A/N: Thank you for staying with us as Grissom's romance continues!

Gil Grissom's Romance

Chapter 24

"I'm not ready to say good-bye."

She simply took his breathe.

He had been talking about dying and what he would do in his last days when she knelt in front of him and said a few words. Silently, he took her hands, giving a gentle tug that pulled her onto the bed.

For several long minutes, as he held her hands, their only other contact was with smiling eyes. Sara was the first to move—leaning toward him so their lips touched, lightly, as she kissed him. And he returned her kiss. She tasted exotic and sweet, faintly of the wine they had with their dinner.

Grissom's hands moved to Sara's backside, crushing her close so he could feel the curves and firmness of her body. For a few seconds, he feared she would push him away—she had never rejected him but the thought sometimes niggled in the deep regions of his brain.

And when her arms went eagerly around his neck, relief and need blasted through him. Kissing her again, he freed her long enough to gaze into brown eyes that seemed to explode with golden lightening. The sensation that roared along his spine was as familiar to him as the breath he took. She was the woman he wanted—he needed—he desired.

"Sara," he whispered.

She smiled; longing and desire evident in her response.

He brushed his lips against hers and she returned the kiss with an enthusiasm that threatened to take what little control he was managing to hold. Without releasing her, he untied the sash and pushed the silky robe away from her shoulders exposing her chest, freeing her breasts. His hands traveled down her spine to the rise of her butt, sliding underneath the lacy panties she wore.

"You are beautiful," he whispered. Her head rested against his shoulder; breathing deeply, his nose took in the scent of her hair, a fragrance that reminded him of a field of wild flowers.

Moving his hands to her waist, he lifted her body bringing her breasts to the level of his mouth. Gently, he took one firm nipple between his lips; his tongue circled, flicked, sucked. Her fingers clutched his shoulders. Turning his attention to the other nipple, he did the same, feeling her lips in his hair.

Her body arched against his; her leg wrapped around his jean-clad thigh, and suddenly, both knew he wore too many clothes. Separation took a long second. The giggle he heard as Sara's finger's worked the button and zipper of his pants was an intoxicating lyric to his ears.

They laughed, scrambling across the bed, carelessly throwing pillows to the floor, as Sara pulled his jeans off; he shed his shirt, removed her panties, and threw both in the direction of the bathroom. In seconds, they were kissing again as his hand found its way to the sweet, warm dampness between her thighs.

As they snuggled underneath bedcovers, Sara parted her legs as he moved downward, excitement pulsing between them. His lips kissed; his tongue tasted her clean soft flesh. He felt her muscles clinch with the tremors of passion. He felt the tightening of her body as he tasted her, flicking and gently sucking the most intimate and sensitive part of her femininity. Nearly overcome with desire for more, he moved quickly in a rush for the ultimate feeling of intimacy. Then he was inside her body; that tight, contracting passage fit around him like a glove. No longer able to check himself, he lost control, watching as Sara convulsed and moaned, trembling in her orgasm. And all that mattered for a time was the explosion and satisfaction he found in the arms of the woman he loved.

After a while—he wasn't sure if it had been five minutes or hours—Sara raised her head, pushing covers away, to gaze at him with eyes still wide and filled with contentment.

A smile played across her face as she said, "I needed that."

Wrapping arms around her, he agreed. "We've had a very stressful twenty-four hours."

She stretched; arms above her head. He could feel her long legs extend against his thighs, bringing her body against his. The sensation caused a sharp intake of his breath.

Finding her butt, he cradled and lifted her gently. He said, "You have no idea what you do to me."

She laughed, a gentle, soft sound that made him think of music.

Grissom's arm went around Sara's shoulders as he shifted position. He said, "Can we talk about—the future?" Smiling, he kissed her nose. "We've looked at six places—tell me—honestly—what do you think? Which ones do you like?"

Sara wrinkled her forehead, saying, "Are you really going to make me decide?"

"Forty-five days until new owners take possession of this one." Kissing her again, this time on her lips, he continued, "You decide which one we'll buy."

"Gil." She tried to move, but his arms held.

"No sliding away—we're going to talk—decide on—what? Two or three places to see again."

A false smile flashed before she frowned again. "Gil—you need to decide. I—I'm not—I—it's not my money that's going into a place." Her fingers touched his face as she said, "I really—really—appreciate what you are doing."

"This place was mine—I want you to decide which one will be our home." He stressed "our" and kissed her again. "We can afford any of the places we looked at. Tell me one thing you liked."

Sighing, Sara kept her fingers caressing his face. "That bathroom was amazing." She didn't have to explain further.

Grissom chuckled. "I think we should buy that one. I like the shower." Grinning, his eyebrows lifted several times before he said, "Big enough to share."

She gave him a gentle rib jab with her elbow. "You can't buy a place based on the shower."

"Yes, we can." Laughing, Grissom said, "I like the bedroom, too."

With intentions of halting the conversation, he kissed her again, and this time, his mouth was hot and forceful against hers. But his hands were incredibly tender. The contrast left Sara breathless.

"Gil."

"This time we won't rush."

Slowly, he stroked and caressed, watching as sensation built in her until she was vaguely aware of her own ragged breathing, her body reacting with natural instinct. His lips kissed her in places he knew to be responsive. When she began to twist against his hand, he slid down the length of her, eased her legs farther apart, and put his mouth against the exquisitely sensitive place between her legs.

"Gil!" Her voice caught in her throat as his tongue touched her. Gripping the sheets, her orgasm flooded her in an astonishing caress. In a feeling she equated with diving in a warm ocean, Sara floated as release ran through her.

Grissom was suddenly on top of her; driving himself into her, groaning as she contracted around him. All that mattered was the quiet sounds between them. With an effort of will, he moved slowly, dimly aware of perspiration between his shoulder blades. And then Sara shifted beneath him.

"Oh, sweet…"

He was lost. Any semblance of control was gone; closing his eyes, his mouth covered Sara's as his body went rigid for several seconds before he collapsed.

It was several hours later that he remembered to call the real estate agent.

A month later, Grissom stood in the empty condo with an arm wrapped around Sara's shoulder, and said, "It's done, dear."

"I'm a bit overwhelmed," she whispered.

He gave her a quick smile. "Now we have to—to fix up the new place."

"This was a nice place," Sara said, giving a quiet laugh as she added, "A lot of 'firsts' happened here."

Grissom tightened his hug, saying, "We have a new place for a lot more 'firsts', dear."

A/N: Writing to keep GSR and CSI alive and healthy in fanfiction! Again, thanks to all of you, especially to those who review! We enjoy your comments. More chapters coming.

Happiness for all your holidays!