Disclaimer: see chap 1
***
On his way down to the morgue, Nick popped into the locker room hoping to catch Sara before she left. If he wanted a snowball's chance in hell of her becoming interested in him he figured he should clear the air. She and Catherine were still there gathering their coats and equipment. He cleared his throat quietly and Catherine met his eyes, understanding the look he gave her.
"Uh, Warrick's waiting in the car so I'll, uh, yeah" she draped her coat over her arm, grabbed her kit and glided by him. "See ya, Nicky."
"Bye, Cath."
Nick's eyes focused on Sara who seemed very intent on finding something deep within the depths of her locker. He approached her slowly and leaned on his locker, hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans, watching her. He noticed a Polaroid of the two of them taped to the inside of her locker door and felt an odd sense of pride. Archie had taken it at last year's New Years party. Their arms were around each other, big smiles on their faces, saluting the camera with the beers in their free hands.
"Um, listen Sara, I-"
"Nick, it's okay," she interrupted, babbling slightly. That happened lately when he stood so close, close enough for her to feel the heat coming off his body, to smell the intoxicating scent of his aftershave. To top it all off, today he was wearing a black long-sleeved t-shirt that did absolutely nothing to hide his well-defined muscles and blue jeans that did wonders for his wonderful backside. "Your personal life is none of my business, you don't need to apologize. In fact, if anything, I should be the one to apologize, I'm the one-"
"Sara," he stopped her rant with a warm gentle hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry." She looked up at him and felt her heart melt slightly at the sincerity in his soft gaze. He had wonderful eyes, warm, dark chocolate brown with long black eyelashes. very easy to fall into.
Get a grip Sidle
"And just for the record," a sheepish grin tugged at the corners of his mouth and she had to fight very hard not to stare at his lips. He leaned in slightly and she gripped the locker door a little tighter. "There is no Allison," he whispered, his breath tickling her ear. She pulled back quickly and stared at him, her mouth dropping open. He chuckled sheepishly and shrugged.
"You jerk!" she exclaimed punching him on the arm but unable to keep the smile off her face. This was mostly due to the fact that she had just felt his bicep. Wow.
"I know, it was just a stupid thing for me to say, really stupid," he said looking down at his shoes. "I am really sorry."
"Ugh, it's okay, I guess," she said closing her locker and feeling.relieved? "You're just lucky you're so damn cute."
Oh shit did I just say that?
Nick's head snapped up and she quickly pulled her jacket on wanting to get out of there before he could see her impression of the human tomato.
"Why, thank you ma'am," he replied beaming, as she moved to go by him, not letting her off that easy. "You're not so bad yourself. but you punch like a girl."
"Oh you didn't!" She turned and before he even had a chance of defending himself landed another punch on his shoulder. then a few more.
"Ow! OW! Hey!" He caught her wrists in his hands thus saving himself from another bruise. "It's not nice to play rough Ms Sidle."
She giggled, suddenly feeling very playful. "What, big, strong Texan man like you can't take it?"
He caught the flirtatious gleam in her eye and swallowed hard.
Whoa. Whoa, where did that look come from? She's never looked at me like that before.
"Um, no. Uh, I mean well yes I can, but what I meant was ah."
She giggled again and he felt his heart skip a beat or two. How did she do that to him? He was used to being the one who did this and wasn't used to having it, whatever it was, done to him.
He's so adorable when he's nervous. Wait, I make him nervous?!
"Relax Stokes, I'm not trying to threaten your masculinity," she said, still very aware that he had her wrists trapped in his hands against his well-muscled chest. She could feel his heart rate quicken and smiled. "You know your accent is thicker when you're flustered."
Flustered? Oh, hell I'm about to pass out
"Defense mechanism," he offered his voice slightly husky, not even bothering to attempt to deny how nervous he truly was but still desperately trying to play it cool. "It's, uh, supposed to be charming, help get me out of whatever mess I've gotten myself into."
"I think it's endearing," she replied. Sexy as hell is more like it. Somehow discovering she had this effect on him gave her guts she never thought she had. She knew for damn sure that she had never felt this way before. They had always been close, but never this close.
Wow, I'm on a roll, she thought, let's just hope I didn't scare him away
"That works too," he drawled softly. He was having trouble remembering to breathe.
"I'll say," she said quietly. His pupils dilated and she felt slightly dizzy. It was a good thing she still had him holding her steady.
He searched her dark eyes with his own, licked his lips nervously then slowly started to lean in giving her ample time to pull away. He could feel her breath on his parted lips, his mouth millimeters from hers. He closed his eyes, trying to ignore the roaring in his ears.
Oh, please don't push me away, please, please, please.
"Nick!" The locker room door swung open with a bang making Nick and Sara yelp and jump apart as though a gun had gone off, and Greg Sanders came swooshing in. "You in here?"
"Jesus Greg!" Nick shouted, clutching his chest. His heart was racing a mile a minute, although, granted that probably didn't entirely have to do with Greg's thunderous entrance. Sara unpeeled herself from the row of lockers and glared at the lab tech.
"He he, sorry Nicole" Greg said, dripping with his typical goofiness. "But Grissom sent me to find you. He and Doc Robbins are waiting for you." He noticed Sara for seemingly the first time and squinted at them suspiciously. "Hey, I didn't interrupt anything did I?"
"Greg!" Sara practically yelled through clenched teeth, her hands forming tight fists at her sides. "I swear to God."
"Alright, alright," he threw his hands up defensively. "Say no more." He eyed them both once again before making a wise choice and exiting the locker room.
Sara sighed and shook her head, grabbing her things. The moment was over, replaced by awkward silence. "I'd, uh, better run before I get a search party sent for me too."
"I'm going to kill him," Nick stated matter-of-factly, staring at the door with his hands on his hips.
"Easy there, cowboy," she said with a kind smile. Hearing the nickname his heart and stomach suddenly decided to switch places without his permission. "I'll see you later."
He caught her hand briefly in his own. "Hey, Sara. Would you, um. Do you eat breakfast?" Good one. He cursed inwardly; his lust-clouded brain was apparently having difficulty forming intelligent sentences.
She looked at him, amusement dancing in her eyes. God he was adorable. And for a ladies man he seemed to be having a bit of trouble. Maybe his reputation wasn't quite so accurate after all, at least not anymore. Unless. Maybe, it was just her? Ego trip!
"I've been know to," she finally replied with a grin, still holding his hand. His pulse fluttered.
"Yeah, well," he replied dumbly and cleared his throat. "Would you, um, like to have breakfast after shift? With me?"
She studied him for a moment, enjoying the fact that he was squirming a bit as he waited for her answer. "You're on," she said with a smile, winked and left.
***
On his way down to the morgue, Nick popped into the locker room hoping to catch Sara before she left. If he wanted a snowball's chance in hell of her becoming interested in him he figured he should clear the air. She and Catherine were still there gathering their coats and equipment. He cleared his throat quietly and Catherine met his eyes, understanding the look he gave her.
"Uh, Warrick's waiting in the car so I'll, uh, yeah" she draped her coat over her arm, grabbed her kit and glided by him. "See ya, Nicky."
"Bye, Cath."
Nick's eyes focused on Sara who seemed very intent on finding something deep within the depths of her locker. He approached her slowly and leaned on his locker, hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans, watching her. He noticed a Polaroid of the two of them taped to the inside of her locker door and felt an odd sense of pride. Archie had taken it at last year's New Years party. Their arms were around each other, big smiles on their faces, saluting the camera with the beers in their free hands.
"Um, listen Sara, I-"
"Nick, it's okay," she interrupted, babbling slightly. That happened lately when he stood so close, close enough for her to feel the heat coming off his body, to smell the intoxicating scent of his aftershave. To top it all off, today he was wearing a black long-sleeved t-shirt that did absolutely nothing to hide his well-defined muscles and blue jeans that did wonders for his wonderful backside. "Your personal life is none of my business, you don't need to apologize. In fact, if anything, I should be the one to apologize, I'm the one-"
"Sara," he stopped her rant with a warm gentle hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry." She looked up at him and felt her heart melt slightly at the sincerity in his soft gaze. He had wonderful eyes, warm, dark chocolate brown with long black eyelashes. very easy to fall into.
Get a grip Sidle
"And just for the record," a sheepish grin tugged at the corners of his mouth and she had to fight very hard not to stare at his lips. He leaned in slightly and she gripped the locker door a little tighter. "There is no Allison," he whispered, his breath tickling her ear. She pulled back quickly and stared at him, her mouth dropping open. He chuckled sheepishly and shrugged.
"You jerk!" she exclaimed punching him on the arm but unable to keep the smile off her face. This was mostly due to the fact that she had just felt his bicep. Wow.
"I know, it was just a stupid thing for me to say, really stupid," he said looking down at his shoes. "I am really sorry."
"Ugh, it's okay, I guess," she said closing her locker and feeling.relieved? "You're just lucky you're so damn cute."
Oh shit did I just say that?
Nick's head snapped up and she quickly pulled her jacket on wanting to get out of there before he could see her impression of the human tomato.
"Why, thank you ma'am," he replied beaming, as she moved to go by him, not letting her off that easy. "You're not so bad yourself. but you punch like a girl."
"Oh you didn't!" She turned and before he even had a chance of defending himself landed another punch on his shoulder. then a few more.
"Ow! OW! Hey!" He caught her wrists in his hands thus saving himself from another bruise. "It's not nice to play rough Ms Sidle."
She giggled, suddenly feeling very playful. "What, big, strong Texan man like you can't take it?"
He caught the flirtatious gleam in her eye and swallowed hard.
Whoa. Whoa, where did that look come from? She's never looked at me like that before.
"Um, no. Uh, I mean well yes I can, but what I meant was ah."
She giggled again and he felt his heart skip a beat or two. How did she do that to him? He was used to being the one who did this and wasn't used to having it, whatever it was, done to him.
He's so adorable when he's nervous. Wait, I make him nervous?!
"Relax Stokes, I'm not trying to threaten your masculinity," she said, still very aware that he had her wrists trapped in his hands against his well-muscled chest. She could feel his heart rate quicken and smiled. "You know your accent is thicker when you're flustered."
Flustered? Oh, hell I'm about to pass out
"Defense mechanism," he offered his voice slightly husky, not even bothering to attempt to deny how nervous he truly was but still desperately trying to play it cool. "It's, uh, supposed to be charming, help get me out of whatever mess I've gotten myself into."
"I think it's endearing," she replied. Sexy as hell is more like it. Somehow discovering she had this effect on him gave her guts she never thought she had. She knew for damn sure that she had never felt this way before. They had always been close, but never this close.
Wow, I'm on a roll, she thought, let's just hope I didn't scare him away
"That works too," he drawled softly. He was having trouble remembering to breathe.
"I'll say," she said quietly. His pupils dilated and she felt slightly dizzy. It was a good thing she still had him holding her steady.
He searched her dark eyes with his own, licked his lips nervously then slowly started to lean in giving her ample time to pull away. He could feel her breath on his parted lips, his mouth millimeters from hers. He closed his eyes, trying to ignore the roaring in his ears.
Oh, please don't push me away, please, please, please.
"Nick!" The locker room door swung open with a bang making Nick and Sara yelp and jump apart as though a gun had gone off, and Greg Sanders came swooshing in. "You in here?"
"Jesus Greg!" Nick shouted, clutching his chest. His heart was racing a mile a minute, although, granted that probably didn't entirely have to do with Greg's thunderous entrance. Sara unpeeled herself from the row of lockers and glared at the lab tech.
"He he, sorry Nicole" Greg said, dripping with his typical goofiness. "But Grissom sent me to find you. He and Doc Robbins are waiting for you." He noticed Sara for seemingly the first time and squinted at them suspiciously. "Hey, I didn't interrupt anything did I?"
"Greg!" Sara practically yelled through clenched teeth, her hands forming tight fists at her sides. "I swear to God."
"Alright, alright," he threw his hands up defensively. "Say no more." He eyed them both once again before making a wise choice and exiting the locker room.
Sara sighed and shook her head, grabbing her things. The moment was over, replaced by awkward silence. "I'd, uh, better run before I get a search party sent for me too."
"I'm going to kill him," Nick stated matter-of-factly, staring at the door with his hands on his hips.
"Easy there, cowboy," she said with a kind smile. Hearing the nickname his heart and stomach suddenly decided to switch places without his permission. "I'll see you later."
He caught her hand briefly in his own. "Hey, Sara. Would you, um. Do you eat breakfast?" Good one. He cursed inwardly; his lust-clouded brain was apparently having difficulty forming intelligent sentences.
She looked at him, amusement dancing in her eyes. God he was adorable. And for a ladies man he seemed to be having a bit of trouble. Maybe his reputation wasn't quite so accurate after all, at least not anymore. Unless. Maybe, it was just her? Ego trip!
"I've been know to," she finally replied with a grin, still holding his hand. His pulse fluttered.
"Yeah, well," he replied dumbly and cleared his throat. "Would you, um, like to have breakfast after shift? With me?"
She studied him for a moment, enjoying the fact that he was squirming a bit as he waited for her answer. "You're on," she said with a smile, winked and left.