Disclaimer: I do not own Law and Order: SVU. It belongs to a genius named Dick Wolf. No profit is being made from this story.

Author's Note: Again, slight graphics….you've been forewarned.

Two years of longing, loneliness, and heartache spilled out and he pressed into her eagerly, groaning in anticipation. She gasped and stiffened reflexively around him, then slowly relaxed as she adjusted.

He trailed his lips over her nose, chin, cheeks, and forehead as she climaxed, whimpering in pleasure. She raised her head slightly and captured his mouth with hers, cradling his face as she explored with her tongue.

A rush of pleasure shot through him unexpectedly and he shook with the sensation. He eagerly pressed harder, desperate to feel it again. The next rush made him growl in delight.

A few minutes later, he gently withdrew out of her. Ally panted, collapsing back against the mattress with a moan of satisfaction. Too weak to move, Elliot shifted slightly and laid his head down on her chest.

She could feel him quivering against her. Slowly catching her breath, she snaked her arms out from underneath him and wrapped them around his waist, pulling down tight against her body. She stroked a lazy hand through his hair and rained small kisses on the side of his head as she listened to him heaving for breath.

He breathed loudly in through his nose, his eyes sliding closed in contentment. Her hands felt wonderful against his scalp.

Getting his wind, he lifted himself up and slid next to her on the bed. She shifted to give him room and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to him. They were too spent to put fire in the kiss this time; it was simple, sweet, and comforting.

Pulling back slightly, he stroked his hands over her cheeks and looked into her eyes. She smiled lazily and lifted her face, kissing his forehead slowly. His beautiful blue eyes shone brightly as he smiled back at her.

"Thank you," he whispered, stroking her face.

She blinked back tears. The simple words were the sweetest she had ever heard…never in her entire life had a man said that to her after making love. Her throat choking, she squeezed him tightly and buried her face into his chest.

Kissing her neck softly, Elliot shifted so that he could rest against the pillows propped on the headboard. Totally exhausted, he fell asleep instantly, collapsing against her.

Ally opened her eyes blearily some time later. The only sounds in the room were the ceiling fan above them and Prince panting on the floor at the foot of the bed. She looked automatically to the clock, relaxing when she saw that she still had a few hours.

Stretching, she repositioned her head more comfortably against the pillow and looked to her left. Elliot was sprawled beside her, face down, with his arms and legs splayed out across the mattress. His face was peaceful and slack as he breathed.

She gently shifted closer to him, pressing her body against his. Tucking her head under his chin, she gazed up at him and watched him sleeping. His soft breaths were warm against her nose and tickled like small feathers.

He shivered suddenly, and she felt it ripple through him. Looking down, she saw that he had goose bumps on his arms. Shifting away from him carefully, Ally sat up and pulled the comforter from where it had been kicked to the foot of the bed. He didn't budge when she draped it across his back, tucking the ends loosely under his stomach.

Leaning back again, she kissed him gently and then cuddled close to him again. Her eyes drifted shut and she let his soft, even breathing lull her back to sleep.

The next thing she knew, the alarm on her watch was beeping. Craning her body slightly, she raised her arm to her face and looked at the time. Groaning when she saw that she had to get up, she reluctantly slid out from the shelter of his warm body and scooted to the edge of the bed. She yawned as she touched her feet to the floor and raked a hand through her hair.

Prince sat up from where he was lying beside the bed and wagged his tail. She smiled, reaching down to pat him, and reached for the bathrobe on the back of the door. As was his custom, the dog immediately got up to follow her as she walked down the hall toward the kitchen.

Ally let him outside to go to the bathroom and walked to the edge of the driveway to get the paper. The sky was pink, the sun having not risen yet, but it was already quite warm. Walking back up the steps, she called for Prince and waited for him to come running back to the house.

Her bare feet padded on the kitchen tile as she plopped the newspaper down on the bar. She took off the wrapping and unfolded it, flipping through to the local section. Prince sat beside her with his ears perked, looking at her hopefully.

When she didn't glance up, he yipped. Furrowing her brow, Ally looked over. His tail began to thump the floor in excitement and he yowled happily.

"Shhh," she scolded, unable to stop a chuckle. She rubbed his ears, hoping he hadn't woken Elliot. "Hush!"

His big brown eyes stared longingly at her and she shook her head with a laugh. "Alright," she sighed in defeat, walking toward the sink.

Prince began panting happily at her words, yowling again. She whirled around. "Prince!" she scolded again, trying not to laugh. "Be quiet!"

Chuckling, she bent down and opened the cabinet beneath the sink. Prince sat immediately when he heard her rummaging through the box of Milk-Bones. Extracting one of the large biscuits, she closed the cabinet again and turned toward him.

She smiled. "Here you go," she said, holding it out. Prince grabbed it with his teeth and hurried off to the living room beside the kitchen. He lay down and began to gnaw loudly on his treat.

Ally rolled her eyes, chuckling. When she had first gotten Prince, she had used the biscuits as training tools to help him learn commands like "sit", "stay", and "speak". Apparently, he was crazy about those Milk-Bones, which she called "cookies". It got to the point where she didn't even have to say the command any more; any time he heard her rummage through the box of biscuits, he would immediately sit down.

But she was guilty when she told Elliot that Prince was the most spoiled dog in the world, because she had made him that way. She had begun giving him a biscuit every morning after letting him out to use the bathroom. Now, he would come straight into the house and sit beside the cabinet, waiting for his treat.

She looked at the wall clock and saw that it was 6:15. Stretching again, she headed to take a shower.

She crept quietly into the bedroom and opened the dresser drawer, removing a pair of silk panties. Closing the drawer carefully, she paused beside the bed and gazed down at Elliot. Her heart throbbed and she sighed shakily, blinking back tears.

You're in dangerous territory, Ally…don't let your heart get in the way. You can't do this to him. He doesn't deserve it.

A tear slipped out of her right eye, and she brushed it away quickly, walking out of the room.

Thirty minutes later, after getting dressed as quietly as she could, Ally walked back into her bedroom. Crossing to the bed, she looked down at Elliot. He had flipped onto his other side and had his face buried in the pillow, still sound asleep. A burst of endearment rushed through her as she stooped down and gently began scratching his back.

The pleasant feeling roused him and she heard him grunt sleepily. He rolled over slowly, settling back into the warm mattress with a sigh, and went back to sleep.

Leaning forward, she brushed his lips with hers. "Hey," she whispered, when his eyes cracked open. She stroked his face and kissed him again. "I have to go to work."

He blinked tiredly, sucking in a breath loudly as he stretched out. "I'll get up," he said groggily, beginning to prop himself on one elbow.

"No, don't," she said softly. "Stay in bed."

He yawned, still so tired he could barely keep his eyes open. "You sure?" he mumbled sleepily.

"Yeah," she said insistently, her voice gentle. "Sleep in."

He blinked tiredly, leaning up for a kiss. She leaned down to give him one.

"I'll come pick you up," he said huskily, wrapping his arms around her. He cupped her cheek with his hand.

She smiled warmly. "Sounds good," she said. Bending again, she gave him another kiss, unable to resist holding it out. She wanted to stay curled up with him all day. Hating her job at the moment, she reluctantly broke the kiss and backed away from the bed.

"See you later," she called softly from the doorway.

Elliot watched her go with a smile, his eyes shining. Yawning again, he settled back under the warm covers and wrapped his arms around her pillow, burying his face into it.

Ally paused beside the wall outside the room where Prince lay, panting contentedly. Stooping beside him, she rubbed his head lovingly. She sighed sadly.

"Go keep him company, baby," she murmured, rubbing his front paw. Leaning forward, she kissed his nose and received a sloppy lick in the face. Smiling, she wiped her face and gestured to Prince. "Go on."

The dog paused for a minute, looking at her, then got to his feet and went into the bedroom. He jumped up onto the bed and curled up next to Elliot, resting his head on the bed and sighing.

Ally sighed as well and reluctantly walked toward the kitchen to get her keys.

The sound of heavy panting next to him broke through Elliot's slumber, and he gradually woke up. Raising his head from where he had it pressed into the pillow, he cracked an eye open and looked to his left.

Prince snuggled his face into Elliot's neck, panting happily, and thumped his tail against the bed so hard that the bed shook. Groaning, he tried to push away from the animal, only to have the dog begin to lick his face vigorously.

"Ugh!" he sputtered, laughing. He pushed himself off of his stomach and scooted away from reach. "Get a breath mint, brother."

Prince looked at him with his head cocked. Elliot burst out laughing and leaned forward to pet him. "Good morning to you, too," he said.

Pushing himself all the way up, he pushed the blankets off of his stomach and slid his feet to the forward. He reached down and picked up his pants, putting them on slowly. A wide smile spread over his face as he remembered the previous night.

Ally was amazing, such a giving lover. It was an incredible treat to be on the receiving end as well as the giving. He hadn't felt that kind of pleasure in a long time. Where Kathy had been gentle, Ally was more spontaneous and rough. He couldn't deny that the change was exhilarating.

He sucked in a breath as he stood up, freezing in his tracks.

Shit…shit! I just thought about Kathy, Ally, and having sex in the same sentence!

Growling, he smacked himself harshly on the forehead and roughly shook his head to force the thoughts from his mind.

Elliot changed back into the clothes he had worn the day before and made sure the back door was locked. Prince whined when he opened the front door. He paused, locking it, and glanced at the dog.

"I'll see you later, big fella," he promised, stroking the animal's ears. "Be good."

He shut the door and left the house, walking back toward the hotel.

Ally pulled the Four-Runner into the parking lot of the library and parked, shutting off the engine. She rubbed her eyes tiredly, dropping her head against the steering wheel.

Closing her eyes, she was overwhelmed with sensory memories of the previous night. A smile of pleasure graced her features.

It had been an experience that she had only dreamed of before. Everything about him was perfect… the way he had rested his hands behind her head when she came, so that when she flew back against the bed she wouldn't hit the headboard...how his eyes glowed as he was fading into sleep, looking at her with the most peaceful expression…discovering that his body was so ridiculously tanned that couldn't be anything but natural.

But it was his manner that touched her the most. She had never been treated so sweetly….she still couldn't stop thanking about when he had thanked her. How in the world did such an amazing man come to exist?

Tears began rushing out. Her heart battled feelings of guilt and longing…she didn't know what she was going to do. She wanted to pretend like there was nothing wrong. She wanted to keep him and never let him go. But how could she live with herself if she did that?

"Well, look what the cat dragged in."

Elliot whipped his head to the right in surprise, his hand about to stick the room key into the lock. Jesse strode up to him, leaning against the wall beside him with a smirk. His face radiated coldness, though, and Elliot immediately put his guard up.

Glancing at him warningly, Elliot continued unlocking his door. Jesse kept right on going.

"So…what?" he taunted. "Are you going to change jobs now? Become a pimp on the street corner?"

With lightening speed, Elliot whipped around suddenly and got right up in the other man's face, catching him by surprise.

"Jesse," he growled. "Shut…your….fucking….mouth. Now."

His friend sneered at him, but didn't reply, moving away slightly. His gaze hazy with anger, he finished unlocking the door and went inside. Jesse followed after him.

"Look, I'm sorry to be an ass," he said to Elliot's back, following him through the living room. Elliot didn't respond. "I just….think you need to slow things down."

"Ha!" The harsh, condescending bark was dry and bitter as he turned around to face Jesse. "You think that I should slow down?" He raised an eyebrow. "Who the hell do you think you are, Jesse?"

Jesse's eyes narrowed. "I'm a guy watching his best friend go in over his head," he snapped angrily, returning the glare his friend was throwing at him. "Elliot, look at you! You meet some chick on vacation, sleep with her, and now you think it's all going to be 'happily ever after'?" He scoffed in disbelief. "Open your fucking eyes, man! She's using you!"

"Get out, Jesse!"

He was so angry that his eyes were glinting. He strode up and grabbed a fistful of Jesse's shirt, yanking him forward roughly.

"I swear to God," he hissed. "I swear to God you are about three seconds away from swallowing your teeth." He glared at him a moment longer and shoved him away. "I mean it. Leave."

Jesse straightened his shirt, glaring at Elliot. "Fine," he spat out. "That's fine, Elliot. You do whatever the hell you want." Yanking the door open, he stood in the doorway and looked at him with his eyes narrowed. "But don't be surprised when the whole fucking thing caves in on you...you're playing with fire, man. I'm telling you."

Before he could snarl a nasty retort, Jesse was gone. Cursing angrily, he stormed into the bedroom, flinging himself down on the bed.

"Bye, Susan," Ally called to the service desk clerk, as she was leaving for the day. "See you tomorrow."

The matronly woman smiled at her warmly, pausing in her typing. "Bye, hon. Enjoy your night."

Smiling, she stepped out the back door. Her heart melted when she saw Elliot sitting on a bench next to the building with Prince beside him on a leash.

He smiled when he saw her and rose to his feet, letting go of the leash when Prince began clambering to get her. She petted the dog as he circled her excitedly, barking and sniffing.

"I'm surprised you managed to get him on a leash," she commented as he neared her. He bent down and kissed her lips. "He can be a handful."

"I noticed, trust me," Elliot said wryly. "He walked me down the street."

She giggled at the image. "Welcome to my world," she said, shifting her work bag over her shoulder.

He reached out and slid the bag down her arm, holding it in one hand while he reached for her hand with the other. Smiling, Ally took it as they began walking away from the library.

"Will you have dinner with me tonight?" he asked, turning his head to look at her.

God, she loved his eyes! She could stare into them all day. "Sure," she said, smiling. "My house?"

His eyes twinkled mischievously. "I seem to remember that we didn't get around to dinner when we were at your house last time."

A blush rose instantly, making him laugh. He squeezed her hand. "No," he went on. "I have somewhere 'else' in mind tonight." She suddenly saw that he had a wicked gleam in his eyes.

"Oh?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. "And where exactly would this 'somewhere else' be?"

He smiled devilishly, but didn't answer.

They walked up her driveway and to the door. "Wait," she said, seeing him stay on the bottom step. "You aren't coming in?" She smiled teasingly.

He smirked. "Nice try," he said, winking. "Meet me at the hotel at 6:30….and wear something nice." His shit-eating grin made her even more suspicious as he turned to leave.

"Elliot!" she cried, catching his arm. "Tell me where we're going!"

He cocked an eyebrow, grinning widely. Her eyes narrowed. "Tell me," she demanded, trying to poke his ribcage. He caught her hand.

"6:30," he repeated, smirking as he let her go.

"Elliot!"

He chuckled as he walked down the driveway, hearing her protesting loudly behind him.

"Holy…."

Don Cragen looked up from his report to see John, Fin, and Olivia trudge into the squad room. All three were covered in mud.

Olivia groaned as she gingerly leaned over her desk, searching for her car keys.

"What in God's name happened to you guys?"

She jumped at the captain's outburst, looking at him sheepishly as he looked at them in shock. Fin scowled, pointing at her.

"It was all Calamity Jane's idea," he said sourly. "Ask her."

Cragen raised an eyebrow, and Olivia blushed. "Olivia?"

"We got a call while we were at lunch from some officers needing assistance in Greenwich," she said. "Since we were right there anyway, the three of us responded." She looked at Don glumly. "Dispatch didn't mention that the address was on a farm."

"A hog farm," John threw in bitterly, glaring at Olivia.

"So how did you guys end up taking mud baths?" Cragen persisted, looking at them like they were nuts.

Fin shook his head in disgust. "Perp was some manic farmer….locked himself in a barn and said he was going to kill himself. Officers on the scene had the SWAT team on the way." He glared at Olivia. "But somebody got impatient."

She blushed again. "Look, I said I was sorry, alright?" she snapped angrily.

"What happened?" Cragen asked again, growing exasperated.

Olivia shook her head in disgust. "I thought we could flank him from the back before SWAT showed up," she said. She glanced angrily at her colleagues. "Don't push all the blame on me….you guys agreed to it!"

John scoffed in disgust, barreling on with the story as if she hadn't spoken. "She starts heading toward the back…by herself…" He glared at her again. "So we follow after her. We get around the corner and there's this huge mud hole…she doesn't see it until it's too late. She slips, and turns around to grab me…I try to jump out of the way and buffoon over there…" He points to Fin. "Plows into me."

He gestured to his clothes and said wryly, "And this is what you get."

Cragen shook his head in disgust. "Lord," he said, rolling his eyes. "Here I thought I've seen it all." He saw Fin getting ready to sit down and quickly barked at him, making him jump. "Uh-uh….I don't think so!"

He made a circling gesture with his finger. "You three get the hell out of my precinct….go home right now and take showers. I don't need you turning this place into a pigsty." He smirked suddenly. "No pun intended." He raised his eyebrows. "Go. Now. That's an order."

Olivia sighed as she pocketed her keys. John and Fin were still giving her death glares. He bit back a laugh as he listened to them snarking as they were walking out the door.

"Oh, shut the hell up!" Olivia cried in exasperation. Her voice carried away. "So I made one damn mistake…"

Shaking his head, Don grinned again. This was why he loved the unit so much…it never got boring.

Elliot stepped out of the elevator and headed toward the gym. He spotted a familiar figure coming in the opposite direction and grinned, planting himself in her path.

Theresa jumped in surprise, obviously not paying attention, and smiled. "Hey!" she said. "Where you been, Elliot? We haven't seen you for a few days here lately."

He felt a flush rise up his cheeks. "Oh…" he stammered. "I've….I've been around." He shrugged carelessly, hoping she wouldn't notice the slight tremor that always caught his voice when he was trying to avoid a subject. "Where are you off to?"

"I am actually going to change clothes," she said. "We're going to dinner in about an hour." She glanced quizzically at him. "Aren't you coming?"

A surge of anger rushed through him. That bastard. "I….I didn't know you were going," he said. "Jesse didn't mention it to me."

She looked surprised. "Oh….well, we should be leaving in about a half-hour or so. You can still join us."

He smiled. "Thanks," he said. "But I've actually got plans tonight. What are you doing tomorrow?" My God, he suddenly thought. We're leaving in two days. It hadn't even occurred to him.

His thoughts immediately rushed to Ally. He had two days left with her. How could time have gone by so quickly? How was he going to tell her?

"Oh, what?" he said, realizing he hadn't heard a word Theresa had said.

She rolled her eyes playfully and smiled. "Back to earth, space cadet," she teased. He smiled sheepishly. "We're going down to Lunai for some hiking ….Scott signed up with a tour guide this morning. Craig and Vanessa are going, and I think Ken said he was, too." She raised her eyebrows. "You want to come?"

He smiled. "Sure," he said. "Sounds like fun."

"Cool," she agreed. She checked her watch. "I'd better head up. We're leaving at 11 tomorrow morning, so meet us in the lobby."

"Alright," he agreed. "See ya."

She smiled, winking pleasantly, and headed toward the elevators.

By some miracle, Elliot spotted an empty treadmill when he walked in the door. He quickly made a beeline for it, hoping no one else would beat him. Stepping up onto the machine, he dropped his water bottle in the holder and reached for his Walkman. Setting the controls for a jogging speed, he settled into his rhythm and cranked up the music.

He always lost himself when he ran, always had. The radio station went through song after song, and he just kept running. He slowed when he felt a slight burn in his calves, and was surprised to find that he had been running for an hour and a half. He was drenched with sweat.

Slowing the machine to a walk to cool down, he sucked down water and gasped in air. He hadn't even noticed the physical strain. It was a good thing when he was running, but it wasn't so good when he stopped. A shooting pain rippled through his calf muscles when he stepped off of the machine and he groaned. His legs felt like they weighed twenty-five pounds.

He glanced at the huge clock in the lobby as he hobbled past it and saw it was half past five. He had just enough time to shower and get dressed before Ally showed up.

The thought brought a smile to his face as he anticipated the night ahead.

Ally let out a nervous breath once she was in the elevator and fidgeted out of habit, twirling the silver bangle bracelet around her left wrist. She fiddled with the thin strap of her small black purse and tapped her heel anxiously as she watched the numbers.

The car stopped and the doors opened. Taking another deep breath, she stepped out, suddenly made known of how loudly her heels sounded on the linoleum. Glancing around self-consciously, she was thankful for the empty hallway.

Elliot studied himself critically in the bathroom mirror, tilting his face left and right to check for any nicks he may have made when he shaved. Straightening, he tugged on the collar of his navy blue polo shirt for the hundredth time since putting it on and nervously smoothed his hands down his khaki Dockers again.

He rubbed some aftershave in his palms and patted his face, followed by cologne. He had always been self-conscious when he wore cologne….he was always afraid that he was either going to overdo it or not put on enough. After a minute of consideration, he dabbed a few drops under his arms, just in case. That sparked another thought, and he furrowed his brow anxiously while he did a breath-check.

Letting out a breath through his nose, he studied his reflection again, frowning. He looked uptight. Shaking his shoulders, he popped his neck and worked his jaw, trying to force the tension away.

A light knock came on the door, and his heart began to race. Why was he so nervous? Lord…he was acting like a kid going to prom. He put on a game face and nodded at his reflection. Turning out the light, he walked out of the bathroom.

The door opened. Ally's eyes lit up when she saw him, her heart thumping like crazy. He looked so god damn sexy that she almost gasped. He wore a short-sleeved navy blue polo that showed off his tanned, muscled arms. His khakis were loose-fitting and he wore a brown belt that matched his shoes. The shirt contrasted with his eyes beautifully, making them appear an icy-blue that stood out dramatically.

Those eyes combined with that gorgeous smile made her so weak in the knees that she almost had to grasp the doorframe to keep her upright. She smiled hugely, conveying her approval.

Elliot knew he was staring and tried to jerk his eyes away, but he wasn't succeeding. It had taken all of his effort for his jaw not to drop when he had opened the door.

Ally had on a lavender summer dress that flowed past her knees, barely grazing the tips of her silver heels. It was simple yet subtly elegant. The material was loose around her thighs and slightly hugged her midriff. The dress had a v-shaped neckline that plunged enough to expose her chest, but covered her breasts just enough to make his mind spin. Her hair was in a loose bun and she had made up her eyes as subtly as she could while still making them noticeable.

She was grinning at him almost teasingly, like she knew exactly how his body was reacting to her and loved every minute.

"Hi," he said finally.

She chuckled. "Hi."

He shook his head quickly. "Wow," he said, grinning. His eyebrows rose. "You look…." He chuckled again, unable to get his tongue to cooperate, and repeated in an awed voice, "Wow."

Ally smiled widely, loving how adorable he was. "Thank you," she replied. She cocked an eyebrow. "You look pretty 'wow' there yourself, you know."

He grinned cockily. "I try," he said mischievously, waggling his eyebrows playfully.

She rolled her eyes, making him chuckle. "So are we going somewhere? Or are we just going to stand here and stare at each other all night?' she asked in a sarcastic, playful tone.

"Patience," he said, looking at her in amusement. "Geez, Ally….spoil the mood, why don't you!" He grinned again to show her he was teasing her.

"Oh," she said in a condescending voice. She raised an eyebrow playfully. "Sorry….didn't know you had-"

Her words were cut short when Elliot moved out of the doorway and produced a single pink rose. A blush rose in her cheeks and she wanted to sink right through the floor. Here she was being a smartass and giving him a hard time, and he was actually trying to be sweet to her.

"Oh…Elliot," she stammered. She reached out and accepted the flower. "Thank you."

He stepped into the hallway and pulled the door shut behind him, slipping the key into his pocket. Her breath caught when she was hit with a strong, sudden whiff of cologne. God, he smelled so good. He turned toward her and she quickly wiped the smirk off her face, praying he wouldn't be able to read her thoughts.

"Let's go," he said, smiling.

She automatically started to reach for his hand, startled when he moved back slightly and offered his elbow instead. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise at the formal, gentlemanly gesture, but she obediently slid her arm through his. He led her back down the hallway.

They had made it past maybe three doors before he dropped his hand and slipped his fingers through hers, braiding their arms together. She chuckled, making him grin, and sidled close to his side.

Inside the elevator, there was uncomfortable, nervous silence. Finally, Elliot let out a loud breath, startling her. She felt his arm droop slightly as he looked at her. His face had regained the boyish smirk that she was so accustomed to, making her smile.

He raised his eyebrows mischievously. "I'm just waiting for some penguin butler to show up and ask if we would 'please pass the Grey Poupon'," he said, accentuating the phrase with a ridiculously awful British accent and turning his nose up in an exaggerated fashion.

She burst out laughing loudly, shaking her head. She'd suspected it would only be a matter of time before he'd have to make some wiseass comment to break the tension. Elliot was entirely too fun-loving to put on the façade of proper behavior for very long…it was the thing she loved best about him. She smiled widely, suddenly overcome by an incredible endearment for him.

The attractive, well-dressed couple drew many stares as they walked through the lobby toward the entrance. Elliot stopped just outside the doors, turning to her.

"Give me your keys," he said matter-of-factly. She looked at him in surprise. He went on in a slightly defensive voice, "I don't have a car here, and I'm not about to let my date drive us."

She rolled her eyes, but couldn't suppress a giggle. "You are such a chauvinist," she remarked, bur nevertheless handed over the keys. She pointed him toward her truck.

He escorted her to the passenger side and opened the door.

"You're chariot, my lady," he said in another horribly accented voice, offering his hand.

She smirked. "Thank you," she said, climbing inside. He shut the door and came around the truck. She smiled, unnerved by how weird it felt to be on the passenger side of her own truck.

He climbed in, and she laughed when he had to squeeze himself between the seat and the steering wheel to adjust it. "Damn, you're short," he joked, as he slid the seat back.

She cut her eyes at him. "Shut up," she cracked.

Once he had adjusted everything, Elliot started the truck and backed out of the parking space. He pulled out onto the road.

Ally reached for his hand and held it between them comfortably on the seat. Her curiosity was peaked when he turned onto the expressway.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"Crystal Shore," he replied, referring to a town on the other side of the island. "Kyoto's."

Her jaw dropped before she could stop it. "Kyoto's?" she squawked. She looked at him in total shock. "Elliot, that's the most expensive restaurant in Hawaii! Are you out of your mind?"

He smiled widely at her reaction. "Yeah, I've been told that a few times," he answered teasingly, winking at her. Glancing at her, he saw that she was looking at him uncomfortably. He squeezed her hand. "Ally, relax! Tonight, we're going to wine and dine in style….you deserve the best."

She was so touched that she couldn't reply. She simply linked her fingers tighter in his and squeezed.

The restaurant was beautiful, and dinner delicious. Elliot was a perfect gentleman in front of the crowd, but had her cracking up once they were seated and alone. She thought her face was going to get sore from how much she was smiling. She still couldn't believe how amazing he was.

He couldn't believe how amazing she was. She obviously didn't know how incredibly beautiful she looked tonight, or else she was just playing it off well. Whichever the case, he was delighted that he was lucky enough to be with her, and he hoped that he was doing her justice when people saw them together. She deserved someone so much more proper than him.

"Dessert?" the waiter inquired, once he had cleared their dinner plates.

She looked at him hopefully. He grinned. "No, thank you," he said, catching the look of surprise on her face.

"Very well, sir," the waiter said. "I'll bring the check, then."

"Thank you," he repeated. He winked at her when the man walked away. "This is just our first stop. Dessert comes later."

She looked at him, mystified. "Elliot, this has already been too much. You don't have to take me anywhere else."

He just smiled and didn't reply.

They were soon back in her truck and heading further into town. "What else have you got up your sleeve?" she asked suspiciously, grinning. "Dinner was fantastic, by the way."

"Wait and see," he shot back, continuing on.

After about twenty minutes, the beach came into view. As they got closer, Ally saw a large crowd of people gathered on the sand and could hear faint music. She looked at Elliot in surprise.

He smiled at her, pulling into a parking lot. "Come on," he urged, getting out. He came around to her side as she shut the door and grabbed her hand.

She was surprised when he suddenly dropped her hand as they were approaching the sand and stopped. Her face wrinkled in confusion that quickly turned to a smile when she saw that he was removing his shoes and socks.

"Much better," he declared, stuffing the socks into his shoes and picking them up in one hand. He went forward into the cold sand, squishing it between his toes, and grinned at her.

Grinning in reply, Ally stooped and removed her heels. Holding them in her hand as well, she took his outstretched hand and let him pull her into the sand.

They walked toward the crowd, the music getting louder with each step. It had a slight Moroccan beat to it. Expertly weaving around the other people, Elliot gripped her hand securely and made his way forward.

She smiled in amazement at the band before them on a small stage. The music featured kettle drums and hula dancers in traditional Hawaiian custom. The atmosphere was relaxed and fun, with people dancing all around and the musicians getting into their beat.

He held out his hand, smiling. "Care to take a spin?" he asked, grinning wickedly.

Her eyebrows rose in surprise. "Sure," she said, unable to stop a giggle.

She gasped when he twirled her expertly to him, nearly stumbling. With lightning quick precision, he pressed her body to his, waggling his eyebrows mischievously. She threw her head back and laughed as she let herself get swept up into the music.

About an hour and a half later, they broke away from the crowd and walked along the boardwalk, still barefoot. Elliot stopped in front of a Ben and Jerry's ice cream stand. "Still want dessert?"

She chuckled. "Why not?"

A few minutes later, they were along the breakers on the dark, empty beach with their ice-cream. He had chocolate fudge brownie on a sugar cone, and she had a cup of mint chocolate chip with sprinkles.

The moon shone bright over the ocean, giving off a beautiful yellow glow on the water. Ally sighed happily. "Elliot, this is beautiful."

He looked at her and smiled. "So are you."

She blushed. "No, really," she insisted. "This has been the most incredible night I think I've ever had." She stopped and looked into his face, bringing one hand off of her cup to stroke his cheek. "Thank you. You are so wonderful."

His heart almost burst out of his chest at her words, but he tried to downplay his reaction. He flinched slightly, laughing. "Your hand's cold," he said, when she looked at him in alarm. He caught it as she was removing it and kissed her fingers.

Ally leaned forward and kissed his lips. He tasted like chocolate and desire.

When they drew back, he chuckled. He had left a smear of chocolate on the corner of her mouth. "You've got a little…" he said, gesturing.

Her eyes were shining. "Oh," she said, smiling sheepishly. She reached up to wipe it off, but he stopped her. He leaned down again, his voice husky. It sent chills up her spine.

"I've got it," he murmured, kissing her again. His tongue trailed along her lips, removing the stain, and he felt her shiver. He grinned against her mouth and wrapped his arms around her, careful not to spill his ice-cream on her.

She giggled, pushing away. "Stop," she scolded. "We're going get ice-cream all over one or both of us."

He chuckled, backing away. "Let me have a bite," he said, leaning over her.

She spooned a bit of her ice-cream and held it out to him, watching him take it into his mouth. Her heart quickened at the images it brought into her mind, and she blushed.

"Mmm," he drawled, in the sultry, sexy voice that made her weak. "That's not bad." He grinned, seeing the effect it had on her. "You want a bite?" He waved his cone in front of her playfully.

She giggled. "No, thanks," she said.

He licked up the last bit and began crunching the cone as she nibbled another bite of hers.

Once they had finished, they walked hand-in-hand lazily down the beach toward the boardwalk again. Ally never wanted the night to end.

Before they knew it, he was pulling back into the hotel. It seemed like it had only been a little while, but in reality it was past midnight. He shut off the car, but neither made a move to get out.

Reaching his arm out, he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her to his side. She nestled comfortably against his side. "Elliot, thank you for tonight," she murmured. "It was incredible."

He smiled. "You're welcome." He began playing with her hair with one hand, running it through the bun and into her scalp.

She sighed contentedly, closing her eyes. "Can we stay here all night?" she murmured sleepily, feeling so incredibly warm and safe that it was ridiculous.

"Ally."

The unexpected force of his voice made her crane her head up to gaze at him. He was looking at her intently, and the look in his eyes sent a sudden fire into her belly.

Struggling to control his desire, he gripped her waist tightly with his hand. He looked down at her and was amazed by how beautiful she looked at that moment.

"Stay with me tonight," he said with conviction.

She shifted, raising herself up to be level with him again. He was looking at her longingly, his blue eyes bright with excitement. She looked at him in hesitation.

"Stay," he repeated, stroking her face.

Her eyes lit up, but she didn't respond. Instead, she leaned forward and captured his mouth with hers, kissing him eagerly. Elliot felt his heart swell with delight as he kissed her back.

She didn't have to speak. Her reaction was enough to confirm her answer.