Chapter 6

After the latest song ended, they stopped their feet and he cups her cheek, then she closes her eyes at the charged feeling that was going on inside of her, and before she opened them, he leaned down and kissed her, soft and short before he pulled back a little. But she wasn't ready for it to be over, so she opened her eyes just long enough to take her hand from his shoulder and cup his cheek, then brings his head down so she could kiss him again, a longer and more passionate one this time.

When they finally needed air, they pulled back breathlessly before putting their foreheads together to get it back, then when she did first, she speaks softly. "I don't want this night to end."

He pulls his forehead from hers, cupped her cheek again and replied. "It doesn't have to, not if you don't want it to."

She knew what he was implying, which wasn't that much of surprise since they already had a noncommittal agreement that something more could happen during or sometime after this date, but the thought of taking their relationship to the next level, especially this fast, kind of scared her. But then on the other hand they've known each other a lot longer than one evening, or a few hours for that matter, so she could also view that they weren't really going that fast at all.

Horatio could see the hesitation in her eyes and he speaks again. "Calleigh, we don't have to do anything that you don't want to do, tonight wasn't about getting you into bed, it was about us spending time together." Not meaning to, tears started to come out of Calleigh's eyes as he continued while wiping her tears away with his thumb. "We can go on a lot more dates if you want before we move to the next level, whatever you want sweetheart."

She took a moment to sniffle, then she cleared her throat and said. "Thank you for saying that, I think I needed to hear those words."

He smiled with a nod, removed his hand from her cheek, then after kissing her forehead, he took her hand. "Come on let's cuddle on the couch for a bit before you go home." But before he could move them toward the couch, she brings him back toward her so they were looking at each other again, and his looked changed to curiosity.

She cups his cheek with her free hand and replied softly. "Or we can continue what we started in your room." He looked a little shocked, and before he could speak, she continued. "Yeah, officially we are calling this our first date, but I've known you for seven years, and after getting closer to you these last few months, especially these last few weeks, I know I don't need to think if I'm ready to be with you in everyway. My hesitation really had nothing to do with timing, I'm just a little afraid that I might disappoint you in some way, or afraid that I might lose you after."

He shook his head as he placed his hand on top of hers that was still on his cheek. "I don't think you could ever disappoint me, and as for losing me? It isn't going to happen." After she saw the truth in his eyes, she gave him a little nod with a smile.

He gives her a smile back, takes her hand from his cheek, walks them over to the stereo, turns the music off before walking them toward his room, which was off to the right of the living room.

When they made it to his room, she walked to the middle of it while he shuts the door. Then he walks up to her, and once he stopped in front of her, he cups her cheek again, looked at her with so much emotion in his eyes as he leaned down and kissed her softly until it grew into a passionate kiss. Then before they knew it they were just about to complete the action of taking them to the next level when he pulled back from their latest passionate kiss and looked down in her eyes to make sure she was ok to continue, and besides both of them breathing pretty heavily, she was.

She confirmed that she was when she cups his cheek, smiled and nodded, then after knowing that she was alright, they continued their night of passion.

Later that night

As the blankets were wrapped around one another, he had his arms around her while she was laying her head on his chest, he kissed her head and whispered. "You ok? That was..."

She cuts him off. "That was pretty wonderful."

He kissed her head with a content sigh. "Yeah it was sweetheart." After a few minutes of silence, he whispered. "Calleigh." she moved her head back so she could look at him and he cupped her cheek while saying. "I love you. I don't care if those words shouldn't be used yet, I do, and I have long before this night."

She smiled with a few tears in her eyes. "I love you too, and the same goes for me."

He wiped her tears away. "Really?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Why so surprised?"

He sighed, then admitted. "Well for one I'm ten years older than you."

She shook her head. "I never cared about that, I fell in love with the man, not the age."

He smiled a little. "I'm your boss."

"Well that did give me a seconds pause." She made sure the blankets were still on her as she moved closer to him and cups his cheek. "But what it all comes down to was like I said, I fell in love with the man, not the rank, the badge, or the age, and now that we are here, there is nothing standing in our way." Then she kisses him softly on the lips before pulling back.

After looking at each other for a seconds in silence, he speaks again. "We still have work standing in our way and there is a few ways to deal with it, we hide us, or we come clean and more than likely be separated on different shifts."

Calleigh doesn't hesitate. "I don't want to be off your team."

"You sure, Cal?"

She nodded. "Yeah, at least for now, is it ok?"

He nodded too. "It is, if you are really sure, I don't want you to think I'm ashamed."

"I know you aren't, and I'm not either, but I know it has to be this way, so yes, I'm sure."

"Ok."

She smiled and after a quick kiss, she lays her back on his chest as he wraps his arms around her again, then after kissing the top of her head, he whispered. "Goodnight, Cal."

As she closed her eyes, she whispered back. "Goodnight, handsome."

Not long after they fell asleep in each other's arms, feeling nothing was going to ever come between them now, if only they knew what was about to come i