Chapter Three
Calleigh knew, just as much as he did, that there and then wasn't going to be an option. Later maybe, but not now. Her reluctance to let go waned as she heard footsteps outside the lab and she almost jumped backwards; only just managing to make it look like she was doing something important as Eric walked in. She heard the chuckle that Horatio couldn't suppress and turned quickly to see him, still leaning back, his hands on his hips with a foot resting lazily against the wall. His eyes crinkled with amusement and something else even more intriguing. The game was definitely afoot. She felt her cheeks flood with colour as she blushed furiously. Turning away quickly, she hid her face from Eric's bemused eyes. And whatever the hell it was; that was flickering in Horatio's.
Eric, not quite oblivious to what he'd walked in on, handed Calleigh the ballistic evidence from a case he was working on and made a swift exit. The air in the room felt heated with something, he was pretty sure, though he didn't want to put his finger on it. Least of all, think about. He couldn't hide the great grin though, that spread across his face, as he left the room.
Horatio finally managed to compose himself enough to drag himself away from the wall. If it hadn't been there to support him, he was pretty sure he would have collapsed. Walking on decidedly shaky legs, he reached the lab bench where Calleigh was trying to concentrate on the evidence before her. Slowly, he ran his hands along the smooth rounded edge of the bench, caressing the bare cool metal, stroking his hands back and forth. Distracting her, he leaned against her arm, just barely regaining the contact he was already missing. He knew she was watching his hands, staring down at his hands moving across the dull surface.
"Hmmm" he raised his eyes, head tilted to catch her eyes. A shock of red hair fell over his forehead as he leaned closer and breathed into her ear, "Later"
He registered the effect it had on her, as her knees went weak and she leaned heavily against him. As soon as he felt her weight, he removed the contact. The only place now to lean was the bench and he smirked wickedly as he turned and walked out of the lab.
Oh sweet Lord, what was Horatio doing to her! She couldn't concentrate; every time she tried to get her mind on her work, it strayed back to the corner of the lab. To a brief coming together, a brief moment in time, that she felt was suspended over her, teasing her. She had to get through her work and shift her mind back out of the gutter it was rapidly falling into. The image of his hands gliding across the bench in front of her was driving her crazy. A gesture that meant more than any words she could have ever written. She knew now, he had read all of her email. Finally as the light grew dim outside, she finished up and started to pack away, every sense on edge, waiting for the footsteps that she knew would be heading towards her soon. Nervousness struck her, all of a sudden, and she hummed brightly, trying desperately to quell the nervous anticipation churning in her stomach.
Horatio finally reached the bottom of the stack of reports on his desk; his mind had been wandering as the afternoon wore on. Every so often, he had caught himself leaning back in his chair and getting lost in his own mind, in a fantasy not of his making. He had to shake it off too many times and, now, as the day drew to a close and the lab quiet for once; emptied of its occupants, his mind flew back to Calleigh without any prompting. This time he didn't shake it off and, reaching for his jacket, he got up and made his way down to the ballistics lab. The corridors darkened in the slowly fading light, he couldn't quite believe the power that her words now held over him. A power that had him longing to hold her close again, to fulfil the fantasy that had played out on a computer screen before his very eyes, only hours ago. Reaching the lab, he knew she was still there; her tuneful humming reached him through the stillness of the otherwise empty building.
Stopping just on the edge of the doorway, he paused and took in the sight before him. Leaning against the doorframe, he watched her as she purposely put away all the recorded evidence in the cabinets, clearing the bench, in the middle of the room, of its contents.
She hadn't realised his presence as he crept on silent feet across the lab and grabbed her from behind. Pulling her backward into his arms, engulfing her with his body. Shock, surprise, pleasant; not unpleasant ran down her body as she accepted his embrace. Turning ever so slowly, feeling every inch of his body through her clothes, revelling in the glide of fabric against skin, she finally faced him. Leaning inwards, she stood on tiptoe.
"To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?" She whispered seductively, innocently in his ear, as her hands ran slowly up the front of his jacket.
"Well, the pleasure would depend..." the pause was heart stopping. As his hands slowly made their way to her waist, his fingers tucking just under the rim of her waistband as he pushed her back against the lab bench
"On whether you would like me to.... Reply... to your email..." His blue eyes twinkled in the light from the fluorescent tubes in the ceiling above.
Calleigh knew, just as much as he did, that there and then wasn't going to be an option. Later maybe, but not now. Her reluctance to let go waned as she heard footsteps outside the lab and she almost jumped backwards; only just managing to make it look like she was doing something important as Eric walked in. She heard the chuckle that Horatio couldn't suppress and turned quickly to see him, still leaning back, his hands on his hips with a foot resting lazily against the wall. His eyes crinkled with amusement and something else even more intriguing. The game was definitely afoot. She felt her cheeks flood with colour as she blushed furiously. Turning away quickly, she hid her face from Eric's bemused eyes. And whatever the hell it was; that was flickering in Horatio's.
Eric, not quite oblivious to what he'd walked in on, handed Calleigh the ballistic evidence from a case he was working on and made a swift exit. The air in the room felt heated with something, he was pretty sure, though he didn't want to put his finger on it. Least of all, think about. He couldn't hide the great grin though, that spread across his face, as he left the room.
Horatio finally managed to compose himself enough to drag himself away from the wall. If it hadn't been there to support him, he was pretty sure he would have collapsed. Walking on decidedly shaky legs, he reached the lab bench where Calleigh was trying to concentrate on the evidence before her. Slowly, he ran his hands along the smooth rounded edge of the bench, caressing the bare cool metal, stroking his hands back and forth. Distracting her, he leaned against her arm, just barely regaining the contact he was already missing. He knew she was watching his hands, staring down at his hands moving across the dull surface.
"Hmmm" he raised his eyes, head tilted to catch her eyes. A shock of red hair fell over his forehead as he leaned closer and breathed into her ear, "Later"
He registered the effect it had on her, as her knees went weak and she leaned heavily against him. As soon as he felt her weight, he removed the contact. The only place now to lean was the bench and he smirked wickedly as he turned and walked out of the lab.
Oh sweet Lord, what was Horatio doing to her! She couldn't concentrate; every time she tried to get her mind on her work, it strayed back to the corner of the lab. To a brief coming together, a brief moment in time, that she felt was suspended over her, teasing her. She had to get through her work and shift her mind back out of the gutter it was rapidly falling into. The image of his hands gliding across the bench in front of her was driving her crazy. A gesture that meant more than any words she could have ever written. She knew now, he had read all of her email. Finally as the light grew dim outside, she finished up and started to pack away, every sense on edge, waiting for the footsteps that she knew would be heading towards her soon. Nervousness struck her, all of a sudden, and she hummed brightly, trying desperately to quell the nervous anticipation churning in her stomach.
Horatio finally reached the bottom of the stack of reports on his desk; his mind had been wandering as the afternoon wore on. Every so often, he had caught himself leaning back in his chair and getting lost in his own mind, in a fantasy not of his making. He had to shake it off too many times and, now, as the day drew to a close and the lab quiet for once; emptied of its occupants, his mind flew back to Calleigh without any prompting. This time he didn't shake it off and, reaching for his jacket, he got up and made his way down to the ballistics lab. The corridors darkened in the slowly fading light, he couldn't quite believe the power that her words now held over him. A power that had him longing to hold her close again, to fulfil the fantasy that had played out on a computer screen before his very eyes, only hours ago. Reaching the lab, he knew she was still there; her tuneful humming reached him through the stillness of the otherwise empty building.
Stopping just on the edge of the doorway, he paused and took in the sight before him. Leaning against the doorframe, he watched her as she purposely put away all the recorded evidence in the cabinets, clearing the bench, in the middle of the room, of its contents.
She hadn't realised his presence as he crept on silent feet across the lab and grabbed her from behind. Pulling her backward into his arms, engulfing her with his body. Shock, surprise, pleasant; not unpleasant ran down her body as she accepted his embrace. Turning ever so slowly, feeling every inch of his body through her clothes, revelling in the glide of fabric against skin, she finally faced him. Leaning inwards, she stood on tiptoe.
"To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?" She whispered seductively, innocently in his ear, as her hands ran slowly up the front of his jacket.
"Well, the pleasure would depend..." the pause was heart stopping. As his hands slowly made their way to her waist, his fingers tucking just under the rim of her waistband as he pushed her back against the lab bench
"On whether you would like me to.... Reply... to your email..." His blue eyes twinkled in the light from the fluorescent tubes in the ceiling above.