Horatio glanced in the Hummer's rear-view mirror and fussed with his hair a little. It looked fine, but he was feeling fidgety and needed something to do with his hands or he'd go crazy. Finally he swung open the door to the Hummer and climbed out.
Approaching the main door to her building he pressed the intercom button that would buzz up to Grace's apartment.
"Hello?"
"Hey, it's me."
"Come on up. I'll be ready in just a second."
Horatio heard the rumble of the door mechanism as it clicked open and he pushed through into the cool climate of the air-conditioned hallway.
Horatio knocked lightly on the door, and heard a soft tap, tap, tap as Grace walked across the room to answer it, and then the scrape and clank as the chain was drawn back. The door opened and for a moment Horatio was stunned to silence as he took in the sight before him. Grace stood in the doorway, dressed in a silky black dress that clung to her athletic figure in all the right places, her honey-blonde hair was pulled up into an elegant knot. A pair of killer heels increased her height by several inches and accentuated her toned calf muscles. Horatio's mouth flapped open and closed as he tried to force himself to speak.
"Well I'll take that as a good sign." Grace laughed at the sight that Horatio presented.
"You look stunning." He whispered as he finally found a voice.
"Thank-you." Grace blushed. Her face becoming even redder as Horatio pulled a single red rose from behind his back.
Horatio, the man who was never without something to say, and was usually so suave when it came to these situations trawled his mind for what to say next, and found his vocabulary had suddenly diminished. Instead, he proffered his arm, hoping that Grace would think he was aiming for the 'strong and silent' approach rather than the 'dumbass, can't think what to say' persona that he now found himself projecting. Whether she figured it out or not Grace simply hooked her delicate arm through his and allowed herself to be guided out of the door.
The pair enjoyed an animated conversation over dinner. They laughed at situations they had found themselves in during the course of their careers, and over the antics of colleagues and criminals alike. They were so deep in conversation that their desserts arrived without them noticing, it was only when Grace nearly put her elbow into her partially melted pudding that they realised that the food had in fact been sitting on the table for quite some time.
At one point during their evening, as they sat back with cups of coffee Grace went quiet, her eyes glazed over with a far-away look.
"You thinking about Sarah?"
"Yeah."
Horatio reached out and took Grace's hands in his, stroking his thumb lightly over the delicate skin on the back of her hand.
"You know, Fate is really screwed up." Grace's face was scrunched into a frown as she spoke.
"Huh?" Her comment caught Horatio off guard. He hadn't been expecting that.
"Well you might have heard that I lost my sister recently." Even in the depths of such sadness Grace could still try and lift the mood with a little sarcasm. "Well I was thinking, Fate really made a terrible decision there, I think we're in agreement with that, right? But in the course of all that happening I met you," she leaned her head to one side speaking in a harsh whisper behind her hand as if sharing a secret, "and just to clarify, that's a very good thing." She winked and sat upright again before continuing. "Good things all mixed up with bad things, so you see my logic that Fate is screwed up." Grace delivered the last phrase in the manner of a lecturer making the summation to a complex lecture.
"I see where you're coming from. I'm just glad that very occasionally it comes through with a triumphant victory." He bowed his head and placed a soft kiss on Grace's knuckles.
Later, as they walked along the seafront, their promenade was accompanied by the steady beat and lively rhythm of Cuban music which drifted out of nearby clubs, bars and restaurants, Horatio slipped his arm around her waist and they fell comfortably into step with each other. As they reached the end of the path they stood for a while, just looking out over the calm waters of the bay, hearing the steady rhythm of the water lapping on the beach nearby, moonlight providing the only illumination. In the distance they could just make out the shape of a cruise liner departing on its voyage, and Horatio thought that there was no-one on that ship that could even come close to feeling the same kind of happiness he was feeling right now. Grace leant in close and rested her head back against his shoulder, letting out a contented sigh as she did so. If you could relive one moment over and over again, Horatio thought, this would be the one he'd choose.
He couldn't really remember how they'd got back to his apartment, he remembered a lively discussion about basketball, both extolling the virtues of their own teams. Horatio, once a dedicated Knicks fan who had gradually swapped his allegiance to the Miami Heat team, and Grace, still a staunch New York Knicks supporter. The pair enjoyed picking fault with the other team, although Horatio had ultimately been forced to concede defeat following Grace's reminder that the last time the two teams had met on the court the Knicks had come out on top. But after that the conversation became a little foggy and all Horatio could remember was the curve of her neck, the way the light made her hair shine and how her cheeks were a little flushed from drinking one glass of wine too many.
"Coffee?" he asked as he flicked on a light switch inside the apartment and tossed his keys onto the table by the door.
"Mmm, yes please." Grace wandered in behind him, and as Horatio headed over into the kitchen area Grace made a beeline for the stereo system and chose a cd from the extensive collection lined up on the shelf above. She closed her eyes for a second and started to sway a little as the first notes of a classic rock ballad drifted out of the speakers.
Horatio busied himself in the kitchen, pulling cups out of a cupboard as the coffee machine gurgled away, making a fresh brew. Within minutes an enticing aroma drifted up from the pot and began to fill the kitchen. He poured the bubbling liquid into the pristine white cups, added a little cream and sugar to Grace's, leaving his own black and headed back out into the lounge. The apartment appeared to be empty, there was no sign of Grace as Horatio walked out of the kitchen, just the music system continuing to push music out into the empty room. Puzzled, he looked around and eventually noticed a delicate movement of the voile curtains that framed the glass door leading out onto the balcony. The light material fluttered as a gentle breeze blew in from the open French doors. He walked over and stood quietly watching her silhouette for a minute. Grace was leaning on the railings at the edge of the balcony, gazing out over the sea.
"Here." He reached around her and placed the cup of steaming hot coffee in her hand.
She lifted it to her lips and took a sip.
"Mmm." She held the cup cradled in her hands for a few minutes as she remained staring out over the beautiful natural vista that lay stretched out into the distance. Finally, a small, almost unnoticeable smile crept onto her face, she leaned down and carefully placed the almost full coffee cup on the table that stood next to her on the balcony and turned to face Horatio.
Her movement brought his attention from the ocean back to the woman in front of him. There was something ever so slightly different than there had been a few minutes before, whether it was the more confident way she held herself, or the determined twinkle in her eyes he wasn't sure, what he was sure of was that she looked stunning. Grace extended her hand towards him cupping her hand around the side of his face as she ran her thumb over the soft skin of his cheek, feeling the light stubble starting to grow as she traced the contours of his jaw line. Her hand moved down his neck and over the crisp white material of his shirt. She slowly closed her fingers, gently grasping a section of the smooth fabric and pulled him a step closer to her. She could feel the light buffeting of his breath against her skin now, and she tilted her face up towards his.
Horatio no longer needed her guidance and ran his hands either side of her face as she tilted her head up towards his own, entwining his fingers in the long, honey-blonde hair that fell from it's elegant knot and tumbled in loose waves down her back. He leaned in, initially allowing his lips to brush softly against hers before kissing her more passionately. They remained locked together for what seemed like forever, close enough to feel the others heart beating. When they finally parted, breathing heavily, blue met green as they looked into each others eyes. It was Grace that broke the gaze first, dropping her line of sight as a contented grin spread over her face. She wove her fingers with Horatio's and pulled him towards the open glass door leading back into his apartment.
Once inside Grace once again pulled him into a firm embrace, before fiddling with the buttons of his shirt, unlike the last time she had attempted this Horatio made no move to resist. Finally having undone the fastenings she pushed the material back over his muscled shoulders and he shrugged it off, allowing the garment to fall to the floor. Horatio hooked his fingers under the straps of Grace's dress and slipped the gown from her shoulders revealing soft flesh; marked by faint lines where the sun had caught her sensitive New Yorker's skin, the milky complexion quickly taking on a more Miami-esque tone determined by the harsh glare of the incessant Florida sun.
He ran his hands over the skin of her shoulders and traced the line of her shoulder blades. She shivered at his gentle touch making her seem vulnerable, which in turn sent a longing through every synapse of his brain. He held her close, feeling the soft skin of her breasts pressed up against his chest and inhaled the delicate scent of jasmine that floated up from her hair. The dress fell a little further, and in the mirror behind her Horatio caught a glimpse of something black on the newly revealed skin. He began to trace the design of the tattoo on the bottom of her back with one finger.
"You've got ink." He whispered.
She blushed.
"Um, yeah."
In the mirror Horatio took a better look at the body art and instantly realised what it was, a small, stylised form of a bird rising from flames.
"Phoenix?"
"Uh-huh. It's just a reminder."
"Of Sarah." He nodded, understanding.
"Partly, but also partly to remind myself that from the ashes we are reborn. I guess I got it to remind myself that I can survive no matter what happens."
"A wise sentiment."
"Should be, you taught me that Horatio."
He pulled his head back to look into her eyes and then leaned forward, once again brushing her lips with his before pressing forward making the kiss more fervent, desperate even. As they parted, both breathing deeply Grace whispered softly in his ear.
"You know, I have another tattoo as well."
"Where?" He pulled back and looked at her as he spoke.
"You're just going to have to find that one yourself." A wicked grin spread over her face.
Horatio chuckled, he was going to enjoy that task. He swept her up into his arms and carried her into the bedroom, the material of the dress finally falling all the way to the floor as he picked her up, leaving her clad only in a pair of black panties. He laid her down on the bed and kissed her gently on the lips before moving his mouth down her neck, peppering her skin with kisses before going in search of the illusive tattoo.
To be continued…
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A/N – TenFour – Good Lord, even before the kettle?? That's high praise indeed!! I need my tea-induced caffeine hit before I can function! Oh yes, Grace will definitely be back…(ooh, just had a Terminator moment there "I'll be back…")
Clairec12344 – You know, I hadn't thought of that, but now you mention it I can see a bit of Mac + Stella in there. If you thought that was cute, just wait til you see what's to come. Teehee.
RedHotLover – Aw shucks, now I'm blushing – Thanks for your words of encouragement. I'm intrigued by the police procedures as well as the science + the internet's a wonderful research tool!!
More fluff anyone??
