Disclaimer: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation belongs to CBS & Jerry Bruckheimer; I'm just borrowing these characters for my own amusement. Complete work of fiction, including some of the unknown city names that might crop up every now and again.
Summary: She already crushed on a co-worker that went no where except for one dinner date. Will it be different this time around on a different guy?
PhoenixRae's Note: Hmm…I think I'm kinda dragging this thing now – or am I not? –LoL- Anyway, I hope you all are still enjoying this fic. Look! They're on a date now, woo-hoo!
VII.
SOFIA THREW HER HEAD BACK AND LET out a deep-bellied hearty laugh at what the dark haired, dark eyed Texan man seated across from her at the outdoor restaurant told her. They were enjoying a scrumptious dessert Nick picked for them to share. And to think she was thisclose to turning him down when he asked her this afternoon to join him for dinner.
Nick watched with twinkling eyes as the woman across from him laughed for what must be the umpteenth time since they were seated. He thanked all the gods and goddesses that helped him out in convincing Sofia to join him for dinner this evening. He has been meaning to ask her out countless times since he saw her at the ranch, but he could never muster up the courage or the time was never really right to invite her out without setting off warning bells in her head that them having dinner together might be construed as a date.
"I can't believe you actually ended up setting the barn on fire! What a rowdy and horny teenager you were, Nick Stokes," she managed to say once her laughter subsided.
Nick chuckled and took a sip of his drink. "I was sixteen and was being led by my hormones at the time. I didn't really know the girl was Pete's cousin until he caught us and threw the nearest thing he could grab," Nick gave a nonchalant shrug and leaned back in his seat. "It just so happens he grabbed a gas lantern and threw it at us, hence setting his parents' barn on fire when it crashed and landed on the dry hay stacks."
Sofia grabbed her drink and shook her head. "Still you were bad."
"Hey, what can I say?" he shrugged again and took another swig of his drink.
They stayed at the restaurant for another half hour before they decided to head back to the ranch. But instead of dropping Sofia off at the inn Nick made a detour and went somewhere secluded Sofia didn't even know it existed until he took her there. He parked his truck facing the large tree by the river; it was the opposite end from where they were strolling earlier and it was a bit higher up.
"What is this place?" Sofia asked looking around the picturesque place after Nick killed the engine off.
"Just a little place Pete and I used to take our dates," he answered.
Sofia cocked an eyebrow and gave him a pointed look. He didn't need to spell it out to her exactly what this place was; she already figured out this place posed as a somewhat 'lovers lane' for Nick and his buddies.
Nick caught her look. "I didn't bring you here for that, Sofia."
"Now why am I having a hard time believing that?"
Nick made a face at her. Sofia's face slowly broke to a mischievous grin. She broke eye contact with him and opened the passenger door. She watched her step as she climbed out of the truck. Nick followed suit and rounded the truck and held out his hand to escort her to stand at the edge of the bluff.
"This is nice," she sighed, her blue eyes taking in the blue-black sky splattered with trillions of shimmering stars and the romantic full moon hidden behind a strand of cloud. "No wonder you and Pete chose this place to take your dates. Now did you discover this place before or after you guys burned his parents' barn down?"
Nick let out a bark of laughter and shook his head. "We were in our senior year when we discovered this place. The barn incident happened when we were sixteen," he answered.
"You should've discovered this place sooner," she mused and gave him a knowing look, mischief shimmering behind those big blue eyes of hers before she looked away again and tilted her head back to look at the sky. "This is what we don't really see a lot of in Vegas."
Nick did what she was doing and tilted his head back as well to look at the night sky. It was just a little after ten in the evening, but the full moon and stars were out in full force showing off its natural wonder to those lucky enough to be outside at this time of the night.
"City lights obscure the natural beauty of this planet of ours," he commented.
Sofia stole a glance sideways and studied Nick's profile with his head tilted back and looking at the stars. The corners of his eyes showed lines from squinting too much. He exudes too much boyish charm it was no wonder why he was the stuff erotic fantasies were made of when it came to some of the female employees at work.
Nick felt himself being watched and stole a glance sideways at Sofia. Their eyes held and locked. Neither one of them showed any signs of looking away. It seemed like they were caught, frozen in time and nothing around them seemed to matter.
Some unknown force was pulling them towards each other albeit slowly. One second they were standing at least an arm's length apart and the next second the distance between them was a mere couple of inches, their bodies twisted so they were facing each other.
Their breaths came out hard and ragged. Something was tickling their spines and the soles of their feet.
Sofia tilted her head one way and tilted his head the opposite way. Their mouths felt like two opposite ends of a magnet pulled towards each other.
The initial touch of his lips against hers made Sofia freeze. Nick did the same too, but soon his lips started to move against hers, his tongue slipping out to tease her lips to part. Sofia's eyes felt like lead and closed the moment her lips parted and Nick's tongue found hers. She was hoisted up against his strong chest, his lips crushing hers for a kiss so passionate she was rendered senseless. Her hands moved on their own accord, sliding up the side of his neck and her fingers would've raked between his hairs if it were longer, instead her palms were tickled by the brush-like texture of his crew cut hairstyle, clamping her hands around his hand and pulling him for a deeper kiss.
They staggered back to the passenger side of the truck, their lips locked except for when she reached out behind her to open the door and let themselves inside the cab. Sofia scooted back a bit to allow Nick some room. He pulled the door closed after him, hitting the button to automatically lock both the driver's and passenger doors. Their eyes met once again, their breathing more ragged than before. In their eyes numerous questions were asked but never voiced out loud. Obviously neither one of them wanted to answer them now and soon they were back at ravishing one another.
Clothes were removed and tossed aside. The truck's windows fogged up as its two occupants got lost in each other's arms inside…
