Grissom looked down at his watch for the fifth time in 2 minutes. The Las Vegas airport was bustling with people, most of them obscuring his view, but for now, he didn't really care. He only wanted to see one person tonight, one face that had haunted his dreams for so long.
Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm his racing heart. He hadn't seen Sara for almost three months and he was finding it increasingly difficult to concentrate on anything other than her. He felt like a teenager again, totally besotted with the woman he loved, but it felt exhilaratingly good.
Sudden movement caused him to cast his eyes back towards the crowd, scanning the sea of arrivals for her. Looking down at his watch once again, he noted that another minute had ticked by, one more second closer to being with her again.
His mind drifted back to the last time he had seen her face. She had been immersed in grief, their separation causing them both to fight to remain in control of their tempestuous emotions. He had left her behind, unable to turn back and look for her once he was through the barrier that aimed to lead him away from her. He knew then, that if he met her eyes, he wouldn't have been able to leave her. Ever.
A new swarm of people came through the arrival gate to break him out of his reverie. He hadn't realized until now just how desperately he needed to see her. They'd shared countless phone conversations and expressed words of love and longing in whispered confessions when neither wanted the other to hang up. When they eventually did break the conversation, either one of them would banish the silence and call when the other was sleeping, just to hear the warm voice at the other end.
Searching the crowd, Grissom felt the hairs on his neck stand on end and he knew instantly that she was here, somewhere in this hall. He started to walk towards the sea of people hoping to spot her.
"Hey." Her voice came from nowhere and he spun around to find her watching him with a beaming smile on her face.
His heart leapt into his throat and he lunged for her, wrapping his arms tightly around her body as he pulled her into his embrace. "Sara…" he whispered hoarsely.
Sara dropped her bag to the floor and slid her hands up over his back, her fingers meeting at his neck. She clung to him, her need to feel every inch of him coursing through her body like molten lava.
They rocked each other, neither speaking for fear of waking from this beautiful dream. Moving slightly, Sara was unable to hold back any longer and moved her lips to kiss his cheek, peppering tiny kisses along his bearded face, all the while stroking the hairs on the base of his neck. She could feel him shaking against her, his own tenuous control slipping as he turned his head to finally mash his lips to hers.
With mutual understanding they merged as one, kissing each other with desperation, like long lost lovers finally returning. The people around them suddenly disappeared into the background, the chatter and bustle dying away leaving only the two of them.
Sara slid her tongue over his lips, her silent plea begging for entry, which he granted almost instantly. He met her half way, his own body's reaction causing chaos throughout hers, but still she couldn't pull away from him. Their tongues dueled in a frenzied battle, both desperate to feel as much of the other as possible. Grissom's hands slid over her back, his fingers massaging wherever they stopped, only to move onto somewhere else to begin the same process all over again.
The sounds around them soon started to filter through to their senses, alerting them to the other people in the airport. Sara whimpered into his mouth when he started to pull away, breaking their lips from the ecstasy she was immersed in.
"Sara," he whispered again as he pulled her back into his chest to hold her against him.
"I missed you," she told him, her voice hoarse as fresh tears built in her eyes.
"I know," he breathed, his arms pulling her tighter. "Me too."
Pulling back slightly, Sara looked up into his face, her eyes lovingly drinking every inch of him. "You look tired."
"I am," he smiled, lifting a hand up to frame her cheek. "But you're home now."
Sara could feel the tension between them, a tingling sensation that had held them together for so long. Lifting one of her own hands she slid it over his on her face, leaning into his touch. Their eyes held as she turned her head slightly to kiss his palm. "Take me home Grissom."
His eyes burned with fire when he heard her words and silently loosened his arms around her, but not losing contact. Bending down, he picked up her bag and slid his arms around her back to nestle his hand on her waist, pulling her tightly into his body. "I've brought some vegetarian meals for you," he told her with a smile.
Lifting her face, she graced him with an adoring smile and reached up to place a soft kiss on his cheek. "You did?"
"Uh hum," he nodded, leading her out into the warm Vegas sunshine. "I thought we could go and have some real food when you've settled back into being here."
"I'm settled," she beamed, "believe me, I am very settled."
His smile widened when he walked her over towards his waiting Denali, and only released her when he pulled open the door for her to climb inside.
The drive back to his town house was made in a comfortable silence, both of them basking in the other's presence. Reaching out a hand, Sara placed her hand on his thigh as they drove, her simple touch igniting them both with a burning fire.
"Do the others know I'm back?" she asked softly, her voice cracking with the tension that coursed through her body.
"No, I thought you could tell them at breakfast tomorrow." Glancing at her quickly, he turned his eyes back to the road and smiled. "I offered to buy breakfast after shift."
"Honey, if that didn't scream out to Catherine's suspicions I think it will now!" Sara couldn't help but laugh, her happiness to be back with him spurring her into blissful contentment, something she hadn't felt for a very long time.
"Not if we're careful," he grinned. "How about you? Did you give Nick any hints that you were coming home?"
"Nope," she smiled "and as much as I love him he can be pretty clueless sometimes."
"A little like me huh?"
"No Grissom, you weren't clueless, you just didn't know what to do." Squeezing his thigh, she withdrew her hand and sat back in her seat to watch him.
"What?" he asked quickly without taking his eyes off of the road. He knew she was watching him because every nerve ending in his entire body was tingling under her scrutiny. When she didn't answer, he started to smile, knowing she was playing with him.
"Nothing's wrong," she grinned. "Can't I just sit and gaze at the man I love without having to explain it?"
"Well sweetheart if Catherine didn't notice before, she will pick it up within a second if she catches you!"
"I'll be careful."
Grissom huffed out a mock sigh as he turned the Denali into his street. "I believe you," he told her with his adorable half grin. Pulling up outside his house, he stopped the SUV and turned to look at her.
"What?" she asked softly as a small blush crept up over her cheeks. She couldn't help but notice how his eyes lingered over her body like a man hungering for his final meal.
"Can't a man look at the woman he loves without anyone getting suspicious?" His smile was becoming infectious and she found herself leaning in closer to him so she could press a soft kiss on his lips.
"Mmm," she groaned when she pulled away. "I say you take this woman inside your house so she can kiss you without an audience."
"That sounds like a very good idea," he whispered, his lips still enticingly close to hers until he forced himself to pull back from her. Unclipping his seat belt, he opened his door and climbed out onto the sidewalk and then opened the rear door to pull out Sara's bag.
"I can't remember the last time I came here," she told him softly when she came to stand beside him. Looking up at the building before her she allowed a sad sigh to escape her lips.
Grissom moved closer to her and slid an arm around her back, urging her to walk with him. He knew that almost every hurdle from before had been overcome, but that the odd one or two would still be stuck fast, just waiting to be knocked down. He'd never invited Sara over to his house before, he'd never invited her for a drink like he had the others, he'd never cooked for her, he'd never done a lot of things that he should have.
Tightening his hold on her he leaned over to place a soft kiss on her hair, mainly to reassure himself that she was really here. "Everything is going to change Sara," he whispered softly. "I promise you."
Leading her up to the front door, he unlocked it and stood back to usher her inside. She did as he bade, moving away from his body to venture into the house. Her eyes flittered around the room as she tried to memorize every detail. His house welcomed her into its folds, the décor distinctly Grissom, yet still it held a certain amount of sadness that lingered over her heart.
"Make yourself at home honey," he told her softly as he came up to touch her arm from behind. "I'll put your things in the bedroom."
"Okay," she whispered, turning just in time to see him making his way down the hall. With a heavy sigh she walked over towards the small couch that sat beneath the window and tentatively sat down on the edge. Looking up, she continued her observations, her eyes tracing the path of the room until they landed on a group of pictures that were displayed on one of his shelves. Standing up again, she walked silently over towards them to gain a better look.
Grissom came back into the room and saw her looking at his family photos. Moving closer, he slipped his arms around her from behind and rested his hands on her stomach. "My mother," he told her.
"She looks a lot like you," she told him with a smile as she leant back into his embrace.
"I think she'll be very pleased to know you think that," he told her softly. "She'll adore you when she meets you, God knows I've told her all about you."
His words sparked something inside her and she turned in his arms to face him. Lifting her eyes to his, she smoothed her hands up his chest to link her fingers at the base of his neck. "You talk about me?" She asked coyly, a soft smile lingering over her lips.
"All the time," he whispered as he descended on her lips. Sara moaned into his mouth when he captured her lips, deepening their kiss before she had time to breathe. His tongue plunged into her mouth causing her to whimper with the sensations he was enticing. Pushing herself closer to him, she buried her fingers into his curls and clamped his mouth tightly to hers.
Grissom was lost in her as she caused every ounce of self control to flitter away like the breeze. His body still reacted to her in the same way as it had done only months before, and his mind remembered every inch of her skin with perfect clarity. He needed her now more than he needed to breathe and he pretty much knew that she needed the same from him. Without breaking the kiss he stooped down to pick her up in his arms, and walked them down the hall towards his bedroom.
Sara opened her eyes with a soft sigh as she rolled over onto her side. Sitting up slowly she looked around the room to find Grissom sitting on the edge of their bed pulling on his socks. "What time is it?" she asked with a yawn as she slowly lay back down onto the pillows.
Turning around to face her he met her with a beaming smile. "Hey sweetheart, I thought you were gonna sleep all night." Turning around he semi crawled back onto the mattress to place a soft kiss on her flushed cheeks before pulling back to look at her.
"Do you have to go to work?" she sighed sadly as she traced his bearded face with her fingers.
"Afraid so," he sighed. Leaning in to kiss her again briefly, he pulled away to sit back up on the edge of the bed. "With Jared gone we're short staffed."
Sitting up again, Sara threw off the covers and crawled over towards him to embrace him from behind. Leaning closer, she pressed her naked body into his back and started to press tiny kisses over his neck.
"Sara…" he groaned, his body reacting to her touch with lightening speed. Everything else faded into the distance as she languished soft kisses over his skin, her gentle caresses worshiping every part of him that she could.
"We have time," she whispered, her lips working their way up to his ear to gently suck the lobe into her mouth, the sensations causing him to shiver against her.
"Sara…" he whimpered softly, unable to resist her any longer. He followed willingly wherever she was taking him, knowing that the outcome would splinter his soul into pure unadulterated heaven.
Pushing him down, Sara eased her body over his, taking full advantage of his undressed state. Her hands caressed his skin, their scorching touch burning him with intensity, and when she dipped her head to kiss him he surrendered to her completely, allowing her to take control.
"I want you," she whimpered softly as she hovered over his lips. Her eyes gazed into his, seeking his acceptance even after all of their times together. What she saw in his eyes gave her everything she needed and so much more and in one fluid movement she took him inside her body, fusing them together in ecstasy.
Grissom's eyes closed when she sheathed him, her body speaking to his in ways that only lovers could. When she started to move, her steady rhythm building, he found himself matching hers only to increase the pace when his body cried out its need.
Their mouths meshed together as they sought for release, their own private paradise calling out to them to release the passions and pull them down into its peaceful folds.
Flipping them over so she was beneath him, Grissom took control, bringing them both to peaks of passion with his powerful movements. Sara's body glistened with beads of sweat as she pushed her head into the pillows, her soft gasps turning into groans that made up his name when she tipped over the edge to pulsate around him.
He soon followed, his own jerking movements causing him to gasp out her name. He collapsed on top of her, using his elbows as leverage to stop himself from crushing her. He gazed down at her with wonder, his breath fanning her face. "I love you so much," he whispered, the words slipping over his tongue with ease.
Reaching up a shaky hand to his face, Sara stroked his beard lovingly. "I love you too," she smiled. "I'm glad I'm here."
"So am I," he whispered, kissing her soundly on her lips. Pushing himself up, he slid out of her body and lay down beside her. "I have to work."
"I know," she sighed as she snuggled up beside him.
"You go back to sleep," he told her softly, leaning down to place a tender kiss on her hair.
"Can't sleep without you," she protested, even though her eyes were already closing, but she forced them open again a second later.
Grissom sat back and watched her, content to observe every feature that only made him love her more. "I'm gonna go and grab another shower," he whispered, "then I have to go."
Sara nodded silently, her eyes watching his every movement. She was tired tonight, maybe more tired than she had been in a long time, and here she was in Grissom's bed, his scent lulling her into slumber but she fought it with everything she possessed. Laying back into the pillows she closed her eyes and listened to the sound of the shower running.
When Grissom came back into their bedroom he was fully dressed. His eyes lingered over the sleeping woman in the bed and he felt something in his heart snap. He wanted to be under those covers with her and be curled up in her arms. Moving closer towards the bed he perched down to sit beside her.
"You going to work?" she mumbled, startling him as she slowly rolled onto her back so she could smile up at him.
"I thought you were asleep." Leaning down, he kissed her lips softly, once, twice before pulling away from her totally. "You gonna be okay?"
"Yeah…" Pushing herself up onto her elbows, she smiled up at him. "You know I could come in and help out."
"You could," he nodded, "but how do I explain you coming into work with me?"
"I got home and called you to come and pick me up?"
"Okay…So I come to pick you up…how do I react?" He countered, knowing that they might just get away with this little ploy.
"You act like you're pleased to have me back."
"I am pleased to have you back," he grinned. "I'm overjoyed to have you back."
"Then let me come and help out tonight. The rest we'll sort out later."
"But you're tired," he started to protest, knowing that he was clutching at straws.
"I can sleep when we get home after shift, and I have to see Cavallo anyway…"
"Okay," he nodded, "but if you're tired you come home…deal?"
"I won't get tired," she promised him, a smile gracing her lips. Flinging the covers aside, she jumped out of bed to stand naked before him. "Give me ten minutes to shower and change, then I'm all yours."
Grissom watched her, speechless. She left the room in a silent burst, leaving him to gaze in wonderment behind her, and he knew from this moment on, life would never be the same again.
TBC
