Author's Note: This chapter is probably a little shorter but I promise the next will be longer.
Chapter 5
From then on, it's a game they play. He'll reach for her, glide his fingers along her wrist, or hip, or the small of her back, and she pretends not notice.
He isn't exactly subtle about it either, because each time he does it, he fixes her with a smug, proud smile as if taunting her; look what I'm getting away with.
It's new and it thrills her more than Harvey realises. She isn't sure what has sparked his sudden change around her. After their conversation about Scottie (and her) in his office, coupled with the weeks that followed, Donna had figured they would never speak of it again. It had taken years before Harvey had even mentioned the elusive other time and she had been convinced that the loaded conversation they'd shared pre-merger would be swept just as easily under the proverbial rug he seems to like so much.
Though he hasn't alluded to it in so many words, his increasingly frequent touches inform her that at the very least, he thinks about it, about them, not just in the abstract sense.
It's not a monumental revelation and between anybody else, these sporadic touches would hold little significance. But their relationship has never warranted such contact so she can recognise that things are shifting and can finally confess aloud that she's wanted them to for a while.
Then after almost two weeks it comes to an abrupt end. A particular prick of a client jumps ship because he is "unhappy with the direction of the firm". The client had been with Pearson Hardman for close to six years after having been brought in by Daniel Hardman. It's all horribly transparent and it pisses Jessica right off who in turn pisses Harvey right off after she all but accuses him of failing to do his job.
Though Harvey doesn't blame himself, Donna notices immediately that the way Jessica chews him out for not retaining the client puts him back on edge. Donna tries to remain aloof when he closes off again, berating herself for not being more prepared for his reaction. After all, both Donna and Harvey are masters of the one step forward, three steps back manoeuvre.
It's 9pm on Friday and the client isn't coming back, Jessica is still bitter about it and Harvey now refuses to spend another minute in the office until Monday morning.
Donna sees his office light turn off before her own. Mike is long gone, having been sent home hours ago. Harvey had ceased any actual work at seven and had been holed up in his office for the past two hours sipping his scotch and deliberately ignoring her.
When he emerges from behind the glass walls of his office, Harvey's eyes are tired and exasperated. Donna is silent, switches off her desk lamp and packs up her things.
They walk companionably to the elevator and Donna doesn't miss the way Harvey's eyes trace the newly formed Pearson Darby sign on the wall. When they step into the elevator, Harvey doesn't even wait for the doors to close before her backs her up against the wall.
Their lips meet in a furious kiss that's more than a little bruising. Harvey fists his hands none too gently in her hair and Donna pulls his lip between her teeth, biting down hard. This spurs him on further and Harvey presses closer to her, sliding a leg between the apex of her thighs, grinding his obvious erection against her and pushing his chest into hers. Her hands slide up and tightens in his hair and Harvey's hands grasp her hips so firmly that's she's positive he's going to leave finger marks.
Donna's almost sure he is going to fuck her right up against the wall of the Pearson Darby elevator when he tears his lips from hers.
"Come home with me."
She shakes her head at his command, momentarily enjoying the look of disappointment on his face. "Come home with me," she tells him.
Harvey grins languidly at her and when the elevator doors re-open he tangles his fingers with hers and leads her out of the building.
He can't help but groan at the total cliché of it, but he's actually more grateful for the rain than anything. The short distance between Pearson Darby and Ray's car was a short one, as was the distance between the sidewalk and Donna's apartment building, but it's enough to leave their hair dripping and their clothes soaked through.
On the car ride over, Ray had raised his eyebrows but wisely said nothing when Harvey followed Donna to her door and gave him the night off.
Harvey trails after her, hurrying up the stairs because if they get in another elevator he won't be able to control himself. Donna unlocks her apartment with a shaky hand and he smiles at her because he's strangely nervous as well.
The build-up between them, and he's not talking about the past few weeks or months, but almost a decade of idle musings, loaded words and heated exchanges, adds a whole different kind of pressure to the situation. But he wants this, has wanted it for longer than he's ready to admit.
When they get inside Harvey's eyes roam around the room for the couch or basically any flat surface but then he looks back at Donna, with her hair a damp, tangled mess and her rain-covered skin and he wants to do this properly.
This time when he kisses her it isn't hurried or frantic. Their lips are cold from the rain but her tongue is warm and he savours the feel of it sliding lazily against his. His arms circle the backs of her thighs and he hoists her up, her legs instantly wrapping around his waist. They fumble their way to the bedroom, bumping into the couch and the coffee table and more than a few walls. They laugh through their kisses and fall unceremoniously to the floor, landing with a thud at the foot of the bed.
"Are you okay?" Harvey laughs.
"I'm going to have giant bruise on my ass tomorrow."
"Trust me, I'm not letting you out of here without more than a few marks."
His teeth scrape her neck and trail down to her collar bone. Harvey nips gently at the swell of her breasts, satisfied with the way it makes her shiver against him. Donna makes quick work of relieving him of his jacket and tie.
She strips off his shirt and flips them over before Harvey even has time to hike up her dress and really, he shouldn't be surprised. She's grinning down at him and laughing because he can't wipe the look of astonishment off his face. She's smug and gratified and he knows she learned that expression from him.
Harvey sits up, yanking at the wet, clinging fabric of Donna's dress and lifting it over her head. Then he's pushing her back down and covering her body with his. Harvey traces patterns on her stomach and learns for the first time that Donna Paulsen is ticklish. The information pleases him to no end and he plans to store it away for future use.
Her giggling continues uninterrupted as Harvey carries on his torture. One hand is kneading her breast lightly with the other is tracing idle circles around her inner thigh. She's raking her teeth across his pulse point and he swells with pride at the thought of her marking him with her mouth.
When they are finally stripped of their remaining clothes, everything is suddenly not so funny anymore. Her body is trapped under his, they're both entirely naked and it plainly reiterates the fact that this is Donna, and there's something terrifyingly wonderful about that.
Their bodies mould together so seamlessly that Harvey wonders not for the first time why the hell they haven't done this before.
They never do make it to the bed but Harvey finds himself content to fall asleep on Donna's bedroom floor with her wrapped around him, breathing lightly across his chest.