Law and Disorder: Partners Undercover

She rubbed the front of her legs. “My legs took a beating from that run. I hardly ever run that many miles.”

He nodded in agreement. “We could have stopped after two or three miles. If the storm didn't stop you, we would probably be halfway to the next county by now.”

“Like you said, I had a lot to get out. Eddie really pissed me off with his assumption of me.”

“Why are you still letting that bother you? Lucinda knew right off you weren’t that way.”

“Adam, when I practiced psychology, I had to wear suits and heels every day. I love what I do now and never once thought people would see me differently because of it.”

Placing a plate on the counter, he said. “You could still dress like you used to and have people assume things about you, Morgan; we can’t control that.”

She tapped her finger on the dark granite counter. The way I dress now has nothing to do with it, Adam, its' my attitude and how I carry myself. I'm around men all day, except for Carmen; I'm picking up you all's characteristics."

He stopped chopping vegetable long enough to stare at her. "Damn, did you just come to that realization?"

“You’re being funny, but its' true. I know about these things remember," she said tapping her temple. "How about some wine to go with the meal? Whatever you are making smells like it calls for a good wine.”

“You don’t cook but you know how to pick out wine for dinner….how did that happen.”

“I have been wined and dined once or twice. Not all men think of me like Eddie.” Closing the wine cabinet, she put her hand on her hip. ”I defended his little weasel ass every time he got in trouble….not anymore!"

”That was his problem…he let women come to his defense. A man might test you if he didn't see your gun. Lucinda on the other hand, he might think twice about messing with her. Her thighs were thicker than my arms.” Pulling up his sleeves, he flexed his firm muscular biceps.

"Yeah she was big. Granted I haven't been in any fights or gun battles since joining the FBI, but I think I could hold my own if the situation called for it,” she said pulling the cork out the bottle. “Tell me, have you had women or men fight over you before?”

He snorted. “I’m from Miami. There is too much testosterone trolling the beaches to have to fight over one man. Besides, I was the law. In a hotspot like Miami, that’s not considered a number one grab.”

“Oh, so if you were a cute cabana boy, you would be sought out more?” She laughed.

He pointed a finger at her. “You laugh but that is true. I went undercover as a lifeguard once; my ass got slapped so much I couldn't sit for a week.”

She leaned over the counter checking out his backside. “I can picture you in a Speedo.”

His cheeks grew red as he blushed. “Screw that crap; my butt will not be caught in a Speedo again; at least not by choice.”

She patted her chest. “Be still my heart, he is denying us the thrill of a lifetime.”

They both shared a laugh as she poured the wine and he finished the spicy mojo chicken.

Sipping the sweet wine, he frowned, “This is okay if you’re into wine; got any tequila? I will make us the signature drink of Puerto Rico,” he said using his Latin accent to accentuate.

“I only drink wine but you can check the cabinet to see what’s there. Lawrence considered himself a bartender and kept the cabinet well stocked. What is the signature drink of Puerto Rico by the way?”

“Anything with tequila or rum in it.” Finding a bottle of unopened Patrone, he returned to the kitchen.

He fixed the drinks after serving the food. “Wow, this is really good. I loved the food in South Beach….this reminds me of that.”

He lifted his glass in a toast to her. “Whenever you want a taste of Miami, you know where to find me.”

Licking her fingertips, she leaned over to him. “Don’t let your mouth get you into something you can’t get out of. Anyhow, I can't barge in on another woman's territory.”

He ignored the comment. “I’m glad you are enjoying it."

She nodded taking a large sip of the signature drink. Gagging she felt the liquor burning as it traveled down her throat. "What the heck is in this?"

Handing her a glass of water to wash it down, he began to laugh. "I take it you don't drink tequila."

"It's like drinking lighter fluid! Damn that burns," she said rubbing her chest.

Picking up his glass he simulated how to sip. "You drink it slow, not like a soda or a shot. You want to taste the sweetness of the fruit juice mixed in with the tequila. Try it again but slower."

"I don't know, Cabrera, If I didn't know better, I would think you are trying to get me drunk in the middle of the afternoon."

"You hurt my feelings, Morgan, I wouldn't do that. I'm only trying to get you to forget about what happened this morning."

Tipping the glass to her lips, it flowed easier but still burned. "Oh my God this is strong but good."

"Told you it was. Eat some food before it sneaks up on you."

Alternating between drinks, Morgan pushed her plate away after becoming full. The pitcher of drinks sat empty on the counter with a half bottle of wine next to it. "Did we polish off that whole pitcher of drinks?” Adam asked as he reached for more.

“We sure did and I’m feeling a bit mellow. That's why I hardly ever drink liquor because of the way it makes me feel.”

Taking a bite of salad, he said, “Yeah, got me a nice buzz going too. Besides mellow, exactly how else does liquor make you feel?”

A small trace of salad dressing lingered on his chin. Morgan reached with her finger swiping it into her mouth. The move was bold and sexy and it shocked him since it came from her. The alcohol definitely had loosened her up.

"Umm, it tends to bring out the hidden persona in me."

Rubbing his finger lightly across his lip, he asked, "Who is that hidden persona and what is she like?"

Leaning in closer to him, she licked her lips in that sensual way she had of doing that drove him crazy. "She is the part of me that is spontaneous, impish, with an untapped sexual desire that requires a strong healthy man with a good back."

His mouth went dry as he searched for a response. Seeing he could not come up with a snappy one, he cleared their dishes from the counter instead.

Turning on music, she swayed back and forth to the beat of the smooth jazz emitting from the speakers. Finishing her glass of wine from earlier, she watched him clean the kitchen. “I can clean the kitchen since you made the meal.”

“Nah, I’m done…let me grab my drink and we can chat a little more before I head home.”

Stumbling to the sofa, she flopped down. “I'm sure you can tell I don’t entertain a lot. After my boyfriend dumped me, our mutual friends had a hard time deciding on whom to be loyal. I saved them the trouble of choosing by concentrating on work and forgoing the social scene.”

“Morgan, you are social. Rico thinks you're great."

"Your brother is sweet and really handsome; too bad he's married,"
she said giggling. "I wish I weren't such an introvert, Adam. I choose to be alone instead of socializing or networking with other people; the main reason for me not being in a relationship after Lawrence left."

"You don't grab me as shy and Rico thinks you're hot too."

“Adam, do you regret doing this? I mean we spend more time with our unit than we do with family. Relationships are so hard to keep together when you work in law enforcement.”

He found the key to opening Morgan up; get a few drinks in her. “I really never thought about it like that, Morgan. Carmen and Benson fell in love so there is always hope for us. I mean if that is what you are looking for.”

She ran her hand through the strains of her damp hair. The fresh sent of her shampoo wafted towards him. “They flirted like wild animals before getting together. If they had been partners, fugitives could have done cartwheels in front of them and they wouldn't have caught them.”

He took in a deep breath as the fragrance lingered turning up his arousal to near intolerable levels. “Did Talbert find out about them after they got engaged?”

“Hell no, the unit knew they were messing around but they make a cute couple,” she said.

"Yeah, they do. Morgan, why did you stop practicing medicine?"

Curling her legs under her, she said, "I had to have a profession that took care of me when I graduated college; my family was strict that way. I majored in child psychology because my cousin, who is a brilliant psychiatrist, was a big influence on me. After three years of doing that and not going to jail for strangling a kid, I felt it was time to move on to what I really wanted to do."

He laughed out loud, "Morgan, you're kidding; you wouldn't hit them."

"Adam, I had some of the worst kids I've ever seen; could've knocked the crap out a few of 'em and not regretted it. They didn't need counseling, what they needed was a swift kick in the ass," she said pouring him the last of the wine.

"Woman, you are a trip…you know it’s a felony to abuse patients. So do you keep your status current or you gave it all up?"

"I do keep my license current I just don’t have the desire to practice anymore."

"That's smart. Did you feel you were good at it even if the kids were a little hard to handle?"

Aware she was telling him more than she cared, she decided she should stop answering questions before he got everything out of her. "I won't say I wasn't successful at it, but after dealing with the temperament of some of the teenagers, I probably will never practice again. I made progress with those teenagers that welcomed the help. That's enough questions; you got out of me all you're going to get today.”

Sitting his glass on the table, he said. “You’re smart, Morgan, I like that.”

“There is a lot more to me than the lesbian look," she said joking. "You never told me where you attended school.”

He hesitated to answer since he didn't have the credentials she had. “Naturally I have my criminal justice degree from Miami University. The only other talents I have are playing the piano and sports.”

She shook a finger at him this time. “I don’t think those are your only talents, mister. You could be a professional chef…better yet a chef on television. With your good looks you could make burning water look sexy.”

“Damn, its official, I’m cutting off my alcohol intake. Two compliments in one night will give me a big head.”

Poking him on the shoulder playfully, she said, “What’s the matter…am I embarrassing you.”

“Hell yeah, so stop! I know you don’t like talking about yourself, but you're fascinating when you think about it.”

"I highly doubt that. I talk; there just really isn't anything exciting to know about me."

"I think there is. Morgan, you need to jumpstart your love life. Are there any crushes you secretly harbor? We're friends…I'm not going to blab what you tell me."

"Adam, I don't get involved with the men at work for a reason. Alone, I can stay focused and not get emotional. If I have a man at the office and we start having problems that can cause problems with my work performance."

He raised his brow. "I don't know, Morgan; that sounds like you're looking for problems in a relationship as a way of staying single. When you put the bad before the good, then of course the relationship will fail, but if you work together it can be great…like Carmen and her man."

"Okay, lets' use us as a scenario here. Say we're married. We have a bad day of chasing fugitives. We are home for the evening and there is no asking how our day went; we already know it was bad. We go to bed maybe try to make love but the bad mood gets in the way of that; we're not connecting as a couple anymore because of the stress. There is no separation when you work together. I don't see it working, Adam; whether I have a man in law enforcement or not it's just not worth the headache for me.

"That's your warped scenario. My scenario would be the total opposite. So we have a bad day on the job, I would make it a rule to make sure our home life would not be that way. A romantic dinner followed by a nice bath to take away the stress. The rest would only be uphill from there."

"For a man you are a real romantic and your scenario is a lot better than mine. You would've made a great relationship therapist."

"I believe a life with no one to share it with is boring and a waste. Look at you, I mean you're intelligent, funny, and beautiful. What man wouldn't want to be in your company?"

Cracking her neck to rid the stiffness, she answered, "Obviously only you and Quinton. If it weren't for you hanging out with me, I would have no male companionship outside of work."

"Hmm, I find that hard to believe."

"Do you know you smell so damn good?" She said sniffing him.

"Morgan, are you feeling okay?"