Note: Thanks to Alison for beta reading!
Grissom stared at the bed, the dresser, the carpet. He felt tension overwhelming him, dragging his body with it. Tossing his carry bag on the bed he thought of everything that had transpired in the past few days. The phone call from Elaine. The drive from Vegas to Calienta all the time never suspecting the impact that Elaine's words would have on his orderly life.
Sara.
He had been walking in a daze, going through the motions all the time not wanting to stop and consider the affect it would have on not only his life, but his relationship with Sara.
Pushing his bag to the side, Grissom fell back on the pillow and stared at the ceiling. He was too keyed up to sleep and that long nap at Sara's had proven disadvantageous to him now. He did not want to dwell on the changes in his life; he did not want to think of where his half brother Kyle was and what had happened to both him and his son, Andrew.
With a restless push, he swung his legs back off of the bed and stood up to stretch. He would take a walk around the motel. Find a vending machine and get a soda. He paused outside of Sara's door on his way to the lobby and hoped that she was finding the sleep that was so elusive to him.
The lobby was deserted with the exception of the clerk at the front desk who gave him a kind smile. The young lady behind the desk could not have been more than twenty, but she had a knowing look that gave him the impression that he was not the first traveler to wonder around this motel looking for some form of entertainment.
"The pool is always open, sir." The girl tossed her short blond hair and nodded to a door that indicated a heated pool. "But, I would suggest the hot tubs." She held out a brochure that he took with tentative fingers. He glanced at the cover and put the brochure in his pocket.
"Actually I was looking for the vending machines. I didn't bring a swimsuit." Grissom glanced around the lobby for a vending machine sign.
"The vending machines are right outside that door, near the pool." She waved towards the door and turned back to say with a coy smile. "But don't let a swimsuit stop you from enjoying the hot tubs, sir. The rooms are private."
Grissom thanked her and walked quickly towards the pool area. He did not care for the way the girls eyes had swept over him when she made that comment. He found the snack machines with no problem and after purchasing a drink and a candy bar he weaved his way back to his room, avoiding glancing towards the desk as he walked through the lobby.
~~~~*~~~~
Sara was freezing. She woke up and glanced at the bedside clock, noticing that she had slept almost an hour. That was not bad, not for her, and not when she felt so wired. Scooting off the bed she walked quickly to the air conditioner and adjusted the temperature. Some nut had left it on fifty degrees. No wonder she was freezing. Rubbing her arms she looked around the room, inspecting it for the first time. A bed. A dresser. A television that she had no desire to turn on at that second. Noticing a brochure lying on the dresser she picked it up and read about the natural springs that the guests could enjoy. The tubs could fill in three minutes flat and the warmth that the brochure suggested was enough to send her to her bag for a robe. She did not need a swimsuit if it was a private room, did she?
~~~~*~~~~
Safely in his room, he laughed at himself for being so ridiculous. That young girl had no more interest in him than..He frowned at the thought, not wanting to complete the sentence in his own mind. Sara had interest in him; he just did not know what to do about it. Sitting on the side of his bed he popped the tab on his drink and tossed the candy bar onto the side table. Leaning against the backboard, he grabbed the remote control and flipped on the television. One station after another breezed past and he found nothing that interested him in the least. Shutting of the set he twisted around to retrieve the candy bar when something crumpled in his shirt pocket.
Pulling out the brochure, he read about the quick heating natural springs that were available in private rooms to each guest. It sounded like the perfect medicine for his aching body. The problem was he had no swimsuit, but if the rooms were private, then he could adjust.
Grissom came to the last door and expected to see the word 'occupied' displayed on the front. Twelve private rooms on this wing held the hot tubs and he had almost decided it was not meant for him to enjoy any of them. He blinked twice as he read on the door that this room was unoccupied. Pushing the door open, he could almost feel the warm water soaking into his tired bones. He froze. This room was definitely occupied.
"Sara?"
"Hey Gris!" Sara grinned over the side of the hot tub. "You are the last person that I expected to see stroll in here."
"Oh?" Grissom held the door half way open and glanced back at the sign. "And who did you expect?"
Wrinkling her nose in his direction, Sara motioned him inside. "You are letting the warm air out, Grissom. Why don't you join me?"
The expression on Grissom's face caused Sara to burst out in laughter.
"I didn't invite you to sleep with me, Gris. And, I promise that I won't jump you." Sara waved him towards the tub. "You aren't a chicken are you?" The mischievous expression she wore was almost too much for him.
Grissom cocked that one brow and for a second she thought he was going to turn and walk away. Instead he reached towards the door and slid the 'occupied' into place before shutting it firmly behind him. He wore an accusing expression when he turned back towards the tub.
"Do you know that anyone could have walked in here? Why didn't you take precautions?"
Sara had the decency to appear chagrined. "I was freezing. The only thing that I thought about was climbing into a warm hot tub." She gave him a weak smile, but the twinkle was back in her deep brown depths. "Besides, the door would not lock."
Grissom surveyed the small room and noted the bench along the wall next to the door held several towels and a silky emerald robe that he assumed was Sara's. Pulling his own robe together in the front, he tightened it with the belt and was thankful that he had worn his black boxers. Not that he was planning on disrobing and getting into that hot tub with Sara. He stepped closer to the steaming water and peeked over the edge.
"What made you bring a swimsuit Sara?"
"I didn't." Sara replied with humor.
Grissom's blue eyes widened in disbelief and they unthinkingly swept down to the water where he could make out the outline of her bare skin.
"Sara, why didn't you warn me?"
"And watch you run out of here so fast you would have taken all of the warmth with you?" Sara let her hands float on the surface of the water as she took in his uneasiness.
Grissom lowered his own eyes as he backed away from the tub and a very nude Sara. He tried to forget the soft curves teasing him beneath the bubbles only an arms length away.
A soft smile curved Sara's lips as she wondered what he would do about this and how long it would take him to make an excuse to leave the room.
"Gris?" Sara prompted when the silence stretched on for several minutes. "I'm not going to jump you. Relax. Why don't you join me? There is plenty of room."
'I'm not worried about you jumping me.' Grissom thought to himself. Aloud he joked. "That's a relief." He made no move to climb into the hot tub, but his eyes swept from Sara to the water with a yearning expression. His tongue darted out between his lips and he weighed the situation.
Sara leaned back and closed her eyes, allowing the warmth to seep into her body. Without opening her eyes, she stretched her legs out, and wondered if Grissom was paying attention to her movements.
"Sara." Her name escaped from Grissom's lips in a low rush.
A smile tilted her lips as she heard the accusatory tone. "Sorry, Gris." She was not sorry at all, Grissom thought.
He cleared his throat and cast furtive looks at the door, assuring himself that he was staying here in case some stranger came bursting through the door. He spun back towards Sara when she spoke.
"I find it fascinating that there's this younger version of you running around. A jubilant version." Sara stressed the word and opened her eyes in time to see him scowl.
"I find it irritating." Grissom grumbled.
Sara smiled and that mischievous expression returned to her face.
Narrowing his eyes, Grissom wondered what she was thinking and if he should dare ask. He moved to the bench and sat, picking up her robe as he leaned back against the wall and shut his eyes.
"I'm glad that you find it amusing that I have a---." Grissom fumbled for the correct word, and finally said. "That there is someone so similar to myself out there."
"I was just wondering if he sounds like you." Sara moved her hands along the surface of the water. "And by that I mean the sound of his voice, not the way he talks."
"And how would that sound?" Grissom opened his eyes, meeting hers.
The flirty nature of his question surprised Sara and she stared at him with suspicion.
"Deep. Sensual." She kept her eyes on his face as she allowed her own voice to drop an octave.
The heat from the spring appeared to intensify as they stared at one another across the short space of the hot tub.
"Then I had better make the phone call to him myself." Grissom said. He fought the urge to stand up and run from the room. Instead, he kept the eye contact as a pink tint crept over Sara's neck and face.
The teasing manner he was exhibiting was baffling. She was pleased and wary of his change in attitude and completely caught off guard.
Grissom broke the trance. "I should speak with Tom anyway, since he is allegedly my relative. It would be strange for you to call him."
Sara looked away and rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Grissom."
"Why do you do that?" Grissom asked intently, his voice rippling with frustration. "Why roll your eyes every time that I say something that you don't like?"
"I don't roll my eyes every time you say something dumb, Grissom."
"It's kind of a childish habit."
"So is avoiding the truth." Sara countered back with a pointed look.
"What truth have I been avoiding?" Grissom ground the question out between clinched teeth.
"Do you really want to go there, Grissom?"
"You started it."
They stared at each other and burst out laughing. The tension remained beneath the surface, but it felt good to let the atmosphere lighten.
"I would say 'Did not', but we both know that so---." Sara responded with a smile.
The smile was contagious and Grissom grinned back, silently relieved that the conversation had been detoured.
"So?" Sara asked.
Grissom shook his head, clearly bemused. "So. I guess we should call it a night."
Sara thought he was being intentionally obtuse. "That's not what I meant, Grissom." She tried to keep her voice light, but her smile had faded.
Grissom felt his heart thump loudly. Why did he not leave the room immediately? He felt rooted to the bench, his mind jammed.
"Why have you avoided me this past year?" Sara pressed. "And you have been avoiding me, ever since the day Philip Gerard made that stupid comment about Hank."
Sara grimaced as she said last name and watched in fascination as Grissom made a similar face.
"I haven't avoided you, Sara." He could not figure out how this conversation had strayed to this point. "And now who is avoiding the truth?"
"Excuse me?" Sara was not going to let him make this her fault. "Hank and I were just friends." Sara repeated with a loud sigh.
Grissom felt a stirring of hope when she added. "At that time." She locked her eyes on her robe that was gripped in Grissom's hands. "Then you told me you were happy that I had a life. You started avoiding me and I---." She let her eyes flick to his before they returned to the robe. "I was confused."
"We worked together on that Khandelwahl/Branson case, Sara." Grissom's protest was weak.
"And I thought that we were cool, but then you went back to avoiding me."
Grissom cleared his throat for what felt like the tenth time in an hour. "Sara." His voice sounded funny and she braced herself for the procedural kiss off.
"I have an inherited condition known as Otosclerosis." Grissom licked his lips and swallowed over the lump that had formed in his throat. "Last year I found my hearing was slowly deteriorating. There were times when I couldn't hear anything at all and other times it was off and on. I was off balance."
He risked looking at her face, mentally telling himself that he could take the pity that he would find. Only her expression was understanding and something else, relieved.
"Grissom." Sara resisted the urge to climb out of the hot tub and touch his ears with both of her hands. "You could have told me."
"No, I couldn't." Grissom's voice held a tinge of sadness. "I remember when my mom told my dad that she was going to be deaf. I remember the look on his face when he yelled at her and then looked at me with such horror."
"He thought that you would inherit it." Sara could not imagine the pain that would have gone through a little boy's heart to have his own daddy look at him with such disgust.
"Apparently he was right." Grissom locked his jaw and looked over her shoulder. "I had surgery on one ear last May. It appears to have stopped the decline for now. I'm planning to have the other ear operated on next month."
Sara nodded. "Thanks for telling me all of this Grissom." Thinking back to her offhand comment earlier that day, when she asked if he had inherited anything from his mom, she silently berated herself. "Is your mother still living?"
"Yes. She lives in a retirement community in Florida." Grissom shook his head again. "I don't know if I should tell her about these people."
"These people are your relatives, Grissom." Sara's voice held no rancor. "But I think that if you don't tell her about them, then there would be nothing lost."
Relief spread over Grissom's features and he smiled. Shaking away all of the sadness that had settled over his mind, he suddenly had the urge to touch Sara's face.
"What is it?" Sara asked, sensing the shift in his emotions.
"I was thinking that I'd like to touch you," Grissom admitted. He surprised himself with the admission and waited to see how Sara would respond.
After a stunned beat, Sara responded with a heartfelt, "Then why don't you?"
Grissom took a deep breath. The steam from the hot tub appeared to float around the small enclosure; the whole conversation seemed surreal. He must have had this dream a thousand nights over the last five years. He stood abruptly and moved slowly towards the side of the tub, his eyes locked onto Sara's eyes with a curious mix of doubt and resolution.
Sara felt the air in her chest compress as her heart beat pounded in her ears. She watched him inch closer and closer until he was directly beside her and she had to tilt her chin to face him. He squatted down in front of her and stared into her eyes for a long heartbeat, before placing one hand under her chin and slowly allowing his fingers to feel the soft skin as they moved from her chin to her moist lips.
Sara held her breath as his eyes slid down her face and locked on the soft curve of her lips. One hand sought the back of her head as the other one continued the sensual exploration of her face. She brought her hands up to rest on his chest and pushed forward to meet him as his lips grazed her own.
They both drew back and stared into each others eyes before Grissom bent forward and let his pent up emotions flow from his lips to Sara's as she opened her mouth to let his tongue explore.
Sara's hands slid from his chest to clutch the steamed curls on the back of his neck as she pulled him closer to her and felt his lips press against her own for the first time in five years. Grissom rained kisses along her neck, nibbling softly on her earlobe as he whispered three words that shook her to the core.
"Catherine was right."
"What?" Sara pushed on his chest with both hands. In the middle of an intimate kiss he had the nerve to utter those words?
Grissom stared at her with true puzzlement in his eyes.
"What did I say?"
Sara eyed him before shaking her head in disbelief. "You told me that Catherine was right." Sara dripped sarcasm. "Catherine was right about what Grissom? That I would make out with you in a hot tub. That I would cave in if you kissed me? What?"
Grissom was speechless. Sara pushed a little harder on his chest until she felt him step pull back, and then stand.
"I don't recall saying that." Grissom admitted.
Sara was not sure if that admission made her feel better or worse.
Grissom narrowed his eyes as he tried to recall the words that had upset Sara. He had been nibbling on her ear and he remembered being thankful for his own ability to hear the soft moans that were emanating from her throat. His eyes widened.
"Catherine told me that I should tell you about my hearing. She said that I should trust you with that and that you would understand. She was right."
Grissom squatted again and reached for her face, cupping it within his hands. "Sara." The hoarse whisper of her name startled her and would have been her undoing if he had left it at that.
"I didn't think." Grissom mumbled.
"No, Grissom, you didn't." Sara pulled his hands from her face. "You didn't trust me and you also forgot to mention to me that Catherine knew all about your secret."
"She guessed. And not until the night before I had the surgery."
Sara digested these words. "If you had let me work with you more this past year then I would have figured it out much sooner."
"I know that." Grissom started to reach towards her face and hesitated. "Why do you think that I've been avoiding you?"
"We should probably call it a night." Sara shrugged away from his hand and turned her back on him.
Grissom watched as she stepped out of the hot tub, water glistening along her shoulder blades and running along her slender back.
He could have kicked himself for his own stupidity.
Sara spun around and caught his eyes staring at her. Fighting off the urge to hold her hand out for him to join her, she bent down to pick up her robe, which his movements had knocked to the floor. She belted the robe tightly in the front and forced herself to remain calm.
"Good night, Grissom."
It took a few heartbeats for him to realize she was going to walk away, but all he managed was a brief 'good night' as she turned and left the room.
TBC
Grissom stared at the bed, the dresser, the carpet. He felt tension overwhelming him, dragging his body with it. Tossing his carry bag on the bed he thought of everything that had transpired in the past few days. The phone call from Elaine. The drive from Vegas to Calienta all the time never suspecting the impact that Elaine's words would have on his orderly life.
Sara.
He had been walking in a daze, going through the motions all the time not wanting to stop and consider the affect it would have on not only his life, but his relationship with Sara.
Pushing his bag to the side, Grissom fell back on the pillow and stared at the ceiling. He was too keyed up to sleep and that long nap at Sara's had proven disadvantageous to him now. He did not want to dwell on the changes in his life; he did not want to think of where his half brother Kyle was and what had happened to both him and his son, Andrew.
With a restless push, he swung his legs back off of the bed and stood up to stretch. He would take a walk around the motel. Find a vending machine and get a soda. He paused outside of Sara's door on his way to the lobby and hoped that she was finding the sleep that was so elusive to him.
The lobby was deserted with the exception of the clerk at the front desk who gave him a kind smile. The young lady behind the desk could not have been more than twenty, but she had a knowing look that gave him the impression that he was not the first traveler to wonder around this motel looking for some form of entertainment.
"The pool is always open, sir." The girl tossed her short blond hair and nodded to a door that indicated a heated pool. "But, I would suggest the hot tubs." She held out a brochure that he took with tentative fingers. He glanced at the cover and put the brochure in his pocket.
"Actually I was looking for the vending machines. I didn't bring a swimsuit." Grissom glanced around the lobby for a vending machine sign.
"The vending machines are right outside that door, near the pool." She waved towards the door and turned back to say with a coy smile. "But don't let a swimsuit stop you from enjoying the hot tubs, sir. The rooms are private."
Grissom thanked her and walked quickly towards the pool area. He did not care for the way the girls eyes had swept over him when she made that comment. He found the snack machines with no problem and after purchasing a drink and a candy bar he weaved his way back to his room, avoiding glancing towards the desk as he walked through the lobby.
~~~~*~~~~
Sara was freezing. She woke up and glanced at the bedside clock, noticing that she had slept almost an hour. That was not bad, not for her, and not when she felt so wired. Scooting off the bed she walked quickly to the air conditioner and adjusted the temperature. Some nut had left it on fifty degrees. No wonder she was freezing. Rubbing her arms she looked around the room, inspecting it for the first time. A bed. A dresser. A television that she had no desire to turn on at that second. Noticing a brochure lying on the dresser she picked it up and read about the natural springs that the guests could enjoy. The tubs could fill in three minutes flat and the warmth that the brochure suggested was enough to send her to her bag for a robe. She did not need a swimsuit if it was a private room, did she?
~~~~*~~~~
Safely in his room, he laughed at himself for being so ridiculous. That young girl had no more interest in him than..He frowned at the thought, not wanting to complete the sentence in his own mind. Sara had interest in him; he just did not know what to do about it. Sitting on the side of his bed he popped the tab on his drink and tossed the candy bar onto the side table. Leaning against the backboard, he grabbed the remote control and flipped on the television. One station after another breezed past and he found nothing that interested him in the least. Shutting of the set he twisted around to retrieve the candy bar when something crumpled in his shirt pocket.
Pulling out the brochure, he read about the quick heating natural springs that were available in private rooms to each guest. It sounded like the perfect medicine for his aching body. The problem was he had no swimsuit, but if the rooms were private, then he could adjust.
Grissom came to the last door and expected to see the word 'occupied' displayed on the front. Twelve private rooms on this wing held the hot tubs and he had almost decided it was not meant for him to enjoy any of them. He blinked twice as he read on the door that this room was unoccupied. Pushing the door open, he could almost feel the warm water soaking into his tired bones. He froze. This room was definitely occupied.
"Sara?"
"Hey Gris!" Sara grinned over the side of the hot tub. "You are the last person that I expected to see stroll in here."
"Oh?" Grissom held the door half way open and glanced back at the sign. "And who did you expect?"
Wrinkling her nose in his direction, Sara motioned him inside. "You are letting the warm air out, Grissom. Why don't you join me?"
The expression on Grissom's face caused Sara to burst out in laughter.
"I didn't invite you to sleep with me, Gris. And, I promise that I won't jump you." Sara waved him towards the tub. "You aren't a chicken are you?" The mischievous expression she wore was almost too much for him.
Grissom cocked that one brow and for a second she thought he was going to turn and walk away. Instead he reached towards the door and slid the 'occupied' into place before shutting it firmly behind him. He wore an accusing expression when he turned back towards the tub.
"Do you know that anyone could have walked in here? Why didn't you take precautions?"
Sara had the decency to appear chagrined. "I was freezing. The only thing that I thought about was climbing into a warm hot tub." She gave him a weak smile, but the twinkle was back in her deep brown depths. "Besides, the door would not lock."
Grissom surveyed the small room and noted the bench along the wall next to the door held several towels and a silky emerald robe that he assumed was Sara's. Pulling his own robe together in the front, he tightened it with the belt and was thankful that he had worn his black boxers. Not that he was planning on disrobing and getting into that hot tub with Sara. He stepped closer to the steaming water and peeked over the edge.
"What made you bring a swimsuit Sara?"
"I didn't." Sara replied with humor.
Grissom's blue eyes widened in disbelief and they unthinkingly swept down to the water where he could make out the outline of her bare skin.
"Sara, why didn't you warn me?"
"And watch you run out of here so fast you would have taken all of the warmth with you?" Sara let her hands float on the surface of the water as she took in his uneasiness.
Grissom lowered his own eyes as he backed away from the tub and a very nude Sara. He tried to forget the soft curves teasing him beneath the bubbles only an arms length away.
A soft smile curved Sara's lips as she wondered what he would do about this and how long it would take him to make an excuse to leave the room.
"Gris?" Sara prompted when the silence stretched on for several minutes. "I'm not going to jump you. Relax. Why don't you join me? There is plenty of room."
'I'm not worried about you jumping me.' Grissom thought to himself. Aloud he joked. "That's a relief." He made no move to climb into the hot tub, but his eyes swept from Sara to the water with a yearning expression. His tongue darted out between his lips and he weighed the situation.
Sara leaned back and closed her eyes, allowing the warmth to seep into her body. Without opening her eyes, she stretched her legs out, and wondered if Grissom was paying attention to her movements.
"Sara." Her name escaped from Grissom's lips in a low rush.
A smile tilted her lips as she heard the accusatory tone. "Sorry, Gris." She was not sorry at all, Grissom thought.
He cleared his throat and cast furtive looks at the door, assuring himself that he was staying here in case some stranger came bursting through the door. He spun back towards Sara when she spoke.
"I find it fascinating that there's this younger version of you running around. A jubilant version." Sara stressed the word and opened her eyes in time to see him scowl.
"I find it irritating." Grissom grumbled.
Sara smiled and that mischievous expression returned to her face.
Narrowing his eyes, Grissom wondered what she was thinking and if he should dare ask. He moved to the bench and sat, picking up her robe as he leaned back against the wall and shut his eyes.
"I'm glad that you find it amusing that I have a---." Grissom fumbled for the correct word, and finally said. "That there is someone so similar to myself out there."
"I was just wondering if he sounds like you." Sara moved her hands along the surface of the water. "And by that I mean the sound of his voice, not the way he talks."
"And how would that sound?" Grissom opened his eyes, meeting hers.
The flirty nature of his question surprised Sara and she stared at him with suspicion.
"Deep. Sensual." She kept her eyes on his face as she allowed her own voice to drop an octave.
The heat from the spring appeared to intensify as they stared at one another across the short space of the hot tub.
"Then I had better make the phone call to him myself." Grissom said. He fought the urge to stand up and run from the room. Instead, he kept the eye contact as a pink tint crept over Sara's neck and face.
The teasing manner he was exhibiting was baffling. She was pleased and wary of his change in attitude and completely caught off guard.
Grissom broke the trance. "I should speak with Tom anyway, since he is allegedly my relative. It would be strange for you to call him."
Sara looked away and rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Grissom."
"Why do you do that?" Grissom asked intently, his voice rippling with frustration. "Why roll your eyes every time that I say something that you don't like?"
"I don't roll my eyes every time you say something dumb, Grissom."
"It's kind of a childish habit."
"So is avoiding the truth." Sara countered back with a pointed look.
"What truth have I been avoiding?" Grissom ground the question out between clinched teeth.
"Do you really want to go there, Grissom?"
"You started it."
They stared at each other and burst out laughing. The tension remained beneath the surface, but it felt good to let the atmosphere lighten.
"I would say 'Did not', but we both know that so---." Sara responded with a smile.
The smile was contagious and Grissom grinned back, silently relieved that the conversation had been detoured.
"So?" Sara asked.
Grissom shook his head, clearly bemused. "So. I guess we should call it a night."
Sara thought he was being intentionally obtuse. "That's not what I meant, Grissom." She tried to keep her voice light, but her smile had faded.
Grissom felt his heart thump loudly. Why did he not leave the room immediately? He felt rooted to the bench, his mind jammed.
"Why have you avoided me this past year?" Sara pressed. "And you have been avoiding me, ever since the day Philip Gerard made that stupid comment about Hank."
Sara grimaced as she said last name and watched in fascination as Grissom made a similar face.
"I haven't avoided you, Sara." He could not figure out how this conversation had strayed to this point. "And now who is avoiding the truth?"
"Excuse me?" Sara was not going to let him make this her fault. "Hank and I were just friends." Sara repeated with a loud sigh.
Grissom felt a stirring of hope when she added. "At that time." She locked her eyes on her robe that was gripped in Grissom's hands. "Then you told me you were happy that I had a life. You started avoiding me and I---." She let her eyes flick to his before they returned to the robe. "I was confused."
"We worked together on that Khandelwahl/Branson case, Sara." Grissom's protest was weak.
"And I thought that we were cool, but then you went back to avoiding me."
Grissom cleared his throat for what felt like the tenth time in an hour. "Sara." His voice sounded funny and she braced herself for the procedural kiss off.
"I have an inherited condition known as Otosclerosis." Grissom licked his lips and swallowed over the lump that had formed in his throat. "Last year I found my hearing was slowly deteriorating. There were times when I couldn't hear anything at all and other times it was off and on. I was off balance."
He risked looking at her face, mentally telling himself that he could take the pity that he would find. Only her expression was understanding and something else, relieved.
"Grissom." Sara resisted the urge to climb out of the hot tub and touch his ears with both of her hands. "You could have told me."
"No, I couldn't." Grissom's voice held a tinge of sadness. "I remember when my mom told my dad that she was going to be deaf. I remember the look on his face when he yelled at her and then looked at me with such horror."
"He thought that you would inherit it." Sara could not imagine the pain that would have gone through a little boy's heart to have his own daddy look at him with such disgust.
"Apparently he was right." Grissom locked his jaw and looked over her shoulder. "I had surgery on one ear last May. It appears to have stopped the decline for now. I'm planning to have the other ear operated on next month."
Sara nodded. "Thanks for telling me all of this Grissom." Thinking back to her offhand comment earlier that day, when she asked if he had inherited anything from his mom, she silently berated herself. "Is your mother still living?"
"Yes. She lives in a retirement community in Florida." Grissom shook his head again. "I don't know if I should tell her about these people."
"These people are your relatives, Grissom." Sara's voice held no rancor. "But I think that if you don't tell her about them, then there would be nothing lost."
Relief spread over Grissom's features and he smiled. Shaking away all of the sadness that had settled over his mind, he suddenly had the urge to touch Sara's face.
"What is it?" Sara asked, sensing the shift in his emotions.
"I was thinking that I'd like to touch you," Grissom admitted. He surprised himself with the admission and waited to see how Sara would respond.
After a stunned beat, Sara responded with a heartfelt, "Then why don't you?"
Grissom took a deep breath. The steam from the hot tub appeared to float around the small enclosure; the whole conversation seemed surreal. He must have had this dream a thousand nights over the last five years. He stood abruptly and moved slowly towards the side of the tub, his eyes locked onto Sara's eyes with a curious mix of doubt and resolution.
Sara felt the air in her chest compress as her heart beat pounded in her ears. She watched him inch closer and closer until he was directly beside her and she had to tilt her chin to face him. He squatted down in front of her and stared into her eyes for a long heartbeat, before placing one hand under her chin and slowly allowing his fingers to feel the soft skin as they moved from her chin to her moist lips.
Sara held her breath as his eyes slid down her face and locked on the soft curve of her lips. One hand sought the back of her head as the other one continued the sensual exploration of her face. She brought her hands up to rest on his chest and pushed forward to meet him as his lips grazed her own.
They both drew back and stared into each others eyes before Grissom bent forward and let his pent up emotions flow from his lips to Sara's as she opened her mouth to let his tongue explore.
Sara's hands slid from his chest to clutch the steamed curls on the back of his neck as she pulled him closer to her and felt his lips press against her own for the first time in five years. Grissom rained kisses along her neck, nibbling softly on her earlobe as he whispered three words that shook her to the core.
"Catherine was right."
"What?" Sara pushed on his chest with both hands. In the middle of an intimate kiss he had the nerve to utter those words?
Grissom stared at her with true puzzlement in his eyes.
"What did I say?"
Sara eyed him before shaking her head in disbelief. "You told me that Catherine was right." Sara dripped sarcasm. "Catherine was right about what Grissom? That I would make out with you in a hot tub. That I would cave in if you kissed me? What?"
Grissom was speechless. Sara pushed a little harder on his chest until she felt him step pull back, and then stand.
"I don't recall saying that." Grissom admitted.
Sara was not sure if that admission made her feel better or worse.
Grissom narrowed his eyes as he tried to recall the words that had upset Sara. He had been nibbling on her ear and he remembered being thankful for his own ability to hear the soft moans that were emanating from her throat. His eyes widened.
"Catherine told me that I should tell you about my hearing. She said that I should trust you with that and that you would understand. She was right."
Grissom squatted again and reached for her face, cupping it within his hands. "Sara." The hoarse whisper of her name startled her and would have been her undoing if he had left it at that.
"I didn't think." Grissom mumbled.
"No, Grissom, you didn't." Sara pulled his hands from her face. "You didn't trust me and you also forgot to mention to me that Catherine knew all about your secret."
"She guessed. And not until the night before I had the surgery."
Sara digested these words. "If you had let me work with you more this past year then I would have figured it out much sooner."
"I know that." Grissom started to reach towards her face and hesitated. "Why do you think that I've been avoiding you?"
"We should probably call it a night." Sara shrugged away from his hand and turned her back on him.
Grissom watched as she stepped out of the hot tub, water glistening along her shoulder blades and running along her slender back.
He could have kicked himself for his own stupidity.
Sara spun around and caught his eyes staring at her. Fighting off the urge to hold her hand out for him to join her, she bent down to pick up her robe, which his movements had knocked to the floor. She belted the robe tightly in the front and forced herself to remain calm.
"Good night, Grissom."
It took a few heartbeats for him to realize she was going to walk away, but all he managed was a brief 'good night' as she turned and left the room.
TBC