I really love how many people take the time to leave reviews, several of you even for every single chapter of this story, and I realized that this is my ONLY story so far that averages over 20 reviews per chapter. You guys rock!
It's not even an EO story, yet diehard EO shippers are also enjoying it. Thank you all so much, it makes such a difference for me as a writer to get all that feedback. I hope you will approve of how this story continues … heed the rating change over the course of this chapter! ;) ;) It's a long one but I couldn't cut it off, because I promised. Enjoy!

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26. Right

There was a silent agreement between them that they weren't just looking for companionship tonight. They'd been apart for too long and they both wanted more out of this relationship, now that they were both ready to call it that. But Noah was still up and he insisted on catching up with his big friend after Lucy left for the night. Olivia indulged him a little while she warmed up the meal that Lucy had left for her, planning to share it with Peter. She wasn't really listening to the boys chatting, until she heard Noah ask Peter innocently,

"Are you sleeping over again? Can we make breakfast again tomorrow?"

She smiled while listening with more attention to how this little conversation was going to continue.

"You really enjoyed that huh?" Peter asked the boy with a grin.

"Yeah," Noah confirmed enthusiastically. "It's always fun when you're around. We can do guy stuff, just like other kids with their dads."

You could hear a pin drop for a few moments and Olivia found herself holding her breath. What was Peter going to say? And another question was, what did she want him to say?

Peter felt honored to be called father material for a second time by a child but he wasn't sure how Olivia felt about him talking about it with Noah. He knew he'd have to say something fast, because he definitely didn't want to hurt Noah's feelings by rejecting his idea.

"I love doing guy stuff with you, Noah," Olivia heard Peter say after a few beats. "But we have a girl here to consider too, right?"

Having given himself the opportunity to look at Olivia, he turned around on the couch to make eye contact with her and he could tell that she was almost as lost as he was. Once again, it was Noah who broke the ice. The boy chuckled innocently and then told his big friend,

"Well, mom has fun too when you're around. And she can do grown-up stuff with you. It's a win-win, Peter."

That made the two adults laugh out loud, both wondering where Noah had picked up that expression.

"So where does that leave me," Peter chuckled. "With you guys both winning, what is left for me?"

"You get a double win, Peter! Duh!" Noah exclaimed, spreading his arms to emphasize the utter logic of what he was saying.

"Right. Of course. Because I get to play with you and with your mommy."

He winked at Olivia then, and she quickly busied herself getting their food out of the microwave and putting half of it on a second plate, trying very hard not to blush.

It had been in the air all the way from the hospital to her apartment and Olivia was nervous. She definitely wanted to 'play' with Peter but she wasn't as confident as she used to be about it. Her body had changed over the years and while both Brian and Ed had also been older, Peter was still young and in excellent shape. She was content with her body for the most part for someone nearing fifty, but what would Peter expect?

"So can Peter stay over again mom?" Noah asked her, interrupting her thoughts.

"Yes mom, can he?" Peter added with a cheeky grin, and Noah laughed out loud at that.

Olivia bit her lip but couldn't suppress a grin of her own. This was just too easy.

"Well, alright then. But remember," she added, interrupting Noah's cheering mid-scream and raising a finger while trying for a stern look. "It's a school night for you, and both Peter and I have to work tomorrow."

Noah sighed. He knew very well what his mother meant and he stood up to go and get ready for bed. He smiled knowingly at Peter though, as if both men had just scored an important victory.

"I'll be with you in a few minutes," Olivia told him, and once he'd left for the bathroom, she joined Peter on the couch, carrying their plates.

"I need a bite to eat first," she told him and they both ate quietly for a minute, each caught up in their own thoughts about the brief exchange with Noah.

Knowing she'd leave to help Noah soon, Peter didn't want to start a conversation with Olivia about it right away but he had to admit that Noah was being a big help. And the dad thing … it meant more to him than he'd realized, although he wasn't sure how Olivia felt about Noah saying these things.

When Olivia had finished about half of her food, She left to put Noah to bed. She loved how well her son was getting along with Peter and how normal he seemed to think it was that Peter would spend the night. But his comments about doing guy stuff with Peter like other kids with their dads did make her a little uneasy. What if it didn't work out between her and Peter after all? Wouldn't that crush Noah? She shook her head at her own thoughts. What happened to enjoying every single day?

She pasted a smile on her face when she stepped into the bathroom, where Noah was already brushing his teeth. She watched him work, making sure he didn't miss any teeth and then helped him wash his face and hands. Once she was satisfied that he was all cleaned up and in his summer pajamas, Olivia took him to his bedroom. She wasn't sure if she should say anything about Peter but she knew she had the urge to warn him just a little bit. Not because she didn't trust Peter, because she absolutely did, but because you simply never know what will happen.

"Noah honey," she started cautiously as her son was getting comfortable in his bed.

He looked up at her, waiting for her to continue and she took a deep breath before asking him,

"You know Peter's not your father, right?"

"Of course I know that mom. My daddy died. You told me. But a boy in my class told me that the girl that lives next door to him, got a new daddy last week. He called it adept … adapting I think. That's when a new mommy or daddy starts taking care of a child."

"Adopting," Olivia said, and her stomach was instantly in knots.

"Yeah! That's the word. Adopting. Do you think Peter would like to be my adopting father?"

Olivia's heart was racing, not just because of Noah's question but because she knew it wouldn't be long now that she'd have to tell her son that she was, in fact, his adoptive mother. She had wondered about that moment a lot over the years, and couldn't really wrap her brain around the fact that Noah suddenly already knew what adopting was. What she did know was, that she wasn't ready to tell him now. It was too sudden and it wasn't something to tell a young child just before bed. But his question deserved an answer and she had to think fast.

"I think that is something the three of us need to decide, don't you agree, Noah? It's always been just you and me, and Peter has always been on his own. It would be a big change for all of us."

"But we have so much fun when we're all together," Noah insisted, the beginning of a little whine audible in his voice.

"I know baby. We do have a lot of fun. But we can't decide anything right now, okay? And you know why?"

"Yeah," Noah sighed, looking at his hands in his lap. "It's a school night and it's time to sleep."

Olivia smiled and pulled her son into a hug.

"I love you so much Noah. We'll talk about it again soon, okay?"

Noah nodded against her shoulder and she kissed the top of his head.

"Now, how about a little story?"

Noah finally settled in and they read one of his favorite books together. By the time the story was wrapping up, his eyes were already drooping and Olivia scooted out of his bed carefully, readjusting his pillow and pulling the sheet over his chest before leaving his room quietly.

Her stomach clenched again when she walked back into the living room and saw Peter waiting for her on the couch. Like her, he had already kicked off his shoes and it emphasized the fact that he was going to stay.

"I heated up your plate again," he told her and she smiled.

"Thanks."

She sat down next to him again and started eating the rest of her meal, even if he stomach was still doing some weird things. Peter had already finished eating and was watching her. He had poured them both a glass of red wine again but had put his on the coffee table when she came back. His staring only added to her restlessness until he started rubbing her back gently with one hand.

"Relax Liv," he said softly. "It's only me."

"Peter … Noah just asked me if I think you'd want to adopt him."

She just blurted it out and almost choked on her last bite of food. Peter patted her back gently but was a little shocked himself. Noah was talking about adoption? Did he even know what that was? Olivia grabbed her wine and took a few sips and he couldn't help smiling at how nervous she was. It was all a bit much at once, finally getting a break in the case; going back to her place together with clear intentions of taking their relationship to the next level; and now this.

"Did you know kids his age talk about that stuff? I sure didn't," Olivia said.

"Neither did I," Peter admitted. "What did you tell him?"

She looked at him then and he could see the question in her eyes. What should she have told Noah?

Peter sat up and took both her plate and her glass from her hands, put them on the coffee table and then took her hands in his. He saw Olivia swallow hard and avoid his eyes, and he squeezed her hands gently.

"Liv … look at me," he said quietly.

He waited until her big brown eyes settled on his face before continuing.

"I love you."

The words came to him easily. Olivia blinked a few times but he could see his words sink in.

"I love Noah too," he added then and Olivia sucked her bottom lip between her teeth.

"And I know you're not someone who makes rash decisions but I want you to know that I'm here for you. For both of you. I would love nothing more than to spend more time with the two of you to see if we can really become a little family. I really believe we have a shot here, Liv. And I'm … I'm honored that Noah thinks I could be his father."

His last words didn't come out as he had planned, because his voice was suddenly thick with emotion. He really meant it. He knew that it wasn't always like this when a new person came into the life of a parent and he wanted to take it as a sign that they were going to be alright.

His emotions seemed to transfer to Olivia, who was now squeezing his hands in return. And then she pulled him close to her and kissed him full on the lips.

It took Peter only a second to respond and Olivia felt his lips soften and then open against hers. She was a little overwhelmed but finally allowed herself to just listen to her heart. Peter was a good man that made her feel good about herself and that made both her and Noah happier than they had ever been before. She wasn't going to deny herself the happiness of today out of fear of losing it tomorrow. Life was too short to keep on pushing happiness away from her until it might be too late. She wasn't going to become completely fatalistic but she was going to seize the day and not run away from a good thing anymore just because it might not last forever.

As their kiss grew more intense, she let all her nervousness slide off of her. It felt so right to be in Peter's arms and it felt right for him to be here tonight. Angela's case was in good hands with Fin, and it would be there in the morning. So would Noah. Right now, she just wanted to be with Peter.

And he wanted to be with her. It felt so right to finally hold her again and Peter couldn't stop his hands from roaming. Without breaking their deep kiss, he pulled Olivia up from the couch until they were both standing. He needed to feel more of her body pressed up against his. When he cupped one of her breasts through her thin blouse, Olivia moaned into his mouth and when he broke off the kiss to check if she was alright with what he was doing, she was the one to pull him back in to continue the kiss.

After some more kissing and heavy petting in the living room, Olivia took Peter's hands and pulled him along with her to the bedroom. Standing next to the bed, memories of the last time they were in there together came back to her and she tensed up a little, wondering if being with Peter would trigger memories of Lewis this time. It had happened a lot with Brian in the beginning, and even a few times with Ed. She wondered if it would ever go away completely, but when Peter pulled her against him once more and she looked into his green eyes, she remembered how he had calmed her last time.

Green eyes. Kind eyes.

And just like last time, she reached for him. When she caressed his face, Peter closed his eyes for a moment and she could tell that he was affected by her too. She leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips, and he opened his eyes again.

"You okay?" he mumbled and she nodded slightly.

"Let me know if you're not."

She nodded again, grateful for his understanding. Peter moved his hands from her hips up until he reached the buttons of her blouse and she leaned her forehead against his as he undid the buttons one by one, exposing her white lace bra and then a lot of skin. When he pushed her blouse away from her shoulders, it was Olivia who closed her eyes for a few moments. She hummed softly when she felt his hands on her now bare shoulders, massaging her a little while kissing her behind her ear. Olivia's hands moved up his chest and she felt the hard muscles there. It was now her turn to unbutton his short-sleeved dress shirt and she felt Peter's breath hitch when her hands touched his bare chest for the first time. After shrugging his shirt off, making it fall to the ground like hers had, Peter's hands moved to her back and he unclasped her bra expertly, making Olivia smile against his neck.

"You've done this before," she murmured.

"You don't say," Peter joked.

They both weren't new at the game. What was new was being together like this, with so much more than just physical contact in the balance. They had both taken down their defensive walls for the first time and would be exposed in more ways than one tonight. There would be no way back after this night and it was scary as well as exciting.

Peter caressed her bare back with his hands and then moved them to the front. He created a little bit of distance between their upper bodies and let his eyes roam her breasts for the first time before cupping them gently. His brain automatically took inventory of what he was seeing besides her beautiful feminine body.

Coat hanger. House key. Cigarette burn.

It was all there, visible signs of the MO of a sadist. Yet here she was, still standing. And her strength and determination to overcome her trauma far outweighed the visible signs of it in the end. He looked up and into her brown eyes and saw the apprehension there.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered, choking up as he said it, because he'd never meant those words more than he did right now. She was a phoenix risen from the ashes of a screwed-up childhood and a horrific experience as an adult, and it made her more beautiful in his eyes than anyone else.

When he leaned in to kiss Olivia again, she whimpered against his lips and he wondered if she was alright. But the way she was kissing him removed all doubt. She was ready to move forward. So was he.

When Olivia felt one of Peter's hands close around her breast, she felt a pang of want in her belly. He had seen it. He'd seen the scars. She knew he had. And nothing had changed. He still wanted her and she felt the shame slide off of her as it was replaced by a feral need to get closer to Peter. She moved with him willingly when he moved her towards the bed and helped her lay down, and swallowed hard when he quickly shed his pants and socks before joining her on the bed.

"Mine too," she told him softly and she bit her lip when Peter started undoing her slacks.

He groaned while helping her out of her pants. Her legs just went on forever and he could hardly wait to feel them wrapped around himself. He was getting aroused very quickly now and was done overthinking what they were doing. He loved her. He wanted her. It was that simple. And from the looks of her, she was thinking the same thing. So after removing her pants and socks he crawled over her and hooked his thumbs inside her white lace panties.

Olivia lifted her hips at once, without hesitation. It even surprised her, but her body was taking over now. She was trembling a little but it wasn't out of nervousness anymore. Peter would see more scars - more of the same - but she wasn't worried about it anymore. They had waited long enough and her ribs had healed enough. She wanted him to see all of her. She didn't want to hide her true self anymore.

Her panties were gone and she was now completely naked. For him. And his boxer briefs had definitely become too tight. He lay down next to Olivia, determined not to rush things but her hand went for his boxer briefs at once.

"Off," she instructed and Peter chuckled.

Despite his desire to move forward, he asked her with a grin,

"Are you always this demanding in bed?"

"You got a problem with that?" she challenged, and she wasn't even smiling.

Her tone was sultry. The tone of a seductress. He swallowed hard. He was getting to know a whole new side of the fierce Lieutenant. She was rubbing him through his underwear and he hissed at her touch. Still, he wasn't going to heed her command that easily so he told her,

"You take it off."

He was surprised when he heard her laugh out loud, a melodious, happy laugh that filled the entire bedroom. It made him laugh too and when she tried to sit up to comply with his demand, he stopped her with a deep kiss. God, he loved this woman and they hadn't even made love yet. Olivia lay back down and moaned into his mouth while he let one hand roam her body, finding her breasts first and then moving his hand down and between her legs.

She was dripping already and his body responded with a happy jolt. He broke off the kiss and sat up on his knees to look at what his hand was doing. Olivia let her legs fall open a little and sighed as he found her hot entrance with two fingers.

"So wet," he whispered reverently and Olivia found herself wishing he'd push his fingers inside.

But then she looked at the big bulge in his boxer briefs and reached for Peter's waist.

"Off," she said again, squirming a little under Peter's touch and trying very hard to focus on getting him naked.

Peter retracted his hand, and the sense of loss made her sit up on her knees as well, to rid him of that last piece of clothing quickly. The man was built like a Greek god and when she freed his erection from its confines at last, she licked her lips without realizing it. He was definitely built like a Greek god in every way.

Now as naked as she was, Peter pulled Olivia flush against him, both of them sitting up on their knees on the bed and his erection pressed up against her abdomen. He saw nothing but lust in Olivia's eyes and before he realized it, he had told her,

"Touch me."

Olivia grinned at him and then asked him,

"Are you always this demanding in bed?"

Her eyes were sparkling and he loved how carefree and happy she was now. Still, he couldn't resist dragging out their little game just a little longer, so he asked her,

"You got a problem with that?"

Olivia finally had enough of waiting and her response was crystal clear.

"Hell no."

She then pulled him down with her, making him fall on top of her, and she opened her legs at once to trap him between them. All the breaks were off then. They kissed passionately while their hands roamed, finding each other's erogenous zones and following up with their mouths. They flipped over a few times and took turns taking the lead. Olivia suspected it would always be this way with them; they were equals in every way, with just one delicious difference between them. And right now, she wanted that particular difference inside her all the way. Peter had teased her a few times, rubbing her entrance with his tip, but their foreplay had gone on long enough.

"Go on," she whispered.

She was on her back once again and Peter was leaning on one arm while kissing her neck, his other hand moving from her thigh across her hip up to her breast and back. One of his legs was between hers and his erection was pressing against her hip bone.

"You're so amazing," Peter mumbled just below her ear.

Olivia didn't want to beg and tried to pull Peter on top of her so she could lock her legs around him again, but Peter didn't budge. Instead, he stopped what he had been doing and looked into her eyes.

"Do you even know that?" he asked her.

"You're pretty amazing yourself," Olivia deflected, and Peter shook his head lightly with a smile.

"I'm going to keep telling you until you accept it," he vowed.

He kissed her lips and Olivia arched her back to feel more of his body against hers. She couldn't remember what she'd been nervous about now. Peter was amazing. He was attentive and caring but he didn't treat her as if she was made of glass. He was passionate too and had hit the breaks a few times just to catch his breath. She felt beautiful when he looked at her and she finally decided that the age difference was a non-issue. The connection she felt to Peter outweighed everything else. And when he finally, finally moved into place and their bodies began to merge, Olivia groaned,

"Yeeeeees."

Peter sank into her and held his breath, holding still for a moment when his hips collided with Olivia's. He had to focus on her now and not on the tight heat around his dick, or he'd lose control fast.

"Yes?" he asked her, gently moving a few locks of her hair out of her face.

"Oh yes," Olivia sighed. "Just … move."

He did. No more joking around. They were ready.

He found a lazy but steady pace and Olivia reciprocated eagerly. Their bodies moved as one, gently colliding as waves of arousal were finally let loose without hitting the breaks anymore. Olivia grabbed Peter's ass and guided his movements as they gradually sped up. Her nipples were scraping his hard chest and she was pretty sure she was gushing by now. Despite his size, Peter had no trouble moving inside her, stimulating her insides until she couldn't take it anymore.

His breathing was labored and she wanted to warn him that she was close too, but no words would form. Olivia dug her nails in his perfect ass cheeks and Peter responded by going even deeper, and just a little slower than before to create maximum friction between their lower halves. It was her undoing and she gasped when she felt her orgasm begin.

"Go baby," she heard Peter whisper and he kept on pushing deep as her orgasm grew bigger and more intense.

"Ah yes," she panted.

Her body shook beneath him and Peter couldn't hold back any longer either. He felt like he might explode inside this woman, and then he was there with her, grunting as he came right along side of her, emptying himself as her tight heat was contracting around him. He couldn't breathe and dropped his forehead to Olivia's as they rode out their orgasms together, his movements now sloppy but pleasure still coursing through both of them.

When Olivia finally relaxed beneath him, she wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him tight and he kissed her shoulder lovingly. She truly was amazing. And then Olivia whispered on a shuddering exhale,

"I love you, Peter Stone."

…

To be continued.
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