Chapter 4

They spent the rest of the day apart. Horatio had been called out to a scene straight from his apartment and Calleigh had spent all day in the lab finishing reports and catching up on the ballistics backlog.

They ran into each other around lunchtime but that was the extent of their contact for the day. At quitting time, she waited around for him, but he never showed. So she gave up and headed home.

When she arrived at her apartment, she changed out of her work attire and into a pair of pink pajama pants and a matching pink tank top. She had just picked up the phone to order take-out when her doorbell rang.

As she hurried down the hall, excitement fluttered in her stomach as the thought of it being him crossed her mind. Ignoring the peephole, she threw open the door only to find him standing there casually with a take out bag in his hand.

"You read my mind, Handsome." She melted against the door as he gave her one of those sexy smiles and entered her domain.

"I missed you at the lab." He stated as he stood in her living room.

"I knew you'd find me." She shot him a loaded stare before disappearing into the kitchen.

She reemerged carrying a tray containing plates, silverware and two beers.

She set the tray down on the coffee table and began to empty the contents of the bag. Horatio sat back and watched.

It was amazing how something so domestic as preparing dinner could be so enthralling to him. All of the fantasies he had ever could never compare to the real thing. The sweet lull of her voice brought him back to the present.

"So tell me about the case." She handed him his drink before settling cross legged on the floor next to him. He filled her in on the details of the case while she fixed his plate. She listened intently and except for a few questions, was silent.

"So what did you do all day?"

"I spent all day in the lab since someone didn't ask me to come along with them to their scene." She said pretending to be upset.

"Oh, poor baby was stuck in the gun vault all day. How tough." He replied in mock sympathy. She threw her napkin at him and attempted to look away in anger but that damn smile kept drawing her back.

"What is so funny, Lt?" She demanded.

"You are, Detective." He laughed. She jumped up onto the couch and pounced on him. She beat on his chest lightly and both were laughing until he caught her wrists in his hands.

She looked at him through a curtain of blonde and saw the look of longing desire in his eyes. He used her trapped arms to pull her closer to him and then captured her lips between his.

The kiss was hot, needy and intense. Horatio pulled them apart before things could escalate any further. She looked at him, a little disappointed.

"What's wrong? What did I do?" Her constant self accusation was something he was going to have to work on later.

"You didn't do anything Cal. You were perfect. It's me that has the problem." He gently pulled her off him and set her down on the couch. He then stood and began to pace in front of her.

She just sat there like a little girl who had just gotten in trouble as she hung her head and bit her lip. He knew she was trying not to cry and he wanted nothing more than to rush over to her, take her back into his arms and kiss away any pain. But he needed to do this first, even if it did cause a few tears to fall.

"Calleigh I…I," He was stumbling over his words as his mind raced to pull his thoughts together. "Last night, when you kissed me, it was the most amazingly astounding thing I've ever experienced. You and I are all I've ever dreamed of. And trust me, last night was beyond any dream I've ever had. You have the most beautiful body. Every curve, every line, every freckle drives me out of my mind." Calleigh had the good grace to blush at his comment. "But I want more than just sex. I want your body, your mind and your soul. I want to be intimate with every part of you. I want to know your every thought, your deepest desires and your biggest fears. To me, that's even more arousing than any lingerie you could ever wear." With his speech complete, he came and stood in front of her.

Tears were running down her face as she flung herself into his arms. He wrapped his arms around her tightly. She pulled his face into her hands and devoured his lips with a greedy, desperate kiss. He didn't stop her.

This time he allowed himself to be swallowed up and pulled into her lust induced haze that surrounded them until the midnight hours.

So help me girl, you've gone too far

It's way too late to save my heart

The way it feels each time we touch

I know I've never felt so loved

And I can't help myself so help me girl