Kalinda's smiling when the court officer unlocks Alicia's cuffs, and by the time they're at the car her lips are stretched into what can only be called a grin.

"Oh, shut up," Alicia grumbles. Kalinda Sharma grinning. She rolls her eyes. It was a long day even before this, and she doesn't have to put up with any of Kalinda's crap.

"I didn't say anything."

Alicia slides into the passenger seat, buckles her seatbelt, and slides off her shoes as Kalinda pulls out of the lot. She can't help it; her ankles feel stiff and swollen, and she admits it, she likes the safety of being encased in the car, like suddenly there's no one else in the world except Kalinda, like that's all her world needs. "You should talk. I've had to get you out of there what, three times now? Four?"

"Yeah. It's nice to be on the other side."

"I'm sure it is," Alicia huffs, looking out the window.

"What happened? Which case?"

"Guttman."

Kalinda nearly swerves onto the sidewalk. Alicia grabs her elbow as she slams her boot on the brakes. "Abernathy held you in contempt? Tell me you're joking."

"No, it's my fault. Just lost my patience."

"Really," Kalinda murmurs, starting to drive again, turning onto the entrance to the Eisenhower. "You?"

"I can't tell if you're being sarcastic." Alicia realizes she's still grasping Kalinda's elbow and lets it go, her hand falling back down to her knee. Kalinda looks at her sideways for a second, then flicks her eyes back to the road.

"Go on."

"When they got his brother on the stand, that anarchist kid—you remember, you talked to him—"

"Jordan."

"Yes. Abernathy was babying the prosecution so much, kept overruling my objections, and I think I just rolled my eyes a few too many times. So he was on edge, and when he let in obvious hearsay …"

"You lost it."

"I did."

"Wish I could have been there." Kalinda switches lanes, slipping in between two trucks as if she doesn't even see them, and navigates towards their exit.

"I'm glad you weren't."

"It takes some work to get to Abernathy like that. You should be proud."

"It was humiliating." Alicia covers her face with her hands. "They actually cuffed me in open court."

She feels the car stop, and when she takes her hands from her face, she sees Kalinda has pulled into the parking area at a BP station. She looks at Kalinda, who's gazing at her with familiar intensity, and feels herself blush.

"What?"

"You can't talk about something like that while I'm driving." Kalinda's voice is lower than usual, and when she leans in and kisses Alicia it's with a fierceness that makes Alicia feel her whole body is sparking with Christmas lights. "Do you want to get us both killed?" Kalinda kisses behind Alicia's ear, drags her teeth down her throat.

It takes Alicia a second to put it together. "I never knew this about you."

"Do you know how hot it was," Kalinda murmurs, "seeing you come down that hall?"

"N-no." Alicia sighs as Kalinda starts undoing the buttons of her blouse.

"Why do you think I came to get you?"

"I thought it was because you cared about me." Kalinda's fingers work their way beneath her bra, and she gasps.

"That, too."

Kalinda's fingers feel good, the release a relief after the long day. Alicia reaches to cup Kalinda's cheeks, pull her into a kiss, but Kalinda grabs both her wrists—for someone so tiny, she's annoyingly strong and agile.

"Don't you dare." Kalinda's smile is new and almost absurdly sexy. Her eyes are gleaming.

"Kalinda …" Alicia whimpers as her lover nibbles hungrily along her throat.

"They won't expect us back at the office for another hour." Kalinda gives Alicia a deep, long kiss and then pulls back, asking a question with her eyes. Alicia bobs her head in a tiny nod, the most she can manage with all her nerves awake, her heart and her core throbbing so hard. Kalinda swings out of the driver's seat and onto Alicia's lap, kissing Alicia repeatedly as she does so. Alicia sighs and lets her head fall back. "You're all mine 'til then," Kalinda whispers just below Alicia's ear.