Chapter 3
A/N: Thank you Donna!
******
A knock on the door disturbs her. She slaps her yellow rubber gloves off and makes her way from the kitchen sink to the door. Another knock resounds.
"Yeah, hold on, just a sec-."
She's not expecting anyone and there are only a few people who have a key for downstairs. A third knock echoes. Now, she's frustrated. Who the hell could that be? At this time with no common courtesy, practically pounding on her door. It could be important like an emergency. Then, she thinks it's one of the guys... not Horatio of course; he's too courteous for that, but Speed or Eric. Damn those two. She flings the door open "Wha-"
"Hey babe." Nick is standing, cap on, bag over his shoulder, arms open with a huge smile on his face.
"Oh my God, Nick!" she exclaims launching forward, jumping into his arms.
"I think I got you in a bad time-"Nick says as Calleigh slides down, her feet reclaiming the floor. "Your voice sounded annoyed... maybe I should leave and come back some other time," he joked.
"Get in here, you." She grabs his arm and pulls him inside.
Nick removes his baseball cap and holds the shoulder strap of his bag to keep it on his shoulder while unzipping it.
Calleigh takes a step back and Nick looks at her. She's so gorgeous. She's standing there in gray sweatpants and a white tank top.
"I can't believe you're here," she tells him, arms limp at her sides.
"I got you a gift." He steps towards her with the box he's pulled out of his bag. She's rendered speechless. "Remember when we walked by that jewelry store and you pointed to a ring with a precious stone?" She nods incredulously. "Your eyes shimmered. I noticed." He hands her the box and takes her hand. Reaching in his pocket, he slips the ring on her finger. "To compliment that pretty hand of yours."
She contemplates it, moving her fingers, mesmerized by its beauty.
"It's beautiful!"
"You're beautiful," he says simply. "I also got you that," he points to the box she forgot she was holding in her left hand.
"You really shouldn't have, Nick," she says pulling on the pink ribbon and removing the lid to reveal a close-fitting sliver necklace.
"It's lovely!" she exclaims, handing him the empty box so she can slip it on.
"Perfect," he tells her.
"Thank you so much... I... I don't know what to say," Calleigh stutters.
Nick puts his bag down to take off his coat. Changing the subject to ease the awkwardness, he says, "Is it hot here or what?"
"It's alright." She answers. "Floridians gracefully handle the humidity."
"Uh-huh," he pursed his lips.
"'Course I'm a southern woman from the drier regions of Louisiana so I'm always having trouble with my hair when it gets to be this humid even at this time in the evening."
"You're doing a fine job, pumpkin'." He wraps an arm around her waist, while caressing her hair with the other hand. She shyly dips her head. "You're even more gorgeous than when you left."
She looks up at him, "Well, I was sad when I left-"
"You know what I mean..."
"Just giving you a hard time, cowboy."
"Where are my manners?" she rolls her eyes at the ceiling. "Can I get you anything to drink? Are you hungry?"
"No, I'm fine. Thanks, sweetie."
"You sure?"
He gives into her. "Well, I'm a little hungry..."
"Yeah? I can make you a sandwich or I've got cookies," Looking up at the ceiling in thought then gesturing with her hands, saying "I've got Ice cream... sweets..." Shrugging, she asks, "What would you like?"
"You."
She chuckles. "Um," and tries to find a good response.
"A sandwich is fine."
"Okay," her cheeks get rosy as she smiles while opening a cupboard to fetch a plate. She then walks over to the fridge.
Closing the fridge, she says, "All kidding aside, Nick, what are we doing?"
She takes two slices of bread and spreads Mayo and mustard on one of them.
"You didn't call back and I wanted to... I don't know-"
"There's a reason I didn't call." He lowers his eyes. She leaves the knife on the countertop, moves closer and touches his arm. "And, it's not what you think. You know I have feelings for you. You literally swept me off my feet but how could this work? You're in Vegas. I'm in Miami."
"That could change."
"Now you're talking crazy-"she moves back to the counter and places some lettuce and cold cut meats on the Mayo covered bread.
He laughs. "I know, I'm crazy... Crazy in love and I would never make you leave your home... I told you that. So, I'll move here."
"No way." She shakes her head, adding some cheese to Nick's sandwich. "What about your job, your family..." She stands still looking at him. "Everyone will miss you."
"If I stay in Vegas, I'll miss you more." She hides her blush by truning away and cutting his sandwich in two.
"You'd be willing to-"She waves the knife in the air. "I can't even say it. It's preposterous." She drops the knife in the sink.
"It's no big deal. What, don't you want me here with you?"
She hands him the plate. "Baby, don't get me wrong. I do. It's just-"
"Don't tell me to think about it-"he steals her line before she has time to say it. "I thought about it long and hard. It will do me good to be away from the nest and I want to start a life of my own. What better place than sunny Miami?"
"Seriously Nick, you're not being sensible- what about your job?"
"Don't they need CSIs here?" he asks taking a bite of his sandwich. "Number one crime lab in the country, right?"
"Yeah but-"
"If there isn't a job for me as a CSI, I'll try at the MDPD or even try my hand in the lab."
Calleigh's eyes go wide. She can't imagine Nick as a lab rat. "Listen, I'll talk to Horatio and we'll see what we can do."
"Have I convinced you?"
"Sort of. *But*, I still think you're nuts!"
"And you're my little pea-nut!" He takes another bite from his sandwich mumbling that it's really good.
"Thanks. You want a coke or something?"
"Nah. I had a lot to drink on the plane."
She laughs and he grins.
She takes a softer voice, "I'm really glad you're here."
"Me too." The five-hour flight was so worth it.
Calleigh saunters to his bag in the living room and Nick follows her. "I'll set your bag in my room."
Mouth full, he can't respond but discards the empty plate on the living room table and swaggers after her.
Framing the doorway of her bedroom, he smiles, eyes sparkling.
"I can't wait to sleep in the same bed as you." He stays modest about what is really on his mind.
"Why are you waiting?" She bats her eyelashes and beams him a full-blown smile.
He shakes his head, sauntering towards her.
A breath escapes her lips as his chest presses against her and his hands roam over her hips and her waist. He fondles his way up her body eliciting a moan. Audaciously, Nick moves forward making Calleigh gently fall back on the bed with him. Hands caressing her soft curves under her shirt, he brings his lips to hers in a painfully slow manner. Her right hand is in his hair, the left pulling at his shirt. Tumbling, she tugs at his shirt and lifts it over his head. Soon, his bare chest is being explored by moist lips and delicate fingers. Her shirt hits the floor and she straddles him and he pulls her in, drawing her near to kiss the valley between her breasts. She reaches back, unhooking her bra as her lips hungrily return to his. Her long locks slide over his skin making the hairs on the back of his neck stand. She fills his senses. Looking into her eyes, the longing that has been building for weeks between them becomes unbearable. They both give in, satisfying their thirst for one another.
TBC...
A/N: Thank you Donna!
******
A knock on the door disturbs her. She slaps her yellow rubber gloves off and makes her way from the kitchen sink to the door. Another knock resounds.
"Yeah, hold on, just a sec-."
She's not expecting anyone and there are only a few people who have a key for downstairs. A third knock echoes. Now, she's frustrated. Who the hell could that be? At this time with no common courtesy, practically pounding on her door. It could be important like an emergency. Then, she thinks it's one of the guys... not Horatio of course; he's too courteous for that, but Speed or Eric. Damn those two. She flings the door open "Wha-"
"Hey babe." Nick is standing, cap on, bag over his shoulder, arms open with a huge smile on his face.
"Oh my God, Nick!" she exclaims launching forward, jumping into his arms.
"I think I got you in a bad time-"Nick says as Calleigh slides down, her feet reclaiming the floor. "Your voice sounded annoyed... maybe I should leave and come back some other time," he joked.
"Get in here, you." She grabs his arm and pulls him inside.
Nick removes his baseball cap and holds the shoulder strap of his bag to keep it on his shoulder while unzipping it.
Calleigh takes a step back and Nick looks at her. She's so gorgeous. She's standing there in gray sweatpants and a white tank top.
"I can't believe you're here," she tells him, arms limp at her sides.
"I got you a gift." He steps towards her with the box he's pulled out of his bag. She's rendered speechless. "Remember when we walked by that jewelry store and you pointed to a ring with a precious stone?" She nods incredulously. "Your eyes shimmered. I noticed." He hands her the box and takes her hand. Reaching in his pocket, he slips the ring on her finger. "To compliment that pretty hand of yours."
She contemplates it, moving her fingers, mesmerized by its beauty.
"It's beautiful!"
"You're beautiful," he says simply. "I also got you that," he points to the box she forgot she was holding in her left hand.
"You really shouldn't have, Nick," she says pulling on the pink ribbon and removing the lid to reveal a close-fitting sliver necklace.
"It's lovely!" she exclaims, handing him the empty box so she can slip it on.
"Perfect," he tells her.
"Thank you so much... I... I don't know what to say," Calleigh stutters.
Nick puts his bag down to take off his coat. Changing the subject to ease the awkwardness, he says, "Is it hot here or what?"
"It's alright." She answers. "Floridians gracefully handle the humidity."
"Uh-huh," he pursed his lips.
"'Course I'm a southern woman from the drier regions of Louisiana so I'm always having trouble with my hair when it gets to be this humid even at this time in the evening."
"You're doing a fine job, pumpkin'." He wraps an arm around her waist, while caressing her hair with the other hand. She shyly dips her head. "You're even more gorgeous than when you left."
She looks up at him, "Well, I was sad when I left-"
"You know what I mean..."
"Just giving you a hard time, cowboy."
"Where are my manners?" she rolls her eyes at the ceiling. "Can I get you anything to drink? Are you hungry?"
"No, I'm fine. Thanks, sweetie."
"You sure?"
He gives into her. "Well, I'm a little hungry..."
"Yeah? I can make you a sandwich or I've got cookies," Looking up at the ceiling in thought then gesturing with her hands, saying "I've got Ice cream... sweets..." Shrugging, she asks, "What would you like?"
"You."
She chuckles. "Um," and tries to find a good response.
"A sandwich is fine."
"Okay," her cheeks get rosy as she smiles while opening a cupboard to fetch a plate. She then walks over to the fridge.
Closing the fridge, she says, "All kidding aside, Nick, what are we doing?"
She takes two slices of bread and spreads Mayo and mustard on one of them.
"You didn't call back and I wanted to... I don't know-"
"There's a reason I didn't call." He lowers his eyes. She leaves the knife on the countertop, moves closer and touches his arm. "And, it's not what you think. You know I have feelings for you. You literally swept me off my feet but how could this work? You're in Vegas. I'm in Miami."
"That could change."
"Now you're talking crazy-"she moves back to the counter and places some lettuce and cold cut meats on the Mayo covered bread.
He laughs. "I know, I'm crazy... Crazy in love and I would never make you leave your home... I told you that. So, I'll move here."
"No way." She shakes her head, adding some cheese to Nick's sandwich. "What about your job, your family..." She stands still looking at him. "Everyone will miss you."
"If I stay in Vegas, I'll miss you more." She hides her blush by truning away and cutting his sandwich in two.
"You'd be willing to-"She waves the knife in the air. "I can't even say it. It's preposterous." She drops the knife in the sink.
"It's no big deal. What, don't you want me here with you?"
She hands him the plate. "Baby, don't get me wrong. I do. It's just-"
"Don't tell me to think about it-"he steals her line before she has time to say it. "I thought about it long and hard. It will do me good to be away from the nest and I want to start a life of my own. What better place than sunny Miami?"
"Seriously Nick, you're not being sensible- what about your job?"
"Don't they need CSIs here?" he asks taking a bite of his sandwich. "Number one crime lab in the country, right?"
"Yeah but-"
"If there isn't a job for me as a CSI, I'll try at the MDPD or even try my hand in the lab."
Calleigh's eyes go wide. She can't imagine Nick as a lab rat. "Listen, I'll talk to Horatio and we'll see what we can do."
"Have I convinced you?"
"Sort of. *But*, I still think you're nuts!"
"And you're my little pea-nut!" He takes another bite from his sandwich mumbling that it's really good.
"Thanks. You want a coke or something?"
"Nah. I had a lot to drink on the plane."
She laughs and he grins.
She takes a softer voice, "I'm really glad you're here."
"Me too." The five-hour flight was so worth it.
Calleigh saunters to his bag in the living room and Nick follows her. "I'll set your bag in my room."
Mouth full, he can't respond but discards the empty plate on the living room table and swaggers after her.
Framing the doorway of her bedroom, he smiles, eyes sparkling.
"I can't wait to sleep in the same bed as you." He stays modest about what is really on his mind.
"Why are you waiting?" She bats her eyelashes and beams him a full-blown smile.
He shakes his head, sauntering towards her.
A breath escapes her lips as his chest presses against her and his hands roam over her hips and her waist. He fondles his way up her body eliciting a moan. Audaciously, Nick moves forward making Calleigh gently fall back on the bed with him. Hands caressing her soft curves under her shirt, he brings his lips to hers in a painfully slow manner. Her right hand is in his hair, the left pulling at his shirt. Tumbling, she tugs at his shirt and lifts it over his head. Soon, his bare chest is being explored by moist lips and delicate fingers. Her shirt hits the floor and she straddles him and he pulls her in, drawing her near to kiss the valley between her breasts. She reaches back, unhooking her bra as her lips hungrily return to his. Her long locks slide over his skin making the hairs on the back of his neck stand. She fills his senses. Looking into her eyes, the longing that has been building for weeks between them becomes unbearable. They both give in, satisfying their thirst for one another.
TBC...