CHAPTER THREE

"I just need a few things."

Sara rifled through her purse searching for her keys as Grissom turned the Denali off. He jingled the keyring to show her he had her keys as well.

"We have groceries in the back, so we need to try to be quick."

They worked their way into the apartment building. Grissom hit the button for the elevator and stood next to Sara with his hand resting on the small of her back. Ready to lead her first as the doors opened. Before the doors closed a group of college girls entered, standing in front of them. Sara took a step back and leaned into Grissom. He rubbed the side of her long torso, welcoming her closeness to him. His hand on her a gentle reminder that he had her, he was there and not going anywhere. It made her smile, feeling like she was finally being seen as his. No more hiding, no more concern for public displays of affection.

He could tell his gesture was felt and needed. But he couldn't tell who needed it more, him or her. The truth was he was nervous. Sara hadn't been to her home since the incident, and even though she hadn't been taken from there, he wasn't sure how it would affect her either. He still wasn't sure Sara had really processed what had happened. They had talked some, but the conversation always seemed to change before he could really see if she was okay.

The elevator stopped and the girls cackled together as they stepped off down the hall. The doors closed slowly and Sara spun around to face him. Her eyes looked over his face, confused as to why she saw pain. She pressed into him, pushing his back into the wall of the elevator. Her lips kissed him hard and her free hand rubbed the side of his face down to his neck. He was tense at first, taken off guard, till her tongue reached for his. He moaned as he let his guard down and opened his mouth desperate for her kiss. He reached an arm around her pressing her into him. Sara bent her knee and raised her leg between his and nudged his inner thigh. As he reached for the button on her pants, the bell dinged and the doors began to open for her floor. Sara broke the kiss and watched him catch his breath as she slowly pulled away.

"I always wanted to kiss you in here."

Sara walked out and held the door open waiting for Grissom. He was leaned against the wall and slightly hunched over. Not sure it was smart for him to walk out of the elevator standing straight up. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath trying to think of something horrible, like a decaying body stuck in a trunk.

It's not really working this time, bud.

Grissom gave up and walked out quickly, almost pushing a slight jog to Sara's door. Thankfully only a few doors away from the elevator. Grissom rustled through the keys in his hands trying to focus as he stood in front of the door. This was a whole new level of sexual frustration. Sara leaned against the door when she saw the look on his face. She felt somewhat guilty. He was trying. She could see he was scared. But she didn't want him to be scared, she just wanted him to love her again. She rubbed his arm softly as he unlocked the door.

"Sorry. That wasn't fair…"

He put out a small smile and nodded his head as he opened the door and looked at her. Sara walked in and looked around the room. She smiled when she saw everything put away and cleaned. She knew he had come by a time or two to grab her things, but she never really remembered how long he'd been gone.

"You cleaned my apartment?"

"No. I just…put a few things away."

Grissom shrugged off the effort. Sara smirked, fully aware of the mess that her apartment was before she went on shift that day. Her and Grissom had spent more time with their physical excursions and less time focusing on the mess of sheets, blankets, and dishes that were left strewn across the apartment.

"…Gil..this place was a mess."

She laughed when she saw him lower his head and shake it in agreement. Sara walked off to the bedroom and started pulling clothes from the dresser and closet. Grissom roamed the bookshelves in the living room, seeing if there was anything he hadn't already read. He pulled a book and sat down and skimmed through the first few pages. Reaching the end of chapter one, Grissom glanced at the page number and wondered how long he'd been sitting there, and why Sara hadn't returned yet. He stood from the couch and made his way to her.

"Sara, we should probably get going, the groceries in the…"

The bag was by the door seemingly packed. Sara sat on the edge of the bed and looked up at Grissom as he walked in.

"You know…that night. That was uh…a lot of fun."

Sara raised an eyebrow and Grissom shifted his weight from one foot to the other as he leaned into the doorframe.

"It was. I remember it well."

"Is that what you were thinking of when I was asleep?"

"I've thought about it often."

Sara stood up and walked provocatively towards him. Provocatively as one can with a large casted arm. Grissom found it cute. His eyes roamed from her hips to her arms to her lips to her eyes. Sara placed her hand gently on his chest. She could feel his heart beat pumping into her hand.

"I need you, Gil."

Grissom could see the demand in her eyes. His eyes roamed over her body again, carefully calculating how to touch her without hurting her. How to be everything she needed and not cause her pain. He raised his hand to cup her chin, his thumb rested beneath her lower lip. He leaned forward and kissed her lips gently, his hands carefully pulled her hips to his. Sara ran her hand through his hair to the base of his neck. Grissom began to walk forward pushing her to walk backwards until the bed hit the back of her leg. Without breaking their kiss, he carefully removed her jacket and button up and let them fall to the floor. Sara moved her hand to lift his shirt but he diverted her hand into his, interlocking their fingers while his other hand caressed her cheek. He placed Sara's hand on the back of his neck and moved both of his to the hem of her jeans where he quickly unhitched them and began to push them to the floor. He hooked his finger around the side of her panties and pulled them down gently. Sara moved her legs up and down, pushing the fabric into a crumpled pile at her feet before swinging her left, lofting the clothes to the side of the room.

Sara began to go for Grissom's belt again when he started to lean her back into the bed, forcing her hand behind her to guide herself down slowly. Grissom laid to her side pinning her arm beneath him, only giving her access to his back. He pressed his leg over hers, the firmness of his erection reminding Sara all too well of what she missed as he couldn't help but rock into her.

His hand roamed under her tank top pushing it up before he lowered his lips to suck on the delicate skin that surrounded her nipple. Sara let out a soft moan when she felt the small pricks of his scruff rake across her skin. He'd been clean shaven for a few months now, but with all the days at home, shaving had taken a back seat and she wasn't the least bit interested in changing the priority. As his tongue flicked across the dark circles of her breasts, his hand teased delicately down her stomach till he found another area that had been lost among the priority list.

Sara muffled out an apology, slightly embarrassed, although she wasn't really sure why. Grissom stopped his motions and picked his head up to look at her.

"You don't ever have to apologize for that."

Sara smirked when his fingers began to move again, his eyes still fixated on hers. Watching her stifle her own expressions as he maneuvered small circles within her. Grissom found it difficult himself to stop from grinding into her leg as he found a pace that pleased her. Sara's hand had given up on trying to wriggle out from under his body and settled on grasping onto the sheets. She closed her eyes and gasped when she felt his finger slid into her. His hands were big and could cover all the right places at the same time. With small profanities leaving her lips, he crawled down off the bed, his knees on the floor and his stomach laying flat on the bed between her legs.

"Gil, why aren't you taking off your clothes yet?"

"No, Sara. This is about you."

Aroused and slightly frustrated, she threw her head back into the bed. He pulled her down to him and began to gently kiss her inner thigh. He slid his arms under her thighs lifting her to him and wrapping his arms around her, holding her down with his hands grasped tightly now on her thigh.

His fingertips rubbed her gently before they lifted her folds, spreading her open. He breathed on her gently. Doing his best to maintain his own desires, he flicked his tongue forward and began to lick her rhythmically. Sara raised her free hand and drove it into the curls of Grissom's hair, softly pushing him into her. Grissom involuntarily bucked into the bed sending his tongue deeper. His lips gently nibbling and sucking on her folds. With one arm he did his best to pin down Sara's leg and hips and with the other he brought his fingers in to quicken his pace as he felt her body begin to clench beneath him. Sara's moans were mixed of desperate groans and portions of 'Gil' as he brought her to her climax. His fingers slowed and rubbed gently as they made their way out. He pulled her leg tight to the side of his face as he kissed her softly before standing. Sara laid there trying to catch her breathe as her body rippled with pleasure she had missed more than she imagined. For being so timid, he should knew how to lay it on a woman.

He pulled the soft throw blanket that was on the edge of the bed over her before he walked into the bathroom. It pained him to stand. The blood that was meant to be spread across his body fighting for a central location brought on a small bit of dizziness as he made his way towards the sink. He filled up the small glass with water and then turned on the warm faucet as he pulled a clean wash cloth from under the cabinet. He quickly washed his face and then soaked the towel and wrung it out, leaving it folded on the edge of the sink. When he walked back into the bedroom, Sara was leaning on her good arm with the throw blanket pulled over her. As Grissom handed her the water he let her know there was a warm towel waiting for her in the bathroom and kissed her. Sara smiled at him. Genuinely proud of his little habits. In all her years of dating, she had never had someone care for her so tenderly afterwards. Never. It was a personality trait she didn't know existed before him. And one that pleasantly surprised her each and every time.

As she looked over him, she couldn't imagine the pain and pressure he must be feeling. The bulge in his jeans was pressing aggressively against the zipper. She didn't understand why he was so reluctant to wait. She couldn't anymore. She needed that release that he gave her. Not just physically, but emotionally. She already felt lighter than when she walked into the apartment. Granted, it could have more to do with the tingling still running through her legs, but she liked to think it was deeper than that.

Grissom bent over to zip up the bag while Sara made her way to the bathroom. He heard the water kick on and a few moments later, Sara.

"Oh SHIT!"

Grissom popped up quickly spinning to look at her. She leaned out of the bathroom with her hands in the air.

"The ice cream is in the Denali!"