Thanks for being patient! The story is not forgotten, but real life called me away for a few days! Making it u with a bit longer chater this time. Just a warning, in every good fic, some angst must fall. We're not quite there yet but there are little glimpses of the road ahead!
~For Lightwoman who postponed her bedtime a whole 15 minutes just for me~
Still no word on Lie to Me. *sigh* Can we fast forward to May already? I can't take this tension.
The afternoon was waning into evening when Gillian and Cal finally decided to emerge from the bedroom that had become their otherworldly haven. Gillian had allowed herself the luxury of lying naked in Cal's arms as he lazily stroked her back and combed his fingers through her hair while they talked softly in the dimming light. She had never imagined he would be so gentle; so concerned about what she wanted and needed. She tried to fit this part of him to the street wise half criminal and found that the two melded together more easily in her mind than she had imagined.
She thought of the times he had held her, comforted her, protected her and realized that inside she had craved this intimate touch as much as she had feared it. She should feel wrong allowing him to touch her like this, to see her wanton and crying out and needing him as she had been but even though every thought was edged with fear of what her momentary weakness would ultimately mean for their friendship and their partnership, she couldn't bring herself to move from his embrace. Finally, when she realized that Emily could come home any moment and find them in their current compromising position, she grudgingly forfitted the comforts of Cal's bed and quickly showered while Cal washed his face and checked his dressings.
Once downstairs she used the few moments of alone time to check in with Loker on the activities at the office. Overall it sounded as if things were under control but they had a couple sticky meetings with potential clients coming up that worried Gillian. She looked up as Cal entered the room and quickly brought her conversation with Loker to a close.
"Just fill me in if anything changes. You know where I'll be. Oh, and Loker," she said looking at Cal and added something as an afterthought, "first one to even think about calling him or sending him an email will answer to me. You know I'm not even kind of kidding." She pressed end and tossed her phone on the counter.
Cal was looking at her with a steady penetrating gaze.
"No," she said sharply, anticipating the inevitable.
"Gillian…"he said in that low voice he used when he intended to press and press until he got his way.
"I'm handling it Cal. Let it go." Her voice was stern as she crossed her arms beneath her breasts, unwilling to be swayed.
"Just promise me that I'll have a bloody company left when this is all done," he said, coming around to pin her against the counter.
"I guess you're just going to have to trust me," she said putting her hands up against his chest as he leaned forward and attempted to nuzzle her neck. "Hey, Emily will be home any minute and you're supposed to be on the couch, remember? You promised if I let you come down here while I made dinner that you would rest."
"I am resting," he said, ignoring her protests as he nipped at her ear, knowing she wouldn't shove him away for fear of hurting him.
"You need to stop," she said, even as her hands slid up his shoulders and she closed her eyes, delighting in the feel of his soft lips against her sensitive flesh. She had fought so hard and for so long against her desires for him. Now that she'd had the tiniest taste, she realized that it was a very good thing she hadn't given in before.
The sound of the front door banging open startled her and she moved her hands back to Cal's chest, pushing him away gently but firmly as Emily came into the kitchen. There was no way Emily hadn't noticed their closeness and Gillian spun back to face the counter, trying to cover the blush that painted her cheeks.
"What's going on?" Emily said suspiciously.
"I was just making dinner actually. That and trying to get your dad to go back and lie down like he promised he would."Gillian focused on tossing the salad vigorously.
"Come on love, you didn't really believe that was going to happen did you?" Cal chided.
Emily looked silently from Cal to Gillian as a smile slowly spread over her face.
"What?" Cal's eyes narrowed as he took in his daughter's expression.
"Nothing," she shook her head, "I'm just heading up to my room to do some homework." Emily's grin was triumphant as she stood on tiptoe to kiss Cal's cheek and then hugged Gillian warmly. "Call me when dinner's ready." She bounded up the stairs leaving Gillian and Cal starring after her in stunned silence.
"You don't think she knows?" Gillian asked.
"Nahh…she's just excited about her homework."
"I think she knows." Gillian sighed.
"Yeah, she absolutely knows." Cal grinned. "Dinner smells lovely by the way. 'Course after eating broth and toast for the last two days I could eat my cat." He leaned over Gillian's shoulder as the sound of Emily's footsteps disappeared upstairs and sniffed at the pot of pasta sauce she was stirring.
"You don't have a cat. And don't get too excited. You get boiled chicken and plain brown rice. You just had abdominal surgery and my instructions say 'bland diet for the first 72 hours'. "
"You really are here to torture me aren't you?" he whined.
"I just don't want to have to coddle you while you're doubled over with stomach cramps," she said matter-of-factly. "Now go lie down until it's ready or I'm going back to the broth." She pointed in the direction of the couch with her spoon.
"You know I like it when you're all bossy, Foster," he growled in her ear as his hand grazed her backside.
"Couch, Cal," she said, trying to keep the smile from her voice.
A half hour later they had gathered around the Lightman dining room table.
Gillian sat back and watched quietly as Cal grilled Emily on the events of her day and made her recite the major points of her debate on health care reform. She couldn't help smiling at the comfortable banter between the two and, while she felt included in the discussion, she was perfectly content to maintain her silent observation of the familiar tete-a-tete between father and daughter.
"So what did you two do today?" Emily asked, changing the subject.
Gillian quickly took a gulp of her wine to avoid answering and busied herself with her food. Cal, however, was right on top of it without missing a beat.
"Oh, you know, slept a bit, watched a film. Gillian took care of most everything. 'Course she did let me lend a hand now and again." His face was perfectly straight as he took a bite of his chicken.
Gillian, however, nearly choked on a forkful of rice and quickly covered her mouth with her napkin.
"Something wrong, darling?" Cal asked innocently.
"No, nothing," Gillian coughed, "just a little warm." She took another gulp of wine and kept her eyes focused downward.
Emily looked from one to the other. "Oh you two are so obvious. You'd think deception experts would be much better liars." She rolled her eyes and took her dishes to the sink before returning to Cal and hugging him.
"I'm going to finish my homework. I'm glad you're feeling better but don't stay up too late," she scolded.
"Remind me never to get ill again. Between the two of you mothering me it'll be a wonder if I survive with half my dignity intact," he complained.
Gill studied Cal's face as Emily left the room. Though he was acting much more like himself, she could tell by the dark circles under his eyes that he was covering how tired he really was. He had pushed more food around on his plate than he had actually eaten and she silently cursed herself for allowing him to overdo it.
"You look tired," she said quietly as she reached out and covered his hand with hers.
"I suppose I am a bit. Back is killing me though; I'm not used to lying about so much."He shifted slightly in his chair.
"Why don't you relax on the couch while I clean up and then I'll see what I can do to help," she squeezed his hand gently, relieved that he would actually admit to needing something for once.
He looked at her gratefully with tired eyes and she could see that he had definitely come to the end of the afternoon's short burst of energy. Without any further argument he retired to the living room and she quickly cleaned what remained of the mess in the kitchen, making short work of putting up leftovers and wiping countertops.
When she had finished she took two clean kitchen towels and soaked them in warm water. She then placed them in a large plastic bowl and microwaved them for a short time until they steamed slightly when she removed them.
She carried the bowl to the living room where she found Cal stretched out on the couch with his feet up; an arm flung up to cover his eyes. She hesitated for a moment at the threshold of the room. As she watched the steady rise and fall of Cal's chest, she felt completely twisted by the conflicting emotions swirling inside of her.
He groaned softly and rubbed a hand over his eyes and she moved quickly to his side setting the bowl of warm towels on the table beside him.
"Back still bothering you?" she asked, placing a hand to his shoulder.
"If by bothering you mean feeling as though I've been trampled by a herd of Bison, then yeah," he said with a tight smile.
"Can you stand up for a minute?" she asked.
"What exactly have you got in mind?"
"Just trust me. I think you'll like it." She smiled and put a hand beneath his elbow to help him up.
"Aye, Aye," he said in a low voice, "I like the sound of that, love."
When Cal was standing she sat down in the spot he had vacated and stretched out one leg along the back edge of the couch. She encouraged Cal to sit in the area just in front of her, leaving some space between their bodies.
When he had found a somewhat comfortable position, she placed her hands softly on his shoulders and took a deep breath, sliding her hands slowly down his back until she reached the bottom of his shirt. With slightly shaky hands, she pushed the material up until he could drag it over his head.
"I have to say, I like where this is going so far," he said over his shoulder.
"Just relax," she whispered as her hand trailed down the bare skin of his back. She reached for the steaming bowl and picked up one of the towels, wringing out the excess water before placing it directly against Cal's lower back. She held it in place, pushing in gently with the heels of her hands directly on either side of his spine.
"Oh Christ," he groaned, leaning back into her hands, "that feels bloody amazing."
She rotated her hands in small circles, gradually feeling Cal's muscles become more pliable as the moist heat soaked in and relaxed them. Each time she pressed into him he let out a soft low moan, the timbre of which vibrated up through her arms and sent tiny shivers straight to her spine.
When she felt the heat leaving the first towel she replaced it with the second, moving slightly lower this time. "Better?" she asked?
"You have no idea," he growled, pressing harder into her supporting palms.
When she had exhausted the heat of the second towel she placed a pillow behind Cal's lower back for support and urged him to lean back into her slightly. She ran her hands across the freckled skin of his shoulders and placed her fingers gently below his hairline. With a light touch she kneaded the smaller muscles of his neck, working out the tension she felt there.
With practiced hands she systematically massaged his shoulders and mid back until her own hands ached. She closed her eyes as she ran her hands lightly over his skin, smoothing away the last of the tension from his spine, concentrating on the friction of his flesh sliding against her palms. She memorized the feeling of each inch of him, committing the moment to memory. The man truly had a lovely back.
Finally, unable to resist, she leaned forward and placed her lips to the base of his neck, just between his shoulders as he relaxed against her. She wrapped her arms around his neck placing her palms against his chest and scooted under him slightly, pulling him back until his head rested just at her collar bone.
She couldn't help the contented sigh that escaped her at the comfortingly solid feeling of his body resting against hers as her fingers drew slow circles across his skin.
"What is it, love?" Cal murmured. His eyes remained closed but he reached a hand up to cover hers.
She was quiet for a moment, trying to find a way to put into words what had been bothering her for the last two days. "I didn't imagine it like this," she said softly, struggling to get the words out.
"You mean you didn't imagine having to play wet nurse and babysitter to your business partner?"
"You know that's not what I mean Cal. I didn't imagine I would...like this so much. That we could ever just be…silent together." She meant more than that but the words would not come.
"It doesn't always have to be a verbal sparring match Gill. You should know me better by now." His tone seemed somewhat injured.
"I know Cal," she sighed, "but it often is. I'm afraid to get used to this. I'm afraid to want it," she admitted. "Do you honestly think the thought of what would happen if we ever became intimate never crossed my mind all this time?"
"I think you're confused, love. I've been more intimate with you in the last 8 years that I've been with anyone in my life including my ex wife," he said solemnly. "We've just kept our clothes on until now."
She was silent as she let that thought take hold. Deep down she knew he was right and she tried for just a moment to dwell in the possibility that wanting something as badly as she wanted a life and a family with this man who captivated, inspired, and infuriated her really going to be enough.
Hopefully I can get back to my quick chater updates. This is getting long so I would really appreciate feedback to help it keep moving and to help me keep things fresh.