AN: I'm having so much fun writing this story and I love all the comments and reviews! Seems like everyone is having fun reading it too! I appreciate your patience waiting for this update and I hope it's worth the wait. Thanks!

Day 4

Elliot woke up more confused than ever. He had lain awake for hours after Olivia left him at the fire, their last words echoing in his mind.

Do you want me to stop?

No.

He didn't know what the hell he was doing…what they were doing. When he said he'd invited her up here as a friend…that he didn't have any ulterior motives…he'd meant it. At least he thought he'd meant it. But then he thought about the moment the kids had suggested he invite Olivia. It had felt like the most natural thing in the world. He'd been excited. More than he should have been considering he spent almost every waking moment with her.

So, did he have ulterior motives?

Did she?

He'd gone around and around about what he'd meant when he asked her if she wanted him to stop. What it meant when she said no.

Did it mean that they were just letting loose and having some fun, and that she was okay with what was happening? Did it mean she was willing to take it a little farther?

Was there a tipping point? A point of no return?

Did he care?

Did she?

It was at this point that he'd put a pillow over his head, wanting to scream. He'd taken a deep breath and thought carefully through everything that had happened over the past three days.

He realized that every day, it was like someone hit a reset button. Except things seems to go just a little farther than the day before. If anyone would have told him that three days into their vacation, he'd be watching Olivia taunt him in a small white bikini, he would have told them they were crazy.

Yet here they were.

He had finally fallen into a restless sleep, without any answers to his questions.

When he woke up, he decided that taking things as they came had worked so far, and that life was never predictable. And based on what had happened so far this week, neither was Olivia.

EOEOEOEO

Elliot looked at the clock and saw it was after 9. He'd been waiting for Olivia to get up for over an hour, and his impatience was growing. She'd been up well before 8 every day, and he wondered if she was hiding out in her room…if she'd been up half the night thinking about the same things he had been thinking about.

He walked quietly over to her room, and put his ear to the door. He didn't hear any sound, and he tapped his fingers lightly on the door. He waited a few seconds, but heard no response. He argued with himself about knocking again, or cracking the door open to see if she was still asleep. He finally gave in and opened the door just enough to poke his head inside. He was surprised to see the room was empty.

"Liv?" he called quietly. He pushed the door open and walked into the room. The bathroom door was open, and there was no light on. "Olivia?" He saw the bed was unmade, and he walked over to the bathroom just to make sure she wasn't in there. What the hell? He had been up for at least an hour. He hadn't seen her on the deck, beach, or dock. He scrubbed a hand over his head, and then walked back to the door of her room. He closed the door behind him and stood outside her door for a minute, wondering where she could have disappeared to. As he pulled out his cell phone to call her, Elliot heard a noise at the front of the house. He turned to the left and saw the door open, and two seconds later, Olivia walked through.

Olivia froze when she saw Elliot, wondering what the hell he was doing standing outside her bedroom door. He had a guilty look on his face, but she saw it quickly morph into one of disbelief as he took in her running gear.

"Morning." Olivia said as she closed the door behind her and headed down the hallway towards him.

"You went for a run?" Elliot asked. He thought he'd been pretty clear yesterday that he didn't think running alone was a good idea.

"Yeah." Olivia said as she breezed by him and walked into the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator and pulled out the pitcher of orange juice. She poured herself a glass and she heard Elliot huff as he walked into the room behind her. She turned around and saw him sitting on one of the stools. She could see the muscles in his jaw jumping and she knew he was biting back some comment that he knew she didn't want to hear.

"You should have woken me up." Elliot said. "I would have gone with you." He was treading lightly. He didn't want to start a fight, but he wanted to let her know he wasn't happy with her choice.

"I wanted to go alone." Olivia said. She had wanted an opportunity to clear her head. She hadn't slept well the night before. Her thoughts and emotions were all over the place, and when she woke up in the morning, she felt jumpy and unsettled. She couldn't wait to get out for a run and let the physical exertion take over. Olivia took a sip of juice, keeping her eyes on Elliot. He was clearly annoyed. "Stop being so…" She let out a sigh. "I run in the city by myself all the time."

Elliot knew it was true, and that the chances of something happening was probably a hell of a lot higher there. But there were also more people around to scare off a predator, or to help. He chose another tactic. "What if you had twisted an ankle or…"

Olivia let out a small laugh. She fished her phone out of her sports bra. "I would have called you." She smiled at his surprised reaction. "Can we just drop this please?" she asked, taking another sip of juice.

Elliot didn't want to drop it, but he knew it was in his best interest to do so. "Fine." Elliot said begrudgingly. "But if you want to go out on a run again, let me know and I'll go with you."

"You're impossible." Olivia said with a small laugh. "Now…do you care to tell me why you were loitering outside my bedroom door?"

Elliot had practically forgotten about that. "I was waiting for you to wake up because I need to go to town to pick up a few things."

"And you couldn't leave a note?"

"I want you to come with me. There's a great little family diner there and I was going to offer to buy you breakfast."

"Mmmm. Breakfast sounds great." Olivia said. She could practically smell the eggs and hash browns she was going to order. "Just let me take a quick shower." She drank the last of her juice and set the glass in the sink. She turned back to face Elliot and saw a smirk on his face.

"What?"

"Aren't you going to say anything about my shirt?" Elliot asked.

"What?"

"You're always so concerned about what I'm wearing, so I took it up a notch today." Elliot stood up and turned around in place, and he heard Olivia laugh. "Why are you laughing? It doesn't have any holes in it."

Olivia saw he was wearing yet another pair of tan cargo pants and a faded Mets t-shirt. "Well, that's an improvement I guess." Olivia said with a small smile.

Elliot braced his arms on the counter and leaned towards her slightly. "You know, if you want to come up to my room, you can pick out something else and I can change."

Olivia heard a hint of innuendo in his voice and it surprised her slightly.

Elliot saw her eyes widen slightly…something no one else would notice…and he bit back a smile. His comment had obviously surprised her with his comment. One point in his favor.

Olivia came around the island, but stopped in front of where Elliot was standing. He turned to face her, and she looked at his shirt. She smoothed her hand over the front of his t-shirt, following the motion of her hand with her eyes.

Now it was Elliot's turn to be surprised. He watched her part her lips slightly as he eyes flashed back up to his. "You look fine." She said. Then he saw a sly smile, and she raised one eyebrow. "Besides, if I ever come to your room…" She trailed her fingers back up his chest. "It won't matter what you're wearing…" She leaned in slightly, dropping her voice to a husky whisper. "Because your clothes will be coming off."

Elliot was speechless as he watched her walk to her room. She never looked back.

Point, set, match. Benson.

EOEOEOEO

Olivia climbed into the Jeep, her hair still damp from her shower. She glanced over at Elliot and gave him a quick smile, wondering what she had set in motion with her comment this morning. Her boldness had surprised even her, but if things were going to keep ratcheting up, she wasn't going to let Elliot have all the fun. While it was fun to be the subject of his teasing, she loved to see his reaction to her. This morning had been priceless. He had actually been speechless.

Elliot wanted to make some snide remark about her clothes…or make some witty comment so she wouldn't know just how far she'd thrown him off balance this morning. But of course, she looked fabulous as usual. Her white denim shorts showed off plenty of leg, and she was wearing a cinnamon colored ribbed tank that showed off the color of her skin. He could see a black lacy strap from her bra, and he found himself wondering if she was wearing matching underwear.

Olivia saw Elliot giving her sideways glances as they started down the gravel road, and she bit back a smile. "Something wrong with what I'm wearing? My shirt doesn't have any holes in it." She teased.

Elliot laughed. "Nah. You look great as usual."

Olivia smiled. "Thanks. So, how far away is this town?"

"About 15 miles, give or take."

"Can we eat breakfast first?" Olivia asked. "I'm hungry."

"Your wish is my command." Elliot teased as they turned on to the asphalt road.

Fifteen minutes later, they were sitting in a booth, drinking coffee and making small talk. They talked about everything, except their jobs in the city and what had been happening between them that week at the lake house. Olivia relaxed a little as they talked about the kids and waterskiing and she didn't even give Elliot a hard time when he boasted about the way he'd cleared off the swimming platform they day before. He obviously wasn't going to bring up their conversation from the night before, and there was no way she was going to. She was glad there seemed to be some unwritten rule that they wouldn't talk about it. It seemed that somehow, talking about it would ruin things…and they both seemed to sense it.

Elliot reached over with his fork, and stabbed his fork into Olivia's hash browns. He saw her smile as he took a large forkful and stuffed it in his mouth.

"I was going to eat that." Olivia said, pretending to be annoyed.

"How many times do I have to tell you…"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Olivia said, waving her hand and cutting him off. "If you're done eating my food, let's get the shopping done."

Elliot paid the check and they wandered out of the diner. "Let me show you around town a little before we hit the grocery store."

Olivia nodded and they headed down the sidewalk. Elliot explained that they were in the original downtown area, and Olivia could see the buildings were old. There was a newer grocery store and gas station on the edge of town, but they had managed to maintain the businesses. Olivia saw a hardware store, a dry cleaner/laundromat, a drugstore, a hair salon, a barber shop, florist and several other small shops. There was a lot of hustle and bustle in the town for late morning on a Tuesday.

"Looks like something's going on." Elliot said. He stopped to read a poster that was in the window of the hardware store, and Olivia walked up and stood next to him.

"Founder's Day." Elliot said. "Looks like there's a carnival here all week, and a big parade and picnic on Saturday."

"Too bad we're going home on Friday." Olivia said.

"Yeah, but we could go to the carnival tonight." Elliot said, turning towards Olivia. "Wouldn't that be fun?" he asked.

"I bet the kids would love it." Olivia said with a smile.

Elliot nodded. "I'm sure they would." He bumped his shoulder into Olivia's. "Me too. I used to like to take girls up on the Ferris Wheel." he said, wiggling his eyebrows at her.

Olivia rolled her eyes. "The Ferris Wheel? That's where you made your moves?" she asked.

"I can't give away all my secrets." Elliot teased. He leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. "But maybe I'll ask you to ride with me tonight…and you can find out for yourself." He straightened up, brushed by her and headed down the sidewalk. He was half a block down when he realized Olivia wasn't beside him. He turned and saw her standing right where he'd left her. "Liv?"

Olivia nodded. "Yeah, I was just checking the times…" She tapped her finger on the glass. "For tonight." She had needed a few moments to collect herself after Elliot's last zinger. She ran her hand through her hair and rushed to catch up to him.

Things may have been ratcheting up slowly, but every conversation this morning had been laced with innuendo, and Olivia wondered where in the hell they were going to be by the time they got to the carnival.

EOEOEOEO

The kids were all up when they got back to the house, and Elliot pressed them into service. The boys attacked the bags of groceries, looking for chips and candy, and Elliot told them all about the carnival in town. The kids were excited, and they all agreed they would all grab their own dinners there. They decided to leave at 6:30 to be in town by 7, and then everyone went their separate ways.

Olivia heard the boys talking about going on the Wave Runners and the girls about swimming and sunning, and Olivia decided a quiet afternoon on the deck would be perfect. She felt like Elliot hadn't had any time alone with his kids, and she wanted some time alone too.

She changed into her black bikini, and grabbed her book. When she was settled on the lounge chair, she lay her head back and closed her eyes, letting the sun warm her skin. She could hear the kids yelling and screaming and laughing, and it made her smile. She could feel herself getting drowsy…her run and the big breakfast she ate were taking their toll. She roused herself and opened her book, glancing up occasionally to watch Elliot and the kids.

Elliot ran the boys around on the Wave Runners for quite a while, and then the girls got involved. Kathleen had passed her water safety test, so she was racing around the lake on the other one, with Jess on the back. Elliot kept looking furtively at the beach and the dock every time he made a loop back around, but he didn't see her. He wondered where she was, or what she was doing, but he let it go and focused on the kids. He loved spending time on the lake, and they were having a great time.

The kids had finally seemed to get their fill, and they hit the beach and the swimming platform. Elliot docked the Wave Runner, took off his life jacket and headed across the beach. When he reached the stairs, he got a glimpse of Olivia laying in the lounge chair. He climbed the stairs quietly, stopping before he had climbed the last two steps. He folded his arms on top of the railing and rested his chin on top of his arms, taking in the sight in front of him. Olivia was sound asleep, with a book laying in her lap. Her head was turned slightly to the side, and her bangs were falling across her forehead, covering one eye. She was wearing that damn black bikini, and her skin was several shades darker than when she had arrived. Her hands were lying loosely, one on the book and the other by her side, and her long legs stretched out towards him. He could see her painted toenails, and it made him smile. He knew Liz had painted them, but it made him wonder if she was the type that went for pedicure…if she had been hiding lacquered toenails inside her little black boots all these years.

He knew he shouldn't be standing her ogling her…but she looked so peaceful…and so devastatingly beautiful…that he couldn't tear his eyes away from her. He wanted to lean over her and kiss her ever so gently, and the need to do it welled up inside of him. But then the spell was broken as he saw her eyes start to flutter, and he stood up, moving up the last few steps.

Olivia opened her eyes and then lifted her hand to shield her eyes from the sun. She saw Elliot standing there and she brushed her hair out of her face. He had a big grin on his face, and her eyes trailed over his bare chest before meeting his eyes again.

"Morning sunshine." Elliot said with a big grin on his face. "Did you have a nice nap?"

"How long was I out?" Olivia asked as she stretched her legs and arched her back slightly. She was stiff from laying in the same position so long.

Elliot looked away quickly when Olivia arched her back. A man could only take so much… "I have no idea. I've been out on the lake with the kids." He saw the kids were all heading back towards the house; undoubtedly looking for food. He turned back to Olivia and jerked his head towards the lake. "Let's go for a swim. Cool off."

Olivia had to admit she was warm. There was a light sheen of perspiration covering her skin, and her back was worse. "OK." She started to climb out of the lounge chair. "But I'm not playing that game where you're pushing me off the platform."

Elliot laughed as he headed down the stairs. "Today, you get a pass."

Olivia watched as Elliot ran down the dock and cannonballed off the end. He let out a yell as he hit the water, and the giant splash he created sent water up on to the dock and sprayed her. The water felt cold on her hot skin, and she let out an unintended shriek. Elliot was treading water about six feet out from the end of the dock.

"C'mon Liv." Elliot yelled. "Jump in."

"It's cold!" Olivia said, dipping one foot into the water.

"Don't be such a girl." Elliot yelled. "It's better if you just get it over with. Jump in!" Elliot started swimming towards the dock and Olivia knew she had had about 30 seconds until he reached the dock and pulled her in. When Elliot was about a foot from the dock, she lifted her arms and executed a perfect dive, right over his head. She pushed forward underwater, kicking her feet and using her arms to pull her through the water, until she couldn't hold her breath any longer. She surfaced and looked back quickly, trying to find Elliot, but she had gotten turned around under water, and when she found the dock, he wasn't there. A few seconds later, she felt someone tug at her feet, and she held her breath as she was pulled back under water.

Elliot felt Olivia kick her legs, and she nailed him in the chest. It caused him to open his mouth and he took in a mouthful of water. He pushed himself to the surface, coughing and sputtering, and a few seconds later, he saw Olivia break the surface in front of him. "I'm sorry." She said quickly.

"You're going to pay for that Benson." Elliot teased, and he pushed off towards her.

Olivia glanced over at the platform, knowing that was going to be her best option. She dove under water, headed for the platform. She didn't waste any time looking back. She reached for the ladder and grabbed hold just as she felt Elliot's fingers graze her ankle. She pulled her legs in quickly, and scrambled up the ladder. She turned at the top of the ladder, just as Elliot's head popped above the surface.

Elliot saw the grin on Olivia's face, and he knew she was pretty pleased with herself. She was standing with her arms crossed as the water from the lake streamed down her body, and her chest heaved slightly from the exertion of the last few minutes.

Olivia saw him put a foot on the first rung of the ladder. "I don't think so Stabler."

"You're not going to share?" Elliot asked, swinging his other foot on to the bottom rung.

"Possession is 9/10ths and all that…" Olivia said. "I'm not sure why I should."

Elliot knew he could easily charge up the ladder, and throw her off the platform. But he was interested in what she was going to do. He'd already told her she had a free pass; so, he wasn't quite sure why she was challenging him now. "Do I have to remind you that I tossed your ass off the platform yesterday?"

"Yes, but yesterday, you were already on the platform." Olivia leaned over slightly. "Today…you're not." Olivia gave him a slow smile. "Today, you have to get past me." She knew the ladder was the only way up. The way the platform was situated, the sides were so too high to reach from the water, no matter how ridiculously strong you were.

"You don't think I can get past you?" Elliot said, chuckling.

"I think if you thought you could get past me, you would have done it already." Olivia said.

Elliot cursed under his breath because she was right. If he surged up the ladder, he knew she'd fight him, and he didn't want her to get hurt. She could hit the platform and crack her head, or worse yet, get tangled up in the ladder somehow. He really had no intention of throwing her off the platform; she was the one that had started this game.

Olivia looked down at Elliot as he stood on the bottom run. His face was even with her upper thighs, and her instinct was to take a step backwards. But she wanted to see what he was going to do.

Elliot looked up at her. "Liv, let me up." He flashed her a smile, and then she saw him climb up to the next rung of the ladder. His bare chest brushed her thighs and her breath hitched. He had done that on purpose.

"No." She said, taking in a deep breath, but holding her ground. She unfolded her arms and grabbed the top of the ladder.

"Olivia…" Elliot said. He moved up one more rung, and this time, his chest brushed her bare abdomen. He heard a small gasp from her, and he knew exactly what she was feeling. He was keeping his eyes trained on hers, but his entire body was aware of every point of contact.

"You're not going to get past me." Olivia challenged, her voice barely audible as she struggled for breath. She could still feel Elliot's skin against her stomach with each breath he took, and she swallowed hard in anticipation of what he'd do next.

"Last chance…" Elliot said, his voice deep and husky. He could feel the heat low in his belly, and he was trying hard to control his body's reaction. He pulled himself up to the next rung, and he heard a small gasp escape her lips as his chest grazed against her breasts. He pressed his body more tightly against hers, and he could feel her peaked nipples poking through the fabric of her swimsuit. He was lost now…unable to believe he was standing here so intimately against her body.

Olivia froze. She could feel the hard length of him pressed into her upper thigh and his hot breath on her neck. She knew she should move, but she didn't want to. The only thing she could think about was that she wanted more contact…she wanted him to touch her. She wanted to touch him.

Elliot couldn't take much more of this. The only thing he could think about now was laying her down on this platform and running his hands over her skin…

"Dad!"

Elliot's body jerked, and the spell was broken. Olivia stepped back quickly, putting some space between Elliot and her. She turned and saw the boys tearing down the stairs. Olivia turned back and saw Elliot standing where she'd left him, his eyes trained on hers. She saw something in his eyes…something she couldn't quite identify. But then she heard the boys' feet hit the dock. She gave him a small smile, then turned and dove into the water.

EOEOEOEO

Olivia was pulling on her jeans, trying to decide if she was ready to spend the evening at the carnival. Things had gotten pretty intense on the lake…and she hadn't been sure if she was upset or relieved when the boys stormed out of the house and down to the lake. She had stepped back instantly, and dove into the water, and had made her way back to the house. She'd been sequestered in her room since then, trying to regain her composure and get the image of Elliot's ripped body out of her mind. She chastised herself for acting like some foolish girl and for allowing herself to get so worked up so quickly.

Maybe it had just been too long since she'd had sex. At least, with something that didn't require batteries.

Or maybe Elliot was just ridiculously sexy. She could feel his hard length against her leg and it made her weak with want.

Olivia startled when she heard a knock on the door. She heard Elliot's voice.

"Almost ready? The natives are getting restless."

Olivia could hear the kids out in the family room, and the volume had been escalating for the past 15 minutes. "Be out in a minute." She pulled on a white t-shirt and sat on the bed to put on her Converse. Olivia popped into the bathroom one last time to check her hair, and decided to throw it in a loose ponytail. She grabbed a lightweight grey sweater off the bed, and rushed out of her room just as everyone was pushing their way out the front door. Olivia was at the back of the pack, and Kathleen sidled up next to her as they walked out.

"Have fun on the lake today?" Kathleen asked with a big grin on her face. And then she ran to catch up with Jess.

EOEOEOEO

Olivia didn't want things to be awkward, so the minute she got into the Jeep, she launched into a financial discussion. She didn't have to fight too hard to get Elliot to agree that tonight was on her, and while she was happy about that, she was kind of surprised. She hadn't paid for a thing all week, and she definitely owed him. When they arrived, Elliot laid out the rules. Everyone meet near the ticket booth at 830, and then again at 10 to leave. Everyone stay in their pairs. No one leave the carnival grounds. No hanging out with other kids. That comment was directed more at Kathleen and Jess, and the both rolled their eyes. Olivia handed every duo some cash, and a fistful of ride tickets she'd purchased. The kids were gone in seconds.

"You gave them too much money." Elliot said as they started to walk slowly into the carnival.

"It's my treat. You don't get a say." Olivia replied, giving him a smile as she glanced over at him.

Elliot grunted. "I hope they'll be okay." Elliot said, looking around the carnival.

Olivia followed his gaze. "It's not that big of a place. How much trouble can they get in to?"

"You don't know my kids very well…" Elliot said with a chuckle. He glanced over at Olivia, happy to see that things weren't strained between them. He didn't regret one second of what happened today…but he hadn't been sure of how she felt. He had worried she would bow out of the carnival tonight, so he was incredibly happy when she had emerged from her room, ready to go.

"I'm famished." Olivia said. "Let's get something to eat."

Elliot laughed. "I always wonder how you eat as much as you do and look like…" he waved a hand at her. "that."

"It's called the gym El." Olivia said. "And it's why I went running this morning."

"Don't remind me about that." Elliot said, flashing her an annoyed look.

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Don't start. Now pick something to eat. I'm buying."

They ended up sharing a couple of different foods from a few different vendors, and they wandered around and took in the rest of the carnival while they ate. There were a lot of people, and they talked about all the summer people that blew up the population and provided a lot of great opportunity for people-watching. They ran into different pairs of kids every once in a while, but Olivia was surprised at how little they did, considering that the carnival wasn't that large. They had sampled other foods, browsed in some of the shops, and even played a few of the carnival games. Elliot groused about the fact that there wasn't a Ferris Wheel, and Olivia couldn't help but laugh.

The sun was starting to dip lower in the sky, casting shadows on the carnival grounds. The neon lights were lit, adding an eerie glow to the entire place. They were walking over to the other end of the carnival; they could hear music playing, and people seemed to be moving in that direction. As they walked along, Elliot slid his hand into Olivia's, and intertwined his fingers with hers. "This okay?"

"Yeah." Olivia said quietly, giving him a sideways glance and a small smile.

"I know I told you this already…" Elliot started. "But I'm really glad you're here." He squeezed her hand, and he smiled when she squeezed back.

"I'm glad I came." Olivia said, and she meant it. Despite the uncertainty of what was happening here, she was really having a good time. They turned the corner, and Olivia saw Kathleen and Jess headed in their direction. She quickly tried to pull her hand from Elliot's, but he held her tightly.

"It's okay." He said.

Olivia took a deep breath. Elliot hadn't heard Kathleen's comment about their encounter on the lake, but she wasn't going to be the one to tell him.

"Hey Dad! Hey Olivia!" Kathleen said, a smirk on her face as the both came to a stop. "The band is kind of lame, but I guess there are fireworks at ten. In that open field past the rides. Can we stay?"

Elliot looked at his watch and saw it was already almost 9:30. "OK. I think I have a few blankets in the back of the Jeep. I'll go get them. You text Liz and Dick and let them know about the change in plans. Have them meet us here…" Elliot looked at the booth next to them. "Outside the beer tent, in 15 minutes." He released Olivia's hand. "I'll be right back."

The other kids started to show up, and Elliot was back with two blankets in his arms a few minutes after the boys had arrived. They all started to troop over to the empty field, and they could see that it was starting to fill up. Most of the people had blankets, but some had collapsible chairs. They also saw several people just camped in the grass. The two boys took off, and Elliot yelled after them to meet at the ticket booth right after the fireworks ended. The girls each grabbed a blanket from his arms, and they went to find their own space.

"I guess we're sitting on the grass." Elliot said. "Sorry."

"It's fine." Olivia said. She ran her hands over her arms, feeling the chill from the night air set in. "I should have had you grab my sweater."

Elliot ran his hands up and down her arms. "I'll go get it."

Olivia shook her head. "I can't imagine the fireworks are going to last that long. I'll be fine."

They heard the first firework streak across the sky and Elliot tugged Olivia down to the ground. He let himself fall backward until he was lying down, and he pulled Olivia down until she was lying in the crook of his arm.

"What are you doing?" Olivia asked, adjusting herself against his body.

"It's easier to watch fireworks when you're laying down." Elliot said, giving her a small squeeze. "And I'm keeping you warm."

"Hmmm." Olivia said. The man did radiate a tremendous amount of body heat, and she could feel the chill leaving her body. She loved having the opportunity to be so close to him, and her body seemed to remember everything that had happened on the lake today. It wouldn't be long before she would be overheated.

They oohed and awed with the rest of the crowd, and they both commented on the impressive display for such a small town.

A waterfall of white lights rained through the sky. "Those are my favorite!" Olivia exclaimed, and she let out a small laugh when it was followed by another. She felt Elliot shift beside her, but she kept her eyes trained on the fireworks.

Elliot had rolled over on his side, but kept his arm beneath Olivia's head. He looked down at her, and he could see the look of pure delight on her face. He loved seeing her like this…free from the weight of the victims and the horrific things they saw every day. She looked relaxed…happy…and absolutely gorgeous.

Olivia felt Elliot's eyes on her, and her breath hitched when her eyes met Elliot's. His eyes were dark, and the intensity in them was knocking her off-center. Her heartrate soared when he reached up with his left hand and brushed her hair back from her face. He leaned even closer…and Olivia felt as if she couldn't breathe.

"Did I tell you how happy I am that you're here?" Elliot whispered as his fingers brushed through her hair again.

"I think you mentioned it." Olivia managed to say, her voice tiny.

Elliot trailed his fingers down her cheek. "Did I tell you how absolutely beautiful you are?"

"El…" She barely got his name out before she saw him moving closer. A mere second later, he was pressing his lips against hers. It was gentle…slow and sweet…nothing like she imagined a kiss with Elliot would be. She couldn't keep a small moan from escaping, and it seemed to be the encouragement he needed. Elliot cocked his head slightly, deepening the kiss, and Olivia wrapped her arm around his neck and pulled him closer. He pulled her bottom lip between his, and then released her…exploring…tasting…teasing.

Elliot knew he had to stop…or he'd never want to stop. He pulled away from the kiss, wrapping his hand around her arm and pulling it down from his neck. He looked down at Olivia, still holding her arm near his head. He eyes moved back and forth between hers, trying to gauge her reaction. He hadn't planned on kissing her…it just seemed like the right thing at that moment…and he hoped he hadn't ruined everything. "Liv…I'm…I didn't…" He actually had no idea what to say.

Olivia pulled her arm from his hand, and cupped his cheek. "Who needs a Ferris Wheel?" She pulled Elliot back down towards her, and opened her mouth to him as the fireworks finale lit the sky above them.