Chapter 21 On Their Way To Santa Fe
Disclaimer: I do not lay claim to any of the characters as seen in CSI Miami, and my fic is written to be fun and enjoyable and not meant to offend the writers/creators of CSI Miami or the actors who play the different characters. I do ask that no one use my original character as she is my own creation. My fic is not to be posted anywhere else unless written permission is obtained from me.
Acknowledgements: I'd like to thank my collaborator, Flora Belle Jardiniere, for all the help they've given me during the draft process of this piece of fiction. She contributed both encouragement and content when I was stuck. She contributed a great portion of the writing to assist in fleshing out this chapter.
Author's Note - the Dolphin is known to represent family, togetherness, and happiness as well as freedom, playfulness, peace and love.
Sara arrived home and went online to see what the weather would be like in Santa Fe over the next week. Having visited there on several occasions to observe wildlife, she was familiar with some of the hot spots to visit. Going through her limited wardrobe, she tossed together some odd combinations of outfits – several pairings for hiking the desert, some better outfits for evenings on the town, and of course – something for lounging poolside. She went to the ATM and pulled some funds for shopping. The rest of her packing consisted of collecting all her photography equipment and laptop for data entry. Even though this would be a time for relaxation, she would still take advantage of the time to survey the flora and fauna while enjoying the company of a certain redheaded cop.
It was late – now 10 p.m. She knew that sleep wasn't possible tonight as the excitement built up inside her, so after she finished, she flopped on her bed and tuned into the evening news. She loaded her travel bags into the car and went back inside. Her mind was reeling with so many things. He'd asked her to get away so they could see where things were going between them, and decide together where they were going next. She liked the sound of that word, together, and rolled it around in her mind for awhile.
But then, like a cat burglar that nervous feeling stole over her, bringing on a cold sweat. That ages' old question arose, in spite of everything Horatio had done to quash it: Was this going to be it? Was he going to toss her because she wasn't what he wanted in a wife? What had been a happy fantasy of life with her beloved redhead quickly turned to a bout of abject tears instead, as her inner demons came out to play. Sara knew it was time to settle down and wanted it to be with her sweetie. She knew her heart belonged to him, but…
As in the past, with her other lovers, she feared that if he sensed this coming from her, all would be lost. When Sara suddenly remembered that he'd been the one to do the asking this time, her heart finally rested on the matter; because men didn't usually ask ladies on this kind of trip if they were planning to break up with them. That they usually handled that with a "Dear Jane" note, or worse a voicemail message telling you it was over. She knew that was a big change from the past, and that he'd even let her pick their destination; a huge sign of trust from a guy like him. He'd wanted to go away alone with her, and spend a week's uninterrupted time together to learn more about themselves and their future together; and that was definitely a positive switch from her previous liaisons.
Who in his right mind would go to all this trouble, just to break up with her? It was not in Horatio's character to be so cold or callous with his girlfriends. His obvious concern had to amount to something. Maybe she was being completely off base in her assumptions for once in her life. Hopping into the shower, she let the warm water wash away the initial concerns and fears as if she was undertaking a baptism of sorts – to start fresh with whatever was going to happen from this day forward.
When she finished, she flopped back onto the bed. Her thoughts drifted to him – what he might be doing right now. Just when she this thought she'd attempt to get some shut eye, her cell phone rang.
"Hey," she said softly when she answered, her voice husky with fatigue.
"I needed to hear your voice," Horatio replied.
Sara was inordinately pleased at the thought, since it soothed her doubts considerably. She heard the rumble in his voice and wondered what that was about, but decided to wait until they'd started their vacation to find out its source; leaving it as just one more surprise among many.
"I can't sleep I'm so excited."
"Neither can I, sweetheart. I'm glad you're excited. I was beginning to worry that you'd back out on me."
She heard the fear in his voice and realized that he was as nervous about the trip as she was. Taking a moment to ponder his reply, she felt more than a little guilty for doubting his intentions. It was obvious now that they were only honorable. But Rick Stetler had done his job well, so she had the devil of a time shaking the chilly feelings his incendiary revelations about her beau had brought to her soul.
"I'm sorry. I've had some stuff on my mind that's been bugging me."
His voice was low and stressed when he replied. "I hope you'll trust me enough at some point to share your concerns with me, my love. We can't put this all behind us if it's in the seat next to us, now can we?"
Sara was silent. She'd instantly keyed in on the insecurity in his voice, and strangely that very insecurity in such a strong man calmed her fears. Unlike her previous beaux, Horatio was genuinely concerned about her feelings. How could she doubt him? He had always been an upstanding kind of guy, even foreswearing the immensely satisfying thought of pulverizing that bastard Stetler; though nothing would've made her happier than to see him bleed his own blood, instead of leaching the life from their love for each other.
"Tomorrow can't get here fast enough," Sara sighed longingly.
"I know, because I feel exactly the same way, sweetheart. I'll see you in a few hours. Try to get some sleep. I've got plenty of ideas in mind once we get there," he said. The hint of mischief in his voice warmed her heart to its core, making her smile widely in response. Sara still wore that smile when she hung up.
How could this man be anything but good? Jumping out of bed, she collected the last few items she wanted to bring with her, locked the house, and got into her ancient little four-banger, she heard the engine try to cough to life, and then die; as was the norm before it was properly warmed up. She put the pedal gently to the floor while turning the key a second time and it started right up.
Sara knocked on the door of his apartment. While she usually refrained from surprising people, this time things were different; she was meeting with the man she adored and whom she knew returned her feelings. He wasn't the type to cheat, so she knew he'd be alone. Having heard the sound of his voice, the primal woman in her knew that neither of them was going to be sleeping well tonight, if at all; so she'd taken it upon herself to at least chat with her man face to face as they killed the remaining wee hours until the sun rose. When he opened the door, she sheepishly looked up into those beautiful blue eyes.
"Hey," he said with pleased surprise as he opened the door. "I wasn't expecting you, but I'm very glad you're here." His smile widened and his eyes warmed from navy to sapphire in proof of his statement, helping Sara enjoy the moment.
Sara wanted to giggle. He was in the most unusual set of clothes she'd ever imagine someone with such style would wear to bed – blue silk boxers and a white cotton tank top. She was just so used to his casual business attire or even his comfortable casual blue jeans and tee shirts – but to look upon him half naked made her face flush the brightest shade of red. It wasn't a blush of embarrassment, but of intense longing. Oh, how many times she'd fantasized about seeing Horatio in his skivvies! Now actually seeing him so clothed took her breath away.
Unlike many of his colleagues of similar rank who'd let themselves go, Horatio had maintained a firmly muscled physique. She could see his triceps rippling as he spoke, which took her breath away. He was all gorgeous, male animal and so close to naked… Wisely, Sara curbed her escalating hormones so she could look at her man without a continual flush reddening her body.
Horatio thought it was cute, the way she reddened in his presence at work, but this reaction he knew all too well. His lady was both excited by his body and embarrassed to the core by her natural reaction to his presence. Gently he took her small hand in his two large ones and led her inside his condo.
"Sara, are you all right?" He asked tenderly, tilting his head in that special way of his. "You're quite red." He'd never have believed it if he hadn't seen it for himself, but she went an even deeper shade of red, which caused him to chuckle a little.
"Um, I'm sorry," she stammered as her voice cracked. "but I really couldn't sleep."
Looking down upon himself, he realized why she had suddenly changed from a mature woman into a giddy girl. He was so accustomed to sleeping in the nude that he'd thrown on the nearest undergarments he found when his doorbell chimed. He'd have been unable to control himself if he'd known the real source of her color; that her thoughts had sunk right into the gutter.
"I can't sleep either," he added.
"I don't mean to be rude or just pop in on you like this, but you did offer earlier today that you wanted me to…" she was stopped when he suddenly took her in his arms kissing her strongly.
He couldn't control himself. He needed to feel her in his arms – against his body. When Horatio pulled back, she was reeling from having had her breath taken away with so intense a greeting. She wrapped her arms around his lean torso relaxing into the warmth of his embrace feeling his heart pound as she rested her head against his chest. His entire body trembled and his heart beat like a trip hammer, which leant her courage to continue her quest. How could this otherwise incredibly courageous man be so afraid of his reactions to her? It was obvious their fears ran parallel on courses; courses that she hoped would soon merge into one wide path.
Closing the door behind him, he wanted to taste her lips again. But, the gentleman in him backed off – Horatio didn't want to spook her and he felt he'd already overstepped his bounds. He offered her the bed while he took himself to the couch. Grabbing his arm, she stopped him dead in his tracks.
"Horatio, can't we cuddle like we've done before?" she asked point blank.
"Um, ok. I didn't want to…" he was cut off this time as she quickly pulled him down for yet another long kiss.
He maneuvered her to the bed where they slid in together – he in his night attire, she in her sweats and tee shirt. After Horatio got comfortable, Sara settled in close to him just as they had in times past – she nestled in close while laying her head on his shoulder as his arms wrapped around her. The close proximity and warmth of their bodies next to each other allowed the curtain of sleep to quickly, easily, and completely enshroud them, much to the couple's surprised delight. Plainly, they needed each other for more than just witty repartee and camaraderie on the job; but they knew they'd enjoy discovering just how much their lives entwined while they were on vacation.
The plane ride was uneventful – full of their chatter about her trip to Massachusetts, the presentation she did, and the exchange of ideas on how to flag animals that might be used to transport drugs. Horatio enjoyed telling her about some of his lesser-known cases, because he knew that she was genuinely concerned about the victims involved. He'd recently processed an especially troubling case that had his stomach in knots and pulled strongly on his heartstrings; a case involving an abused 7 year old boy.
Sara understood why Horatio was so obsessed with solving the cases that involved abused children, because he'd been there himself. Sara's heart ached for the lost boy he'd been; and she longed to reassure him that he was now safe and loved, just as Horatio knew and wanted to reassure the tormented girl inside of his love. Neither knew how to do this, but both wanted to try.
Sara had no trouble falling under the spell he wove around her heart, because it amazed her at how strongly he felt; his emotions crested and waned several times during this story, because he had to pause several times to regain control of his anger. While this side of him frightened her, Sara patiently waited until he'd resumed speaking, knowing that he had to tell this story or be consumed by the negative emotions it evoked in him.
He took her through the initial investigation, the discovery of the case breaking phone call to a local child pornography ringleader, and onto his intense sense of accomplishment when he and his team finally brought the dangerous perp to justice. Horatio actually smiled when he related how glad he'd been to toss the sleezebag's sorry ass into the nearest jail cell to await his turn in court.
That tale devoured their remaining time aloft, and both were pleasantly surprised to hear the flight attendant announce that they'd reached their destination. They collected their rental, a mid-sized Chevy™ Blazer with all wheel drive and On-Star® navigation system. Sara wondered why he'd rented something so large, but wisely refrained from asking; choosing instead to let him surprise her. He saw her safely into the passenger side, took the wheel, and they toured the city for an hour before heading to their hotel
Horatio wanted to get his bearings, so Sara directed him here and there while she oohed and ahed at the city's beauty. Her solo jaunts had only taken her to the various desert areas, so she'd never actually seen Santa Fe close up before now. What she saw took her breath away.
Upon arriving at the Marriott (another surprise to her, as she'd expected something on a more modest scale) Sara and Horatio immediately checked into their adjoining suites. She was touched that he'd taken the liberty of booking two adjoining rooms, so she needn't feel pressured into sharing his bed. It took a real gentleman to put a lady's needs first, further proof that he wasn't the heel that Stetler had insinuated he was during his caustic interrogations at MDPD a few weeks earlier.
Horatio saw the shadows flicker in her eyes briefly as his sweetheart battled another demon and was thrilled when the clouds cleared, heralding its defeat. With that fear now firmly laid to rest, Sara laid her head on Horatio's shoulder and exhaled a deep sigh of contentment, which brought a warm smile to her man's face. She'd just taken a huge step for her, giving her body into his care; and he'd not take advantage of the tenuous trust she'd just given him.
He wanted her to have the freedom to retreat to her own space if she felt she needed to. Even though they had spent a few nights sleeping in the same bed together, they'd never been intimate, because Horatio wanted her heart, just as much as he had been craving her body; so he wanted her to know that he loved her enough to let her set the pace of their relationship. Not realizing his respectful intentions, she could only assume he wasn't sure exactly where they stood within their relationship; and for the most part she was right.
Santa Fe was just one of many beautiful cities in New Mexico, but she boasted more incredible scenic vistas than any of the others. The greatest bonus for them, however, lay in no one knowing them; for that meant there'd be no unseemly office gossip about their relationship before they'd returned to face Sam Waterson in court. After a couple of shaky starts, Sara relaxed into her role as Horatio's girl and the knowledgeable tour guide on their trip. After settling in, she immediately suggested they take a walk down San Clemente Street, near the old mission for which their chosen city had been named. Sara eagerly and proudly took his proffered arm as they headed out, loving the feel of it beneath her fingers.
Horatio marveled at Sara's beauty and her outrageous sense of style, just out there enough to be different; but tempered with just enough modesty to remind him she was a woman of discretion. Her wicked sense of humor kept him in constant stitches, and he was forever inventing reasons to continue their walk down the avenue, just to show her off to the locals. What he enjoyed most of all was knowing she was with him as his girl; that she was finally at ease enough to be her true self gladdened his heart, for it was something he hadn't seen in a long while.
Sara was treated to seeing the Lieutenant in something other than his usual business attire. She tried not to seem too obvious that she had spent much of the day busy devouring his physique in casual clothing. His Polos fit just tightly enough to discreetly display his abs, his Dockers rode mid-way down his waist, and as always he moved like well oiled silk over steel. She was dizzy from a lot more than the altitude that was for sure!
Yet, neither party had counted on the high altitude of their chosen tryst site, nor what that elevation would do to their libidos. Distance really was the panacea of all ills where they were concerned, for it buffered them from the memories of recent events enough that they could truly unwind for the first time in their relationship.
As the day drifted into late afternoon, Sara suggested a leisurely dip in the hotel pool before they went to dinner. Sara drooled when Horatio stepped out of his room in nothing more than his royal blue swimsuit. As if her imagination hadn't been enough to spawn fantasies that many times forced her to resort to a cold shower, so here she stood carefully observing and studying the Lieutenant in ways that put many more naughty thoughts into her mind.
Absorbed in her own libidinous thoughts, she didn't notice that her escort was devouring her curves just as hungrily as she was his! Horatio's mind began to wander into dangerous avenues, so he retreated to the pool to cool his ardor a bit, but it didn't work. Rather, he began to fantasize about her naked form swimming next to him in a warm ocean off of the secluded beach of an island he'd purchased some years ago. He made a mental note to call his real estate agent at St. Bart's to have a good look around the place and fix any major problems.
If this worked out as he'd hoped when they left Miami, he'd soon be taking a new bride there for their honeymoon. The last thing they'd need when they arrived was to find their haven a heap at their feet! Oh, how he hoped she'd say yes!
Sara sighed in anticipation as Horatio dove cleanly into the pool and swam to invite her in to join him. She had observed that the man moved with incredible grace and power. But, the beauty of the area drew her attention momentarily away. The Santa Fe Marriott sat high on a bluff, overlooking the beautiful lights of this great place. There'd been a stiff wind through earlier, so the smog was at a minimum, which left them a violet sky, quickly darkening to midnight blue with an entire constellation of stars spread like a blanket in the sky above them.
"Man," Sara thought wonderingly, "you could really fall in love with this city for the stars at night alone!" She could see Cerberus and the Pleiades glimmering sharply in the thin air and the sight took her breath away.
"And here I thought you'd come for my company," Horatio whispered into her ear. When she mutely pointed skyward in awe, however, he also looked up and realized what had so affected her breathing. He too was stunned by the glory displayed for their delight; so stunned that he momentarily forgot the beautiful lady so lusciously encased in swimming attire who sat before him.
Her face was softened by her joy and her bosom swelled towards his hand, inviting his touch. The sight cost him his gentlemanly demeanor as he cupped her yearning flesh and delicately brought her aching nipple to throbbing life. "It's only fair," he thought in bewilderment, "that she feel as deeply as I do; but I wonder if that's even possible, given all she's suffered at men's hands."
Sara, having felt the rising tide of hormones deep within her aching body, turned slightly and met his lips gently with her own. That one movement set events in motion that neither had completely invited, but once rolling along neither party wanted to stop, either...
Their wonderful idea of what would have been a glorious abuse of the hotel swimming pool was interrupted when a large family clattered to the edge of it. The family of six, complete with two small Chihuahuas, stepped onto the patio and set their belongings down. Sara watched as the young children played in the water. For the first time, she looked upon the Lieutenant with completely different eyes.
He was observing the children as well, and the expression upon his face had become serious. Sara could only imagine what he was thinking, for she herself might have been thinking the same thing. She began visualizing a house with a yard and Horatio playing with a baby. Having witnessed the love he had for his son, niece, and nephew; and how patiently he'd administered their discipline when it was needed, Sara had soon learned what a doting father this man would be, if given the opportunity. Now she longed to give her beloved just one child, a daughter with his fiery halo and gorgeous, sapphire eyes.
Horatio, seeing her eyes cloud over in an odd combination of joy and pain, gently pulled her close and his own eyes turned a little misty. Braving a swift rejection, he softly asked,
"Why are you looking so sad?"
"I don't want to discuss it now, Horatio, and spoil this beautiful night," Sara sighed, a lone tear escaping from under her closed lids. "I'm not ready to go there, and I don't think you are, either."
Heeding his lady's gentle hints, he gathered her gently in his arms for another soul-stirring kiss, but the loud, high-pitched squeal of a two year-old child's enjoyment immediately put paid to that idea. Looking around, both of them realized that, sadly, there was no longer any privacy for them to continue with the activity his exploring hand had started.
He snapped back to reality when he realized that they'd need to get back to their rooms and change so they'd make the dinner reservations he'd arranged earlier at Casa de Cordova, one the finer restaurants in town. While Sara agreed with his discretion, she still dreamed of stripping him naked and going for it right there on the patio; one look at his loving leer told her he was on the same track, and both of them were laughing softly as they repaired to their rooms to change for dinner.
Having returned to their rooms, he suggested casual dress for where they were going to dinner. After they'd showered and dressed for dinner, they returned to each other's sides, taking a few long moments to study each other in awe of what stood before them. Horatio was handsomely dressed in one of his finer suits and Sara sported a dark blue knee length dress with spaghetti straps. In his eyes, she was a beautiful apparition, so he wasn't sure whether he she stood before him, or whether he was dreaming. Just to be sure, he reached out a wondering hand and gently touched her cheek; sighing his contentment when he met a living woman's flesh.
Sara questioned his sanity with her glance, which made him blush; and that reaction made her laugh huskily, turning him on all over again. Seeing his passion rise did things to her libido also, but both wisely restrained their rising hormones so they could enjoy the delicious meal that would fuel their evening's activities. The last thing either of them wanted was to faint during their playtime! A simultaneous thought that made both of them laugh aloud with joy.
Again, he offered his arm to her and proudly he escorted his treasure down the street to the restaurant. Dinner was full of conversation as they observed of the locals and compared their actions with those of the tourists.
Dinner took a long time to eat, as their eyes met and locked many times as they ate. Several times she took his hand and held it tightly. When their desserts arrived, she shifted to sit on the same side of the booth as he did. Sara blushed crimson when Horatio gently fed her a small piece of his crème Brule, and then invited her to return the favor with her caramel flan, a local specialty. They were already billing and cooing like newlyweds and had drawn several lewd comments from the local gang of teens on the sidewalk. They couldn't hear what was said, but their lecherous glances in her direction made their words more than clear.