A/N: Thanks to my beta, Lieutenant Caine!

Chapter 21

Accustomed to the feel of the silk gliding across her body, Calleigh shifted under his gentle yet firm caress, bending her lips inward at the pleasurable sensations he was giving her. Horatio's scent coupled with his tender kisses on her neck sent shivers down her spine and she gave much effort to remain composed, despite the warmth building in between her legs. She loved nothing more than the feel of his body cocooned around her, pulling her impossibly closer within him. Sometimes, she believed that he did that in an effort to ensure that she never left him, other times she believed that he, like she, simply loved the way they fit inside of each other's embrace. Oddly, it was in his arms that she felt the safest, knowing that his love was stronger than any pull that the streets had on him. He had proven himself time and time again, both in the bedroom and out on the streets. In Calleigh's eyes, that was more than enough proof that she belonged with him.

Smiling as his hand drifted over the curve of her waist, Calleigh shied away from his questing lips, giggling as he kissed around her ear lobe. A slight rumble of pleasure erupted from behind her as he shifted closer, his awakening erection against her back inciting a flush of arousal. Horatio was an intense lover but it was his tender side that she loved the most. There was something thrilling about how a man with such ruthless power could restrain himself for the love of another. Calleigh was not naive; Horatio was a criminal, hardened by the code of survival. Yet there was something endearing about his ability to be gentle.

Without preamble, she felt him enter her from behind, the strength of his stroke making her body sing. She smiled inwardly at the perceived intensity scratching at the surface but through some miracle, he kept his rhythm slow, drawing a deep, sensual moan from her lips. His hypnotic strokes rendered her mindless and she brazenly opened her legs, hungry for more. Rewarded with his touch on the most sensitive parts, Calleigh bit her lip as he worked at a slow build, his kisses matching the deliciously agonizing pace he had chosen to take her with. He knew exactly how to work her body, bringing it to the edge and then snatching her away just as quickly. To emphasize this, his finger quickened over her sensitive pearl, inciting a passionate frenzy just before he trailed his fingers upward once more.

Calleigh's brow knit as she shoved her elbow behind her lightly, only to hear him laugh softly. A flare of annoyance flared but she could not possibly remain upset, especially since he was attending to her in the most delicious manner. Still the same, she attempted to voice her irritation but realized as soon as the words left her lips that they were laced instead with the unmistakable sound of a sensual purr.

"You're such a tease, Handsome. When are you going to give me what I want?"A wicked grin inched over her lips as she felt him increase his pace slightly, knowing the challenge would prompt him to act. Grabbing his hand, she brought it to her breast and placed it there, squeezing it tightly. His thrust hit the right spot and she cried out, willing him to change up, "C'mon, Red. Give it to me."

Seconds later, she found herself on her knees and facing the headboard, his strong hands pulling her up to a kneeling position. Once he captured her wrists above her head, Calleigh made a show of thrusting her hips, knowing the view would entice him to take a more active approach to this claiming. Sure enough, his long languid strokes morphed into short bursts of raw passion, his body covering her back completely. The warmth of his breath and the scent that could only be his filled her completely just as her body began to shift and change for him.

"Harder, you know you want to hear me scream," she goaded wickedly. His grip increased on her wrists as he bucked wildly into her, his hardened member drilling into her relentlessly. Spots of darkness peppered her vision as she gave herself over to the overpowering climax, her nails scoring the wall before her.

"Don't stop, Horatio…"

At the sound of her phone ringing, Calleigh shook herself out of the all too familiar day dream, clearly feeling its effects. More often than not, she found herself lost in day dreams about herself and Horatio, many of them erotically charged. It had been nearly five weeks since the shooting and now that she was well on her way to mending and getting back to work, she conceded that she missed the hell out of him. Recalling the horror of learning that he too had been shot, Calleigh shivered involuntarily, thankful that he too was on the mend. She had deliberately stayed away; there had been eye witness accounts to his obvious concern for her and immediately, questions had started to erupt. With only a select few knowing of her relationship with Horatio, Calleigh still felt confident that she could navigate the complexities that resulted. That did not hamper the obvious need for him.

Remembering that the phone was still ringing, she picked it up and answered, taking a quick glance around her office. During her absence, someone else had sat at this desk and perused her files and for a moment, she felt surprisingly…relieved. For once, she was not actively steering the lives of many or shouldering the burden of justice. She did not want to admit it to herself but she found the thought of leaving rather enticing. She would be free to live her life however and with whomever she chose and there was only one man whom she would run to.

Are you there sweetheart?

Speak of the devil, Calleigh mused as a brilliant smile inched over her lips. Reclining in her chair, she sighed heavily and answered humorously, "I had another day dream again, Handsome. They're getting more and more intense. We really should do something about that."

Well, I'm not the one on this self- imposed exile. Why don't we meet up for dinner? I can take you to your favorite restaurant then we can retire for the evening and act on those sinful thoughts of yours.

Disappointment erased the headiness of her lurid daydream as she attempted to temper her tone of voice, "Sorry, Handsome. We have to cool it for a while. Things are just beginning to die down here."

Calleigh, I don't know how much longer I can be without you. I miss you…

The frustration in his voice caused her to bite her lip ruefully, "I miss you too, but we can't. Not yet."

A knock at the door drew her attention and she turned to see Tim entering, a certain intent burning in his eyes. Sitting up more, she held up her finger and continued, "Look, I'm being pulled into something, I'll call you back, okay?"

Horatio glanced up to see Natalia entering his office and exhaled heavily at her cold expression. There was news and he was willing to wager that it wasn't the kind he liked to get. Rubbing his temple, he replied, "Alright. You take it easy. I love you."

Initially hesitant to answer in Tim's presence, she relented and echoed his sentiment, "I love you too, Horatio. Take care." When he hung up the phone, Calleigh stood slowly, the stiffness that accompanied her movements, slowing her down somewhat. Walking to meet Tim, she asked, "What's up, Tim?"

Handing her a file, he responded smugly, "We've found Wolfe. He's holed up deep in Liberty City. A couple of friends from Vice said they saw him lurking around one of Reyes' hot spots. This confirms it Calleigh, Wolfe's working for Reyes now."

Calleigh flipped through the file and stopped at Wolfe's booking photo and frowned, "Does anyone else know about his whereabouts?"

Tim shifted his weight and asked, "If you're referring to that psychotic right hand of Caine's, Boa Vista doesn't have a clue." Having heard Calleigh's pronouncement of love, Tim inwardly cringed, still not over the fact that it was Horatio's involvement that brought down all of this on Calleigh's shoulders. He wished he could talk her out of this ridiculous infatuation with Caine but he knew it would be pointless. What he deemed as merely a fantasy was reality for Calleigh, and she was not going to relinquish the red head quite that easily.

Following her as she moved toward the door, he added, "That's likely to change, I'm sure. We have to move on this if we want Wolfe. He's ours for the taking."

Calleigh turned to face him swiftly and stared at him, recalling the disgust she had felt upon hearing of his little tiff with Boa Vista. Scowling, she added, "It's not like we're in a race to beat them, Speed. Wolfe's dead to his rights on this."

"Yeah, and he'll be just dead if you allow your boyfriend to get his hands on him."

Calleigh's brow furrowed as she shook her head, refusing to play Tim's game. Instead, she pressed on, "We're going to move on Wolfe and we are going to get him. He'll stand for what he's done. That's a promise."

As Calleigh considered the potential for senseless bloodshed, she quickened her step and opened the door, "Let's get this over and done .Wolfe will be behind bars before dinner."

Or so she hoped.

TBC….