Chapter 18: Night Out

My alarm pulled me out of my slumber as its annoying beep rang throughout my apartment. Rolling over, I shut it off before sitting up and rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. Grabbing my phone off my bedside table, a huge grin spread across my face when I realized what today was; Greg comes home today. Quickly throwing on one of Greg's t-shirts and a pair of yoga pants I practically skipped into the kitchen, where I was greeted by Nick pouring me some coffee. "Good morning," I smiled before grabbing the mug and taking a seat at the counter.

"Good morning to you too," he replied in a sleepy voice. "What's got you so excited?"

"Greg comes home today." Announcing it out loud made my stomach get butterflies. "Nick I can't thank you enough. You and Warrick both have been so awesome, staying with me for these past two weeks."

He shot me a grin before resting his elbows on the counter in front of me. "What are friends for? Besides you would do the same for any of us."

Finishing my coffee I slipped on a pair of sandals before grabbing my car keys and heading out of my apartment with Nick in tow. We hugged before climbing into our cars, Nick was probably going home to sleep and I was headed to the hospital.

Walking the familiar hallways until I reached Greg's room I smiled at a few of the nurses and doctors I passed along the way, determined not to let anything get in the way of my happiness. Pushing open the door I was greeted with the sight of Greg's back, as he was packing up his clothes into the small duffel I had brought him during his stay here. I cleared my throat and he spun around, his grin matching mine when he saw me in the doorway. "Hey baby," I walked over and wrapped my arms around his waist. "Ready to come home?"

"More than ready," he replied as he zipped up the bag and slung it over his shoulder. Lacing his fingers with mine we walked back out to my car carrying a casual conversation.

"By the way, I forgot to mention that Grissom gave both of us the rest of this week off. He said it would be good for us to mentally prepare for returning to work," I explained as I drove us towards my apartment.

"Today is Tuesday so is he giving us until Saturday or Sunday?"

"He wants us back on Sunday," I pulled into my spot and cut the engine. "Which means it gives us about four days to do absolutely nothing."

We rode the elevator up to my apartment and when we opened the door, Greg surprised me by wrapping his arms around my waist from behind and spinning me in a circle. Once my feet were planted back on the ground, I turned around still in his arms and gave his shoulder a playful whack. "What was that for?"

He placed a lingering kiss on my lips before responding, "Because I'm here, with you, home. And I don't want to be anywhere else."

I smiled before placing a kiss on his cheek. "You are such a sap."

I moved out of his arms, but he caught me by the elbow before I moved two steps. "You missed," he said with a cheeky grin.

I put on my innocent face before answering, "No I didn't." He stuck his lower lip out in a pout and I almost melted into the floor. "If you come cuddle with me I'll reconsider," I said, motioning to the couch.

"Deal."

And that's how the rest of our week went by. Cuddling, kissing, a whole lot of takeout and some really crappy movies, but it was one of the best weeks of my life. Saturday morning rolled around and the smell of fresh coffee pulled me from sleep and sent me stumbling after the source. I found Greg in the kitchen, humming to himself as he finished making pancakes. I smiled at the sight before me as I walked up behind him a wrapped my arms around his waist. "Good morning," I planted a kiss between his shoulder blades before I unhooked my arms and moved so I could see his face.

"Good morning to you too," he kissed me on the forehead before handing me a cup of coffee and a plate of pancakes. We sat at the counter and ate in comforting silence, seeing as it was 10am and our internal clocks were all kinds of messed up. "Let's do something tonight," Greg spoke as we placed our dishes in the sink.

"What did you have in mind?" I asked before pouring myself a second cup of coffee.

"Let me take you out to dinner. Or we can go dancing. There is this new club a few blocks from here that Warrick said was worth checking out." He wrapped his arms around me from behind and began lightly drawing patterns on my stomach through my shirt.

"I'm up for whatever you want to do," I tell him honestly.

"Personally, I think we could do both," he planted a kiss on my shoulder. "Give me a chance to spoil you."

"Oh, no," I protested. "You are not spending a lot of money on me. I won't let you."

He moved so he was facing me with his arms still securely planted around my waist. "I will spoil you whenever I want to, because you are worth every penny."

"I don't need you to spoil me," I wrapped my arms around his neck. "As long as I get to be with you and you are happy, I don't need anything else."

He smiled before pulling me closer and connecting our lips in a long, slow kiss. He lightly squeezed my hips before breaking the kiss. "I'll compromise with you. How about I make you dinner then we can go out."

"Alright, fine," I consented, my mind still hazy after the kiss.

"Okay then, I need to run to the store and get a couple things. Are you going to be okay here for a few hours?"

"I'll be fine," I promised. After exchanging goodbyes, he left to go grab whatever he needed and I was left to my own devices. It was 11:30am, so I decided to kill some time by taking a shower in preparation for whatever was to come tonight.

After taking a very relaxing and very long shower, I shut off the water and wrapped myself in a towel and quickly dried off before throwing on an old black t-shirt and shorts. Toweling my hair I made my way into my bedroom to choose clothes for later tonight. As I was rummaging through my closet my hand brushed a shopping bag that I had haphazardly shoved in there a few months ago. My cheeks turned slightly red when I remembered what was in the bag. I pulled a set of red lace panties and the matching bra out of the bag before contemplating wearing them tonight. Greg and I had never had sex, but the thought kept coming up every time one of our kisses got heated, which was a good portion of the time. There was no doubt in my mind that I loved him and I wanted to take that step in our relationship, but I didn't know if he felt the same way. I guess we'll find out tonight, I thought to myself as I slipped the garments back into the bag and placed the bag back where it was with the thought of giving him a little surprise tonight.

It was around 2:30 when Greg came home, and when I offered to help him he banished me into my room with a cheeky smile and a promise that he was going to make the perfect dinner and in order for it to remain a surprise I wasn't allowed anywhere near the kitchen until he said so. I giggled to myself when I saw how determined the boy was, so I gave him space and let him do his thing. I busied myself with watching movies on my laptop while I tried to stem my curiosity. However, being a CSI, curiosity comes naturally to me so around 4pm I attempted to creep into the kitchen to see what was going on. Greg caught me when I was halfway down the hallway and proceeded to carry me back into the bedroom, and dumped me on the bed. He placed a quick kiss on my lips with strict instructions to stay put. Frustrated, I decided to be productive and get myself dressed.

I slipped on the red lace ensemble before pushing a few of my dresses out of the way before I found the one I had decided on earlier. It was one of my favorite dresses; it was black and it hugged my figure before stopping mid-thigh. The upper half of the dress was adorned with sequins and I loved the way it shimmered under the lights whenever I wore it. The arms of the dress came just past my elbows so I decided to add two thin sliver bangles to each wrist. Rummaging through my jewelry box once more, I came across a necklace that made me smile. Gingerly I picked it up and secured the clasp around my neck. Facing myself in the mirror I subconsciously reached up and fingered the necklace with a ghost of a smile on my face. It was the necklace I had gotten from Greg's family on my seventeenth birthday. The single charm was hanging from a delicate silver chain and hit the center of my collarbone. A delicate angel whose dress was adorned with diamonds glittered as they caught the light. A light knock on the bedroom door pulled me out of my head and when I opened the door Greg was standing on the other side dressed in dark jeans, a light blue t-shirt and a black blazer overtop. His jaw went slack as he drank in my appearance, starting at my feet, which were clad in a pair of simple black flats. He slowly dragged his eyes up my legs and over my body until they came to meet my own. His breath caught in his throat as his eyes fell upon the necklace that rested on my collarbone. "You kept that?" He asked.

"Of course I kept it," I said. "It's the most beautiful present anyone has ever given me."

He gently reached up and delicately took the charm between his thumb and forefinger before resting it in the palm of his hand. "You know, I lied that day." His voice was soft as he continued. "It wasn't from my mother. I had it custom made weeks before your birthday, and I was a nervous wreck when I went over to give it to you. You looked so beautiful…"

He dropped the charm and rested his hand against my cheek, using his thumb to stroke my cheekbone. "It wasn't just the best present I got that day," I confessed. "It was the only present I got that day. The dinner with my parents that night was a disaster, and when I came home and opened the box, I almost cried. It took everything in me not to run over to your house and say something."

"I'm glad I made you happy," he smiled. "Now, dinner time."

He led me into the kitchen where he had prepared two plates of chicken fettuccini alfredo and completed the meal with two bottles of cold beer. "My favorite," I smiled as he gestured to the chairs.

"The food or beverage choice?" He joked.

"Both," I teased.

Back and forth we went throughout the entire meal, which was the best food I had ever tasted. Our forks hit the empty plates with a satisfying clang and we finished off our beers before I stood up and began clearing the table. "No, sit down." Greg swiped the plates from my hands. "I'll do them later."

"Not fair," I debated. "You cooked, so I'll clean."

"Later," he put the plates in the sink and wrapped an arm around my waist, leading me out the door. "Right now, we are going clubbing."

After going past the bouncer we snaked our way through the small crowd outside and pushed our way into the dimly lit club. The bass was deafening as the walls and floor shook constantly, and the alcohol flowed just as frequently. I brought my lips to Greg's ear since it was impossible to hear anyone, "Drink?"

He nodded and led the way over to the countertop and slid into a seat, gesturing for me to take the one next to him. "What do you want?" He asked.

"I'll stick with beer," I told him. He relayed the message to the bartender who supplied us with our drinks before turning to other customers. We sat for a while, sipping our drinks and observing the people around us. My drink was gone quicker than I expected, and with it came a newfound sense of confidence. Leaning over I spoke in Greg's ear again, "Come dance with me."

He had a mischievous sparkle in his eye as he leaned closer to respond, "Dance for me."

I pulled back and bit my lip as he smirked at me, the alcohol daring me to take the challenge. Deciding to go with my gut, I got up off the chair and maneuvered my way through the crowd until I got to a slightly less crowded spot in the mass of people. Greg's eyes were trained on me as I began to slowly move my hips to the rhythm of the pounding music. I locked my eyes on Greg's as I brought my lower lip in between my teeth and slowly slid my fingers through my hair, lifting it off the back of my neck. That was all it took for Greg to launch himself up off the barstool and approach me on the dancefloor. My hands let go of my hair and reached out to wrap around his neck as his hands fell to rest on my hips. I brought my lips to his ear once more, "I'm glad you decided to join me."

"With you dancing like that, I had no choice," his voice was a few octaves deeper. "Do you have any idea what you do to me?"

"I think," I paused, letting a smirk form on my lips. "I think I drive you crazy." After I finished speaking a devious thought came to me, and with the alcohol fueling me, I decided to go for it. I placed a light kiss on the corner of his jaw and let my lips ghost over his skin until I was merely centimeters away from his lips. "I need a drink."

And with that I pulled away and darted towards the bar. I was a few feet away before a hand clamped onto my elbow and pulled me back. I smirked at Greg, who was standing in front of me, clearly flustered. He brought his lips to my ear and spoke in a growl, "We are going home. Now."

I replied, "I thought you'd never ask."

We flew through the lobby, not even giving the man at the front desk a second glance. The moment the elevators door closed, Greg's lips were attached to mine with a feverish desire. I had backed up into a wall, so I was left to the mercy of his lips and tongue, not that I minded. My hands were combing through his hair in an attempt to pull him closer and his left hand was clamped onto my hip while his right was pressing on the small of my back, drawing me as close as possible. The ride ended far too soon and we had to break apart when I heard the familiar ding of the doors opening once again. Greg grabbed my hand and we raced down the hallway until we reached the apartment door. He fumbled with the key for a second before jamming it into the lock and throwing open the apartment door.

The key was tossed recklessly in the general direction of the counter as we entangled ourselves in one another, feeling our way through the apartment and down the hallway. We stumbled into the bedroom and I kicked off my shoes, sending them into a corner somewhere. My hands left Greg's hair and moved to his jacket, helping him shrug it off his shoulders and letting it drop to the ground. "Wait," Greg spoke, out of breath. "I don't want our first time to be like this."

I met his eyes, "What do you mean?"

Looking into those brown eyes, I saw so many emotions flicker through those brown orbs; lust, awe, happiness, love. "I don't want our first time together to be driven by lust. I want our first time to be us making love."

My heart stopped at his words. It took me a few seconds, but I finally got up the courage to say what I really wanted to say. "Then make love to me." Greg's eyes grew wide at my words. "I love you, Greg Sanders, and I wish I could tell you how much I loved you, but there aren't enough words in the English language to even begin to explain it."

"I've dreamed so often of you saying those words to me," he cupped my face like he was holding glass. "But I never imagined them sounding as beautiful as they really do. I love you too, Mar. So much."

"I want this, Greg." I looped my fingers through his belt loops. "But only if you do too."

He responded by pressing his lips to mine in a slow, deep kiss. This kiss was different than all of our others, this one held an unspoken promise between the two of us; a promise of love and happiness.

The mood in the room had changed from lustful to loving, and it ignited a fire in my belly that spread throughout my entire body. I tugged at his belt loops as he dropped his hands from my face down to my hips. He detached our lips and trailed his down the side of my neck, planting light kisses every so often before he got to the skin that covered where my neck met my shoulder. I let out a sigh as he let his lips, tongue, and teeth alternate over the spot, surely leaving a bruise behind. I let out a small whine, as I was getting impatient. A chuckle left his lips as he dropped his hands down to my thighs. "Jump."

I obliged, wrapping my legs around his waist as he carried me over to the bed. Instead of lay my down, however, he set me on my feet near the foot of the bed. I tugged at the shirt covering his chest, which he helped me pull over his head and toss onto the floor. He turned me around so my back was to him, his fingers moving in search of the zipper. I pulled my hair over my shoulder so he could have easier access to the back of my dress. Taking the zipper in his hand, he unzipped the dress at a painstakingly slow pace. Once the zipper was undone, he pushed the dress off my shoulders and it dropped from my body, pooling at my feet. Clad in only my red lace undergarments, I turned back around to meet his eyes. He slowly reached out, as if I was an illusion that would disappear at any moment, and moved my hair so it fell down my back. "So beautiful," his hands fell to my waist once more. He nudged me backwards and I obliged, settling back on the pillows with Greg coming to hover over me. I leaned up and connected our lips, giving Greg the opportunity to reach behind me and unclasp my bra. He gently nudged it off my shoulders and let it find its place on the floor with the rest of our clothes. I fumbled with his jeans, unbuttoning them and pushing them down so he could kick them off.

Detaching our lips Greg left a trail of kisses down my neck before wrapping his lips around one of my nipples, earning a low moan from me. After releasing the sensitive bud he continued his assault across my stomach until he reached the only piece of clothing I had on. His breath fanned my core as his fingers looped around my underwear and slowly dragged them down my legs until they were on the floor. He placed a soft kiss on the inside of my thigh before crawling back up so he was face to face with me. "Another time," his voice vibrated in his chest. "I can't wait any longer."

Not trusting my words, I nodded my head before reaching for his boxers, tugging them off and discarding them on the floor. Greg reached over to my bedside table and pulled a condom from the drawer, opened the foil and rolled the condom over his length. He attached our lips as he entered me slowly, giving me time to adjust. My legs wrapped around his waist, urging him to move. He laced his right hand with my left as he began to move slowly at first, then he built up a steady rhythm as I rocked my hips to match his pace. "I'm close, baby," I mumbled into his lips as I felt the familiar fire build up in my center.

"I know doll, me too," he responded breathlessly. "I love you." His eyes connected with mine as he spoke.

"I love you too," I responded. I felt the fire explode in my belly, sending waves of pleasure throughout my entire body as I rode out my high, with Greg not far behind me.

After we both took a few minutes to come down from our highs, Greg moved to throw away the condom and I snuggled under the covers, ready for bed. I felt the mattress dip beside me as Greg returned to bed and climbed under the covers as well. I rolled over to face him as his arm fell over my waist and a smile spread across his face. "I love you."

I brushed some hair off his face before kissing his lips and responding, "I love you too."

Placing a delicate kiss on my nose, he snuggled deeper into the covers and I into him. "Goodnight angel," his sleepy voice rang in my ears.

"Goodnight," I muttered as sleep overtook and I fell into a deep slumber.