This was happening…this was actually happening. Alex focused first on the stairs, then on the door, then on the key as Olivia walked in before her. Part of her conscious was screaming bloody murder, but Alex tried hard not to listen. Nothing was going to happen. They were two mature, adult professionals who cared about the job, and sometimes caring about the job meant caring about your coworkers…Alex's internal commentary snapped into oblivion as she looked up and nearly bumped into the stationary detective. To say that she was a finger's breadth away would have been an understatement, and Alex inhaled deeply to clear her head, but this only made matters worse, because now she could smell the detective's shampoo. Biting her lip, Alex took a moment to shamelessly stare at the woman in front of her, eyes lingering on a strip of olive skin that hovered exposed between Olivia's tank top and the waist of her pants. Alex wondered if Olivia's body was as feverishly hot as her forehead had been… distractedly reaching her hand forward, Alex started when Olivia turned into her touch, black leather jacket brushing against Alex's fingers.

"Nice place you got here, Cabot."

Snatching the folded jacket off of Olivia's arm, Alex turned quickly to hide her blush, struggling to compose herself.

"Thank you. I do what I can."

God, that had been so stupid. Why wasn't she thinking clearly? It was late, she was tired, Alex had always enjoyed midriffs... yes, that had to be it. Her inability to keep her hands to herself had nothing to do with the fact that Olivia was less than a foot away from her. Brushing a strand of hair behind her ears, Alex went to look up and found Olivia's eyes immediately, watching her so intensely that she felt herself freeze.

"After this, I'd be too embarrassed to let you see my apartment."

Turning away again, Alex smoothed out the sleeves of Olivia's jacket and let out a long breath, searching deep within herself for the Alex Cabot that dominated the courtroom, not the Alex Cabot that lost her train of thought whenever she looked into the eyes of a certain NYPD detective.

"Don't be absurd, Detective. I'm sure your apartment would be perfectly acceptable."

Feeling reassured by the sound of her own strong, confident voice, Alex bravely turned around to face Olivia and got the wind knocked out of her. Clearly her voice could not be trusted, because Olivia's gaze made her mind go blank and her mouth fall open. Deep within her, a string of warmth began to fizzle its way upwards like a persistent tickle, and Alex recognized her own arousal just as it hit. Fuck, this was going too far. She needed to get away from Olivia before she did something incredibly foolish.

"You're very tired."

Olivia smirked subtly at that, and Alex felt alive with unadulterated attraction.

"If you say so."

Then Olivia stretched upwards, and Alex stared as taught muscles became visible beneath a tank top that rode up. Olivia opened her eyes and Alex's gaze snapped to her face, heart pounding guiltily, and she swallowed as Olivia gave her a mischievous smile. Oh, god. This needed to stop.

"I get the couch, right?"

Alex heard Olivia speak, but she couldn't process the information. It was taking all of her self control not to lurch forward and launch what could only be labeled as an unprovoked assault on the detective, and even now, Alex wasn't sure that she would be able to hold out much longer. Not with the way Olivia was looking at her.

"Something on your mind, Cabot?"

Forcing herself out of her reverie, Alex blinked quickly and looked away, tightening her lips against a small exhale of pent up desire.

"Not at all."

"Oh."

Olivia was walking towards her. Shit. Alex held her breath and teetered on the brink of her sanity as her mind repeated over and over again, you work together, you work together, you work together, you work together…

"You sure?"

Olivia stopped, tilting her mouth downwards, and Alex opened her lips on an inhale that tasted of steamy breath and fiery need. She was centimeters away from Olivia's mouth, centimeters away from slippery warmth, centimeters away from making tomorrow morning very uncomfortable… and Olivia was doing this on purpose, Alex realized.

"Goodnight, Detective."

Smirking at Olivia, Alex stepped carefully around the detective and made her escape, heading for her bedroom immediately. As she entered, her smile slipped off of her face and she leaned heavily against her closed door, eyes rolling to the ceiling in a fruitless search for answers. What the hell was going on? Closing her eyes, she felt another torrent of desire rumble through her, and Alex blushed as she made her way over to her dresser, picking through her clothes for a night slip. This was so inappropriate, and so entirely out of her control…and she didn't care, and she wondered where Olivia had learned to flirt like that. Sighing, she turned to the door and stared at it, mind wandering.

It must be a detective thing.