Love and Litigation - An Alex Cabot/Law and Order SVU fanfiction

Chapter 26

She'd said it wouldn't happen, couldn't happen again. Her self-control would prevail, and she'd be able to resist Luke Dawson. After all, he was just a man.

Right? 

Wrong. 

It had happened again, and Luke wasn't just any man. He drove Alex crazy and stoked her fire in all the right places. The only man she'd ever known who could light her fuse and keep it burning. That was Luke Dawson. 

It was her day off, and the night before she'd had sex in her office like an animal who couldn't be tamed. Imagine if they'd been caught? Just the thought raised her blood pressure. If they were going to keep this charade going, keeping a low profile was imperative. She knew what she needed to do. She had to talk to Luke and set some ground rules. Her sanity depended on it. 

As she walked into a small coffee shop a couple of towns away, she spotted Luke sitting in a corner booth. She was pleasantly surprised to find he had already ordered for her. 

"Double espresso with two shots of oat milk, right?" 

She smiled as she sat down. 

"You actually pay attention. I'm impressed." 

He was looking particularly handsome that morning. Clad in a checkered cerulean blue button shirt, tan khakis, and black biker boots, he was a sight to be seen. 

"Listen," she began, fidgeting in her seat. "We've got to lay down some ground rules, okay?" 

He took a sip of his coffee. 

"Ground rules, huh?" 

She looked around impulsively, making sure no one was listening in. 

"Last night was--" 

The smirk on his face gave her pause. 

"Okay, stop doing that." 

"Doing what?" 

"That thing you do with your face! The smile and the smirk." 

"You called me out here to talk about my face?" 

She bit her bottom lip, trying to register a response. Instead, they both fell into a soft laughter. 

"Look, what happened last night? We are supposed to be keeping this a secret. We're lucky we didn't get caught." 

"I told you nobody was there. I'm not that crazy. But, fair enough. I'm sorry if I blindsided you."

She wrapped her hands around her mug, enjoying the warmth flooding to her hands. 

"Don't apologize. Just don't do it again. At least, not at work." 

She could see him grinning as she struggled not to smile herself. Out of the blue, he offered a suggestion. 

"We should go to the beach." 

"What's going on at the beach?" 

"The ocean's there." 

She smirked and rolled her eyes at him. 

"Thank you, Captain Obvious." 

"You down? I know a spot about an hour from here. I never see anybody I know down there." 

The idea of privacy appealed to her, and she knew that getting some sun would do her good. 

"Why not? I'll need to go home and change though."