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madpanda75 · 5 years

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“Escape Room Escapades” Part Two

Part Two of my story where Rafael and the reader are locked in an escape room, with the prompts: "That’s probably the fastest I’ve ever done that” and “Isn’t this considered public indecency? We could get arrested!” from this lovely smut-filled list.

You can read Part One on my Masterlist. I was gonna make this the conclusion but who knows, there may be a third part...ya’ never know ❤️

Warning: NSFW (I also call Rafael a “butt nugget” because I have the sense of humor of a 12 year old boy 😂)

A gust of wind rushed past your bare legs as you walked down the street. You clutched your skirt, making sure you didn’t flash any poor unsuspecting passerby. Having been too preoccupied with Rafael’s cases and your own, you had forgotten to do the laundry. The only pair of clean clothes you had was a brown suede skirt and a cream colored sweater. Going commando to a team building event was not ideal, but you could suffer through a couple of hours. You had been to an Escape Room before. The plan was to get the whole charade over with as quickly as possible and make it back home in time for some birthday champagne and a Netflix marathon on your couch.

You turned the corner and saw Rafael outside the building. He was dressed in a blue-grey cashmere sweater and jeans that did a stellar job accentuating his assets. Good Lord, the man looked amazing even in casual clothes. You walked up to where he was standing, silently cursing him for being so damn cute. “Rafael?”

Rafael turned towards you. Your heart skipped a beat. Up close you could see how the color of his sweater brought out the green in his eyes, some stubble on his face already beginning to grow after one day of not shaving. You shook off your impure thoughts and glanced down at your phone to check the time. “Where’s everyone else?”

“Patel couldn’t come. He had to take his dog to the vet and Walters is sick with dengue flu.” Rafael rolled his eyes at that last part. You would think a lawyer could come up with a better excuse.

“So it’s just us then,” you said.

“It would appear so.”

“Great,” you grumbled, reminding yourself to have a little chat with Patel and Walters on Monday morning. Let’s see them try and ask you for advice on litigation techniques now. “Come on. Let’s get this over with so we can go on with our lives.”

Once inside, a young employee whose name tag read “Lucy” signed you both in. Rafael stood next to you while you filled out the registration form, studying your profile—the gentle slope of your nose, your cherry red pout. He could feel your body radiating heat. You were exquisite. How was he supposed to concentrate with you in the room. His racing mind suddenly came to a screeching halt when you glanced up and caught him staring.

“What?” You asked, furrowing your brows at him.

“Nothing. I just...uh...noticed it was your birthday today.” Rafael pointed to the form.

“Yep and I’m stuck here with you,” you sighed. “Lucky me.”

Once you finished, Lucy led you down a hall with several doors, stopping at one called, The Hydeout Game. “Here’s the story,” she replied in a dramatic British accent. “The good Dr. Jekyll has been acting strangely for weeks and gone missing!” She gasped. “A crazy fellow has been causing chaos in town so you’ve been hired to investigate. Can you find out what happened to Dr. Jekyll before it’s too late.” She rubbed her hands together and manically began to laugh.

You and Rafael looked at each other and then at her, completely unfazed.

“Tough crowd,” Lucy mumbled, losing the British accent. “Ok, here’s the deal. You have 75 minutes to figure out how to get out of the room. There’s a walkie talkie in there in case you need help.”

“75 minutes. I thought this was only supposed to be an hour,” you said.

“Your boss specifically requested that we give each group an extra 15 minutes to ensure you have enough time to figure out how to escape,” Lucy replied.

Rafael scoffed. “Well it’s nice to know Jack McCoy has confidence in our ability.”

Lucy unlocked the door and made a sweeping grand gesture with her arm for you to enter the room. The room was set up to reflect Victorian times, elegant with luxe blood red wallpaper and plush furniture. A large fireplace was on your right and to the left was a sitting area with bookshelves and a secretary desk. In the middle of the room a table was set up to look like a laboratory with various beakers, pipettes, and paper strewn around. “Good luck!” She waved and slammed the door shut.

*****

It only took fifteen minutes of being locked in a room with Rafael for you both to begin bickering. You managed to find Dr. Jekyll’s journal, a large notebook with a cryptic message scrawled on the page. Obviously it was a code of some sort. The problem was you and Rafael couldn’t decide which code it was.

“It’s clearly morse code,” Rafael argued. “Look at the length of the message. It fits into the morse code alphabet.”

“That would be too easy, Barba,” you retorted. “It’s Alberti’s disk. The message is written out of order. You can encipher it one letter at a time.”

Rafael shook his head. “This isn’t rocket science. It’s a locked room in the middle of Manhattan where kids go to celebrate their birthdays. Trust me, it’s morse code.”

You stood there with your arms crossed, both of you going back and forth like a tennis match.

“No, it isn’t”

“Yes, it is.”

“No, you’re wrong.”

“No you’re wrong.”

“No, I’m the one who’s right! You’re just being...a...a...a butt nugget!” You exclaimed. There were several other choice words you had for Rafael yet butt nugget was the first thing that popped into your head.

“Wow. Butt nugget. Really?” Rafael laughed. “If this is how you argue in court, maybe you should have taken more plea deals with my cases.”

Red flashed before your eyes. You were seething. “That’s it! I’ve had it!” You boomed, stomping over to the door and pulling on the knob. When it didn’t budge you pounded on the frame, demanding to be let out.

Rafael’s eyes widened and went over to lead you away from the door. “What are you doing? Just calm down!”

“Calm down?! CALM DOWN?!” You screeched, practically in hysterics by that point. “I can’t calm down because I’m stuck in a room with YOU! What is wrong with you?! For months I’ve been bending over backwards, working like a dog to help you and for what?! So you can treat me like dirt and criticize every single thing I do.” You ranted and raved, moving closer and closer towards Rafael. “Whatever happened to a thank you! But no, nothing! Maybe if you removed that torts book you have wedged up your ass, you would realize that I was just trying to help you! And to think I was once attracted to you! Major mistake on my part.” You laughed like a mad woman before getting right in his face. “Now you listen to me. We’re going to figure out this puzzle, get out of this room and we’re going to do it MY way and if you don’t like it that’s too damn bad.” By this point you were practically nose to nose with him, jabbing him in the chest with your index finger, out of breath from your maniacal tirade. Of course it was hard to focus on staying angry when the smell of his cologne left you weak in the knees.

Rafael didn’t speak a word. He glared at you—his nostrils flaring, his jaw set. You felt a sudden shift in the room, your hateful stares transforming from fury to lust. The temperature began to rise and a flush crept up your face. It felt like you were about to combust. Beads of sweat dotted Rafael’s forehead, his heart thumping wildly in his chest. He let out a shaky breath, lowering his gaze to your mouth. Before you could even react, he grabbed you by the waist and kissed you hard. Your bodies sighed in relief, finally releasing months of pent up sexual frustration.

The kiss was everything you had fantasized it would be and more. So much more. It was explosive and all-consuming. Rafael tasted like coffee mixed with mint and a hint of spice. His strong lips moving fervently against yours, sending a tingle straight to your core.

He pushed you back against the old fashioned secretary desk, a drawer popping open to reveal another clue. You gasped in surprise, allowing him to slide his tongue into your mouth. One hand found its way to your hair, threading his fingers through your silken locks while the other cupped your face. Rafael was shaking slightly, trying to restrain himself and not paw at your flesh. You grabbed his hand and moved it to your breast, granting him permission to explore your body.

He groaned, gently squeezing your breast, feeling your nipple strain against your thin sweater. His lips must have been laced with an aphrodisiac. Everything around you become fuzzy except for Rafael. The tension in the room began to dissipate. The hunger you had for each other reached its peak. Both of you surrendered to the moment, giving into your deepest desires.

Your pussy throbbed with need, your arousal beginning to coat your inner thighs. In an answer to your prayers, Rafael wedged his leg between yours, spreading you open for him. His eyebrows raised in surprise when he reached down to lift your skirt only to discover that you weren’t wearing any panties. “You’re full of surprises, aren’t you?” He purred against your mouth.

“Don’t ever underestimate me, Barba,” you giggled into a moan, rocking back and forth on his thick thigh, the rough denim providing the most delicious friction against your clit.

Rafael braced his leg against the desk and grabbed your hips, encouraging you to grind down harder against him. He could feel a wet spot beginning to form on his thigh. His kisses moved across your cheek, finding purchase on the sensitive spot below your ear. He inhaled deeply. You smelled like cinnamon and vanilla, alluring, warm, and good enough to eat. Your pulse quickened, he could feel your heartbeat beneath his lips as he painted your skin with his tongue.

You shuddered and reached for his belt buckle. “Fuck me,” you said in a breathless whisper.

The sound of clinking metal brought him back to reality. He stepped away from you, his chest heaving from exertion. “Wait. Isn’t this considered public indecency? We could get arrested.”

You nodded your head, completely out of breath. “True. It is a Class B Misdemeanor, punishable by up to 3 years in jail or probation and a fine of up to $500. Not to mention having a permanent criminal record.” You glanced down to see Rafael’s erection straining against his jeans. A sinful smirk slowly spread across your face. Sitting down on the desk, you opened your legs even more, teasing him with your glistening swollen sex. “So do you think we should stop?”

Rafael licked his lips, his eyes darkened as he drank you in. “No fucking way,” he growled.

In one long stride, he was on you, planting a searing kiss to your lips while he dragged his fingers against your slit.

You reached down and whipped off his belt before unzipping his jeans. “I’m on the pill and I’m clean,” you mumbled between kisses.

“So am I,” he replied, pushing his pants and underwear down in one swift movement.

Grabbing his cock, he brought it up to your sheath only to stop for a moment. He locked eyes with you, searching your face for any sign of uncertainty. You smiled and nodded your head, wanting this just as much as he did.

Rafael slowly guided himself into your sheath. You mewled in response, grabbing a fistful of his sweater. “Fuck,” you whimpered. “I knew there had to be a reason why you were so cocky.”

Rafael let out a breathless laugh, stopping halfway to let you adjust to his size. As your body relaxed, he pushed himself further until he was buried deep inside your molten hot core. Inch by inch, he slowly pulled out, leaving the head of his cock inside you before pressing back in. Your head fell back, a loud drawn out moan leaving your lips.

Rafael shushed you and grabbed your chin to meet his gaze, dragging his thumb across your bottom lip. “We have to keep it down.”

You nodded and gently bit down on the pad of his thumb before taking it in your mouth, moaning around the digit as he began to move against you. Rafael found his rhythm, his ass cheeks clenching with every hard thrust. The wet sounds of your coupling spurred him on and he quickened his pace.

You released his thumb and wrapped your arms around his neck, burying your head in the crook of his neck. “Barba,” you gasped.

“Call me, Rafael,” he replied in a strained voice.

You obliged, softly chanting his name. Your hot breath tickling his ear. “Oh, Rafael,” you softly moaned, biting down on his earlobe.

Rafael groaned. There were so many nights he would spend stroking himself, imagining you with your legs wrapped around him, whispering his name. Even now he wasn’t fully convinced that this wasn’t a dream and he would wake up alone in his bed, in need a cold shower.

He took hold of your leg and lifted it until your knee was pressed up against your chest, allowing him to penetrate you even deeper. You drew in a sharp intake of breath causing Rafael to freeze and instantly pull back. “Did I hurt you?”

“No. It feels so good,” you whined and wrapped your other leg around his waist, using it as leverage to arch your hips up. Letting go of his restraint, he pounded into you, grunting with his efforts, pushing you towards your release while trying to hold off his own. The desk banging into the wall with every movement.

You choked back a sob, the root of his cock rubbing against your clit. A warmth spread throughout your body, settling all the way down to your toes curling within your boots. One more thrust sent you over the edge. Rafael tugged you into a bruising kiss, silencing your cries as wave after wave of pleasure rippled through you. You trembled, your nails biting into Rafael’s neck as you clenched hard against him. He groaned into your mouth, impaling you one final time before his cock swelled inside your core, filling you with his release.

Aftershocks surged through your body, your walls still fluttering against Rafael’s cock. He shivered and gently lowered your leg. For a split second, you forgot where you were, losing yourself in his passionate embrace until Lucy’s voice came over the walkie talkie. “Hey guys!”

You pushed Rafael away and grabbed the walkie talkie. “We didn’t do anything!?!” You said in a panic.

“Well of course you didn’t, you’re still locked in the room. Consider this your 30 minute warning.”

“Thanks.” You hopped off the desk and adjusted your skirt. “How are we going to get out of here,” you mumbled to yourself while looking around for clues. Your mind switched gears from having impulsive angry hot sex with a man you were supposed to hate over trying to figure out how to win the game, which was no easy feat with Rafael’s cum leaking out of you.

“This is ridiculous.” Rafael zipped up his pants and helped you search the room. He was sweating through his sweater from your coital workout. “We’re two of Manhattan’s top ADAs. It shouldn’t be this complicated.”

“Try to think outside the box and look in places you normally wouldn’t.” You bent down and inspected the faux fireplace.

Rafael stopped, noticing how your skirt rode up, following the line of your long legs all the way up to your ass. He tugged on his collar and cleared his throat, shifting his gaze over to the table and picking up a prop beaker. “So...ummm...do you always go commando.”

You turned towards him, blushing profusely. “Laundry day,” you explained, clenching your thighs together. Narrowing your eyes, you looked right past Rafael and noticed the open drawer on the secretary desk. The drawer you had bumped open while otherwise occupied. You brushed past him, making a beeline to the desk drawer and pulled out a decoder ring. Your eyes shifted to Jekyll’s journal on the side table that you and Rafael had been squabbling over earlier. “I’ve got it,” you announced.

It was all beginning to make sense. The numbers on the page spelled out another clue. Once you figured that out, it was all downhill from there. You glanced over at Rafael and smiled. “Alright counselor, are you ready to get out of here.”

*****

You and Rafael put your minds together and were able to find the key and unlock the room with 10 minutes to spare. The minute the door opened, you both thanked Lucy and fled, terrified she would suspect something other than puzzle solving happened in that room.

It was dusk by the time you walked outside. The cool crisp air whipped at your face while leaves danced around your feet. A rich and earthy scent hung in the air, it was warm, smoky, and inviting. Even the city that never sleeps couldn’t escape the impending arrival of autumn.

You stood on the sidewalk next to Rafael, rocking back on your heels, avoiding eye contact at all cost. Apart from the honking cars and chatter of people brushing past, there was nothing but awkward silence between you both. The reality of what just happened less than an hour ago began to sink in. Neither of you dared to make the first move, waiting to see if the other person would speak first.

In the end, it was you that eventually caved. “That’s probably the fastest I’ve ever done that,” you blurted out. “Unlocking the room, not the sex. Although I don’t normally rush into sex either and definitely not with a coworker. I mean not that the sex wasn’t good cause in the words of Tony the Tiger, it was grrrrrreat! I mean, I haven’t orgasmed that hard in years and— Oh my God, I can’t believe I just said that.” You turned beet red and covered your face with your hands. Rafael’s eyebrows shot up into his forehead, the corners of his mouth twitching into a smile. While you were humiliated by your bout of verbal diarrhea, he thought it was absolutely adorable. “And on that note, I’m leaving. Have a good night and I’ll see you on Monday.” You gave him a half-ass wave and scurried away as fast as humanly possible.

It took Rafael a second to realize you were gone you had left so quickly. He was surprised that you hadn’t left a dust cloud in your wake like in the cartoons. “Y/N, wait up,” he called, practically jogging down the street to catch up with you. “Jesus, you’re fast,” he huffed.

You stopped in your tracks, shocked that Rafael was chasing you down and not laughing at your expense back where you had left him. “What is it, Rafael?”

“Well, I was wondering if you had any plans for your birthday?”

“Probably vegging out on my couch, binging “Murder She Wrote” while drinking champagne straight from the bottle,” you replied with a shrug.

Rafael nodded and scratched the bridge of his nose, his heart hammering in his chest at what he was about to say. “That’s too bad because I was wondering if you’d like to celebrate it with me.”

Your eyes widened in surprise. “Really!?”

Rafael chuckled. “Yeah, really. There’s a great French restaurant not too far from here. Unless you’d rather spend the evening with Angela Lansbury.”

“I think Angela can survive without me for one night.” You smiled and took a step closer to Rafael, reaching out for his hand.

He intertwined his fingers with yours, glancing down at your joined hands before looking up to meet your gaze. With his free hand, he reached up and gently tucked a strand of hair behind your ear before trailing down to your cheek, caressing the soft skin with his thumb. You closed your eyes and tilted your head, your mouth brushing up against his palm.

Rafael’s breath hitched, pulling you close enough towards him to press a soft kiss to your lips. This kiss was different than before. It was shy and hesitant, almost innocent. Almost. The kiss quickly began to unfurl into something more, something dark and desperate.

Somewhere off in the distance, you could’ve sworn you heard someone say, “Get a room.” As ironic as that was, you couldn’t care less and neither did Rafael. You melted under his touch, his tongue dueling with yours as your breaths mingled. You clutched fistfuls of Rafael’s sweater for fear your legs would give out.

Pulling back just a hair, you looked into Rafael’s big green eyes, now consumed by lust. “Why don’t we get the food to go?” You suggested with a devious smirk on your face.

*****

You were awoken the next morning by an expletive followed by the sound of a pan clanging against your counter. The rich smell of chocolate filled your nostrils.

Untangling yourself from the bedsheets, you sat upright and stretched your arms over your head, naked as a jaybird, your bedhead wild and crazy. It had been months since you had slept so soundly. You felt rested and invigorated.

You let out a contented sigh and flopped back in bed, melting into the mattress. Your fingers skimmed across your body, trailing down to the dull ache between your legs. Rafael’s touch still lingered on your skin, the smell of sex mixed with his cologne covered you like a blanket.

Last night, it was more than just layers of clothing that were shed. Words were exchanged. Months worth of suppressed emotions bubbled to the surface. You were finally able to look past the insecurities, the animosity, and truly see the other person.

Turns out you and Rafael had more in common than you thought. It wasn’t easy for either of you to open up but laying in bed, sweaty and satiated, your limbs entwined, you both felt safe, finding comfort in each other’s arms.

More clattering coming from the kitchen made you curious to see exactly what Rafael was up to. The walls of your apartment were paper-thin. You could hear him cursing and rifling through your drawers. Getting up out of bed, you shivered and wrapped your arms around yourself before spying Rafael’s cashmere sweater on the floor. You tugged it on, the hem barely concealing your bottom and padded down the hall, following the path of clothes that littered the floor.

You walked into the kitchen and spied Rafael standing in front of the oven, wearing nothing but your apron. His back may have been to you but you knew the front of the apron read, “Hot and Spicy….and the food is pretty good too!” It was an appropriate choice of outfit for him in that moment.

Leaning against the doorframe, you took advantage of the view before you, drinking in his bare feet, his muscular calves, all the way up to his thick thighs and finally settling on his firm yet oh so pinchable ass. His ass was the reason why they invented the peach emoji in the first place. You could bounce a nickel off it.

Sensing that he was being watched, Rafael turned around. “Good morning,” he said with a shy smile, his ungelled hair sticking out in every direction. He had a dark smear of something that appeared to be chocolate batter on his cheek. There was a boyish charm to him, a far contrast to the tailored suits and sharp-tongued snarky ADA you had grown accustomed to. It was a side of Rafael you had never seen before.

“Morning.” You took a step closer and grabbed a kitchen towel, cleaning the chocolate smudge off his face. “Be careful with the oven. That’s an unfortunate kitchen accident in the making,” you teased and playfully tugged his apron. “Oh...yeah.” Rafael blushed and rubbed the back of his neck, stepping aside to reveal an unfrosted chocolate cake sitting on a plate. “I was trying to find your coffee but I saw the cake mix and since we never got to dessert last night I thought I would bake you a breakfast birthday cake.” You gazed down at the dessert, feeling a lump form in your throat. Noone had ever made you a cake for your birthday before, not even your parents. In fact, you had forgotten you even had the cake mix in your cupboard. The simple gesture touched your heart. You turned around and smiled at him. “I appreciate the sentiment, although I think I got my dessert last night.” You pushed back a lock of hair that had flopped forward on his forehead, planting a kiss on the spot then moving lower to kiss the tip of his nose, and finally his lips. “Thank you,” you whispered. “You’re welcome.” He wrapped his arms around your waist and kissed you deeply, humming in appreciation as his hands moved lower towards your backside. “Can I help frost?” You purred against his lips.

“If you like.”

You grabbed the cake and placed it on the counter next to the open can of chocolate frosting that Rafael had set out earlier. Grabbing a knife from the drawer, you started to coat the cake in chocolate frosting. “I didn’t know you were such a baker.” Rafael stood behind you, inhaling the sweet warm scent of your shampoo. “I know my way around the kitchen, among other places.” He brushed your hair to the side and dropped open-mouth kisses to your neck and shoulders. “So I’ve noticed.” You dipped your finger in the chocolate frosting and brought it up to Rafael’s lips. He sucked greedily on your index finger, his eyes boring into yours.

Your breath hitched. You resumed frosting your cake which was becoming increasingly difficult to do with Rafael nuzzling your neck while he ran his hands up and down your arms. You bit back a whimper and grinded back against him, feeling his growing erection press against your ass. “Why do I feel like we’re about to reenact the pottery scene from Ghost.”

He chuckled and gently nibbled on your earlobe.The scruff on his cheeks tickled your skin. “Do you want me to hum Unchained Melody.”

You giggled and tried to wiggle away only to have him tighten his hold on your waist. “Actually I have a better idea. Why don’t we eat this cake in the bedroom.” You grabbed the cake and glanced back at Rafael, motioning to the fridge. “Don’t forget to bring the whipped cream too,” you said with a wink.

Traipsing back to the bedroom, with Rafael following, you made sure to put a little more swing in your hips, fully aware that if you turned around, you’d catch him staring at your ass. There were still a lot of unknowns for you and Rafael and while you weren’t sure what the future held, you did know one thing—this was definitely the best birthday ever!

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rauliskafan · 7 years

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A Hard Lesson in Vanity: Chapter 7

Authors’ Note: Happy Thursday, lovely readers!!! Now that the verdict is in, what exactly is Eve Selby’s next move? And will Rafael get caught in the crossfire? Read on to find out!!! @vintagemichelle91 and I hope that you enjoy!!!

“Hermosa? Are you sure you don’t mind?”

Ducking into a corner of Forlini’s with his phone pressed to his cheek and a finger in his free ear, Rafael waited for Natalia’s answer, his heart sliding some when his wife released a heavy sigh.

“I can come right home if you want,” he continued.

“No; it’s fine. It’s not as if you have a curfew when I chain you to the bed.” He heard a new sigh slip into the smallest of chuckles, and Rafael relaxed against the wall, his lips curling into a smirk.

“Could be fun to give that a try,” he teasingly suggested. “I sort of love the idea of submitting to you.”

“Do you now?” she queried.

Suddenly the celebration seemed a moot point, and he was ready to catch the first cab en route to Natalia’s embrace.

“Is everyone there?” his wife asked. “Or… or is it just you and Ms. Selby?”

He thought he heard her voice hitch in her throat and shook his head while speaking fast.

“No,” he said. “Mike. Fin. Liv and Carisi. Even Rollins… the gang’s all here.”

“Must feel like old times,” Natalia mused. “Have a few drinks. Enjoy yourself. My mother and Trevor might take the girls, and I could do with some down time.”

“How are our bellezas tonight?” he asked.

“Violetta tried her trick on Trevor,” Natalia started.

“Had to help him out when he couldn’t tell the difference?”

“But she swapped the ribbons,” Natalia answered. “My father is still apologizing to Holly for calling her the wrong name. He’s even offered to pay for all the therapy he’s sure she’s going to need.”

“He does realize that she’s only five months old, right?” Rafael asked.

“It’s sweet, Atticus,” Natalia hummed. “Besides, he doesn’t know much about babies.”

In that instant, he could have made a snide comment about his father-in-law’s globe-trotting adventures while he abandoned two daughters of his own stateside, but Rafael let the matter drop and met Natalia sigh for sigh.

“It does sound sweet,” he concurred. “You know what, I’ll just call it a night.”

“No,” Natalia said. “You’ve earned the victory lap. Give… everyone my love.”

“All of this is thanks to you, hermosa,” he stressed. “Because you made me play nice.”

His wife paused again, and he started to speak when his soul was relieved by the sound of her light laugh.

“Will you be the nicest when you finally make your way home to me?” she inquired.

“Without question, hermosa,” he insisted. “And if you want to try something with one of my ties, then I’m all---”

“Just get home safe so I can kiss you closer.”

Natalia punctuated the sentence with the sound of her lips pursed together and smacking through the phone.

“Te amo,” he said. “I’ll see you soon.”

“I’ll leave a light on in the window.”

The call ended. Rafael smiled and returned the phone to his breast pocket. He felt a small grin forming on his face when Carisi rehashed Eve’s prowess in court, and he had to applaud when the detective reached the end of the story.

“Well told,” Rafael said.

“And the next round is on me,” Carisi replied.

Waving towards the bartender, he finished his shot and made sure that Eve had a fresh drink before anyone else. Of that Rafael took note. The other ADA and the detective clinked glasses, and Rafael heard Liv’s voice not too far off until she joined them at the bar.

“Not bad at all, Ms. Selby,” Liv said. “Nice to see Buchanan backed into a corner.”

“A tight fit,” Eve joked. “But I got the job done.”

“That you did,” Liv agreed, and Rafael held his tongue as they toasted, a small part of him feeling as if he was on the outside looking in, recalling memories from school. The short kid only picked for stick ball on Eddie’s say so. Or even at Harvard, something of a token in the scheme of the debate club or mock court. The feeling hardly sat easily in his heart, but this was Eve’s moment and---

“You were just lucky that Barba came back to play on your team.”

Fin stuck close to Rollins as she headed towards them with an empty glass in hand.

“I think you’ve had enough for tonight, Amanda,” he said.

“I say no, Fin,” Rollins said, helping herself to part of Carisi’s recently purchased round. She drank fast and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

“Wonderful job, Eve,” Rollins continued. “We love one in the win column. Don’t you?”

For a second, the detective’s eyes shifted towards Carisi. He blushed and pulled on his drink, but Rollins grabbed his hand and gritted her teeth.

“Is it a win for you too, Sonny?” she asked.

“Amanda, don’t do this,” he implored.

“You like her so much?” Rollins challenged. “Make her dinner. See how far that gets you.”

“Stop,” Carisi warned, and Rafael thought to take her out for some air. But Rollins would not move.

“Why should I?” she asked. “What the hell am I being punished for? Because Declan came back and wanted to spend some time with Jesse?”

“So you keep telling me,” Carisi said, standing fast, his stool falling out from under him. “And what was I meant to be to her? Or you?”

Rollins lip quivered for a second, but just as quickly she bit back her tears.

“You were meant to be my friend,” Rollins said. “But I’m not so sure about that now.”

Stumbling backwards, she said it was time to leave as Fin caught her.

“Think you better come with me,” he said.

“Want to be alone,” Rollins replied, brushing him off and barreling towards the door. The party sat in silence until Carisi was the first to blink.

“I better go after her.” A part of Rafael knew that Natalia would be glad to hear that he was following fast, but then the detective turned back to Eve.

And he took hold of her hand.

“Sorry,” he started. “Rain check?”

“Text me later,” Eve said. “So I know you got home safe.”

With that he was gone, and the others stayed silent until Liv looked to her phone.

“I need to get back to Noah,” she said, patting Rafael’s arm and then Fin’s before staring down Dodds.

“What?” the sergeant asked.

“If you talk to your father, tell him that Noah and I await his swift return.”

“You know how these conferences are,” Dodds said.

“Yeah I do.”

“Hold up, Liv,” Fin said. “I’ll come with. Getting too old for these all-nighters.”

They waved goodbye, and Dodds glanced at the clock of the wall.

“I’m out, too,” he said. “Gotta meet Maggie after her dance class. We’re picking out wallpaper for the bedroom tonight.”

“We?” Rafael queried.

“What? How fast you forget the nursery.”

“Not at all,” Rafael said. “But let’s be real; Maggie’s picking out wallpaper. You, my friend, are nodding and smiling.

“Touché,” Dodds said. “Want to split a cab with me?”

“I---”

“No! Have another drink with me!”

Eve tilted her head to the side and flipped a few locks of her hair over her shoulder.

“I…” Rafael said. For the smallest of seconds, his eyes drifted down the length of her long legs crossed at the knee. No question about it… she was lovely. In another time… possibly…

“I have to get home,” Rafael said. “My girls.”

“I insist on one more,” Eve said. “I need to run something by you real quick.”

Her flirty demeanor evaporated, and she signaled for two fresh shots before standing tall, her face hardening, and suddenly she was all business again.

“Guess I have to listen to the boss,” Rafael said. “Go on without me, Mike.”

“Are you sure?” he asked. “I mean cause… because I can hang here if you need me---”

“And keep Maggie waiting?” Rafael shot back with a smile. “She’d be mad at me for months. Go. Give her my regards.”

He tottered slightly as he started to step towards Eve and the table she had snagged in the back as Dodds peered into his eyes.

“Rafael? Don’t have more than one,” Dodds warned. “Just hear her out and head home to Natalia.”

“Will do, sergeant,” he said, waving, watching Dodds reluctant to depart. Once he was gone, he returned to Eve and slipped into the booth.

“Here’s mud in your eye,” Eve said, and they clinked glasses.

“Salud,” Rafael echoed. “So what’s the topic of conversation?”

“Topic?” Eve echoed.

“I’m guessing our next case. Let’s do this.” Maybe it was the liquor or the triumphant high, but he was ready to work with her again. If he had to. After all, she was gifted.

And he told her as much.

“Do you really think so?” Eve asked. “Coming from you that means… so much.”

“As if I’m so---”

“No, no. Don’t tell yourself short. Everyone’s heard about you sassing a jury. Giving the defense hell. The way… the way you can be so tender and so… so gentle when it comes to your witnesses.”

After a sip, Eve lowered her glass to the tabletop and stretched her arms across the surface. The tips of her nails just grazed the edges of his, and her hand closed for an instant before Rafael fled from her touch and returned to his drink.

“Sorry,” Eve said, “Did I embarrass you?”

“No,” Rafael said, lied, sipping what little that remained at the bottom of his glass and tensing against the leather-backed bench. He expected her to shift back, to laugh it all off as too much alcohol on everyone’s part and turn the conversation back to something like Rollins’ impromptu exit. But again Eve’s hand drifted, her fingers starting to curl around his.

“I had a tall bill to fill stepping into your shoes,” she said. “Daunting at first. But then…”

He froze as her nail found his palm, her touch tracing the lines of his hand.

“But then you handled it with aplomb,” he said.

“Is that your verdict?” she asked.

“I’ll defer to the jury,” he quickly said. “They gave you the verdict you wanted most.”

“For that I’m glad,” Eve said. A small puff of air left her lips, hitting the hem of his sleeve and just creeping up his arm.

“It truly has been something to follow your career,” she went on. “To step into your shoes. Such large shoes to fill.”

“What of it?” he asked, uncomfortable as he caught her meaning.

“Add to it these hands! What else is properly proportioned?”

“Stop,” he said. “We’re not doing this.”

“What?” she innocently asked.

“You know. Look I’ll work with you for as long as I have to. But as for the rest of it I---”

“Fine,” Eve said, signaling for another round of drinks, and Rafael was parched enough to accept the bitter, icy taste before sliding deeper into the booth…

… and seeing nothing but her face.

“Looks like I have a captive audience,” Eve quipped. “And I didn’t even have to tie you up.”

One of her hands moved tightened around his wrist. She hadn’t tied him down; only Natalia had the charms and the means to do that. He had to get home to her…

“Maybe I should see if Mike is still waiting for his---”

“Hold up, Rafael.”

Eve’s hold turned surprisingly strong, and he found himself fixed to his seat and trapped in the path of her eyes.

“Eve… do you want to discuss the next case or what?” he weakly asked.

“Or what?” she echoed. “We’re all good in the courtroom. I knew you’d come back… at the end of your suspension… I’ve wondered how it would play out.”

Now it wasn’t just her hands; her foot slid up his leg, and Rafael’s vision blurred. In what felt like a second and an hour all at once, Eve was sitting at his side, one of her hands at the small of his back.

“What… what about Carisi?” Rafael asked.

“What about him?” Eve challenged.

“You… I mean you brought him to the dinner party,” he said. “Made Rollins upset.”

“She shouldn’t be,” Eve chuckled. “Sonny is sweet. But I was just---”

“Stringing... him... along?” Rafael asked, struggling to speak. “How could you? You know he... he could sit second chair ? And he… he’s my friend. My wife’s friend…”

“They cook together,” Eve said. “Would you like us to put our own spin on that?”

Eve winked, and Rafael wished that he had taken Dodds up on his offer. Scrambling from his seat, he tripped over his own feet, having no choice but to fall into Eve’s waiting arms as she kept him from the floor and sighed into his ear.

“Easy, Rafael,” she purred. “Don’t you trust me?”

“I… I don’t... want to call...”

“Natalia?” Eve asked.

“Always,” he said, finding her eyes as he nodded his head. “She’s waiting for me.”

“She’s sort of sweet,” Eve said. “I bet she’ll wait a little longer. And if you’d like someone a little more... sophisticated...”

The drinks were taking over, his legs like jelly as he scanned her frame, and when his stare settled on her face, he had next to no words.

“I can help you with that,” Eve promised.

"No,” he muttered as her lips fell toward his. “Can’t... don’t want to.”

“Which is it?” Eve asked as she guided him into the night, Rafael’s head growing fuzzier with each step until she patted his cheek.

“It’s alright, Rafael,” Eve whispered. “I’ll figure out what’s best for both of us.”

#raúl esparza #rafael barba #natalia barba #mike dodds #dominick sonny carisi #amanda rollins #olivia benson #fin tutuola #a hard lesson series #a hard lesson in vanity #law and order svu #svu fanfiction

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