Olivia walked quickly down the hall toward Barba's office the following morning and tried very hard not to overthink how eager she was to see him. It had been less than 12hrs, but it already felt like days. She had spent so long trying hard to convince herself that a relationship with her friend was not even an option, but now that all their cards were on the table she had never jumped in so fast, or so completely.

This was going to work. Partly because losing him was not even an option, but mostly because being with this man felt so damn good.

She smiled at Carmen as she walked through and nodded at the closed door to Barba's office.

"He's on a call," Carmen said and Olivia slowed down with the intention of waiting, "…but he told me he was expecting you and said you could go straight through. No need to knock."

Olivia smiled and then proceeded, pushing open the door quickly and then taking in the sight of her ADA sitting back on his chair with his feet up on his desk. He looked up at her and nodded hello - it might have seemed like a benign greeting to some, but most people might not have noticed the sparkle in his eyes when he saw her.

She shut the door and walked to put their coffees on his desk, then quickly made her way around and rested her hands on his shoulders. His jacket had been long discarded and shirt unbuttoned at the neck, so Olivia could easily stroke her thumbs inside his collar and enjoy the way he shuddered slightly under her touch.

Barba continued his professional conversation but turned his head around to quickly press his lips to her wrist, then he tilted his head back to look up at her. Mi amor, he mouthed to her silently as the man at the other end of his discussion droned on.

Olivia smiled and leaned down, she glanced at the door and then pressed her lips to his forehead gently. Finally, she nuzzled her cheek against his, then reluctantly moved away and walked back to the other side of his desk.

She stretched across to pass him his drink, then sat back in her seat and watched him as he rounded up his call. Damn, he was a good looking man, but more than that, he was sexy. His body, his voice, the way he held himself…the smile he was shooting her way right at that moment as he noticed her checking him out, a smile that somehow blended vanity with humility - he could see how much she desired him and still couldn't believe his luck.

"Guapo," Olivia whispered almost silently across the desk and then laughed when Barba swallowed and managed to choke on air.

"Sorry," Barba coughed and patted his chest as he dropped his feet to the ground and sat up, "…I'm afraid my 11 o'clock has just arrived so we'll have to wrap this up. Okay. Yes. Yes. Within reason. 9 am on Friday. Goodbye."

He looked at Olivia and smiled as he ended his call, "You are going to get me into trouble."

Olivia smirked, "I certainly hope so, it's about time you had a little fun, Counsellor."

Barba laughed softly and sipped his coffee. "Is that so? How was your morning?"

"Fine," she said with a shrug, "…my night was a little lonely though, a woman could catch a chill sleeping in that big bed all on my own."

Barba glared at her over his cup, his eyes heated, "We'll have to see what we can do about that, won't we?"

Olivia smiled with amusement. "You could come over tonight?" She teased, knowing that he genuinely couldn't but really enjoying messing with him a little. "I could make it worth your while…"

He groaned and rolled his eyes, then stood and walked around to her side of the desk. "Evil woman, are you trying to kill me?" He asked as she stood and walked him back against the front of his desk.

Olivia thoughtlessly kicked off her shoes and then wrapped her arms around him, tugging a little at the back of his shirt before slipping her hand inside and stroking up his lower back. "This beautiful body? Hell, no. I have so many plans for it…"

As her lips trailed down his throat Barba laughed at her exaggerated teasing and dropped his head back happily. God, he loved her so much.

Carmen had two reports for ADA Barba to sign before she had to drop some things in at the courthouse and then meet a colleague for lunch. She could hear the quiet rumble of her boss chatting to Lieutenant Benson so she knew he must be off the phone.

Grabbing the two files she knocked quickly and pushed open the door. She would only be a second and…

Of all the things Carmen expected to see when she opened the door the very last thing that might have crossed her mind would have been her boss, perched on the front of his desk with Lieutenant Benson stood between his legs, her lips at his neck and the ADA's head dropped back in an expression of joyful humor.

"God!" Carmen gasped and froze.

The couple sprang apart as though they'd been electrocuted, as they blurted out flustered and awkward apologies while Carmen's quick mind rush to catch up. An affair? No. She was sure Lieutenant Benson was single. Wait…the gift for his girlfriend's son…Benson had a son…Noah?…and their body language, the joy on his face…this was serious.

"Sir," she said quickly, "…I'm so sorry, I didn't realise. I didn't even think. I should have waited for you to call me in. I just-"

"Not at all," Barba cut in, his voice sounded deep and overly formal in an attempt to cover his embarrassment, "…this was extremely unprofessional. I mean, I was extremely unprofessional. This was entirely my fault."

"Rafa, no. This was me…" Olivia insisted, "…I was teasing you. I mean…" Her face flushed and she pinched between the bridge of her nose.

Carmen laughed lightly and brought her hand to her forehead. "Please? Can we just pretend this never happened?"

"I would appreciate that, Carmen," Barba said still looking a little stiff and uncomfortable.

"Sir…" Carman said softly, he looked up at her and she smiled, "…it was nothing, Mr Barba. Honestly. Let's not catastrophize this. I didn't see anything. However, when whatever I didn't see becomes public knowledge I can assure you that I'll be the first person in line to congratulate you both." She smiled at Olivia. "Did your son like his present, Lieutenant Benson?" She asked in a desperate attempt to move forward.

Olivia looked a little surprised, but then she tilted her head and nodded. "He did…" She looked at Barba, "She didn't buy the gift?"

Carmen laughed, "Oh no, Mr Barba would never ask me to shop for anything so personal, he just asked me where the nearest toy shop was…said that he wanted to buy a gift for his girlfriend's son."

Olivia couldn't help but smile now, 'girlfriend' sounded a little young for her years…but she was certainly nothing less. 'ADA Barba' had been her partner for a long time, they would always be partners, but now they were so much more.

"I really am very happy for you both," Carmen assured, "…and I won't tell a soul until you're ready." She walked to the desk and put down the two files. "If you could just sign here…and here…thank you." She nodded at them professionally and turned to walk out of the office. "There is a lock on the inside door," she added with a smirk and then was gone.

"God…" Barba half-groaned and half-laughed, then dropped his head into his hands.

"I'm so sorry!" Olivia laughed, but he could see she was mortified and he wasn't having that.

Sensing her discomfort, he brushed off his own embarrassment and walked toward the door. "It's Carmen. I trust her, Liv, she won't say anything," he assured.

"I know, but you said we should be careful...then I come in here all over you!" Olivia turned away, clearly uncomfortable. Then she froze when she heard the lock on the door turn.

He stalked back toward her, turning them both and walking her backwards so that they were at the farthest point from the door and completely out of view.

"I don't care," he asserted.

"We need to be professional," Olivia contended, but there was humor in her eyes now.

"And we will...just give me five minutes," he retorted, speaking softly as his lips traced over hers, "…you're breathtakingly beautiful, mi amor."

She smiled against his lips. "Rafa…"

"I'll be as professional as you like - next week…" he joked and Olivia pushed him away half-heartedly.

She stepped around him and back toward his desk, then she picked up their coffee's and returned. "Sit and talk to me a while?" She asked.

He nodded and accepted his drink, "We can do that."

"I never imagined ADA Rafael Barba being so cavalier about his career," she observed as she relaxed onto his office couch.

He sat alongside her, ensuring that their thighs touched. "I'm not being cavalier," he insisted, "…is it too much to admit that you and Noah just matter more?"

She smiled, "Actually, that sounds wonderful…." they linked their free hands, "…and Ed said you wouldn't want anything to do with a single mother and her child."

Barba rolled his eyes, "Tucker is confusing an abstract idea with the facts. You and Noah. You're not a choice, you're all I never realised I always wanted. Life changes, what you want from life changes. When you're offered something that you didn't even consider possible you suddenly find yourself wondering about other paths that you never even dreamed of."

"Something you'd never even considered?" She asked with confusion, assuming that he was still talking about their relationship.

Barba looked up, broken out of his reverie, and smiled, "Sorry, not you, I was thinking about work…how you can be working so hard toward something and then suddenly find yourself wondering if you sleepwalked into a life that you never really wanted."

Olivia frowned with concern now.

He leaned and kissed her, "Once more, not you. If there's one thing I know for sure it's the place you and Noah have in my heart. I spoke to an old friend recently and he gave me a lot to think about. The last few years working with you has changed a lot about the way I see the world, and the law…"

She ran her hand over his cheek and then onto his neck, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Barba nodded, "Yes. But maybe give me a few days to unpack my thoughts first?"

Olivia trusted him implicitly, so she smiled and nodded.

"My work was always the one thing I was completely sure of. Now, the only version of my future that makes sense anymore has you and Noah at its heart, but that only serves to highlight how unsure I am about everything else," Barba explained. He smiled reassuringly and leaned in to kiss her. "But before I even think about making decisions about the future I will talk it through with you…my future is your future, Liv."

TBC…