10

Nothing changed at work; at least that anyone would have noticed. On her way to the locker room she passed Gil in the hall, his head buried in a report. He looked up at the last moment sensing her presence, she nodded a hello; her eyes cool, her mouth a straight line. He managed the same, though a small almost imperceptible smile broke, and they both kept going. Before the end of the day he asked her to dinner at his place. She smiled and asked him what time.

Standing at his front door she was surprised by the utter lack of first date jitters, no nervousness or butterflies in her stomach. He answered the door readily; genuinely happy she hadn't changed her mind and was standing in his doorway. As he stepped aside to let her enter, his hand lingered on her waist as he took her jacket. She leaned in and kissed him lightly in passing, both were surprised by the ease of it all. She made herself at home opening the wine and serving as his sous chef. As he cooked she chopped the dinner salad and the sliced the fruit for dessert. He liked that the rhythm they had developed over the years working together could carry over into their personal lives. Conversation wandered comfortably to subjects they would never broach at work; her likes, his dislikes, their mutual confusion over Greg's choice in hair styles. Dinner passed quickly and they moved back to the kitchen to start the dishes when she mentioned Eric had moved out of her place that day and it felt so empty.

"Thank god" was his only response. She looked at him surprised.

"Thank god for what?"

"That he's out of your bed".

"You really didn't think…" she trailed off trying to find appropriate words.

"Someone wise once said we all have a jealously gene" he replied slightly embarrassed at his admission. She let the plate she was washing slide back into the water and turned to kiss him. It wasn't like the chaste friendly kisses from the start of the evening but a hungry, passionate kiss that left no doubt in his mind what she wanted. He responded back just as fervently, pinning her against his fridge. Neither noticed the ringing of his cell phone right away. There were too many distractions, new sensations and tastes. She tasted of the strawberries and port they had for dessert. His lips were warmer and softer than she remembered. They became aware of the cell the second time it rang. She boldly pulled it from his front pants pocket, causing him to grin at her forwardness.

"Ecklie" she sighed handing the small phone over. "He'll just send a lackey over to hunt you down if you don't answer it". She returned to finish the dishes; he watched her languid motions as she dried the last plate and returned it to its proper cupboard. He only half paid attention to the details Ecklie relayed about an insect infested body but he managed to write down the address. The memory of the curve of her hip flowing easily under his hand as if it belonged there kept running through his mind. He hung up the phone without saying goodbye to Ecklie and pulled Sara into another kiss. It became heated quickly this time and both were tempted to ignore their obligations and discover exactly where the evening might end when his cell phone rang once more. Grissom angrily looked at the display.

"Brass"

"Maybe the universe is telling us something". She sighed.

"Yeah it's telling us we need to get new jobs". He said quietly answering Brass' call as she laughed. She found her jacket and her bag as she overheard him tell Brass to call the team in. It sounded like a double homicide. So much for her night off, she smiled pulling on her jacket she quietly waited for him to end the conversation. He noticed her movement to leave and pulled her to him as he still spoke with Brass. She smiled as the distance between them diminished and his hand landed dangerously low on her waist. He boldly worked his hand behind the soft fabric of her t-shirt and his fingers started tracing small circles in her lower back; small delicate erotic circles that made her suddenly send a silent prayer of thanks to god for creating low rise jeans. He pretended not to notice her slightly heavier breathing or the dark shade her eyes had become, continuing to listen to the details of the grisly crime scene. Unconsciously her hips tilted closer to his, an ancient instinctual move signaling more than both were ready to acknowledge. In return his instincts kicked into gear, pulling her even closer, his hand reaching the small of her back just above where her spine ended to find the sensitive spot of nerve endings that when touched shot a pleasurable jolt up her spine. It also caused her hips to grind into his even further and she discovered that she wasn't the only one turned on. Payback was going to fun she decided as she lightly ran her lips along the exposed skin of his neck stopping at his earlobe as she leaned back into the counter, pulling him with her. She wrapped her leg around his waist happy that all the pilates was paying off. He ran his hand down the length of her leg and back stifling a groan as his hand reached her toned thigh.

"Jim I'll call you back" he unceremoniously hit the end button his eyes now reflecting the same desire hers had a minute before and he returned touching every part of her through millimeters of clothing they both wished would disappear along with their other obligations. Moments or minutes later neither really knew she pulled away giggling.

"This feels like I'm sixteen again"

"You make-out with your boyfriend a lot in kitchens?"

"I haven't made out like that in twenty years". He smiled pulling away from her though every fiber of his being was screaming to touch her again. He straightened her t-shirt and she tried to iron out the wrinkles she had caused on his button down shirt.

"Well you take two undersexed people.." he started

"Add ten years of foreplay…" she let her sentence hang grinning at him she grabbed her purse and headed for the door.