna sighs
"Is that okay?"
"Ya, I'm just a little bit worried about what people at work will think"
"Babe" he lifts her chin so she's looking at him
"It doesn't matter what anyone thinks. No one doubts that you are the best COO our firm could have hired, and if anyone does decide to doubt that, I'll fire them"
"You can't fire someone for that" she smiles
"For doubting my girl, I can fire whoever I want" he says as he pulls her in for a kiss.
Sitting in his office just past 2am, Louis flips through some final paperwork for the night. After the mess of the past few days he'd sent everyone home and was planning on retiring home the Shelia as soon as he finished signing the documents Donna left on his desk. For as much trouble as they were in, he was proud of his troops for coming together and working as hard as they had to come up with a way to fix this. He shakes his head as he signs the forms, how did they get here? Harvey had almost been disbarred for god's sake.
He thinks back to the events of the past few days and his mind goes back to that night in Harvey's apartment. Harvey looked absolutely heart broken that Donna hadn't had faith in him and in the madness of the situation he'd almost overlooked a key detail. Harvey had compared what Shelia is to Louis to what Donna meant to him. Holy shit. It was so obvious, Harvey loved her far more than a friend. Poor guy was probably hurting so much, he should go over there and tell him he's there for him, he thinks.
He pulls out his phone and dials Harvey's number, waiting as it rings.
Harvey's phone blares through the apartment, startling a sleepy Donna who was curled up on Harvey's chest as he slept. She reaches for the phone, half asleep, in a desperate attempt to stop it from ringing she picks it up.
"Hello?"
"Hey, I know it's late I just wanted to tell you, if you ever needed to talk, I'm here for you" Louis says
"Wait, Donna?" he exclaims, loud enough that the stirring Harvey below Donna can hear him, sending Donna a confused look.
"What is it Louis? Is everything okay? Why are you calling me so late?" she responds
"Donna, I called Harvey" Louis clarifies
She looks down and notices Harvey's phone in her hand and panicking, hands him the phone while suppressing a laugh.
"What is it Louis, I'm a little busy" he barks
"I…I… I'm going to need a day" Louis stutters before hanging up
"Well, he handled that better than I thought he would" she laughs
"You do realize what telling him you're a little busy sounds like right?" she adds
"Yeah. But I have full intentions of being a little busy" he smirks, pulling her down beneath him.
The next morning Harvey finds Mike in his office, waiting patiently on his couch.
"Mike" he greets, tossing his jacket at him before sitting at his desk
"Where's you're better half? I'm assuming you two came in together" Mike wags his eyebrows
"Are you finished?'
"Maybe" Mike pouts
"Okay good, let's get to work then" Harvey tosses him a folder
"Hey, you forgot your coffee" Donna says, failing to look up from her phone as she walks straight over to Harvey's desk and places a cup down with a small peck on the cheek; thinking they were alone – and having checked the hallway was empty before she came in.
"Would you look at that, mom and dad finally figured it out. But you scarred me enough last night so please, this time keep it PG" Mike grins
Donna looks up startled to see Mike seated in the corner of Harvey's office and can't help but laugh.
"We're trying to keep a low profile" Donna begins to explain
"Say no more, my lips are sealed" Mike makes a zipping motion across his lips
"Can't say the same for Harvey's though" he can't help himself from adding as he met with glares from both Harvey and Donna
"I'll let you two get to work then" Donna says, turning to leave and rolling her eyes at Mike
Harvey grabs a hold of her wrist and spins her back towards him, kissing her with more passion than she expected for being at work.
She steps back and squeezes his hand, smiling to herself as she headed to her office in a daze.
"Not a word" Harvey warns Mike before he gets the chance to make any remarks about his former boss' sudden romantic side.
"Happy looks good on you" Mike adds, opening the folder
"Honestly, I've never been happier" Harvey adds, joining Mike.
Alright that's Louis (sort've but how will he react when he actually sees them), Mike, Gretchen and Samantha …. Next up Alex, Katrina & every associate who has ever like to spread rumors at the water cooler
Please feel free to leave me a review & include anything thing you'd like to see in the next chapter!