Sara's eyes fluttered open as she felt a pair of lips pressing against her cheek. A sleepy smile spread across her face as she felt Nick's fingers trailing up her arm. "Hey."

"Hey, yourself." He smiled as he whispered in the semi-darkness of his bedroom. "I have to get up for work, but you can go back to sleep if you want."

Sara feigned a sleepy pout as she reached out to touch his face. "What about that shower and your shave?" As tired as she was, she knew she'd be even more tired if she went back to sleep.

Nick chuckled softly. "We can save it for another time." He hadn't really paid attention to the time when he'd set his alarm and if he didn't just grab a quick shower and head out the door, he was going to be late. Something that he was sure both Catherine and Warrick would give him hell about.

Sara furrowed her brow. "What time is it?" She glanced over at the clock and let out a groan. "You're going to be late."

"Go back to sleep, you probably need it." Nick stroked her hair, his thumb brushing against her cheek as he leaned down and gave her a soft kiss.

Sara shook her head as he pulled away. "No, I should get up." She let out a yawn. "I need to take my bags back to my place and do a couple of things before work."

By the time Nick got out of the shower, Sara had gotten dressed and collected her things. They walked out the door together and after a few lingering kisses near her vehicle, Nick headed off to work and Sara headed home.

If Nick thought that he'd thrown Warrick off the trail, he should have thought twice about his assumption. As soon as he breezed into the briefing room to join both Catherine and Warrick, Warrick eyed him suspiciously. "Hey, sorry I'm late; I guess I didn't set my alarm quite right."

Catherine smirked. "A little too much vacation?" She let out a soft chuckle as she looked at him from across the table. "Actually, you're two minutes early."

Nick glanced up at the clock and pretended to get up from the table. "Well then maybe I'll grab a cup of coffee."

Catherine rolled her eyes at him and chuckled. "Just sit down. Looks like it's gonna be a busy shift."

In the end, Nick had to work with Warrick, something he usually wouldn't have minded, but almost as soon as they climbed into Nick's Denali, Warrick turned towards him. "You are the biggest idiot I've ever met."

Nick looked at him quizzically. "Thanks, Rick." His tone was decidedly sarcastic. "Care to elaborate?" Nick knew exactly where this was leading and he was going to try and string Warrick along as long as possible.

"Sara." Warrick looked at him incredulously.

"What about Sara?" At that moment, Nick could have sat in on the World Poker Tour and bluffed his way to a winning hand.

"What about Sara?" Warrick snorted. "You spend ten days alone with her and she comes back talking about some doctor named Ned. If you weren't going to make a move then, when the hell did you think was gonna be a good time?" It was no secret between them about how Nick had wanted to ask Sara out for quite a while. He just always claimed that it wasn't the right time, whatever that was.

"Hey, man, you weren't there." Nick retorted thinking that it was a damn good thing Warrick wasn't there because then he'd know that he was playing Warrick like a three dollar fiddle.

"You were." Warrick just shook his head in disgust. "I even had a strange idea that she might just be into you. I guess I was wrong." Neither one of them spoke for a moment and then Warrick glanced over. "So when is this Ned character showing up?"

Nick furrowed his brow as he tried to remember. "Uh, Thursday I think. He's stopping by the lab for lunch."

"And you're just gonna let him walk right in and steal Sara from you." Warrick shook his head again.

"I think you'd agree that Sara's not the kind of woman that you can steal. She either wants you or she doesn't." Nick replied a bit matter of factly, very aware of the fact of just how much Sara wanted him.

"So what does this doctor have that you don't?" He thought for sure that if just gave Nick and Sara a push that things would just happen. Then the thought occurred to him that he had better lay off a little if he didn't want Nick to get suspicious.

"Uh, he's a doctor." Nick shrugged, glancing at Warrick with a genuine smile. "He's not a bad guy, Rick. You'd like him."

"I just can't believe you." Warrick felt like smacking Nick. "You're losing your touch."

By the time they got back to the lab to start processing their evidence, Sara was just arriving and they ran into her in the locker room.

Nick tried hard not to stare at her, she had worn a shirt that he had always liked on her and with her skin nicely tanned the shirt looked even that much better. He grinned as she glanced up and flashed him and Warrick a gape toothed smile.

"Hey, guys." Sara really wanted to walk over and kiss Nick just to see the look on Warrick's face, but they had agreed to give it a few days to let him squirm.

"Sara." Warrick replied evenly, stowing his jacket in his locker.

"Sar." Nick drawled out her name and it sent shivers up her spine, and as she glanced at his hands momentarily, she felt her cheeks flush slightly.

Fortunately, Warrick wasn't paying attention. He mumbled something about looking for a cup of coffee and headed out of the locker room towards the break room.

Nick smirked at Sara and whispered conspiratorially when he was confident that Warrick was out of earshot. "He read me the riot act for not making a move on you in Cozumel."

"Hmm." Sara arched her brows suggestively. "I seem to recall you had quite a few moves."

Nick chuckled and stepped as close to her as he dared for the moment. "And the funny thing is I haven't lied to him. He just keeps filling in the blanks in his mind. The next thing you know, he's gonna think you're engaged to Ned."

Sara's eyes widened. "We can't string him along for much longer, he'll spread it all over the lab." She really did not want everyone getting the wrong idea when Ned showed up, especially when Carla would be with him. She wanted everyone to know that she was in love with Nick and he was in love with her.

"We won't." Nick reassured her as he stowed his jacket in his locker. "We'll just have to pick the right moment to let the cat out of the bag." He winked at her to emphasize his point.

A smile tugged at the corners of Sara's mouth. "And just how do you propose we do that?" She had a few ideas, several of which she was fairly certain would get them both suspended.

Nick couldn't resist and reached over, tucking a stubborn curl behind her ear. "We'll think of something." The temptation was too great and he quickly ducked his head and stole a kiss.

Sara unconsciously licked her lips and smiled. "He's going to find out a whole lot sooner if you keep that up." Her tone clearly implied that she really didn't care who found out or when and she quickly leaned up and kissed him back.

Neither one of them had noticed that Greg was standing in the doorway to the locker room until he cleared his throat. As Nick and Sara glanced in his direction he raised his brows and smiled inquisitively, having witnessed the kiss. "So I take it the vacation was eventful?"