Rated R for: Explicit sexual scenes and strong language. Woo hoo!

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Sweet Release

Nick sat down on his bed lowering his head into his hands. It had felt like the longest day of his life. His head pounding against his palms, he closed his eyes feeling tears begin to burn behind his lids. He repressed the urge to cry. If he let himself go, he wasn't sure he could stop. His mom still needed him; there were preparations to make with the funeral home.

"Holy fuck," he murmured to himself.

He couldn't believe his dad was dead.

~*~

"Anybody heard from Nick today?" Grissom called out to everyone in the lab.

Warrick looked at Catherine who shrugged and looked over to Kate. Kate shook her head slowly. She hadn't heard from Nick since he flew out this morning. She'd thought about him maybe a thousand times since then but had not had a chance to call his mobile yet.

"I'll give him a call," Grissom said turning on his heel and departing the lab.

"You think his dad's going to be alright?" Warrick asked Kate.

"I don't know," she replied. Damn, she thought. She should have called him today.

~*~

"Heavenly Father," the priest intoned. "We commit the body of Nathaniel Stokes into your care."

A light breeze blew across the cemetary rustling the leaves in the tall elm overhead and drying the perspiration on the back of Kate's neck. Holy God, she intoned to herself, she thought Vegas was hot in the summer. Then she came to Texas.

A wisp of hair blew across her face as she silently prayed for the breeze to continue. It caressed her neck as she looked through a gap in the people standing in front of her across the grave at Nick. He looked tired but handsome. In a nicely cut black Hugo Boss suit, his dark hair was trimmed and neat. God, she'd missed him. She imagined taking him into her arms tonight and kissing away the stress evident on his face. Holding him to her. Stripping his shirt off him.

"Ashes to ashes," the priest proclaimed pulling Kate from her thoughts. She felt a mild twinge of guilt: probably inappropriate to be having sexual fantasies at a funeral. But that was the effect Nick had had on her since she'd met him. It had taken 6 months for her to admit that to herself and then another 2 months to admit it to him.

Nevermind, she thought, they were honest with each other now about their feelings for one another and so far, the relationship had been the best she'd ever known. Too bad they hadn't known each other sooner though. She would have liked to make the trip to Texas before all this and met Nate Stokes before his passing.

The priest finished the prayer and people made their way to Nick and his mother to offer condolences. As the crowd thinned Kate drew closer. Nick's face registered surprise as he recognized her then swiftly relief. Kate's heart swelled.

Nick closed the distance between them in three quick steps.

"Hi," he said looking down at her. His voice sounded a little hoarse from disuse. She'd hardly seen him speak since arriving at the church for the funeral this afternoon.

"Hi," hers was barely a whisper. "It's good to see you. I've missed you."

Nick's eyes crinkled with a smile. She loved his eyes when he smiled. He drew her close enveloping her in an embrace. His suit fabric felt silky beneath her cheek.

"I forgot how good you smell," she murmured against his chest.

Nick chuckled into her hair and hugged her tighter. "I'm glad you're here." She could hear the tightness in his voice.

~*~

"And this is where I broke my left ankle sliding into third base." Nick pointed from where they were seated: on the hood of the enormous 1974 Cadillac parked on the grass beside the infield. The moon was just rising casting a pale glow on the baseball diamond.

She took a sip from her can of beer. It was cold and refreshing after the heat of the day but tasted funny with the cherry flavour of her lipgloss. She'd run out of the house without any lipstick. The pink lipgloss was all she could find at the airport drug store before boarding her plane to Dallas.

"God, I feel like I'm sixteen and on a date."

Nick laughed. "I bet you were a hottie in high school."

"Not really," Kate replied grimacing at the thought of tenth grade. "I think I spent more time stressing about my chemistry marks and braces than dating."

"Braces, huh?"

"And glasses. The triple threat – science geek, braces and glasses. That's a big negative on the hottie status."

"Well, you look fine now." Nick leaned forward across the Caddie's hood. She could smell the cool beer faintly on his lips, his hand caressed the back of her neck making her hair stand up as he pulled her head gently closer.

Their lips met. Kate could feel Nick's tension uncoil like a rope. His lips softened as his mouth opened to hers. She pressed against him as their tongues collided. Sighing into her mouth he felt her nipples harden against his chest.

He broke the kiss slowly.

"Where," she began breathlessly. "Where does a boy take a girl to show her a good time around here?"

Nick smiled, for only the second time in as many days.

~*~

He eased the Cadillac to a stop beneath the giant oak. The lane followed along the stream that ran through his family's land. These were the back acres of his uncle's farm.

The night wind was cool now through the open windows of the car as he leaned across Kate to push the lever lowering her seat back almost flat. The crickets were deafening out here in the fields. High overhead now, the moon cast a glow across the white leather of the Caddie's interior making Kate's skin glow. She was so beautifully pale, her skin flawless. He could just make out the quick pulse at the base of her throat in the moonlight. He loved that spot. Bending down to place a soft kiss there he paused feeling the steady beat of her heart beneath his lips.

"I love you," he whispered.

With that Kate wound her hands through his hair kissing him deeply. He undid the buttons of her shirt deftly and pushed her skirt down over her hips. She lay beneath him in only a pale pink bra and panties.

Kate pulled his shirt over his head, running her hands down his biceps across his chest and down his taut belly. Her fingers quickly found his zipper and his jeans were pushed to the car floor succinctly. Before Nick could form his next thought, he felt her soft lips close over him. Her tongue caressed his length as her fingers stroked him gently. All thought left him as he closed his eyes and gave himself over to her completely.

He had no concept of time, only Kate's mouth caressing him. As the crickets' song rose to a crescendo he felt his own passion increasing likewise. Gently, he guided Kate back up to him kissing her deeply while unfastening her bra and pushing off her panties. Pressed fully against him, her bare skin felt afire. He ran his hands down the length of her back grasping her buttocks. Kate instinctively pushed against him feeling his hardness grow even firmer, as though he was forged in hot steel. She lay back on the seat opening herself to him.

Nick was in her in one swift movement. Gasping as he filled her completely she immediately began to feel light-headed and see pulsating stars behind her eyelids. She knew she wouldn't last long. She tightened herself around him as he began to thrust slowly and deeply.

Kate could feel the cool night air across her bare skin for the split second Nick pulled away before pummelling back into her. His breathing was becoming ragged. She pressed her feet against the dash so she could rise to meet him. He moaned her name.

Crashing into each other, their pace reached a frenzy. Nick's hands were entwined in her hair. Kate threw her head back as she screamed his name. Fireworks exploding across her mind as Nick reached his own climax. Hoarsely, he whispered her name in her ear his heart pounding against hers.

He rolled onto his side, drawing her close to him. Caressing her head as he feathered kisses along her browline. Kate lay in his arms while her breathing returned to normal.

"Wow," she began. "You sure know how to show a girl a good time."

Nick chuckled still holding her close. Relaxing he let his drawl emanate. "You ain't never had a good time 'til you've had sex in a big ol' Caddie darlin'."

Her body curved against his, Kate felt the night breeze dry their skin. She fell asleep to the sound of Nick's gentle breathing and the chorus of the crickets in the long Texas grass.

~ Finis ~

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