«Harvey no»
«Please»
«No way»
«We're talking about Richmond»
«I know, I'm the one who confirmed the business trip»
«Why did you do that to me?»
«Because it's an important magazine that can give you good publicity, and it's also the opportunity to meet colleagues»
«I don't need good publicity, especially not in Richmond»
«Can you stop for a moment?»giggled Donna.
As Donna sat in her cubicle, typing quickly on her computer keyboard, Harvey was slumped on her desk, looking at her desperately as she laughed softly. If for a few seconds he said nothing more, and Donna thought he had finally accepted, the redhead heard him moan again.
«Richmond, Donna»
«Harvey»
«Come with me»
«No»
«Please. I need you to have funthere »
«Still no»
«I promise you a Hermès bag»
Seeing her hesitate for a few seconds, Harvey found hope again before whispering.
«And a Gucci dress too»
«Harv, Jessica will never accept»
«Who cares? She won't know»
«Oh, really? And how do you plan to do it, mister genius»
«Easy, since I'm on a business trip, you took two days off to go see your parents in Connecticut»
«I never take days off»
«Laurel broke her foot?»
«Leave my mother out of it»
«Aunt Edna is very sick?»
«Do you know Aunt Edna?»smiled Donna.
«At your mother's birthday, the old lady who kept saying that we'd make beautiful babies together»
«Oh, yeah, I remember»
«Please, Donna. Say yes, don't leave me alone in the Richmond... I add a pair of Louboutin stilettos to the deal»
For a few more seconds, Donna thought about the proposal before sighing and giving in to Harvey's whims, once again, as usual.
«Alright»
«You're the best»
«Tell me something I don't know»murmured Donna as she continued to type on her keyboard, her gaze never leaving her computer screen.
The day passed, Donna booked two first class plane tickets and two separate hotel rooms before already preparing her lie by letting some rumors of a sick aunt run, before returning home in the evening. The days passed, and as she was about to go downstairs to take her taxi and go to the airport, she stopped abruptly when she saw Harvey leaning against the wall in her entrance hall, a Prada bag in the crook of his elbow, as she couldn't help but laugh.
«We hadn't talked about Prada, am I right?»
«No. But add that to your deal to thank you for accompanying me to this shithole»
«Well, I'm not going to say noto Prada, obviously »
«Come on, you'll open this later, we're going to be late. Let's go»
After putting the gift package on the hall cabinet, Harvey grabbed the redhead's big Vuitton travel bag, and both of them got into the elevator to join Ray, who was already waiting for them downstairs. Quickly, the two friends arrived at the airport, where, of course, they were welcomed in the VIP lounge of JFK airport to board two hours later in first class and land at Richmond airport, the lawyer already sighing and looking around him.
«Harv, can you stop?»
«My bad — Hey, I forgot to tell you, you look good on your passport»
«Excuse me?»
«At the control, I saw the photo on your passport… hot»
«Alright, stop»snorted Donna as he smirked at her.
Quickly, they were out of the airport, where the driver ordered by Donna was waiting for them to go directly to the hotel and drop off their things. While they were in the taxi, Donna quickly gave him a debriefing of the next two days while the lawyer was despairing. On the program, an afternoon seminar with local lawyers and an interview for a magazine the next morning, everything Harvey loved, and even if he kept complaining, Donna didn't give him a choice. A few minutes later, both of them showed up at the counter of the hotel, where they were greeted by the receptionist.
«Hello. Welcome to the Hilton Richmond Downtown hotel, do you have a reservation?»
«Yes, in the name of Specter, please»
«Of course»
For a few seconds, the two adults waited for the woman to check their reservations while Donna scrolled on her phone, trying to forget the way her heart had raced when she had called herself a Specter, and Harvey watched the way she had brushed her hair to the side, revealing her delicate neck where he dreamed of sinking his teeth and sucking until he left marks. As they were both in their daydreams, they were quickly interrupted by the girl who smiled at them.
«I just found it. An exclusive suite for two, perfect, your room is located —»
«Oh, no no no, I think there must be a mistake, I reserved two suites»
«Oh, I see… Indeed, you have ordered two suites, I think there must have been a mix-up»
«Oh, this is so good»snorted the lawyer.
«Harvey, shut up — Look, it's fine. Can you put us in two separate suites now?»
«Unfortunately, all the suites are taken»
«An economy room? He'll be happy with that too»
«Hey»grumbled Harvey.
«I'm sorry, ma'am, but the hotel is full and I can't give you any other room here, no matter the category»
«One of the hotels nearby?»
«You can always try, but the next three days are the Folk Festival, and the hotels are mostly overbooked»
«No»
«I'm sorry, ma'am»
«Look, there must be a solution»
«Donna, come on, it's a suite, there are mostly ways to make arrangements»
«Harvey»
«We're adults, right?»
«I'm an adult, you, that remains to be proven»sighed Donna.
«It's alright, miss. We'll take this room for the two of us»
«Sorry again for this inconvenience. Please, your suite is on the top floor, number 305, we're offering you room service as an excuse from us»
«Thank you very much»
The walk to the suite was silent until they reached the door, and both of them took a deep, discreet breath before entering. But, as they walked further into the room, Harvey heard Donna murmur while he burst out laughing. If Harvey preferred to laugh at the situation, the secretary was embarrassed.
«I fucking hate you»
«Well, this isn't a Four Seasons suite, we agree on that»
«Harv, there's only one bed, and it's not even a queen size»
«Hey, at least there's a hot tub, I hope you brought your swimsuit»
«In your dreams, Specter»
As Donna entered the room completely, she put her bag on the left side of the bed and sighed before chuckling at the lawyer's smile.
«What's funny to you?»
«You take the left side»
«Exactly»
«I take the right»
«Good, that would have been awkward if not»
«It's exactly like the other —»
«Harv»
«Sorry»
«Anyway, you better hurry up, you have to be at the conference room at eleven, you're going to be lateif you don't leave now »
«And what are you going to do?»
«I'll find somewhere to go shopping»
«To buy a swimsuit?»
«For the hot tub? Oh no, I'll go naked as soon as you leave the room»
Faced with Donna's words, Harvey choked on his own saliva while the redhead gave him a sideways glance and began to empty the few things from her bag under the curious gaze of the lawyer.
«Harv»
«Oh, yeah, I'm going. See you later, I'm hurrying»
«Not too much either, I want to take my time in the hot tub»
God, this woman was going to be the dead of him. After a last glance, Harvey grabbed his few things before leaving the room and Donna without him for the afternoon. Barely alone, Donna swapped her wide pants and matching top for the swimsuit she had planned for the hot tub, when she was supposed to be alone, and enjoyed this moment of calm before the lawyer returned. Hours passed, and Donna thanked heaven that Harvey had warned her that he would be there in about twenty minutes, giving the redhead time to get out and change, and if she thought that the hot tub episode would not be something very important during their stay, it obviously was for the lawyer who stopped dead in the bathroom when he saw the swimsuit dripping in the shower, Harvey imagining the drops beading on Donna's pale skin, blending in with her freckles, while he would slide his tongue there to make them disappear. Quickly coming back to his senses, he heard Donna talking to him from the next room.
«Are you ready?»
«Almost»
«You better have picked a nice bar»
«We're in Richmond, I did my best»
Hearing the redhead's laugh echoing through the wall, the lawyer's heart melted, finding that sound to be the cutest and sexiest he'd ever heard. After swapping his three-piece suit for a polo and chinos, he came out of the bathroom and saw Donna swallowing hard.
«What?»
«Nothing»
«Is it my hair? Yeah, I forgot my wax at home, so it's all flat»
«They're... good»
They were more than good. As the lawyer came out of the bathroom, for a moment, Donna felt like she was seeing Harvey from ten years ago, with his face still as arrogant but more innocent, like when he was younger and she fell for him for the first time. As they lost themselves in each other's gaze, the redhead quickly came back to reality by smiling at the lawyer.
«Let's go?»
«Yep»
Less than two hours later, the two of them were in the bar that he had found on the internet, and the lawyer was about to order his third glass of whiskey when Donna interrupted him.
«Nope»
«Are you serious?»
«I am, Harv, don't»
«Just one glass»
«No»
«Why not?»
«Because you and I are sleeping in the same bed tonight»
«So what?»
«You know what»
«Would that be so bad?»
«Harvey, don't»
«Sorry»whispered the lawyer.
While the atmosphere was slightly tense, Donna finished her drink in one gulp and looked at Harvey to whisper loud enough for him to hear over the music.
«Let's dance»
Seeing the way he looked at her and intertwined his fingers with hers to pull her onto the dance floor, the redhead's heart was pounding, and she understood that these two days together were going to be complicated and would not necessarily end as they would have thought. For hours, the two colleagues danced and laughed together in front of Harvey's equally absurd dance moves as the other, while they were getting closer and closer without noticing it. Realizing that it was late and that Harvey had his interviews and appointments early the next day, Donna insisted that they return to the hotel, but when it was time to go to bed, if Harvey was rather confident, the redhead was petrified.
«Alright, do you mind if I use the shower first?»
«No, of course, you can go»smiled Harvey.
Donna grabbed a few things from her bag to head into the bathroom while Harvey settled into the small couch to watch the 24-hour news channel. The moment he heard the water running in the next room, a shiver ran through the lawyer's body, forcing him to think of anything but the naked body of the redhead he had been able to discover for hours almost eight years ago. Her, her clothes off, the torrent of water running down her pale skin, the heat making certain areas redden while the contrast with the coolness of the room would cause goosebumps everywhere since Donna was a chilly person — alright, he really had to think of something else because if not, Donna was going to find not a peaceful Harvey, but a Harvey with a boner — think about Louis, Harvey… Louis. Immediately, he felt the heat go down and increased the volume of the television so as not to hear the water in the next room, and if the lawyer thought he was saved for tonight, it was without counting on the exit of the redhead. The moment she appeared in the room in a black satin two-piece, very short shortie, and a low-cut top, he thought he was hallucinating. Seeing his big eyes and his slightly open mouth looking at her, Donna sighed before talking.
«That was before I knew I was going to sleep in the same bed as you, otherwise, I would have more of a ski suit»
«I didn't say anything»
«But your eyes did, come on, the bathroom is free»
«Good»
Quickly, Harvey grabbed his things, locked himself in the bathroom while Donna exhaled the breath she didn't even know she was holding when she heard the sound of the lock. She had seen the way he looked at her, and even if the redhead had had several conquests during her life, no one had ever looked at her the way Harvey did, a mixture of tenderness, desire, crazyness, and... love? God, it was probably her mind playing tricks on her thinking about the fact that she was going to spend a whole night with him, it was going to be impossible, she had to think of something. Meanwhile, Harvey had barely entered the bathroom when he had put both hands on the sink counter to breathe deeply to calm everything that was happening in his boxers, but by doing that, he was doing worse than good as the scent of the redhead penetrated his nostrils, driving the lawyer crazy. Feeling how tight he was in his chinos, he only had two options: take a freezing shower to forget all the obsessive thoughts running through his head, or relieve himself by thinking about the sexy woman he was going to spend the night with. He knew that in a few seconds, he would come since today was a torture and he was on the verge of exploding, but he also knew that by doing that, it would be impossible for him to look her in the eyes after that. So he stripped his clothes and stepped under the shower, trying to forget the image of Donna's handprints on the steamy shower glass in front of him and in what other situation those marks might have appeared, before closing his eyes and gasping as the cold water made contact with his burning skin. It was a quick shower, and as soon as he was outside, he put on a pair of boxers and left the bathroom to enter the bedroom and snorted.
«A wall of cushions? Really?»
«Shirtless? Really»
«Hey, I always sleep shirtless»
«I know you don't»
«And how do you know that?»
«Because I know you're chilly at night, you already admitted it to me when we were tipsy»
«Yeah, but that's when I don't have body heat next to me to share my bed»
«Sweet baby Jesus, come on, it's already two in the morning, I want to sleep»
«Yes, boss»
Harvey then slipped under the sheets despite the separation Donna had built between them with a series of cushions before sighing when she plunged the room into darkness. Hearing the other's breathing next to them, the lawyer and the redhead had trouble falling asleep, the images of Harvey's slightly muscular torso — as it should be — invading Donna's mind while Harvey couldn't get Donna's long legs out of his head and the way her freckles stood out after a hot shower. Finally, after a few minutes of staring at the ceiling hoping to fall asleep, the colleagues each took turns falling into a deep sleep until the next morning, when they never thought they would experience such an awkward situation, at least for the redhead. While Donna was the first to wake up, the first thing she noticed was the heavy weight against her, then a warm breath on her neck, and finally, the coolness on her stomach, which seemed exposed. After her eyes flutter, she gasped silently, observing in what position she had found herself. Lying half on her, Harvey was deeply asleep, his heavy leg thrown over Donna's, the pillows between them having fallen to the floor, while his hand had slipped under her top to rest on her breast — Donna thanking the heavens for having kept her bra the night before — while his head was wedged in the hollow of her neck. If the redhead didn't think it could be worse, the moment she tried to separate from him, she felt Harvey tighten his grip on her, and especially, the enormous bulge pressed against her thigh, which made her blush. At that moment, she didn't have much of a solution.. She could wake him up to ask him to move, but that would be embarrassing. She could try to gently pull away, but given what she felt against her leg, she was afraid that a little friction would be enough to turn this morning into something extremely embarrassing or a point of no return. Or she could also pretend to fall asleep again and wait for him to wake up to realize for himself the positions they were in. But in the end, she settled on her first option and murmured.
«Harvey»
«Hum?»
«Can you move?»
«Hum»
Without even opening his eyes and still being asleep, he removed his hand from under her top, unconsciously letting his fingers slide along her stomach, above her little shorts, to finally caress her thigh and turn around to find himself on his back and fall back into a deep sleep. Once free of Harvey's body against hers, Donna sighed in relief before taking a quick glance and biting her lip. At thirty-eight, the lawyer was absolutely perfect, muscular torso as it should be, biceps slightly bulged thanks to boxing, not too hairy — as Donna liked — and the way his boxers were tight showed that memories did not fail her, he was really well proportioned. After one last look, she quickly got up, took her things to go to the bathroom, and could not help but smile when she saw the shower valve turned to cold water, the lawyer probably having needed to refresh his ideas the night before. After adjusting the temperature, Donna got into the shower and enjoyed this intimate moment before returning to the room shared with Harvey and facing reality. On the other side of the wall, Harvey was slowly waking up to the sound of the shower running and his phone ringing. As he turned off his alarm, noticing his boner, the lawyer cursed before thinking for a few seconds. Donna was in the shower, so he had some alone time, he could quickly release himself and make the pain between his legs since the night before disappear before she went back to the room, and they found themselves in an embarrassing situation, but as tempting as the proposition was, he felt dirty doing this next to her and didn't want her to catch him either in case she went out earlier than expected. So, immediately, he got out of bed and started doing push-ups to try to get his mind off and make his boner disappear before they saw each other. Miraculously, as she came out of the bathroom, she stopped dead in her tracks.
«What are you doing?»
«Hello to you too, how did you sleep, Donna?»
Seeing her blush slightly, he stood up, praying that his boxers would no longer be tight, and sighed when he saw that we could hardly see anything anymore. While the redhead was ready and almost about to start her day, Harvey winked at her before speaking in a soft voice reserved only for her.
«Can I use the bathroom?»
«Yeah, yeah. I'm done»
«Thanks»
After grabbing his things, he locked himself in the bathroom before taking a freezing shower again and getting ready for the interview that awaited him this morning, putting on one of the Tom Ford suits that always caught the redhead's attention before coming out of the bathroom and talking to her.
«Are you coming with me to the interview? It's in the hotel conference room»
«What am I? Your press officer?»
«No, but my secretary»
«No way, Harv. Today is shopping with your credit card»
«I thought you had been yesterday»
«Oh no, yesterday, I enjoyed the hot tub»smirked the redhead.
«Stop teasing me, woman»
«You're going to be late, come on. See you later?»
«Yeah, see you»
After a last smile, the secretary left the room to wander about her business while the lawyer went downstairs, where the woman from the magazine was already waiting for him. For nearly two hours, Harvey talked about everything and nothing, his career, his motivations, his background, his future prospects, and law in New York before thanking the woman and leaving the conference room to be called by a man at the reception.
«Mr. Specter»
«Yes?»
«Is everything going well for you and future Mrs. Specter? Do you like your suite?»
Not expecting him to think Donna was his fiancée, Harvey stammered for a few seconds, feeling butterflies in his stomach, before muttering slowly.
«Hmm, yeah, yeah, everything is perfect. Thank you very much»
« No problem, Mr. Specter. As for this morning's drink, do you want to pay that now or do I put it in your room? »
«Um, put it in the room because my credit card is with my… fiancé»
«Good. If you need anything, don't hesitate»
«Thanks»
With a final nod, he called Donna to get an update on the redhead to finally spend some time with her. And, as he was getting impatient, he heard her sweet voice resonate.
«Hello?»
«Hey, where are you?»
«Told you, shopping»
«I understood that, but where? I'm done, so I'm going to join you for the fittings, so?»
«Jesus, I can't believe it — I'm at Saks Fifth Avenue»
«Do they have a Saks here?»
«Apparently»
«Alright, wait for me, I'm coming»
As soon as he hung up, he hurried to leave the hotel and call a taxi to go there, taking advantage of the trip to call Jessica who picked up after a few seconds.
«Specter?»
«Hello Jessica, am I disturbing you?»
«No no, tell me»
«I'm going to have to stay one more day in Richmond»
«Lucky you»
«Yeah, at the seminar, I met some lawyers who would like to meet me to discuss a case that could do good press for the firm. They gave me an appointment tomorrow early afternoon to talk about it, I'll probably be back late in the evening»
«Well, if you think it's beneficial for the firm, I trust you»
«See you, Jessica»
«Enjoy your time in Richmond»snorted Jessica.
«Oh, I will»
As soon as he hung up, while his last sentence was pronounced in an ironic tone suggesting that he was bored to be there, in reality, Harvey was overexcited at the idea of sharing one more day with Donna. As soon as he arrived, Harvey found the redhead in the middle of the Gucci dresses as the friends found themselves in the fitting rooms a few seconds later, Harvey sitting on the couch outside, waiting for Donna to come out each time to give his opinion, while the lawyer felt his heart race each time she came out with a dress just as sexy as the previous one, and the redhead blushed, feeling his dark gaze on her. Once the fittings were over, both of them headed to a cafe in the mall for lunch while Harvey cleared his throat.
«Well, you're going to be happy»
«Of?»
«I have to stay another day to meet with lawyers from the region tomorrow»
«And what does that have to do with me?»
«Oh come on, you're not going to turn back without me and leave me alone here?»
«To do what? Harv, I've already been nice to accompany you for two days, what am I going to do on the third day? We're in Richmond, we've quickly seen the entire town»
«Alright, listen to what I have planned for the two of us. Afternoon shopping, where I'll offer you everything you want until my legs give out with the weight of the bags. Then, we'll go for a walk to the Virgina Museum of Fine Art, where I've reserved a table at eight o'clock in their restaurant on the third floor, where you will be able to take in sweeping views of the Robins Sculpture Garden and the museum's Cochrane Atrium»
«You really thought of everything, right?»
«For you to stay one more day? I would do anything»
«Harvey, I don't know»
«Please, Donna. Tomorrow morning, we'll have breakfast, you enjoy the hot tub a little more, I'll go to that appointment early in the afternoon, and then we'll turn back home. What do you think?»
Seeing her hesitate, he approached to look at her with his puppy dog eyes, as she sighed.
«Alright»
«Thank you»
In the end, Harvey followed his plan, he bought a beautiful dress for Donna, took a tour of the museum with her, his heart racing when he saw her in her midst, observing each work with passion, before taking her to a candlelit dinner and returning to the hotel. Even if neither of them dared to say anything, they were thinking of the same thing: it was a date. That evening, as Harvey came out of the bathroom, he couldn't help but smile as he saw that Donna had once again put a series of pillows between them and was lying down on her side as the room was plunged into darkness as soon as he slid under the sheets and they both fell asleep. If the previous awakening had been awkward, this one had been even worse. The first time, it was Donna who had woken up before the lawyer, but now, as her eyes fluttered, she froze when she realized that the lawyer was in exactly the same position as the day before, his hand under her t-shirt, and if she thought she was going to wake him up and he was going to move around still half asleep, before she could even say anything, she felt him move against her and hurriedly closed her eyes to pretend to be asleep. As he tightened his hold on her, he then took a deep breath as he nuzzled her neck, and when he realized that his hand was on her breast, she heard him whisper softly.
«Shit»
Hearing Harvey's words, the redhead's heart tightened, as if she had been offended by what he had just said, and, if she felt him gently remove his hand and then his leg from her, it was especially the open mouthed kiss on her neck that surprised her. She was convinced that he was going to separate from her as if he had just burned himself, but she would never have imagined feeling his lips rest on the skin of her neck, pinching quickly in the process, then hearing the lawyer inhale deeply as if to memorize her scent, followed by his fingers delicately caressing her face to brush a lock of hair away. Less than a second later, he left the bed to lock himself in the bathroom, the redhead sat up hastily, eyes wide open, gasping for air, torn between the heat that had just invaded her and being disturbed by what had just happened. For a few seconds, she took deep breaths to try to calm down, and once it was regular, she grabbed her phone to scroll for a few minutes while waiting for Harvey to come back. As soon as the bathroom door opened, Donna was invaded by Harvey's very masculine scent and was overcome by a shiver before she even saw him arrive in the room.
«Hey»
«Hey»
«Did you sleep well?»
«You snored»
«I do?»chuckled Harvey.
«Yeah, a bit»giggled Donna.
«My bad»
«It's fine, it wasn't that bad either. Well, it was rather cute»
«Well, if it's rather cute…»
«Anyway, what's your plan for the day?»
«Well, I'll wait until you're ready, then we'll have breakfast together. I have an appointment at the firm at eleven, so in the meantime, you can either use my card to go shopping or enjoy the hot tub, and after that, I'll come back, we'll pack, grab a bite to eat and we can either catch the four o'clock flight or the six o'clock flight»
«Alright»
«Good. Anyway, you better go dress up if you don't want to have your breakfast too late»
«Yes, boss»
He didn't know if it was her silk pajamas or the way her voice had whispered the word boss — his secretary/boss fantasy that had appeared when she had come to work for him was even more exciting right now — but Harvey was hot, like, very hot, and the moment he heard the sound of the shower, he decided to run out onto the terrace and get some fresh air while waiting for her to come out. Almost half an hour later, she arrived in the room dressed in simple light jeans, sneakers, and a white t-shirt, her hair cascading down her back while her big green-brown eyes sparkled when she gave him a big smile, Harvey's heart racing wildly. If he was already in a suit and tie, the contrast between the two, the lawyer in professional clothes and the redhead in casual outfit, gave a certain feeling of naturalness and complicity, as if they were a normal couple who went about their common business and no longer two employees, as this time, they were just Donna and Harvey. As they were walking side by side, it was the redhead who started to talk first.
«Did you find a place to go for breakfast?»
«Yeah, it wasn't that bad of a review. Well, it's not Nougatine, for sure, but it looks pretty good. They have vegan options»
«You hate vegan»
«I do, but you love it»
«Thanks, Harv»
«You're welcome. It's the least I could do to thank you for spending these few days with me in this shithole»
In the end, the place wasn't that bad, and the two friends chatted while having breakfast for almost an hour. When it was almost time to leave for his appointment, Harvey walked Donna back to the hotel while he was surprised to hear his phone ring and see his boss's name.
«It's Jessica»
«That early?»
«Apparently. Wait — Hello?»
«Tell me it's a joke?»
«What?»
«The magazine»
«What about it?»
«You haven't read it yet?»
«No. Is it already out? I only did the interview yesterday»
«Yes, it's out, and let me tell you, you were very careful not to tell me things»
«What are you talking about?»
«Are you having fun with your fiancé in Richmond?»
Faced with the brunette's words, Harvey stopped dead before Donna looked at him with a questioning look. For a few seconds, no one said anything before the lawyer muttered something to be quickly interrupted by his boss.
«Jessica, it's not —»
«Let me read it to you: Harvey Specter is a talented lawyer, sure, but the thirty-eight-year-old man would never be here without the woman who is by his side, to the point of even accompanying him to Richmond, for the time of an interview — for heaven's sake, Harvey, the firm doesn't pay for you to take your conquests on a business trip»
«It's not that»murmured the man.
«What is it then? Because this journalist may have been fooled by your lies, but not me. You're not engaged, and not even in a relationship, so how do you explain that she mentions a woman with you in Richmond»
«It's Donna»
Hearing her name, the redhead raised her head hastily to look at him with big eyes under the sorry gaze of Harvey, who began to gesticulate on the spot, a sign that he was stressed.
«Tell me it's a joke. She isn't with you there?»
«She is»
«So Connecticut was bullshit»
«Yeah»
«For heaven's sake, Harvey. I can't believe it, one more day for a meeting that would be beneficial to the firm, my ass»
«It's true, I —»
«Save it. Anyway, I hope for you that this business trip would have at least been useful for something and opened your eyes to both of you, because going on a city trip to Richmond between colleagues is anything but normal. See you on Monday»
As soon as she hung up, Harvey put his phone away before Donna rushed to question him.
«What happened?»
«Well, she knows you're here»
«Fuck, Harvey, I told you she'll know. What did she say?»
For a few seconds, he said nothing, just staring at Donna while Jessica's words were running in his head: going on a city trip to Richmond between colleagues is anything but normal. She was right, those last three days were anything but normal — they went on dates, went shopping, slept in the same bed, shared a bathroom, felt an almost unbearable sexual tension for the entire stay — they had to stop pretending they were colleagues when they actually woke up in each other's arms unconsciously. He wasn't a cuddler, and, of all the women who have been in his bed, and the few who have spent the night, he has never woken up with one in his arms, but with Donna, it's like his body was becoming uncontrollable, you just had to think about the painful morning boner of the last two days. Seeing that Donna continued to look at him with a questioning look, without even thinking, Harvey blurted.
«What the hell are we doing?»
«What?»
«You and me»
Seeing his face and the way he looked at her, Donna understood what he was talking about and was suddenly overcome by fear.
«Harvey, don't»
« Donna, come 't tell me you didn't feel anything for me those past few days »
«Harvey, what are you doing?»
«We've been here for three days, acting like a couple, eating together, sleeping in the same bed, spending all our free time together, everyone thinks we're together and —»
«Everyone? What are you talking about?»
«The hotel reception thought you were the future Mrs. Specter, and I don't know how the reporter heard or knew about it, but she mentioned you as my fiancé and said in her article that you were here with me, so Jessica found out»
«But you told the hotel reception that we weren't together, right?»
Seeing Harvey silent, biting his lip anxiously, Donna laughed nervously before repeating herself.
«You told him, right?»
«No, I didn't»
«Fuck Harvey, what's wrong with you?»
«Donna —»
«For years, I've been the one answering your phone, organizing your schedule, taking notes, and acting as your secretary without ever being more»
«You know you're more»
«No, in fact, I don't. The only thing I know is the fact that, every time I try to live my life, to be my own person, you stop me because you have to show that you control me, or God knows what»
«It's not —»
«Why didn't you tell him we were colleagues, or even friends? Why did you lie and tell him we were engaged and that, as usual, I belonged to you. I'm not some fucking thing Harvey that you drag from state to state because you're bored and to whom I belong — fuck, I knew it was a terrible idea to come»
«Donna, I —»
«Leave me the fuck alone, Harvey. I'm so sick of it»
Without even waiting for an answer, she turned to continue her way to the hotel without Harvey, while the lawyer didn't know what to do with the image of Donna, her eyes filled with tears and her lower lip trembling slightly. Seeing the time, he headed to the firm where he was expected, punching his fist into an electric pole to let out his frustration right before entering the building. Barely twenty minutes later in the meeting, seeing that he couldn't concentrate, the redhead obstructing his mind, he took out his phone to speak in a deep voice.
«I'm sorry, I have a family emergency, I won't be able to stay, but we can do a video conference, or you're welcome in New York. I'm really sorry»
«We understand, Mr. Specter, family is too important and takes precedence over everything else, it's normal»
What he had just said was not really a lie, Donna was family and right now, the idea that she could have returned to New York without him or even that she was angry with him made the lawyer want to die. So he ran to the hotel, did not even wait for the elevator to climb two by two the steps to the top floor, enter the room, and stop dead when he saw that Donna had not left, but was in the hot tub. She had just gotten up, her legs still emerged in the water up to the middle of her thighs while the drops dripped on her body, covered only by her bikini, her hair tied up in a bun above her head while she looked at him with big eyes and her mouth slightly open.
«What are you doing here?»
«You didn't go back to New York?»
«Well, I booked the room until six»
For a few seconds, neither said anything as they stared at each other until the lawyer saw Donna's face change from shock to anger as she prepared to get out of the hot tub. But, as he saw her approach the edge to grab her towel, Harvey hastily interrupted her.
«Don't»
«What?»whispered the redhead.
Losing what little reason he had left, Harvey quickly took off his suit jacket while removing his shoes. He then quickly unbuttoned his shirt to get rid of it, took off his white t-shirt, revealing his torso before taking care of his pants and finding himself in his boxers, still under Donna's shocked gaze. After a few steps, he entered the hot tub while the redhead sat to cover herself as she whispered.
«What are you doing?»
«We need to talk»
«And you couldn't wait for me to get out and get dressed?»
«I panicked, okay? I was afraid you'd leave»
As Donna was now sitting again in the hot tub, the bubbles completely camouflaging her half-naked body, Harvey imitated her to sit on the other side, and even if it was intended for two people, it was still a hot tub in a suite for a couple, the space was quite limited.
«Harvey, I — »
«You can't say that you're just a thing when you know very well that you're much more to me»
«Oh, really?»
«I'm sorry, I know you don't belong to me — I know that — but I can't help it, I mean, it's always been you and me, no one between us, so over the years, I may sometimes tend to forget that I'm not the only one in your life»
«Yeah, you often forget, but I can't live like this anymore, I'm thirty-seven and I feel like I always depend on you and your desires, to exist only through what you want me to be for you, and —»
«I want to be everything to you like you are everything to me»
«Excuse me?»
«I loved sharing my life with you these last three days, I get butterflies in my stomach when people mention that I'm with my fiancé or that they call you the future Mrs. Specter, I couldn't concentrate on the idea that you could be sad or angry with me, I was panicked at the idea that you had gone back to New York. I mean, Donna, I've never felt more at home than these last two days with you sharing my bed, the same bathroom, flying together, going to restaurants, dancing, partying, having drinks, all those little things a couple can do and —»
«Harvey, stop»
«Why? Why don't you want to talk about it?»
«Because you can't do this to me. Not now, not after all these years»
«I'm a fucking idiot, Donna, I know. But this business trip has changed things, and God, when that receptionist called you Mrs. Specter, I could have gotten down on one knee in the middle of the lobby if you had been —»
«Alright, that it»
As she was about to get up from the hot tub, Harvey was quicker and hurried over with the idea of her not leaving, except that, in his haste, he had placed both his hands on the edge of the hot tub. on either side of Donna's shoulders who remained glued to the wall of the tub, their faces inches apart as their breathing was heavy. For a few seconds, neither of them spoke, too busy looking at each other and trying to figure out what they were going to do, while Harvey was the first to break the silence to whisper.
«I'm sorry I was so stupid, Donna. If I could go back eight years ago, I swear I would to make up for lost time»
«You have no right to do this to me»whispered the redhead in a trembling voice.
«I'm sorry, you have no idea how much I blame myself. And if you don't want to, I'll understand, and I swear I'll let you go, but I need to know because if you want me to let you go, I'll do it — I swear — even if it destroys me»
While his face was even closer than before, their breaths caressing each other's faces, Harvey searched for an element of answer in Donna's eyes, finding only a mixture of fear and relief. Showing a lack of response, he moved a little closer to her lips until he saw her gently close her eyes, as if she were surrendering, giving the lawyer the information he was missing. Without further ado, he met her mouth in a tender and languorous kiss, where he delicately caught her lower lip between his to slide his tongue gently over it. In less than a second, if Harvey had been leaning over the seated redhead until then, both of them changed positions, the lawyer now sitting against the wall of the hot tub and Donna straddling him, a wave of water coming out of the tub to crash to the floor with the movement. Soon, their lips found each other again, moans and gasps escaping their mouths as Harvey had no idea what to do with his hands. If they were on her hips first, he quickly slid them to the small of her back, then her ass, squeezing hard and sighing contentedly against her skin. That ass he had spent years watching and reimagining between his hands again, their bodies colliding, the redhead's chest crushed against the lawyer's, her breasts spitting out of her bra as they gave themselves over to a contest of dominance with their tongues. They couldn't have said how long they'd spent kissing and making out in that hot tub, but as Harvey thought he'd come in his boxers every time Donna rocked her hips, squeezing their crotch together, he was surprised when he felt his secretary grab one of the hands that was on her ass and bring it to her stomach, sliding it lower and lower until his fingers were against the elastic of her bikini bottoms.
«I don't want just sex, Donna»
«I know»
As she continued to slide his hand, Harvey quickly caught on and joined her center, inserting two fingers inside her, without even waiting, as she gasped at the intrusion and the stretching. For a few seconds, no one moved, both of them staring at each other, panting, as Harvey placed another kiss on her swollen lips and started the movements with his fingers, watching the redhead's eyes roll and her breath hitch as he thought he was going to come just looking at her feeling pleasure. For Donna, between the heat of the hot tub, the feeling of the lawyer's lips against her neck, and his fingers curling expertly inside her, the redhead had never been hotter. As he continued to stretch her with his digit, involuntarily thrusting his hips as soon as a moan escaped her lips, he could see how close she was, and decided to slide his thumb between her folds, while she tightened the grip of her arms around his neck as their cheeks were now squeezing together and the little noises she made reverberated in his ears, as if it were only for him. Wanting to enjoy it to the end, he slid the hand that was not occupied between her legs from her ass to her hip, his palm partially on her stomach, as it had not taken more than thirty seconds to feel her contract violently around his finger, moaning loudly while he felt her stomach spasmed under his palm and her hot breath against his neck. After waiting for her orgasm to be completely finished, he kissed her passionately, taking his fingers off her, and then lifted her up, her legs surrounding his waist as he was now standing in the center of the hot tub, his soaked boxers heavy on his hips. For a few seconds, they didn't move, only kissing, until Harvey wrapped his arm around the redhead's waist to hold her tight against him and moved towards the edge as she whispered against his lips.
«Be careful»
«To you? Always»
Still with Donna secure against him, he carefully got out of the hot tub to slowly move towards the bed while they continued to kiss passionately, the lawyer's hands supporting the redhead's ass while she tried to push his boxers with her heels, making them fall with a heavy thud on the floor, leaving the lawyer naked. Harvey then placed her on the mattress, and if Donna expected him to cover her with his body, she was surprised when he flipped her over, the secretary finding herself on her stomach, her back pressed against her boss' chest, who began to place open mouthed kisses on her neck and shoulder blade. He then lowered his lips to the top of her back, unhooking her swimsuit top with his teeth by pulling on the strings, revealing the entirety of her skin, where he quickly placed small kisses along her spine until reaching the elastic of her swimsuit panties. After squeezing her flesh with his hands, he hooked two fingers on either side, pulling on the fabric while Donna raised her hips to help him remove it completely. The lawyer continued to slide the garment down her legs, dropping kisses on her skin before turning her hastily and lying on top of her, both sighing in contentment now that they could feel each other's warmth.
«You are my biggest regret, Donna. I should have never let you go»
Overwhelmed by emotions, the redhead didn't even respond, just kissing him as they grew hotter and hotter, and the anticipation of being together again after so long became more and more intense. As he placed kisses on her neck, and Donna caressed his back and the hair on his nape, she felt him fidget between them before being invaded by his length in less than a second, her breath catching at the intrusion and the stretch still as delicious as it had been eight years ago. They had sex for hours, making up for lost time while neither knew how to think properly. After several orgasms, both of them found themselves lying next to each other, panting, trying to catch their breath. With the last of his strength, Harvey turned around to snuggle into Donna's arms, his face on her neck, inhaling her particular scent mixed with that of sweat. After a few kisses, he whispered.
«I wanna be with you forever, Donna. I want those last days to be my forever»
«Until when?»
«Donna, I —»
«Harvey. Those few days were amazing indeed, and yeah, there is something between us more than friendship, but talking about forever.. this is— »
«— what I want»
«You don't know that»
«I do now»
«I don't want to be the first one. What if you realize you don't like life together? I don't want to be the one who suffers when it happens. I'd rather not be with you than have my heart broken by you, I waited ten years, I can stand to wait a little longer, but I couldn't stand for us to tear each other apart»
«I'm sick of not being myself, Donna. I just want to be happy, and I know that being happy is being with you. I know that all commitment and serious relationship isn't my type, and you're right, it'll be a first for me, but I just want to be happy and be with you»
«Harvey»
«Please. Have faith in me»
«I don't know»
Four months later
When Harvey had returned from Richmond, Jessica had rushed to summon her protégé to her office to lecture him about not bringing your secretary on a business trip because you're bored. If Harvey had simply tried to justify himself by saying that he had fulfilled his contract and that Donna had only been there to keep him company, Jessica had not wanted to know more and had cut the conversation short.
«This is the last time you hide things from me, Harvey. Understood?»
«Understood»
«Good. You can go now»
Since that day, Jessica could see that something had changed in the dynamic between the two colleagues, as if they had imposed a certain distance and that whatever had been going on between them for the past eight years was calm and less electric, to Jessica's great astonishment. If she had trouble understanding what Richmond had done to them, it was one random Tuesday that she understood that it had not been just a simple business meeting. In the morning, Harvey had stopped the secretary who brought coffee for everyone, and he was quick to take his cup and the redhead's one before disappearing into the kitchen to return a few minutes later to the meeting room where she, Harvey, Mike, Louis, Donna, and Norma were already sitting around the table. Barely her coffee in front of the secretary, she took a furtive glance at the inscription on the cup, pulling a funny face, before looking at Harvey quickly and approaching the hot liquid. Once a small sip swallowed, she smiled to herself before focusing on Jessica's voice.
«Is everyone ready?Can we start? »
For nearly two hours, she led the meeting until, during a moment of silence, the redhead's stomach rumbled and she murmured.
«Sorry»
Immediately, before Jessica could even resume the meeting, Harvey talked in a serious tone.
«How about a break? We can take advantage of this moment to order food for lunch? What do you think?»
«Are you going to order?»snorted Mike.
«Yeah. Do you have a problem with that? I know how to use a phone, I can order too»
«Well, if you proposed so kindly»
«Alright. What do you want?»
«Burger?»Mike suggested.
«No way. Too fat»
«What's wrong with you?»snorted the blonde lawyer.
«What about bagel?»suggested Donna.
As everyone nodded, Harvey passed around a paper where everyone wrote down what they wanted, and the lawyer hurried out of the room to order. In a few seconds, Louis was chatting with Jessica, Norma left to make herself a tea while Donna was about to leave the meeting room in turn. But as soon as she stood up, she was interrupted by Harvey, who handed her a cereal bar, which surprised Jessica to see the redhead eating that kind of thing, and especially that Harvey had it. Once everyone was settled, the meeting resumed, the four lawyers discussing and the secretaries taking notes, and, as Jessica could see Harvey constantly glancing at Donna, she noticed in turn the redhead's fluttering eyes, as she was falling asleep. Quickly, the bagels arrived, and everyone started eating while talking about everything and nothing, Jessica's gaze continuing to scrutinize the slightest actions of the lawyer and his secretary. As Donna opened her bagel to inspect the inside, Harvey nodded to her before she started eating. When everyone was almost finished, she saw Harvey open his bagel to take out the few slices of cheese, close it, and hand a piece to Donna, who hurriedly swallowed it.
«If everyone is done with their food, shall we continue?»
For another hour or so, while everyone was seated, Donna quickly got up to head for the exit while Louis called out to her.
«Where are you going?»
«Peeing»
«Again? You went there like an hourago »
«Do you really want to argue about the size of my bladder?»chuckled Donna.
«Leave her alone, Louis»
As Harvey had just spoken in a bored tone, everyone looked at him surprised to see him defending Donna on such a thing, but then again, their relationship was complex and no one really understood what was going on between them. Once the redhead was out of the room, they discussed everything and nothing until she came back, and they continued for another hour before Jessica put an end to it. As everyone went back to their jobs, the lawyer watched as her protégé and his secretary chatted quietly, she sitting at her desk outside his office, him leaning on the edge across from her.
«Jessica?»
«Yes, Louis?»
«Do you have five minutes to talk about the Alexander case?»
«Of course»
For nearly twenty minutes, the two lawyers chatted until Louis left Jessica's office and the brunette headed to the redhead's desk.
«Donna?»
«Jessica, how can I help you?»
«Do you know where Harvey is?»
«Hum, not sure. He went to get something outside, but he'll be back soon. Can I take a message for him?»
«Yes, I just wanted to know if there is a possibility to —»
«Hey, I took you ginger tea and —»
Faced with Harvey's voice, Jessica turned to see the man approaching with a cup in one hand, and a bag with a potential pastry in the other, while he stopped dead when he saw the brunette in front of his secretary's desk. Seeing the strange look they were giving each other, Jessica didn't try to understand and spoke to her protégé.
«Can you come to my office? Louis gave me a little update on the Alexandre case, I wanted to discuss it with both of them»
«Of course, I'm coming»
As Jessica walked back to her desk, she took one last look behind her to see Harvey laying everything down in front of Donna with a big smile while the redhead chuckled at him with a small smirk. As promised, Harvey showed up at Jessica's office a few minutes later to discuss the case, until he went back to his office to continue his day. If Jessica didn't really cross paths with the two colleagues for the rest of the day, while the entire floor was almost deserted and she was getting ready to go home, she was surprised to hear two voices that she knew only too well.
«You didn't have to wait for me»
«It's fine, I had nothing else to do tonight»
«How are you feeling? Aren't you too tired? I saw your eyes flutter during the meeting today»
«Yeah, I had a bit of a slump at that time, but I'm fine now, I have lots of energy. You know how it is»
«Yeah»
«Are you almost done?»
«We can go now, I'll continue tomorrow»
«Are you sure?»
«Yeah yeah»
«Alright, I'm just finishing this email»
As she was about to move forward to wish the lawyer and his secretary a good evening, Jessica stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Harvey leaning behind the redhead, placing a quick kiss on her shoulder, then hooking his fingers on her jaw, turning her face slightly, and placing a tender kiss on her lips, the redhead's gaze never leaving her screen. A few seconds later, when Harvey had just collected his things and Donna tidied up her desk, Jessica stepped forward while both of them froze at the sight of her.
«Since when is this thing?»
«Jessica, it's —»
«When?»
«Richmond»
«Richmond, great. Anything else I should know?»
For a few seconds, neither of them said anything, just staring at each other as Jessica could see that they were hiding things from her, and, if she thought that being in a relationship after eight years of circling each other was big, this was going to be even bigger. With a simple nod from both of them as if they agreed, Jessica saw Harvey raise his hand, a silver band around his fourth finger that wasn't there today, before her gaze drifted to the redhead's hand, where she expected to see the matching one. In addition to a diamond studded wedding band, next to her finger was a huge engagement ring that was just as sparkling as the other ring with an obscenely large diamond. If the brunette was shocked to see that, in addition to being a couple, they were visibly married to each other, the moment Donna slid her hand down the front of her dress to smooth it, Jessica opened her eyes wide, seeing a bump appear under her loose dress. Without even thinking, the brunette started to laugh before looking at the couple.
«It's a joke, right?»
«No, it's not»
«You're gonna tell me that after ten years of walking on eggshells and pretending there was nothing between you two, you're married and expecting a child after what? A few months?»
«Seventeen weeks to be precise»
«No way»
«We became a couple before we knew Donna was pregnant, if that's what you're worried about»
«Oh, I'm not worried, you should be worried. How are you going to tell the firm that you accidentally got your secretary pregnant?»
«Well, first, it's no one business, they don't have to know, then, I happily accidentally got my girlfriend — who is now my wife — pregnant. Not my secretary»muttered Harvey, annoyed.
«No one business? Please, do you realize that everyone will see her belly a some point and they'll start talking? As you would let them believe the baby inside her isn't yours. I know you, even before you two were together, you were marking your territory, showing everyone she was yours, so don't tell me it's no one business when I know you'll get pissed every time someone will assume something about this kid»
Facing the lawyer's silence, she saw Donna chuckling before sliding her arms behind his back and dropping a kiss on his clothed chest, looking at him with love in her gaze. Them acting in love in front of her, Jessica smiled seeing her protégé torn between embarrassment and love for his now wife as the brunette took a deep breath and started to talk again.
«I guess congratulations are in order»
«Thank you, Jessica»
«It makes sense now. The coffee this morning»
«I replaced it with ginger tea for the nausea»smiled Harvey.
«The Granola Bar»
«Pregnancy craving»
«The burger»
«No junk food for the baby»
«The cheese in the bagel»
«I didn't know if it was pasteurized or not»
«The snack»
«Pregnancy craving again»
«You really think of everything»smiled Jessica.
«He's the best»chuckled Donna, looking at Harvey lovingly.
«Girl or boy?»
«Baby girl»
«Oh, she'll have you wrapped around her tiny finger»
«That's for sure»snorted the future dad.
Seeing Harvey smile as he gently caressed the redhead's belly, Jessica could see how happy and in love he was, but most of all, calm and relaxed, as if all his demons from the past were gone and he was ready to live the life he had always expected. If the brunette never thought she would see the day they finally realized their feelings — let alone being married with a baby on the way — the situation seemed so natural that she couldn't help but smile.
«I'm happy for you both»
«We are too»
«I wish you both a good evening then, well, all three if we count Richmond»
«Hey, don't call my daughter Richmond»groaned Harvey.
«Alright. See you tomorrow»
«See you, Jessica»
«Goodnight»smiled the redhead.
As she turned to leave the floor, she heard Harvey whisper in a soft voice let's go home and couldn't help but smile when she noticed the tone used only to speak to her. She was so happy for them, for almost ten years, she had seen the lawyer close himself off to any opportunity to be truly happy while continuing to love the redhead with all her heart, refusing to take the step while she saw the secretary suffer every day seeing the man she loves pushing her away without even realizing it. But seeing them truly be themselves in just a few minutes, she could only be happy for them.
If she had known that a business trip to Richmond would have been enough to stop eight years of turning around, she would have done it much too soon, and there would have been a toddler running around the office by now.