"The lady will have the ropa vieja, maduros, arroz con frijoles negros and a mango batido," he finished with a smile as wide as the Hudson.
"And where exactly will I putting all of this food? Because there's no way I can eat all of that."
"Oh, I think I can help you out," he said and sat back with a smirk.
Nick was definitely in his element, and Olivia couldn't help but wonder how she ended up in this predicament. Under normal circumstances she would never allow a man to order for her. She's a grown ass woman for God's sake, and almost as fluent in Spanish as he was. But then again, under normal circumstances, Olivia would never go out on a date with her partner, so she decided to go with the flow just this once. It also didn't hurt that Nick was friends with the owner of Victor's Cafe, one of the most exclusive Cuban restaurants in the city. The waiting list to get a table was over two months.
Since he went out of his way to ask his friend for the favor, she figured the least she could do is let him take the lead tonight. And take the lead he most certainly did...and then some.
"I see we're enjoying ourselves this evening?"
Judging from his cocky smile, she blamed her own acquiescence in part for creating the macho beast with the puffed out chest sitting before her.
Olivia didn't want to take complete control over the evening; she just wanted to level the playing field a bit, and she had just the right "aces" up her sleeve to help her. There are advantages to being a control freak. And a woman. Time for me and my 'girls' to have a little fun.
She stood up from the table and smoothed out the bottom of her red halter dress, the one with the plunging neckline that did nothing to conceal her ample chest. She leaned forward a little to give Nick a peek, but not too far as to 'fall out' of her dress. She kept her head tilted toward the ground, but felt Nick's eyes burning a trail up and down her torso.
He swallowed hard as his eyes combed her bronzed skin, shapely legs and hips, flat stomach and finally landed on her breasts, paying special attention to how they strained against the fabric of her dress. Nick suddenly developed a newfound appreciation for Lycra.
She looked up and caught him ogling her chest. She had to suppress a chuckle at how intense his stare was. Does he think he can will my tits to pop out with his mind?
"Eyes up here, Amaro."
For a second or two, he looked like a kid who got caught with his hand in the cookie jar right before dinner, but then the confidence crept back into his features and smoothed out his face. "I know where your beautiful brown eyes are, Liv. I see them every day, pouring over mountains of paperwork, scoping out crime scenes and analyzing perps' body language. It's not your eyes I'm interested in tonight. I want to get to know all of you."
Olivia gulped. At work, Nick often deferred to her judgment as senior detective. But they weren't at the 1-6; they were at a restaurant and not as two cops, but as a man and a woman on a date. And from what Olivia observed, an assertive man.
She hated to admit it, but his dominance was a definite turn-on. There's something about a man taking charge that was primal. Sexy. But she wasn't going to let him know that. Not yet anyway. His ego was already sucking up most of the oxygen in the restaurant as it was.
"Stalker much, Nick?" she teased.
He blushed a deep crimson and rubbed the back of his head, "Yeah, as soon as I said it, I realized how pervy it sounded. And I'm sure me staring at your chest upped the creep factor even higher."
She threw her head back and gave him a hearty laugh at that. Her laugh was so unlike the Olivia he knew on the job-free of reserve and restraint-and it made him smile himself. He didn't think she remembered how to laugh; most days she wore a frown.
She tilted her head to the side, exposing her neck, and Nick could see the faintest shadow of his handiwork from the week before. Just thinking about their undercover stint made him want to lunge across the table and assault her neck all over again.
"I know I've been staring, a lot, but you look stunning-I can't help myself. And I think we both know that you didn't wear that dress to highlight your cerebral assets."
"So now my wardrobe's on trial? To be clear, you're not apologizing for staring at my boobs, just for staring at them long enough to get caught."
"Well when you say it like that it sounds so-"
"Accurate?"
"Touché."
She smirked and took a sip of her wine. He was enjoying the playful banter between them. They would often go back and forth with each other at work, but it wasn't usually of the lighthearted variety. He appreciated a quick wit, especially in the opposite sex. He liked a pretty face and a curvy body as much as the next guy, but he also respected someone he could mentally spar with. But he wasn't going to tell her that. Not yet anyway. The last thing he wanted was Olivia Benson to think she had him all figured out.
She reached across the table and rubbed her thumb across his knuckles. "Don't worry, Nick. I don't think you're a pervert. An ogre, yes. But never a pervert."
"Oh, well that's a relief," he deadpanned and leaned forward. "So, is this what you wear for all your dates, or am I special?"
"My dating life has almost been non-existent for a while. I spent an hour brushing the cobwebs off of this dress before meeting you tonight."
"I have a hard time believing that a beautiful woman such as yourself can't find a date."
She scoffed, "I never said that I couldn't find a date Nick. I said that I hadn't been dating regularly, there's a difference."
"So, why haven't you, you know, been regularly dating?" he asked, never missing a beat, as he scrutinized her face.
Great, now he looks at my eyes. Olivia flashed him a coy smile, but sighed on the inside. This is not what she wanted to discuss on their first date. She almost wished her dinner was in front of her because she'd be too busy shoveling food into her mouth to answer his question.
"Well, for one, the hours we put into SVU aren't ideal for maintaining a stable relationship, or any kind of life for that matter," she said. "Second, I've found that guys are turned on and a bit scared by female cops. You know the strong, sexy type?"
"Don't forget the handcuffs," Nick smirked.
She rolled her eyes, "Stay focused, Nick. When they find out I work in SVU, most of my dates get weirded out, although they may ask me a question or two about my job. This is the point where most guys flee. Then there are those guys who are a little too curious about my job; the ones who will most likely end up at the 1-6 as future perps."
"Damn, no wonder you don't date very often. If those were my only prospects, I wouldn't date much either."
Olivia shrugged, "That's why I decided to just date cops. Because who gets a cop better than another cop?"
Nick nodded. Olivia hoped that by mentioning cops he would know she was including Cassidy in this group, and wouldn't mention Brian's name.
Too bad that hope wasn't fulfilled.
"So was that your main reason for dating Cassidy?"
Here we go. She sighed, irritated at herself for opening the door to this subject. She was trying to inject some logic into the reasons behind her lack of dating. But of course, Nick saw this as an opportunity to engage in a pissing contest between himself and Brian.
"No, that wasn't the only reason, but it was a factor. Brian wasn't just any cop. He and I joined SVU at the same time, back in the Stone Ages. Beneath Brian's gruff exterior is a sensitive man; he left SVU within the first year because he couldn't handle the horrors of the job. It was too much for him."
"So banging escorts undercover was his idea of a hard day's work?" Nick retorted.
Olivia's face twisted into a mask of fury, "That was a low blow Nick. From the way Carissa was cozying up to you, you didn't exactly look like a saint either," she spat.
Nick drew his breath in sharply. Her words stung like a whip. She realized the harshness of her words and went to reach for his hand, but he drew it back, and her fingers collided with the wood table instead.
"I see you're not above hitting below the belt yourself, Liv. You know I didn't do anything with Carissa," he said through clenched teeth.
"You're right, that wasn't fair," she lowered her gaze. But you're being so self-righteous. To the untrained eye, you looked guilty. I remember how angry you were when you thought that we wondered if something really was going on between you two. I just figured you would be a bit less judgmental, that's all."
She looked up at him; the anger evaporated from her face leaving the smooth tanned skin he was so fond of. As much as he despised Cassidy, he admired how loyal she was to him, even though the two of them were no longer dating. She's defending him while she's out on a date with me. He was irritated and aroused all at the same time.
She looked at his hand and inched her hers closer to his, before cautiously placing her palm in his.
"Brian's a sore spot when it comes to me, but I'll admit the guy's not a total sleaze. Let's drop the subject, alright? The last thing I want is to ruin our date over fu-, I mean, your ex."
She gave him a firm nod. "Agreed. Let's talk about a subject you and I both like. How's Zara doing?"
He beamed at his daughter's name, but beneath the prideful glow was a palpable sadness. "Zara's great. She and I went to the museum last weekend. We had a great time, until I dropped her off. Then Maria proceeded to tell me that she's thinking about taking a job on the Fort Knox base and moving her and Zara to Kentucky."
His hand tightened around her hers, and she could feel the anger radiating from him. He was so enraged he forgot he was holding her hand and bore down with a vice-like grip."
She yelped, "Nick, let go, you're hurting me!"
He snapped out of his trance and looked down. He released her at once and watched the blood rush back into her hand. She flexed her hand a few times to get the feeling back.
"I'm so sorry, Liv. I don't know what came over me. I blacked for a minute and all I saw was red."
"It's OK-"
"No. It's not OK. My situation with Maria shouldn't make me this angry. It's just when I think of the person she's become, it's hard to believe that at one time I loved her. Loved her enough to marry her. And now she's using our daughter as a fucking pawn to get her way," he bristled. "I shouldn't be discussing this on our very first date together. We can talk about this on a later date."
Her eyebrow shot up, "A later date, huh? Who said they'll be a second one?" she teased. He opened his mouth in protest, but she beat him to the punch, "It sounds like you need to vent a little, so let off a little steam. You don't have to hide from me. Just warn me in advance if you're going to cripple my hand."
Nick's mouth formed into a smile and he chucked, "Touché...again. I promise." He sighed a deep, and weary sigh, "Maria's claims that Zara is better off with her, that this new position is more stable than SVU. And if she gets this job, she'll be able to prove that in court."
"Do you think she'll fight for sole custody?"
"No. Maybe. Fuck, I don't know. Maria's always said she would never take Zara away from her father, but I wouldn't put it past her to try, just to spite me."
"If you don't mind my asking, what made you fall in love with her in the first place? She sounds like a world-class bitch."
Nick smiled, "Ah, I guess it's my turn to pull the judgmental card, huh? She wasn't always like this. A little manipulative, yes, but no more than the average woman." He felt her heel dig into his calf at his crude joke and laughed. "No, but seriously, she changed after she had Zara. See, Maria and I met while we were on duty in Iraq in 2003. We bonded over guns and our shared passion to take out terrorists. I was amazed at her ability to handle a weapon. Those maneuvers came in handy on...and off the field."
She wrinkled her nose in mock disgust. "Pig."
"Hey, you asked, so I'm telling. Before Zara was born, she would re-enlist for short stints; no more than two or three months at a clip. When Zara turned four, it was like all she wanted to do was escape her life. Her marriage. Her child. All she talked about was doing another tour. I think family obligations really scared her and re-enlisting was her temporary ticket to freedom."
He stopped and looked into her eyes. They were filled with such understanding, such compassion. He understood why victims requested her by name and why they trusted her.
Her eyes pleaded with him to continue, but she didn't want to pry, "Nick, you don't have to go on if you don't…"
"No, I want to. Speaking to you feels so natural; I don't want to keep anything from you."
She rested her hand on top of his and caressed his knuckles with her thumb. "OK, but I'm keeping my hand up here, in the safe zone."
Nick let out a hearty laugh before he began, "I think the allure of the Army for Maria was the thrill of the hunt and capture. Most soldiers are trained for combat, not dealing with the aftermath. They pour their energy into the strategy and the attack. Once they've done their job, they leave the cleanup for another unit. At SVU, we're forced to deal with the aftermath, in fact, that's when our jobs begin. We see the victims through their assault and sometimes, into their recovery."
"So, you're saying that Maria's job allowed her to retreat from reality because her responsibilities had a clear expiration date?"
"Exactly." Again, Nick paused. Olivia could always cut to the heart of the matter with an uncanny precision. "SVU forces us to be aware of the world we already live in, and to come face-to-face with its unspeakable realities. As SVU detectives, we can't hide. We can't run away."
Those last three words dripped with disdain from his mouth, and Olivia's touch soothed his tension riddled hand.
"I understand. This is exactly why I made the decision to only date cops." She cleared her throat and looked down at the table, "And to date you. Even other cops don't understand what makes an SVU detective tick the way a fellow squad member does."
Nick looked puzzled, "So the only reason you asked me out is because I work at SVU?"
"That and the fact that Fin turned me down first."
He stuck out his lower lip in a little boy pout. "Leave it to you to only focus on one part of the conversation," she joked.
Their food finally came, and they both devoured the fare. Olivia discovered that she worked up quite an appetite over their conversation. The dishes were a perfect combination of savory, salty, smoky and sweet, and she groaned with appreciation with almost every bite, savoring each morsel. Nick's pants tightened uncomfortably. They split a second bottle of wine between them, and the waiter returned to their table.
Olivia swirled the luscious red elixir on her tongue, taking note of the juicy bouquet of berries and cherries. She moaned at the wine's exquisiteness, and this time, "Nick Jr." insisted on making an introduction. He shifted for a second time in his seat.
Olivia licked her lips, and Nick eyed her like a ravenous predator. "This wine is fabulous. Is it a Pinot Noir?"
The waiter smiled, impressed with her palate, "No, but you're close. It's a Sicilian wine called Nero D'Avola. You could say it's like a Sicilian version of Pinot Noir. How did you know?"
She gave him a lopsided smile, and Nick noticed the glassiness of her eyes, "It has a soft finish similar to an Oregon Pinot."
"Sounds like you know your wine."
"I do. I take it very, very seriously."
He smiled again and offered to bring back another bottle, but Nick put his hand up. "Thank you, but that will be all for the lady and I." Olivia smirked, but her nostrils flared revealing her underlying irritation. "Nick, I'm not driving. What's the matter, afraid I'll drink you under the table?" she challenged with slightly slurred words.
"That's not it at all. I want you to be awake for the second part of our date," his eyes swam with lust.
"Nick, what have I told you about assuming?" she said. He felt her foot travel up his leg before resting on his thigh. He smirked and shifted his chair to the right so her sole was smack against "little" Nick, who was "growing" with each passing second.
She bit on her lower lip and ran her toes up and down his length feeling his hardness. She started to pull her foot away, but he grabbed it and rubbed himself against it. She bit back a moan, but quickly came to her senses.
"Are you insane?" she hissed. "Look around Nick, we're at a restaurant. What do you propose we do next, fuck on the table in front of a live audience? At this rate, we won't get to the second half of our date."
"Now look who's assuming. Who said we had to leave for part two?" Olivia watched a mischievous grin dance across his face. She froze taking in their exact location; their table was close to the kitchen, hidden towards the back of the restaurant. No, he's not going to do what I think he's going to do. She was so deep in thought that she didn't notice that he slid underneath the table, until she felt his hot breath against her hip. She yelped, almost jumping out of her skin. She snapped her legs shut and lifted the tablecloth.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"What the hell does it look like I'm doing?" he said, mocking her with her own words. "You moaning all throughout dinner drove me crazy. I need a taste of my own to savor." She bit down harder on her lip, and he saw the same lust that overtook him pooling in her eyes. "Unless you want me to stop."
Olivia squirmed partly out of nervousness and partly from the heat gathering at her core. She replied by spreading her legs. He smiled like a Cheshire cat and positioned himself in between them.
"What should I do about the waiter?" she whispered.
"Grab his attention and order dessert and coffee. I won't start until after you've ordered."
Olivia flagged down the waiter with an urgency she didn't know she possessed. She quickly ordered flan and two coffees. When he scurried away with her order, Nick ran his hand up the length of her leg and his calloused hands glided over her smooth skin. He pressed his lips into her warm thighs and planted kisses near her knee. He then kissed her other leg in the exact same spot. He placed both of his palms under her thighs and slowly trailed kisses further up until he reached her core. He pulled her red lace thong down to her ankles and paused. Even in the dim light, he saw how her folds glistened. All this wetness just for me, and he felt himself grow even harder. His member protested against his zipper, begging for freedom. His unzipped his pants as his erection sprang into full glory. Nick firmly began stroking himself and attacked her thighs with his lips. He held her hips roughly in place and ran his tongue up her slick slit. He released a low guttural moan, and took the napkin off her lap and placed it beneath him.
His tongue lapped up her juicy folds savoring her taste; she was sweet and bitter at the same time. He plunged his tongue inside her and he felt her buck against his intrusion.
"Uhhh," she softly moaned and grabbed his head under the table with both hands to guide him.
Nick motorboated her engorged clit, quietly humming against her. Olivia was thankful their table was tucked away because she was sure her face was a dead giveaway for what was going on. She pushed her chair in so she was closer to his mouth. He lifted her legs and placed one on top of each of his shoulders. He slid his index finger deep inside her and hooked it sharply to the right. Olivia gripped his hair so hard he thought she was going to rip a chunk out of his scalp.
The waiter picked that exact moment to serve dessert.
"Uhhh my God…ness! Goodness th-that was fast," she stammered, as he placed two plates of flan on the table.
The waiter took note of the empty chair. Olivia's eyes followed his, "My date had to step out for a bit."
He nodded, "Maybe I should wait until he returns to bring out the coffees?
Nick drove his tongue in and out of her, and she took a deep breath and closed her eyes to collect herself. "Ahhh...yeah...that s-sounds like a plan."
"Are you alright, ma'am? You look flushed."
Olivia smiled suppressing a moan as Nick stroked and sucked her in unison. "It's probably from all the wine. I'm a little t-tipsy."
"Of course," he grinned like an idiot, oblivious to what was going on. "I'll be back in a little bit."
She flashed him a tight smile and nodded. Nick inched closer to her. She grinded against his tongue and fingers, as he sucked on her clit. He moved his palm up to cup an ass cheek.
Nick's right hand stretch around his thick, hard member, and he stirred from the heat of the friction. He thrust harder and harder against his palm. Her juices were overflowing; her scent was driving him wild. Nick could feel the heat building up from within her walls and felt her muscles clench around his tongue. He tore his mouth from her.
"Don't hold back Liv," he whispered, "I want you to come in my mouth." He began jerking himself off faster and spread the napkin with his other hand across his lap as he felt himself twitch. The head of his penis was a blood red, and its hue deepened with each stroke.
"Mmmm, fuck!" she whimpered. His dick throbbed with each of her moans, and he slid a second finger inside of her. Olivia's entire body went rigid, and she gripped the sides of the table so hard she thought they were going to splinter in her hands. "Nick!" she gasped and let go for him as her muscles spasmed around his tongue and fingers sending a wave of fluids down his throat. As she came against his mouth, he shot a healthy load of white hot semen into his napkin, and buried his face into her thigh to muffle his moans. He swallowed every last drop from her and licked her clean. He felt her thighs tremble under his hands as she shook with ecstasy.
He kept his hands in place until she came down from her high and kissed the insides of her thighs. He folded the napkin over and wiped his mouth and fingers clean before throwing it on the rug. He lifted the tablecloth and when the foot traffic slowed to a crawl, he slid from underneath the table and exited the restaurant through a corner doorway. The exit led him to the other side of the restaurant. He smoothed his hair with his hands and pulled down his jacket and walked towards the main entrance, making his way back towards his date.
He walked up to her and gave her a kiss, and slipped his tongue into her mouth. She tasted herself on his tongue and lips and grabbed him by the nape of his neck, gliding her fingers through his short, thick waves to deepen the kiss. The waiter glided toward table with a tray of two tall, steaming coffees.
"Ah, perfect timing. Here are your coffees."
Olivia looked at Nick, but her eyes were no longer brimming with lust. "I can't believe that we did that."
Nick giggled, "I know right. I mean, I can't believe we didn't get caught."
"I've never done anything like that before in my life. And never on a first date. But we were in the perfect spot for it. It's almost like you planned this beforehand."
He almost choked on his coffee. "I didn't plan this before our date, but when I see an opportunity, I seize it. And this opportunity was too good to pass up."
She frowned, "Nick, I didn't want rush into anything. I wanted to take things slow with you. I wanted to take my time getting to know you."
His smile melted into a frown of his own. He noted her use of the past tense. He didn't like where this conversation was headed.
"What are you saying, Liv?"
"I think I made a huge mistake."
A/N: There will be a part 2. If you liked the smut in this chapter, you should check out my "Gorilla" fic; it'll definitely tide you over until my next update. But just a warning—it's not for the faint of heart. Please review and Happy Holidays!