Logan POV

Stanley left around ten-thirty.

I hated to see him go, because we were having a lot of fun. The mood was almost euphoric, probably because everyone was aware of the fact that after tomorrow, things could be irrevocably different.

But as much as I didn't want it to end, I could understand it.

It's not like we could hang out in Pete's forever.

"I've got a quick stop to make and then there's a bed that's calling my name," Stanley explained.

"Is that the bed calling your name? Or Traci?" I joked.

He grinned as he pulled a couple of twenties from his wallet and said, "I'm hoping it's both."

"Well, don't forget to set your alarm," Alex remarked. "I'll see you at eight."

"I'll be curious to meet this Traci person," Liz said after he was gone.

"I spoke with her on the phone," Alex said. "She seemed nice enough."

"I'd just hate to see him go from one bad situation to another."

"Well, not all men can be as lucky as me," I said as I settled my arm around Liz's shoulders.

"I am," Bobby stated as he got up from the table. "And I've been a good boy for two hours longer than I planned to, so I think it's time for us to go home."

"So that you can be bad?" Alex asked hopefully as she stood next to him.

"Don't answer that," I said quickly. "Can't you two ever just say goodbye? Do you really have to leave us with an image of what you're getting ready to do?"

"I know how much you miss having us in your apartment," Alex replied with a smile.

"I haven't even missed having me in my apartment," I commented as I waved them out. "Go. I'll see you both in the morning. Bobby, we're going to lurk in Stanley's office, right?"

"Of course," he answered, and then he took Alex's hand and led the way out of Pete's.

"She has to be nervous," Liz said once they were gone.

"You wouldn't know it to look at her. And really, things couldn't have gone better. If Holt still tries to make the move, then…"

"Then you three will find something somewhere else," she said confidently. "Together."

"You mean like with the feds?"

"That would be an option, I guess. Wouldn't it?"

"Maybe. You know, the last time I left the department, I was wide open to change. I figured a move would do me good."

"And now?"

"I don't want to leave the city. And I won't, not unless you'd consider coming with me."

She was quiet for a minute, and I thought maybe I'd pushed it too far.

It was that whole aversion-to-marriage thing, I guess, because I suppose that living together would essentially be the same type of commitment and even though we're mostly living together now, it's not really a stated fact.

I mean, I still have my apartment.

And I still go there randomly to get clean clothes and pick up my mail.

But I haven't slept in my bed in weeks.

But if we were to move out of town…together…that would definitely mean living together and it would rev up the level of commitment.

"I would," she said at last as she leaned her head against the back of the booth and turned to look at me. "But I'm not moving to some podunk town. It would have to be a city."

"You don't want to leave New York," I stated.

"No, I don't," she admitted. "But I'd rather be away from New York than be away from you."

"You would actually quit your job and sell your place…"

"I can be an ME anywhere," she said practically. "And I'm not nearly as attached to my place as I am to who's in it."

I stared at her for a moment, as she kept her eyes locked on mine, and I was flooded with a nearly overwhelming sense of longing and desire…not from touching her, but just from looking at her.

It's such a new experience for me to be stimulated by emotion rather than physical contact.

"Do we have to move to another city to live together?" I asked quietly. "I mean, I know we're kind of doing it already, but…"

"You should sell your place," she said immediately.

"I'm not trying to rush you."

"I know. But I love you, and I want us to live together…officially. And honestly, with all this talk about marriage lately, I've even been thinking about that."

"You don't want to be married."

"You don't want to be married," she countered, and then she brought her hand up and settled her palm against my cheek.

"I didn't until you," I replied.

I grabbed onto her wrist and brought her hand around to my mouth, kissing her palm lingeringly. She sighed and closed her eyes for a moment, and I let go of her hand, choosing instead to lean over and kiss her lips.

"Do you want another round?"

I pulled back from Liz and looked at the waitress in annoyance.

"We're fine," I told her.

"Then do you want the check?"

"Can you give us a few minutes?"

She rolled her eyes and walked away and Liz chuckled and said, "I think she wants us to leave."

"I don't care what she wants," I replied, going back in for another kiss. But I kept it brief and then I said, "We were in the middle of something here."

"Uh huh," she agreed, dropping her eyes to our joined hands. "We've only been together a little more than a month. What's going to happen when you get tired of me?"

"Five weeks and three days," I clarified, and then I smiled and added, "And I'm already tired of you. Do you have any idea how exhausting it can be, living with a near-constant erection?"

She burst out laughing as she once again returned her eyes to mine.

"You're incorrigible."

"Yes, I am," I agreed. "And I'm never going to get tired of you."

"People always say never and then real life comes along…"

"I think the life we've been living is about as real as it gets, don't you?"

"Are you trying to talk me into marrying you?"

"No. I'm just saying…if you don't want to because you don't believe in it, then fine. But if it's because you don't trust that I'll love you forever…"

"I'm…scared," she admitted. "I still have trouble understanding what you see in me, and I'm expecting you to wake up one day and wonder the same thing."

Personal insecurity.

I'm an old hand at that.

I've had the same fear myself over the past month.

"That won't happen," I promised. "Because I know exactly what I see in you."

"Are you sure I can't get you anything?" the waitress interrupted again.

"Yeah, sure. Bring us another round," I said quickly, without taking my eyes off of Liz.

"I guess this isn't really the place for a serious conversation, huh?" she said with a smile.

"I think we doing okay. And as long as we keep being honest with each other…"

"Danny came to see me today," she interrupted.

"At the morgue?"

"Uh huh. He showed off his new badge. And he brought me a birthday present. He thought it was today, I guess. And he wanted to argue with me about it."

"Thoughtful of him to think of you," I said cynically. "What was it?"

"I don't know. I didn't open it. In fact, I told him to keep it, but he left it on the table. Sarah's going to mail it back to him."

"I suppose he made another play for you."

"You could call it that. I'm sorry I didn't mention it sooner. We were just having fun, and I didn't want to bring it up."

"It's fine," I assured her.

"Really? Because last week you were ready to hand me over to him."

"Because I thought that might be better for you. Not because I wanted to. Just the idea was tearing me up, but I didn't want to hold you back."

"That's because you're just the sweetest man," she said with a smile. "Dumb, if you think I'd want to be with him, but still sweet."

"Dumb?" I asked, as a laugh rumbled out of me. "Thank you, Liz."

"You know what I'm saying. I don't want him, and…"

I cut off her indignant assertion by kissing her again, this time ignoring the waitress completely as she set down our glasses.

I wasn't going to worry about Ross.

I know Liz loves me.

And the idiot argued with her about the date of her birthday?

I know exactly when it is.

I'd like to think that I know nearly everything about her. And what I don't know, I'll find out, maybe even this weekend since we're going to have forty-eight hours of time, just the two of us.

I was halfway worked up by the time I broke off the kiss, but I wasn't quite ready to go yet, so we picked up our drinks and dove back into casual conversation.

It was after eleven-thirty when I finally cleared our tab. We left Pete's and started the walk home.

"So what do you think about my offer?"

"Which one is that?" I asked teasingly. "The one where I get to handcuff you to the bed or…"

"Mike," she interrupted, chuckling and shaking her head. Then she looked up at me with interest and said, "Wait, you want to use your cuffs on me?"

"Haven't you ever wanted to play out a cop fantasy?"

"I'm living my cop fantasy," she answered with a smile. And then, in a tone that sent me from playful to lust-filled in a matter of seconds, she added, "And you can use your cuffs on me any time."

"Then you need to start walking faster," I joked as I picked up the pace.

But I only walked quickly for a few steps and then I slowed down again, taking her hand in mind as we continued heading for her place.

"I'm sorry," I told her after another minute or two. "I got us off track. What offer?"

"Sell your place and move in with me."

"Really?" I asked. By this point, we were at the bottom of the stairs that lead up to her door, so I paused there for a moment and turned to look at her. "Are you sure? That's pretty permanent. I mean, you won't be able to just kick me out when I make you mad."

"Maybe Stanley will let you stay with him," she replied.

"Liz…" I began, because as much as I love her sarcastic nature, this is a big step for us, and I don't want her to take it lightly.

"I'm sure," she interrupted. "When you make me mad, then we'll fight about it. And after that, we'll make up. I don't expect everything to be perfect."

"Good, because I'm anything but."

"You're pretty close," she insisted, smiling as she turned to go up the stairs. "So…upstate?"

I had a feeling she'd come back around to that.

I hadn't told her where I was taking her this weekend, and honestly, I love the fact that she's willing to go without knowing the destination.

I nodded, and she continued, "And a cabin by the lake?"

"Yeah, but I didn't say which lake."

"No, you didn't," Liz agreed with a smile.

"Does that sound okay? Or would you rather do a fancy hotel somewhere?"

"Uh uh. A cabin sounds perfect."

"Good. And you heard me mention the hot tub and fireplace, right?"

"I only need for it to have you. Everything else is just a bonus."

She cast me a another smile over her shoulder before shifting her focus to putting the key into the lock.

"It'll definitely have me," I promised, wrapping my arms around her from behind and starting a full assault on the side of her neck.

She gave up on trying to unlock the door and instead stood still while I pushed against her, keeping her between me and the door while I slid one hand just inside the waistband of her scrub pants.

She sighed and turned her head to the side, allowing me to cover her mouth with mine as my hand traveled further beneath the cotton fabric.

"We should go inside," she murmured between kisses.

"Why?"

She chuckled lightly and pushed back against me, pulling a moan from me at the increased contact.

"Because…what's the penalty for having sex in public?"

"It's just a fine," I deflected as my other hand slipped beneath her shirt, stroking over her warm skin as I anchored her to me.

"Oh, well…just a fine," she replied flippantly.

"And possibly probation."

"How about you just give me five more seconds to open the door, and then we don't have to worry about felony charges?"

"I love your practicality," I teased, finally relaxing my hold on her.

"Is that the draw?" she asked as she once again attempted to stick the key in the lock.

"No, but I can make you a list," I offered. Then I glanced down at my watch and said, "Or I could, but I'm not sure if we've got the time."

"Are we on a deadline?" she asked me, quirking her eyebrow in that wonderfully inquisitive way of hers. She closed and locked the door behind us and then turned around to face me.

"We are," I said with a smile. And then I pulled a wrapped box from my pocket and held it out in front of me. "It's midnight. Happy birthday."

TBC...