Pinnacle
They took the food and drinks up to the rooftop garden of Olivia's building. There were several wooden patio tables with comfortable chairs enclosed by a square of raised containers of plants and flowers, subtly highlighted by lights mingled among the foliage. It was a pleasant and relaxing place. Olivia and Elliot picked at the food and talked about the weather, work, and politics- basically, anything except the reason why they were there.
Elliot had been too nervous to eat anything before he left home but the sandwiches that Liv had picked up from the gourmet deli were delicious. As he ate and drank, he felt himself beginning to relax. This was Liv, just Liv. In many ways, he felt that he knew her as well as he knew himself. This was just...an extension of their relationship. He could do this.
He took his beer and went to stand at the chest high wall that surrounded the roof. The view of the city at night was breathtaking. In a minute, Liv joined him and they stood in companionable silence, taking in the sight of twinkling lights over the city that never slept.
"You don't have to do this, you know," said Liv softly from his side. He turned to look at her. His blue eyes were a shade of midnight in the dim light.
"I know," he said, looking back out at the city. "I want to do it, Liv. I just..." he turned back to her. "I need to say this before we do anything. I know we've talked it all out and we're all clear on what's expected, but I have to say this for... me. This—what happens this weekend, it's a one shot thing. It can't ever be anything more. I love you and I want to do this for you, but I won't do anything that puts my family in jeopardy."
"Elliot, I know," Olivia answered. Her dark eyes, full of emotion, met his.
"I've spent my whole life trying to be...a certain kind of man," he told her. "It hasn't always been easy; there have been lots of temptations, and opportunities." He held her gaze as he said: "It hasn't always been easy working with you, especially when things were bad at home. You're a beautiful woman, Liv, smart and sexy. But I never wanted to do anything that put us being partners in jeopardy—or hurt our friendship. You mean the world to me and I don't ever want to mess that up. This weekend—it's got to be just that, a weekend. If it doesn't work, then, I'm sorry, but I can't do this again. I won't."
"Elliot." she said simply, reaching out to stroke his cheek. She couldn't believe he was admitting this to her after all of the years they'd been together. She'd always wondered if the attraction she felt for him was totally one-sided, or if the occasional chinks she saw in his family-man armor were something more. Over the years, she'd become an expert at burying her personal feelings about him. It couldn't be more obvious that Elliot loved his wife and was devoted to his family. Attraction or not, there were some things in life that just weren't meant to happen and this was one of them. Like him, she valued their working relationship too much to risk losing it. They were a team.
She realized that if anything was going to happen this weekend, she was going to have to take control of the situation. Elliot was willing but simply too conflicted. If this was going to be her one chance to sleep with the man she'd wanted for years, well, she was going to take full advantage of it.
She stroked his cheek again. He reached up and took her hand and held it there, next to his face. His beautiful eyes searched hers. "Let's go downstairs," she said softly and took him by the hand.
Back in her apartment, Olivia walked around and extinguished all of the lights, leaving only a small spotlight in the kitchen to give a dim glow over the living areas. Elliot followed her into the bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed. He watched while she lit several candles placed around the room. When the room was lit with a subtle glow, she came to stand in front of him. Holding his gaze with her own, she lifted her t-shirt over her head. She stood for a moment, clad only in a black lace bra and a pair of shorts. Sure that she had his attention, she reached behind her and unclasped the bra, releasing her full breasts. His sharp intake of breath made her smile and when he reached for her, placing both hands on her hips and pulling her close so that he could rest his cheek against her belly, she felt a warm flood between her legs. She closed her eyes as he turned his face to kiss her stomach, his lips warm against the flat surface.
"Your turn," she managed to get out. He chuckled softly, stood and removed his own shirt, baring the broad expanse of chest she'd admired so many times from a distance—working out at the precinct, coming out of the shower in the locker room, in the hospital after he'd been shot. She put her hand on his warm skin, over his heart and felt the steady beat. Again, he pulled her close, and now they were touching everywhere—his strong legs pressed tight against her own, her breasts flattened against the warmth of his chest, forehead against forehead. His eyes were closed. Now or never, Liv.
She brought her lips to his, softly at first, then more urgently as he responded, slipping his hand into the hair at the back of her neck to help maintain contact. She could feel the swell of his erection through the fabric of his khaki shorts and pressed her hips even tighter against him, loving the sensation. He was aroused because of her, Olivia. He groaned softly and slipped both hands down to her ass, holding her close. He bent to nuzzle her neck, her collarbone.
Olivia freed her arms to push him back onto the bed. He lay there, watching as she unzipped her shorts and stepped out them, discarding them on the floor along with her panties. She reached for the waistband of his khakis and unbuttoned them, tugging the shorts and his briefs down his hips and legs to join hers on the floor. For a moment, she stood looking at the whole man, the parts she'd only fantasized before. Then she moved to lie on her side next to him on the bed. Still, he didn't move, but only watched with hooded eyes as she slowly stroked her hand down his chest, his abdomen, and finally, over the length of his formidable erection. It didn't surprise her that, even here, Elliot Stabler was larger than life. Kathy was a lucky woman. She mentally shook her head—this wasn't the time to be thinking about her friend.
As she stroked him, enjoying the silky sensation of soft skin over a steel-hard erection, Elliot groaned and turned on his side to reach for her. She slipped her hand to cup his testicles as he found her breasts with his mouth, tonguing each nipple in turn. Now it was her turn to moan and she did, closing her eyes and letting her head fall back so that he had full access to her neck and breasts. She was wetter than she could ever remember being and she was almost embarrassed when he slipped a hand between her legs, palming her center. He didn't seem to mind however, as he slipped first one, and then a second finger into her moist depths.
She needed him inside her, now. She'd been fantasizing about his for years and finally, she was going to take what she wanted. Opening her eyes, she pushed Elliot onto his back. Startled, he opened his own and watched as she positioned herself over him. Realizing what she wanted, he moved his hips so that they were in perfect alignment. She slowly slid down over the whole delicious length of him. They held still for a moment, staring into each others eyes. Elliot's face showed heat and desire—and emotion Olivia wasn't sure she wanted to decipher. She began to move, slowly, up and then down again. Elliot closed his eyes and reached for her shoulders to pull her torso down closer, then slipped one hand between their bodies so he could caress her breast. He put the other on her hip to give himself leverage to push against her. Olivia soon found herself riding the crest of a wave that she never wanted to come down from, but when Elliot, sensing how close she was, slid his hand from her breast to where they were joined and stroked her there, it was all over. The wave peaked and crashed and it was all she could do to breath. Gasping, she looked down at him. He grinned broadly as he flipped her over and plunged into her, over and over. He came with a loud, wordless exclamation of pleasure, which brought her another wave of her own.
They separated and lay back on the bed, each breathing heavily and lost in their own thoughts. When she recovered enough to look over at him, Elliot was laying on his side, watching her.
"Maybe this weekend won't be so bad after all," he said with a grin.