XVII - AFTER THE KISS
"So, do you think Grissom talked to Catherine?" Nick's voice was sleepy. Sara was watching TV, and Nick was half asleep beside her. He shifted his weight, placing his head down in her lap. Sara smiled absently as she threaded her fingers through his short hair, massaging his scalp.
"I don't know. Grissom is a mystery to me. And I'm not totally comfortable playing matchmaker either. Are you sure pushing him at Catherine is the right thing to do?" Sara was worrying her lip between her teeth.
Nick grinned. "Trust me, Sara. Catherine is a lot like me - it just took her longer to admit she has feelings for Grissom. She's been using their friendship as a shield to keep from going any further. It's not healthy."
"And you got your degree where, Dr. Phil?" Sara teased. With her free hand she had begun playing with the hem at the bottom of his T-shirt, slim fingers sliding under the cotton, fingering his bellybutton. Nick closed his eyes.
"I don't need a degree. I'm naturally in tune with the 'shipiness of others."
"A real Texan cupid."
Nick shifted suddenly. "I'll be your love slave if you scratch my back for me."
"You already are my love slave, Nicky." She trailed her hand down his chest tugging his shirt teasingly. "But I'll scratch your back anyway."
Nick groaned with pleasure as her nails worked lightly over his back and shoulder bones. "This is definitely the way to a man's heart - perpetual back scratch."
"Really? I always thought it was through his stomach." Sara's voice was light, and she giggled when Nick grunted.
"With your limited culinary expertise, it's a good thing that's not true." He sighed contentedly, kissing Sara just above her knee. His head was still in her lap. "This is heaven."
The room fell silent, Sara humming to herself as she worked on Nick's back. Only his occasional small sigh indicated he was even awake. She wondered absently if Nick was ticklish, and ran her fingertips lightly down his sides, grinning when he flinched.
She tested again, fingers slipping over smooth skin, moving subtly. Nick flinched again.
"Don't do it, Sara. Don't even think it!" His voice was low, but it was too late. With a shout of glee, Sara launched a full-fledged attack. Within minutes, they were both on the floor rolling around, screaming with laughter. Nick finally pinned her, and Sara began squirming for dear life - trying to get away from him, begging him to stop.
"Say Uncle!" He demanded, holding his clawed fingers above the exposed skin on her belly.
"Never!"
He laughed. "You are in so much trouble. I'll give you one more chance - say Uncle! Admit that I win!"
Sara grinned, looking into his handsome laughing face. Her brown eyes suddenly turned deadly serious. "I think I've won. Kiss me, Nicky."
* * * * *
Grissom woke up slowly, surrounded in warmth. For a few minutes, he was completely relaxed, smiling and lethargic. And then he remembered where he was. Turning his head slightly, he saw her face, her hair splayed about the pillow case. The smell of strawberries was overwhelming. Grissom closed his eyes, silently groaning.
What the hell had just happened? One minute, he was talking to her, the next - what? Her gentle voice had said 'Shut-up, Gil. And kiss me.' And he had been all over her like flies on honey.
Grissom remembered feeling lost - floating in emotion, soaking up every feeling like a sponge. Her warm mouth, her soft skin - the smell of her soaking into his skin. Catherine had the softest lips.
He had felt her hands in his hair, tangling in his curls, little bolts of electricity shooting from her fingers over his skin. He had wanted to open his eyes to look at her, but didn't have the strength.
His fingers had tangled in her hair, tendrils of strawberry blond wrapping around them like silk. One of her hands had trailed down his face, and he heard the rasp of his stubble scratching against the tender skin of her palm. He had drowned in her kiss.
Everything was a blur after that - he remembered his hands on her, her hands on him. The passion and urgent aching need had been explosive. His blood had felt like flames coursing through his system. He had never wanted anyone in his entire life as badly as he had wanted Catherine, and he had taken her - not gently, not with any finesse, but like a man obsessed - his skin branding hers, his mouth tasting, his teeth nipping. And now, here he was, in her bed. The heat of her body next to him was scorching. What had he done?
"Catherine." His voice was hoarse. "Catherine." He shifted slightly unto his side, and lifted a shaky hand to her hair, playing with the silky tendrils. He watched her anxiously; his heart jumping as she slowly opened her eyes and looked at him. She was smiling.
"Gil." Her voice sent little tremors of need ricocheting up his spine. His fingers tightened involuntarily in her hair, pulling slightly. He closed his eyes.
"Wow. You look a little shell-shocked." Her voice was tender and husky at the same time.
Grissom sighed. "I feel shell-shocked. What the hell just happened?"
Catherine laughed lightly, inching closer until her breasts were rubbing against his chest. "You're a 45 year old man, Gil. Do I really need to explain it to you?"
His blue eyes shot open, and he blushed. "No! No - that's not what I meant. I meant - how did we end up here?"
Her hand had traveled up out of the sheets, and was running absently up and down his side, from his hipbone to his collarbone and back again. "I think we raced." She giggled. "I won."
Grissom sighed. His heart was pounding again. "And this is?"
"This is me, and you. Nothing more, nothing less." She leaned towards him, kissing him gently, before pulling away and looking into his eyes. "Are you still scared, Gil?"
He nodded, looking slightly bemused. "I'm afraid I'm going to wake up, and realize this is just a dream. Catherine, I -"
"No." She leaned forward and kissed him again, harder this time. "Let's not analyze it right now. Just love me again, Gil."
"Forever." He spoke so softly, he thought Catherine hadn't heard him. But her sudden brilliant smile, and her soft mouth as she kissed him into submission, told him she had.
_______
Author's Note: Sorry this took longer to post. I've been away all weekend. I know you all wanted answers as to what happened between Gil and Catherine, and I hope this is answers them - I'll post more soon - back to the case, and all.
"So, do you think Grissom talked to Catherine?" Nick's voice was sleepy. Sara was watching TV, and Nick was half asleep beside her. He shifted his weight, placing his head down in her lap. Sara smiled absently as she threaded her fingers through his short hair, massaging his scalp.
"I don't know. Grissom is a mystery to me. And I'm not totally comfortable playing matchmaker either. Are you sure pushing him at Catherine is the right thing to do?" Sara was worrying her lip between her teeth.
Nick grinned. "Trust me, Sara. Catherine is a lot like me - it just took her longer to admit she has feelings for Grissom. She's been using their friendship as a shield to keep from going any further. It's not healthy."
"And you got your degree where, Dr. Phil?" Sara teased. With her free hand she had begun playing with the hem at the bottom of his T-shirt, slim fingers sliding under the cotton, fingering his bellybutton. Nick closed his eyes.
"I don't need a degree. I'm naturally in tune with the 'shipiness of others."
"A real Texan cupid."
Nick shifted suddenly. "I'll be your love slave if you scratch my back for me."
"You already are my love slave, Nicky." She trailed her hand down his chest tugging his shirt teasingly. "But I'll scratch your back anyway."
Nick groaned with pleasure as her nails worked lightly over his back and shoulder bones. "This is definitely the way to a man's heart - perpetual back scratch."
"Really? I always thought it was through his stomach." Sara's voice was light, and she giggled when Nick grunted.
"With your limited culinary expertise, it's a good thing that's not true." He sighed contentedly, kissing Sara just above her knee. His head was still in her lap. "This is heaven."
The room fell silent, Sara humming to herself as she worked on Nick's back. Only his occasional small sigh indicated he was even awake. She wondered absently if Nick was ticklish, and ran her fingertips lightly down his sides, grinning when he flinched.
She tested again, fingers slipping over smooth skin, moving subtly. Nick flinched again.
"Don't do it, Sara. Don't even think it!" His voice was low, but it was too late. With a shout of glee, Sara launched a full-fledged attack. Within minutes, they were both on the floor rolling around, screaming with laughter. Nick finally pinned her, and Sara began squirming for dear life - trying to get away from him, begging him to stop.
"Say Uncle!" He demanded, holding his clawed fingers above the exposed skin on her belly.
"Never!"
He laughed. "You are in so much trouble. I'll give you one more chance - say Uncle! Admit that I win!"
Sara grinned, looking into his handsome laughing face. Her brown eyes suddenly turned deadly serious. "I think I've won. Kiss me, Nicky."
* * * * *
Grissom woke up slowly, surrounded in warmth. For a few minutes, he was completely relaxed, smiling and lethargic. And then he remembered where he was. Turning his head slightly, he saw her face, her hair splayed about the pillow case. The smell of strawberries was overwhelming. Grissom closed his eyes, silently groaning.
What the hell had just happened? One minute, he was talking to her, the next - what? Her gentle voice had said 'Shut-up, Gil. And kiss me.' And he had been all over her like flies on honey.
Grissom remembered feeling lost - floating in emotion, soaking up every feeling like a sponge. Her warm mouth, her soft skin - the smell of her soaking into his skin. Catherine had the softest lips.
He had felt her hands in his hair, tangling in his curls, little bolts of electricity shooting from her fingers over his skin. He had wanted to open his eyes to look at her, but didn't have the strength.
His fingers had tangled in her hair, tendrils of strawberry blond wrapping around them like silk. One of her hands had trailed down his face, and he heard the rasp of his stubble scratching against the tender skin of her palm. He had drowned in her kiss.
Everything was a blur after that - he remembered his hands on her, her hands on him. The passion and urgent aching need had been explosive. His blood had felt like flames coursing through his system. He had never wanted anyone in his entire life as badly as he had wanted Catherine, and he had taken her - not gently, not with any finesse, but like a man obsessed - his skin branding hers, his mouth tasting, his teeth nipping. And now, here he was, in her bed. The heat of her body next to him was scorching. What had he done?
"Catherine." His voice was hoarse. "Catherine." He shifted slightly unto his side, and lifted a shaky hand to her hair, playing with the silky tendrils. He watched her anxiously; his heart jumping as she slowly opened her eyes and looked at him. She was smiling.
"Gil." Her voice sent little tremors of need ricocheting up his spine. His fingers tightened involuntarily in her hair, pulling slightly. He closed his eyes.
"Wow. You look a little shell-shocked." Her voice was tender and husky at the same time.
Grissom sighed. "I feel shell-shocked. What the hell just happened?"
Catherine laughed lightly, inching closer until her breasts were rubbing against his chest. "You're a 45 year old man, Gil. Do I really need to explain it to you?"
His blue eyes shot open, and he blushed. "No! No - that's not what I meant. I meant - how did we end up here?"
Her hand had traveled up out of the sheets, and was running absently up and down his side, from his hipbone to his collarbone and back again. "I think we raced." She giggled. "I won."
Grissom sighed. His heart was pounding again. "And this is?"
"This is me, and you. Nothing more, nothing less." She leaned towards him, kissing him gently, before pulling away and looking into his eyes. "Are you still scared, Gil?"
He nodded, looking slightly bemused. "I'm afraid I'm going to wake up, and realize this is just a dream. Catherine, I -"
"No." She leaned forward and kissed him again, harder this time. "Let's not analyze it right now. Just love me again, Gil."
"Forever." He spoke so softly, he thought Catherine hadn't heard him. But her sudden brilliant smile, and her soft mouth as she kissed him into submission, told him she had.
_______
Author's Note: Sorry this took longer to post. I've been away all weekend. I know you all wanted answers as to what happened between Gil and Catherine, and I hope this is answers them - I'll post more soon - back to the case, and all.