Chapter Twenty-seven

They emerged from the hotel room an hour later, both relaxed and acutely aware that everything had changed between them. Sliding her hand into his, Sara smiled up at him warmly, no longer afraid that this connection between them would dissipate once they were away from each other, and she knew that however difficult his departure would be for the both of them, she needed to be with him every second that they had left together.

Grissom placed his large bag on the floor with his free hand and pulled the door closed. The smile he gave her when he turned back towards her was one of total adoration. He felt like a teenager again and it felt wonderful. His eyes held hers as he bent down to pick up his bag, and squeezed her hand gently. "You ready?"

She nodded quietly, her lingering smile casting a wave of love to wash over his senses, and he leant in closer to her lips to kiss her briefly. They had come so far in the last few days and the bond that had always been with them had all but exploded into the beautiful relationship that was blossoming between them now.

They walked down the corridor, their hands still joined, and when they reached he hotel reception area, Grissom still refused to relinquish his hold on her.

"Hi, Gil Grissom," he told the woman behind the desk, noting that she was the same one he had encountered on his first day here. Putting his bag down, he released Sara's hand briefly to reach inside his breast pocket for his credit card. Once he'd retrieved it, he felt Sara's fingers slip into his, lacing them together as she leant into him, her dominant display causing him to turn and flash her a lop sided grin. Placing his credit card on the desk he smiled lightly. "Uh…I'll be checking out today."

"Oh," the woman said shortly, a fake smile plastered on her lips. "I hope you enjoyed your stay with us."

Grissom turned to the woman beside him and gazed down into her eyes, his smile portraying the emotions that swirled around inside his heart. "I did, thank you."

The receptionist watched the burning heat between the two people before her and hurriedly printed out a receipt, then pushed it along with his card towards him. Checking the receipt, he signed the top copy and passed it back to her. "Thank you Mr. Grissom, have a nice day."

Tearing his eyes away from Sara's, he reached out with his free hand to take the items on the desk and placed them into his breast pocket, zipping them safely inside. With a contended smile, he bent to pick up his bag and nodded a final goodbye before ushering Sara towards the doors.

That evening, Grissom opened the door to the quaint little restaurant, holding it open for the beautiful woman beside him. Sara smiled brightly, her eyes sparkling in the candlelight that emanated from the surrounding tables.

When they reached the desk, Grissom took hold of Sara's hand before addressing the man at reception. "Hi, we have a reservation, Grissom."

Looking down at the computer screen, the young man smiled and called over one of the waiters. "Barrie, would you show Mr. and Mrs. Grissom to their table please?"

Grissom felt Sara's hand squeeze his tightly and turned to her, offering her an adoring smile. "Shall we?" he whispered, his hand leaving hers to slide around her waist, coming to nestle in the small of her back.

Smiling brightly, she started to follow the waiter to their table and sat down when he pulled the chair out for her. "Thank you," she acknowledged politely, her gaze falling onto Grissom when he sat down opposite her.

"If you would like to study the wine menu, your assigned waitress will be over shortly to take your order." Barrie offered them both a polite smile, before stepping away from the table.

As soon as they were alone, Sara reached a hand across the table to clasp Grissom's hand softly. "How did you find this place?" she asked with a smile, "I've been here for three months and still don't know my way around!"

"I asked Andrew," he grinned, his eyes sparkling as he spoke. "I wanted to bring you somewhere special and this place fitted the criteria.

"Gil Grissom you are such a romantic," she chuckled as she rubbed her thumb lightly over his knuckles. "Who'd have thought it?"

"If this gets out, I'll know who snitched on me," he grinned, their light banter filling his heart with a happiness that had evaded him for too long. Taking a moment, his eyes scanned over her face, drinking in the softness of her skin. Continuing on their path downwards, his eyes lingers over her long elegant neck then down to the low cut black dress she wore which showed a delicate amount of cleavage, then down to her thin waist. She was absolutely beautiful, and nothing could have prepared him for his body's reaction when she had walked out of her bedroom and into the living room to face him.

"What are you thinking?" she asked softly, her cheeks reddening with the adoring scrutiny he was regarding her with tonight. Never before had she felt so beautiful in the eyes of another.

"I'm thinking about how much I'm going to miss you," he answered honestly, his voice tinged with a little sadness as he spoke. "And I'm thinking that as soon as you return to Vegas that we are going to start living."

"Aren't we living now?" she asked softly, lifting her other hand to reach across the table to join his.

"Yes," he told her huskily as his eyes reached into her own, bringing a passionate beauty along with them. "I wasted so much time trying to fight my feelings for you that I missed seeing what was really right before my eyes."

"And what was that?"

Drawing in a breath, he tried to calm his rising emotions. "You, Sara. If I'd have lowered my defenses for just a few seconds I could have seen what I was doing to you. I really didn't know what I was doing, but I know when you left, that everything fell into place to make me realize what a fool I'd been."

"It doesn't matter now," she soothed, tightening her hold on his hands as she spoke. "Somehow all the pain seems worth it now, now that you're here and we…" closing her eyes against the burning emotion welling up inside, she took a deep breath before opening them again. "I promised myself I wouldn't cry."

"Hey, don't cry," he whispered softly. "I don't ever want to lose you again."

"You won't," she told him fiercely, thankful that the welling pools had started to dry away.

"I know," he smiled knowingly, squeezing her hands one more time only to release her reluctantly when their waitress came to their table.

"Hello, I'm Judith. I'm your waitress for the evening. Would you like to order now?"

Picking up the menu, Grissom looked over to Sara who smiled brightly up at Judith to order a Caesar salad, while Grissom ordered a steak and salad. Writing their order down on her menu pad, Judith picked up their menus and smiled again. "Would you like some wine with your meal?"

"Honey?" Grissom asked softly, his eyes dancing over Sara's face as she turned to smile at him.

"Something dry," she suggested.

"We'll have some dry white wine please," he told the waitress with a glowing smile, then turned his attention back to the woman opposite him, his eyes glowing with heartfelt tenderness.

Their hands snaked across the table again to link them together, their fingers entwined in each other's touch. Neither spoke, both contented to bask in the others presence, only relinquishing their hold when their orders arrived twenty minutes later.

An hour and a half later, Sara gazed up at him from across the table as she nursed a cup of coffee in her hands. Their evening had been perfect, and the restaurant a beautiful end to their last night together. Grissom's eyes caressed her own, his burning love reaching out to clasp her heart in outpouring passion that ignited her whole body.

"You ready to go?" he asked softly, his warm smile lingering over his lips as he spoke.

Sara nodded quickly, watching him as he laid some money on the table beneath their bill, hoping that he hadn't seen the raw need for him in her eyes. They had broken through more walls and barriers in the last few days than they had managed to do in the three years since they began this painful dance. Now that she could feel him and close the distance to find the real Gil Grissom buried beneath the surface, she didn't want to let him go.

Taking his offered hand, she stood up beside him and let him lead her away from the table and towards the restaurant's exiting doors. When they stepped out into the cool evening air, she shivered slightly and tucked herself further into his warmth. She felt his heat immediately, reaching through to her skin to warm all the cold places that simmered inside her. She knew, more now than she ever had before, that he had healed all those hurt places inside her. The wounds he had created over the past year were sealing closed, his healing kisses chasing away all the pain.

And then he stopped, turning to her with so much love in his eyes she thought she might just burst from the emotions. Stepping back slightly, he slid his jacket off of his shoulders and stepped in close to her to drape it over her shoulders to seal in her warmth.

"Thank you," she whispered, leaning closer to place a tender kiss on his lips. She felt his soft sigh when he lifted his hands to her face, his thumb gently stroking her cheek as he pulled back to look down into her eyes.

"Let's go home," he told her, his quiet voice masking the aching sadness they both knew would envelope them soon enough.

"Yes," she nodded, reaching up to kiss him again before pulling away so she could slide her arm around his waist.

Grissom sighed beside her, delighted with the freedom to show her how much he loved her and not worry about the repercussions of being seen. Sliding an arm beneath his jacket over her shoulders, he gently pulled her closer to him as they walked back towards their car, both silently dreading the fall of tomorrow.

TBC