Thanks for the great reviews yet again. They do motivate me so keep them coming please. This chapter is so-so. I tried to get it posted quick so I didn't take the time I usually do to edit. Sorry!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story.

Chapter 21

Three days had turned into four and Nick was at his breaking point. He needed to be with Sara. Their brief encounters at work were not enough. He wanted to be able to hold her without interruption, to kiss her to the point of passionate surrender and to touch her till she found her sweet release. His desire for her was overwhelming him.

Work had become stressful, not just for the two of them but for the team. There had been no new murders related to Sara's case. It was like the suspect had disappeared. They were walking on egg shells waiting for the worst to happen. No one was sure whether to be relieved that nothing had happened or preparing him/her self for a tragedy.

Sara had been especially tense during this time but as promised she had called him. Each phone call seemed to last longer then the last, neither of them wanting to break the only connection they had between them. Nick had never been a big phone person but his conversations with Sara seemed effortless. He was thankful for their talks because he and Sara had gotten closer. They traded stories of their childhood, their adolescents and their college years. Nick realized that they might not have shared these memories so easily if they had been face to face. Their physical attraction would have taken precedence over everything else.

As each day passed he felt their relationship getting that much stronger. He had never opened himself up to another person like he had Sara. He had never loved a woman like he did her and he knew he never would again. She was it for him and if he trusted his heart he was pretty sure she felt the same way.

Sara was on the edge. Days had passed and nothing had happened. She knew in her heart that it was not over. He was playing with her. She tried not to let Nick know how anxious she really was but he knew her very well. He could instantly read her face when he saw her and now he could decipher the tone of her voice when they talked on the phone. She had to smile at that. A month ago she would have been completely freaked out that someone could understand her so well but now it was a huge comfort. She loved that Nick knew her so well, that he accepted her along with all of her insecurities and even with that knowledge he still wanted her.

She was thinking about these things as she walked down the hall and these thoughts were what prompted her to grab him and pull him into an empty room when she saw him heading her way. Nick put up no fight when Sara seized him in a passionate embrace. All thoughts left their heads. The only thing that existed was the two of them and their need for one another.

Within moments, Sara had hurriedly unbuttoned his shirt. Her hands were caressing his muscular chest while his hands had found their way under her shirt and were stroking her breasts. Their mouths were locked in a heated kiss. This was how Grissom found them.

Needless to say, Grissom was furious. Neither Nick nor Sara had ever seen him so angry. He threatened to suspend them both without pay for their poor and tasteless conduct in their place of employment. He told them in very clear terms that if it ever happened again one of them would be moved to another shift. He would not tolerate such blatant disregard to the rules. With an icy glare and disdain in his voice he told them to go home for the night before he stormed out the door.

Sara was mortified at being caught in such a compromising position. She hastily scrambled to straighten her clothes as she headed toward the door. "Sara where the hell are you going?" Nick demanded. "I need to talk to Grissom Nick. I need to explain to him." She rambled. "Explain what Sara? That we're extremely horny and that we're going to explode if we don't f..."

"Nick stop it!" Sara cut in. Nick shook his head and sighed. "Sara I don't understand why you need to explain anything to him at all. We shouldn't have let it get to the point that it did. It won't happen again. But he definitely over reacted. If you go talk to him you're just going to upset him more."

"Nick please it's something I need to do." Nick opened his mouth to protest but the look on her face stopped him. "Fine," he said as he closed the distance between them. He cupped her face gently and kissed her tenderly on the lips. "Do you want me to wait?" he asked. She shook her head no and said, "I'll call you later. Okay?" "Sure," he answered looking away. "Nick," she whispered. He turned back to meet her worried brown eyes. "It's you and only you." she quietly said. "I know Darlin it's just that I ..." She cut him off before he could finish. "I know," she said. "Sara," he sighed in frustration. "Not yet Nick please." she begged.

"When then Sara?" he demanded. Her eyes pleaded with him as she backed away from him. "Soon," she whispered before she disappeared out the door. He slammed his hand against the door frame as he watched her retreating form. "I love you and I want to be able to tell you." he growled. He ran his hand threw his hair and kicked at a stool. It toppled over to the ground with a large crash. So much for thinking Grissom was out of the picture.

Catherine stuck her head in the doorway. "Everything okay?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. Nick just looked at her and shrugged. "It wouldn't have anything to do with Grissom's sudden warpath would it?" she asked with a slight smirk. "He caught us in a very compromising position." he said sheepishly. "And Sara went chasing after him to explain?" Catherine asked. "Hell yeah," Nick growled.

"Nicky,' Catherine started as she walked toward him laying a comforting hand on his arm, "They have this thing between them. I don't understand it. You don't understand it and they sure as hell don't understand it. But it's there. It has nothing to do with love and desire. It's more of an intellectual battle of wills. Sara wants his respect. She wants to be on the same level as him and for reasons I don't understand he keeps letting her get so close and then he slams the door in her face. She'll eventually realize she doesn't need Grissom's approval for everything. Just give her time."

Nick grunted and turned away. Catherine couldn't help but smile at the pout that graced Nick's handsome face. "Nick look at me," Catherine said. He turned slowly to face her still glowering. "You have nothing to worry about. I've seen the way Sara looks at you. Believe me when I say this she's got it bad for you." "You think so?" he asked tentatively. "Nick how does she kiss you?" A huge smile crossed his face. "You're right. I'm just being foolish. She's got the major hots for me." he said with a grin. Catherine laughed and said "Yeah she's almost as bad as you."

"I'm not that obvious am I?" he asked. "Nick if a man looked at me in the same way that you look at Sara I'd be happy for the rest of my life." Catherine said with a sincere smile. "Thanks Cath," Nick said. "Go home and get some sleep. You two are going to be fine. I promise." With that said Catherine headed out the door.

Nick sighed as he followed her out. He wished he could shake the feeling of unease that had settled heavily in his gut, but he couldn't. Something was going to happen and he hoped he would be strong enough to handle it for Sara's sake.

TBC