Disclaimer: SVU and its characters belong to Dick Wolf. I own nothing

While they waited for their room service to arrive, Elliot and Olivia took the time to explore their suite a little further. They also unpacked their bags. After searching the one closet, Elliot discovered some extra linens, pillows, and a huge down comforter. He presumed it was to make up additional sleeping space on the sofa bed, but it had given him another idea altogether- to create a cozy spot for them in front of the fire.

A knock interrupted his train of thought, and seeing that Olivia was busy arranging her things in the bathroom, Elliot went to answer the door. After accepting their room service meal, he tipped properly and nodded his agreement to the instructions that they just put the cart out in the hall when they were finished.

"Liv? Our dinner is here."

When Olivia appeared seconds later in the doorway to the bedroom, he was shocked to see that she had changed clothes. Not that he was surprised that she had made herself comfortable – but in that it appeared all she was currently wearing was one of the plush robes provided by the lodge.

Elliot had been attempting to uncork the wine when Olivia first came into view, and as a result, nearly ended up spilling it all over himself and the table. There was no missing the smirk on her face as she watched him fumble slightly trying to right the bottle and pour the drink in the glass instead.

"Um, Liv? Not that I'm judging you for getting comfortable, but what happened to your clothes?"

"I just thought it would be easier this way. After dinner, I plan on taking full advantage of that jetted tub. I haven't been able to have a proper bath in forever."

Nodding absently, he silently agreed with her. Right. That made sense. He'd forgotten that between the sling and the staples, a bath hadn't really been a possibility for her. Heaven only knows when she had last allowed herself the luxury at her own apartment. While he totally understood Olivia's motives, Elliot couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. Still, he reminded himself that they had plenty of time here at the lodge, and there would be other chances for them to bathe together.

"Elliot?"

"Yeah, Liv?"

He looked back up in her direction, wondering why she hadn't come to the table yet. She was watching him with a grin on her face, and once again he'd gotten the feeling that he'd missed something incredibly important.

"If you change into your robe now, too, you can join me in the bath even faster after we're done eating."

It didn't take long for her words to register before he was heading to the bedroom, tripping over his own feet along the way. He didn't even need to ask her if she was sure, the certainty had been written all over her face.

Minutes later, he was also in his robe and joining her at the table. He wasn't that surprised to see that she had taken over where he had left off in terms of setting up their dinner.

Olivia had arranged the plates so they weren't sitting across from each other, but in adjacent seats. Before they could even get started with their meal, Elliot lifted his wine glass, suggesting that she do the same.

"To your recovery and to our time away together, but most importantly – to us. May this be just the first of many getaways I get to take with you."

At a loss for words, and filled with every emotion under the sun, Olivia could only clink her glass with his. Though she'd been seeing this part of him for some time now, the softer and deeper side of Elliot Stabler never failed to amaze her – or touch her deeply. He actually talked about his feelings with her now, and that meant everything.

They began to eat, putting the appetizer plate between them. It wasn't really a traditional appetizer like they were used to, instead advertised more as a tapas or a starter. It was a penne pasta tossed with bacon, shallot, and parsley, enveloped in an artisan mornay sauce. As a finishing touch, there was a hint of truffle oil.

This was definitely a meal unlike what they were accustomed to, although Elliot had certainly treated her before – the night he had taken her on their first date being one of those times. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate the finer things in life – he did, too – but Olivia and Elliot were much more used to grabbing their meals on the run. It was only in recent weeks when they had been forced to slow down that things had changed, in more ways than one.

Before they even realized it, the small plate of of pasta between them had disappeared. Setting the now empty dish on the room service cart behind him, Elliot moved their entrees forward. He had selected the filet of beef tenderloin, accompanied with a trio of sauces plus a side of grilled vegetables and crispy onions. Olivia on the other hand, had opted for jumbo lump crab cakes, served with lemon butter and a remoulade. Her sides consisted of yukon gold mashed potatoes, rainbow baby carrots, and asparagus.

Together, they had a leisurely meal, stopping from time to time to sample bites from one another's plates. Periodically, Elliot would set down his fork to refill their wine glasses, or to reach for Olivia's hand and take it in his own. The surreal feeling that they had finally arrived on their romantic getaway had finally started to subside, and reality was starting to kick in. His only regret was that he hadn't checked anywhere in their suite to see if candles were available to enhance the atmosphere of their dinner, and he made a mental note to check for some before they soaked in the tub later, not wanting any harsh lighting to interfere with their bath.

By the time they were done eating, both Elliot and Olivia were completely stuffed. They knew there was no way they could manage to eat their dessert right now, so Elliot carefully transferred their cake to one of the plates from the suite instead and wrapped it up to put away in the refrigerator to save for later. Olivia had already moved the ice cream to the freezer earlier to keep it from melting. Putting all their empty dishes and glasses on the room service cart, he wheeled it out into the hallway for someone from the lodge to come and collect. Then, he purposely placed the "Do Not Disturb" sign out for all to see before closing the door and locking it. The last thing either of them wanted tonight was to be interrupted.

Rather than just rush immediately into the bath after their dinner was finished, they chose to sit for awhile on the couch listening to some soft music filtering through their suite. Once some time had passed, Elliot got up and started a fire. Then he proceeded to use the extra bedding and pillows he'd found earlier to make them a bed in front of the fireplace. When he'd finished his task, he turned around to find Olivia watching him curiously.

"I just thought we could come out here for a bit after we were done. I don't know about you, but I'm not going to want to turn in early."

Olivia smiled at him, her eyes shining brightly.

"That sounds perfect."

Holding out his hand in her direction, Elliot helped Olivia off the couch and they walked toward the bathroom together. A search in the cabinets revealed the candles he'd been hoping to find. He lit several of them and placed them at intervals throughout the room. As he was starting the water in the tub, he saw that Olivia was holding a bottle out in his direction – a lavender and chamomile scented foam designed to promote relaxation. Grinning, he took it from her and poured a small amount to their bath, not wanting them to be completely engulfed by bubbles.

Olivia went to the far side of the room to shut the door and turn out the lights, then crossed back to where Elliot was standing. He lifted his hands to her waist, resting them on the belt of her robe, looking to her eyes for permission. She leaned forward to kiss him intently, tugging at the sash around his own waist while her tongue explored the depths of his mouth. Needing no further encouragement, Elliot untied the knot of her belt, and pushed his hands inside the lapels, groaning when he came into contact with nothing but Olivia's skin. He had incorrectly assumed that she'd been wearing something beneath the cotton. If he had known that she were naked the entire time during their dinner, he might not have lingered so long over his meal.

"I do believe you're overdressed."

Olivia's words were murmured against his lips, as she hadn't wanted to break the kiss in order to speak. Running her hands up his chest, she roughly pushed the robe he was wearing off his shoulders and onto the floor, then skimmed her way back down his body until her fingers were curled in the waistband of his boxers. Quickly divesting him of his only other garment, they soon stood with their bodies practically touching, trembling with anticipation.

It was Elliot who stepped into the water first, making sure the bottom of the tub wasn't slippery. Then, just as he had out in the living room, he offered Olivia his hand. Helping her in after him, he guided her down gently into a sitting position, then took his place behind her. Situating her between his legs, he pulled her back until her she was resting against his chest. Dipping his head, he placed a kiss at the juncture between Olivia's neck and shoulder, then wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her close to him.

Even with the door closed, the music from the other room could still be heard playing softly in the background. Combined with the candles they'd lit in here, along with the soft scent of lavender foam, it made for a very romantic and sensual atmosphere. Elliot turned on the jets, and the massaging pulses of water surrounded them, enhancing the experience even further. He heard Olivia sigh as she reclined against his body, and knew she was just as content as he was in that moment.

It wasn't until her head lolled on his shoulder and he felt her lips graze the pulse point on his neck that Elliot even realized Olivia had intentions other than relaxation for this bath. Obviously, he'd had plans of his own – ones that involved using his touch to pleasure her as much as possible – but had given no thought to satisfying any of his own needs in the process.

Elliot felt as Olivia began to shift slightly under the water, and loosened his hold around her waist, not wanting to keep her anywhere she didn't want to be. He watched, wide-eyed, as she maneuvered until she had turned around completely, situating herself so that she was facing him and her legs were draped over his. His breath hitched in his throat as the action caused her core to brush suggestively against him, and his body swelled even more in response to her. Their close proximity in the tub already had him hard as rock for want of her, and now that she was seemingly taking charge, those feelings were only increasing tenfold.

Much like the night before, Elliot watched, transfixed, as Olivia proved just how much of a seductress she really was. Leaning forward, she captured his lips with hers, while her hand dipped beneath the surface of the water to encircle his length and stroke him. With each pass of her hand along his shaft, she swiped her thumb over his tip, earning her a whimper that she swallowed into her own mouth.

"I want you, El."

Her words were nothing but a breathy exhale the moment they finally did separate for air, and Olivia dropped her neck down until the crown of her head was resting against his chest. Allowing his hands to roam, he brought them up until he was cupping her breasts, holding one in each of his palms, teasing the peaked nipples with his thumbs. By now he had blocked out everything else around them – the only thing that mattered was the woman in his arms. Struggling to make sense of what she had said, Elliot found a solution.

"Let's get out of here, then. I'll take you to bed and make love to you. I want you, too."

He felt the moment Olivia shook her head, and thought it was a refusal to his suggestion. Elliot knew she wasn't protesting what was happening between them, because she was currently suckling on the same area of his breastbone as she had been the first time she ever left a mark on him. He was more confused than ever.

"I don't want you to take me to bed, El. I want you here, now."

Before he even had a moment to register and comprehend the weight of her words, Olivia was bracing her hands against his shoulders, and lifting herself up until she was straddling him. Reflexively, his hands went around her waist. The next thing Elliot knew, she was sinking down on him, and the sensation was so incredible they both cried out simultaneously. Closing her eyes and tossing her head back, she began to ride him. Her movements were slow at first, then gradually built up momentum as the friction increased between them. The motion had caused her breasts to bounce in a hypnotic fashion, and Elliot watched for few seconds, fascinated, before letting loose with a growl and bending his head to capture one of Olivia's nipples in his mouth. With his hands still firmly around her waist, he gradually began to move with her, subtly thrusting his own hips upward every time her pelvis connected with his.

As they made love in this fashion, the jets continued to spray, swirling the water around their bodies from all directions. Soon, Olivia's breathy moans and Elliot's low grunts of pleasure were drowning out the sound of the music as they continued to create their own personal soundtrack. Not wanting to fall over the precipice alone, Elliot dropped one of his hands from Olivia's waist to stroke the most sensitive part of her. He felt as her body began to shudder and her movements faltered slightly. Tearing his mouth away from her breast, he whispered in her ear.

"Come for me, Liv. I'm right there with you. You're so beautiful."

His words were the final push over the edge that she had needed, and Olivia shattered in his arms as her orgasm overtook her body. In that same moment that she was experiencing the height of her bliss, she felt the warmth of Elliot's own release fill her. They were left shaking in the aftermath, clinging to one another as the water continued to ripple around them. Eventually, both became aware that from the other room, the music still played, and their labored breathing was gradually returning to normal.

When they had calmed sufficiently, Olivia pressed her lips to Elliot's once more. Then, she reluctantly eased herself from his lap with some assistance on his part, and sat next to him, tucking herself against his side. After a few more quiet minutes together, he placed a kiss against the crown of her head, then turned off the jets. Once he had pulled the plug so the water could drain, Elliot stood up, the water sluicing off his body in rivulets. Helping Olivia to her feet, he wrapped her in his arms, kissing her deeply. What they had just shared together here resonated with him on so many levels. Now he wanted to spend the rest of the night taking care of her.

They hadn't bothered to dress after their activities in the bath, and had only dried off the lingering water. Now, they lay nestled together on the makeshift bed in front of the fire that Elliot had set up for them earlier. Both were still naked, but their robes lay nearby on the couch.

"Have I told you how beautiful you are?"

Elliot spoke softly to Olivia, as they lay side by side facing one another. He was propped up on one elbow, looking down at her, and had just reached out a hand to brush a lock of hair behind her ear. There had been no mistaking the sudden flush in her cheeks, and though he could easily lie to himself and say it was because of the heat from the fire, he knew it was his compliment that had made her blush.

"You may have mentioned it once or twice lately, yes."

He grinned.

"Only once or twice? I must be slipping."

"Well, I have kept you pretty distracted lately – especially since last night."

Laughing earnestly now, Elliot pulled her closer to him and wrapped her up in his arms. His heart was so full of love in this moment, and he hoped they would always be this happy together.

"You know what would be really great right now?"

Olivia's voice held a sultry tone, and when Elliot shifted back to look at her, she was gazing at him with hooded eyes. Though he could have sworn he'd been thoroughly sated already, he felt his lower half twitch in response to her words and silently willed himself to remain calm.

"What's that, Liv?"

"The dessert that we didn't eat earlier. I don't know about you, but I worked up quite an appetite in the bath."

Chuckling, Elliot reluctantly let her go, pushing himself up to his knees. He made sure to keep the blankets wrapped around her. Even with the fire going, he didn't want Olivia to catch a chill. Not bothering to put on his robe, he padded to the kitchen naked and retrieved the cake from the fridge plus the ice cream from the freezer. Making sure to grab two spoons, he also thought ahead and grabbed a bottle of water while he was at it.

By the time he made it back to the living area, Olivia was sitting up facing the fire, her back propped against the couch for support. She had one of the blankets wrapped around her, but had left the other for him to cover himself with. Passing her the items in his hands one by one, he lowered himself to the floor to sit beside her once more. Draping the second blanket haphazardly over his lap, he placed the dessert between them so they both could reach. With his eyes, Elliot indicated that he wanted Olivia to have the first bite.

With a combination of a smile and an exasperated huff, Olivia rolled her eyes and complied with his request. Just once, she'd like Elliot to put himself first with something instead of always trying to pamper her – not that she objected to the treatment – but part of her longed to see the slightly feral side that she knew lurked beneath the surface. She knew he would never hurt her, but she wanted him to let go of his inhibitions and focus on his own needs for once.

For the time being, she pushed those thoughts away, and focused on the decadent dessert they were currently sharing. They had selected what had been dubbed by the menu as the 'ultimate' chocolate cake, and whomever had initially called it that hadn't been kidding. It was served with a vanilla ice cream that was so silky, Olivia could have sworn it was homemade.

Gathering a bit more cake on her spoon, she added some ice cream to it. Instead of taking it for herself, though, she held it out to Elliot. He accepted the bite from her, his mouth closing around the spoon in what Olivia perceived to be a teasing and suggestive fashion. She was even more certain of that when she saw him dart his tongue out to lick his lips after. Now it was definite – he was taunting her.

Soon there was only one bite left of both the cake and the ice cream, and though a part of Olivia wanted it for herself, she was willing to give it up so Elliot could have it. That's why she wasn't upset when she saw him gathering it up on his spoon. But when he extended it in her direction, she was deeply touched. She closed her eyes in anticipation, only to be met by something cold touching her nose and spreading down over her lips – Elliot had purposely smeared not only cake, but ice cream over her face as well!

Before she even had a chance to be indignant, Olivia heard a scraping noise as the empty plate and spoons were shoved out of the way. Elliot's mouth closed over hers, and she felt as their position shifted until she was on her back again in front of the fire. His body covered her, pulling the blanket out from between them. When she could breathe again, Olivia heard an apology of sorts reach her ears.

"I'm sorry, Liv. I know that wasn't very nice. But your mouth was tempting me in the worst way, and I just had to know what our dessert tasted like on you."

"Don't be sorry. The only thing I'm disappointed about is I don't get to try the same with you. Maybe next time – there's always the peanut butter pie."

Groaning at the sheer thought, Elliot thrust his hips forward, joining their bodies for the second time that evening. They made love in front of the fire, with all of the passion that they had earlier but none of the frenzy. Their movements were languid, and they frequently would pause to relish the feel of one another's bodies. When their climax did hit, it was Elliot who made sure that Olivia fell over the edge first – though he followed only seconds after – holding tightly to her hands and looking deep into her eyes.

Once the aftershocks had subsided, Elliot got to his feet and put out the fire. Then, he swept Olivia up into his arms. He carried her back into the bathroom, and set her down by the shower. Once he started the water, he pulled her into the spacious stall with him, and washed her hair and body with care. Noting how drowsy she was becoming, he hurried to wash himself then rinsed off. After drying them both, he picked her up again, knowing that finding something to sleep in wasn't necessary. With one hand, he pulled back the covers and lay her in the massive bed, sliding in beside her. Though they had all the room in the world, they still lay nestled closely together.

"Good night, Olivia. I love you."

"I love you too, El. Goodnight."

Olivia awoke the next morning with two strong arms wrapped around her. She supposed now that she was free of the sling, she would have to grow accustomed to waking up in this position – just like she supposed it would become habit to wake up with Elliot's morning erection pressing against the cleft of her ass every day. She shifted slightly in the bed and he mumbled something in his sleep and thrust his hips forward. That motion seemed to be what he needed to wake himself up and realize exactly where he was and what he was doing because he was instantly apologetic.

"Oh God, Liv, I'm sorry. I didn't realize -"

Unable to believe that she could actually get exasperated with him this early in the morning, Olivia looked over her shoulder at him.

"Are you serious right now, Stabler? You don't need to apologize for this. We made love several times yesterday alone, and need I remind you that we're both completely naked right now?"

"So I wasn't just dreaming that part?"

Laughing now, Olivia rolled over until she was facing him.

"Apparently, after our shower last night, you decided clothes weren't necessary and brought me to bed just like this. Not that I'm complaining, mind you."

"I am quite fond of you being naked."

"So I noticed."

Elliot leaned forward then, kissing Olivia soundly. He was careful not to get too carried away. Not that he would object, but he was mindful of the fact that she might be experiencing some tenderness and discomfort after their frequent lovemaking the past two days, and wanted to give her body some time to recover. Pulling back, he offered a suggestion.

"While I'm all for staying here and ravishing you all day today, what do you say we go out and do a bit of sightseeing after breakfast? There is a gondola ride at Whiteface Mountain that I thought would be nice to do, plus there are some hiking trails there, too."

Olivia smiled – both at his comments and the ideas he had suggested.

"I think that sounds like a wonderful idea, El. I think I read that there is an Olympic museum up here, too. Maybe we could go check that out on Friday."

"Whatever you want, Liv, just ask. This is your trip, too. Now – what do you want for breakfast?"

Olivia suggested they just eat some of the food they had bought at the market yesterday, and save room service for when they got back to the lodge later. As for lunch today, they had two options – they could eat at a restaurant at the base of the mountain – or pick up some food somewhere and have a picnic on one of the hiking trails.

"If you wouldn't object, Liv, I'd really love to treat you to lunch somewhere today. We can always do the picnic idea on Friday."

"Sounds good, El."

They got out of bed, and Elliot was the first to dress, promising that he would head out to the kitchen and put on some coffee to brew. He also told Olivia that he'd take care of the breakfast preparations and have everything ready by the time she joined him.

Knowing that the weather on the mountain would likely be colder than what she was used to back at home, Olivia dressed in layers. She put on her jeans and a long sleeved tee shirt, then followed it up by adding Elliot's gray hooded sweatshirt. He'd been wearing it that night on his steps not long ago when she'd brought him coffee, and ever since she'd been staying with him, she'd kind of claimed it as her own. With a smile at how she'd come to claim ownership over yet another article of his clothing, Olivia pulled on her boots. After a few minutes in the bathroom focusing on her hair and a light touch of makeup, she was ready to go.

She met Elliot in the kitchen, where he gestured to the table. He already had their bagels plated, along with some pre-cut fruit they'd bought at the store. Just as they were finishing up breakfast, Elliot thought to call ahead to the front desk and let them know he'd need the Jeep brought around by the valet so they could use it.

After getting the Jeep, their first stop was to head to the same market they had stopped at the day before for some bottles of water and a few granola bars for their hike. Elliot placed them backpack he'd brought along for just that purpose and then they were on their way. Once they reached the mountain area where the trails were, they parked and pulled on their jackets.

They'd purposely chosen a trail designed for the beginning or intermediate hiker – they wanted to have a leisurely walk and enjoy themselves, not be in pain the rest of their trip after trekking halfway up a mountain. So, they'd selected the West Branch Nature Trail. According to the description, it was just under a two mile hike, and promised views of the Ausable River, hardwood forests, and ski trails. It even intersected with a second trail to bring them back to the base lodge – and the return route featured a twenty five foot waterfall! Olivia was looking forward to the pictures she'd be able to take, and was glad she'd brought her camera along.

"Are you ready for this, Liv?"

Elliot asked her the question, and though he was mostly teasing, there was a part of him that was serious, too. She'd come so far already, and though a walk was not a major activity, he was still concerned about her overdoing it.

"I've never been more ready. Come on Stabler, let's go conquer a mountain."