Chapter 4:
Days were rolling by and Calleigh was still in limbo. One minute she felt like killing Jake and the next he was making her smile. It seemed like he had weighed her words and was trying to not be a jerk anymore, at least not that often, because it seemed like being a jerk was a bit of who he was at times, and when Eric was around Calleigh, Jake naturally got jealous. Seeing the way he was looking at her, the way he obviously wanted her, the way she smiled at him, the way her eyes light up, the way she seemed to naturally want to touch a small part of him, whether it was his arm or hip, or stand so close. Jake noticed that she always seemed to keep her distance when she was talking to him and he was starting to feel like Eric was getting the upper hand in this situation.
Sure he had fucked this up a long time ago, but he still wanted her. He still thought about her and hoped that he would get the chance to try and work things out with her. She was beautiful, played with guns, he could see men eyeing her up, and to have her wanting him, it did something to him, to his ego. He wanted to be the one walking beside her, letting all the other men know that she was his.
They needed to talk and so far he hadn't managed to get her alone for a minute. It was like she was avoiding talking to him or being alone with him anywhere, almost as if she was trying to keep him at arms length on purpose, and Jake realized that he needed to do something about this. He was on his way to his car when he saw Calleigh walking towards her own car, obviously on her way home, further ahead of him. It was almost six in the evening, and their shift was over and case was closed. It was so satisfying whenever they got to work a case and manage to close it in a day or two. This one had been simple enough that they managed to make an arrest on the day.
'Hey Calleigh' he called up and Calleigh stopped and turned to look at him, and for once in what feels like forever, she didn't sigh heavily or frown at the sound of his voice. She actually smiled at him and greeted him.
'Hey Jake' she said with a smile. It almost startled him how serene she seemed to be instead of tense. She seemed happy somehow. Maybe it was the effect of the case being closed in a day, who knows, whatever it was he didn't care. All he cared about was that she seemed happy to see him and that was it.
'Going home?' he asked feeling suddenly nervous.
'Yeah...you?' she asked him, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
'Actually...I was thinking of maybe going for a beer...care to join me?' he asked her.
She looked at him, thought about it for a second and nodded 'Sure...why not?' she said and Jake's eyebrows shot up, almost as if he had been ready to receive a blow, and have Calleigh tell him that he was dreaming, but instead she agreed and Jake for once was speechless 'I see...cat got your tongue?' she teased and Jake laughed at that.
'I have to admit I thought you were going to tell me to go to hell' Jake replied.
'Well I'm in a good mood today. Don't ruin it for me Berkley' she warned him and Jake laughed at that.
Fifteen minutes later, they were in one the bars in downtown Miami, with a pint of beer in front of them. So far things had been civilized and Calleigh hadn't stormed off, leaving him by his lonesome, so Jake took that as a good sign at least. She still had that gorgeous smile on her face to which he still had no idea what it was about.
'So are you going to tell me why you are so happy today?' he asked her before taking a sip from his beer.
'Nothing really. It was a good day, we closed the case early and I managed to get a hit from a fragment of a bullet that was a bit rare, so to me that is a good day' Calleigh explained.
'Well I hope you have many more good days' he told her and then silence for a moment but Calleigh could tell that he wanted to say something else, so she stayed quiet and just waited 'It's nice seeing you happy' he told her, placing his hand on hers. She looked at his hand on top of hers and then at him, and Jake hoped he didn't screw up. She smiled then and Jake relaxed.
'Well a certain someone hasn't been a jerk lately' she told him with a wink.
'Well you did tell me to stop being a jerk' he pointed out.
'I did' she replied with a nod.
'Can we talk?' he asked her.
'We are talking' she pointed out and they both laughed at that.
'About us I mean smart ass' Jake replied and Calleigh sighed and pulled her hand away.
'What about us Jake?' she asked him as she leaned back and wrapped her arms across her chest, trying to have her mood ruined.
'Where do we stand Cal? We can't just stay like this and wait for the next shoe to drop' Jake told her.
'I know Jake but...how am I supposed to choose? A part of me is saying to choose you and the other part is telling me to choose Eric' she told him.
'Well listen to the part that is telling you to choose me' Jake replied taking a big gulp of beer this time, and Calleigh gave him a look that made his raise a hand 'Follow your heart then' he suggested.
'If I follow my heart Jake...I would choose Eric' she told him point blank.
'Ouch...that hurts' he said as he straightened up 'Are you saying you don't have feelings for me anymore?' he asked her.
'No that is not what I am saying' Calleigh started telling him, suddenly wishing she didn't agree to this or that at least that they were somewhere quiet and not in the midst of all this noise. She needed to think, she needed to pace and she needed some space 'Can we get out of here? I need some space. The noise is getting to my head' she told him, so they walked outside and made their way to the promenade just walking in silence until Calleigh found a vacant bench and decided to sit down, Jake sitting next to her.
'So...you want to tell me exactly what you were saying?' Jake asked her, still waiting for her to answer him 'Do you have feelings for me yes or no?' he asked her. This was the difference between the two men. One was straight forwards, not hiding behind the bush, while the other one gave her her space. He didn't press her like Jake does, and Calleigh loved that about him, because he knew her, he always know what she needed.
'Of course I have feelings for you Jake...if I didn't things would be much simpler' she told him 'But I also have feelings for Eric' she told him. Being open about her feelings wasn't something she normally did, but Calleigh realized that she needed to be honest with both men. She realized that sometimes voicing her feelings have helped her in the past, and usually that was Eric's doing. Apart from that, just as Eric knew that she had feelings for Jake, Jake needs to know that she has feelings for Eric as well.
He shifted closer to her then, and Calleigh noticed but didn't say anything. She just stood were she was and watched him. His eyes were on her lips first as he cupped one cheek, and then his eyes met hers 'So...but we have a past. We were good together Cal...why can't you just give us another chance?' he asked her.
'Because I know that I will get hurt again Jake' she replied looking straight in his eyes.
'I won't hurt you Calleigh...I want you back' he told her.
'Maybe you do...but you say that now...and then you get a call from ATF and all of a sudden, you're gone, and I will have no idea. I will wait like a fool, until I finally give up and then you show up years later again and expect me to just pick up where we left off' she told him.
'Please Cal...can't we just...try?' he asked her 'One night...give me one night...just spend some time together...see how you feel' he tried before he leaned in and closed the little gap there was between them. She felt his thin lips on hers, his hand slipping into her hair as he leaned into her, pressing his tongue against her lips until she finally gave him access and Jake kissed her hungrily, like he had been thirsty and desperately needed to drink. Calleigh kissed him back, trying to force her mind to just melt into the kiss but her mind was comparing Jake's kiss to Eric's kiss...and damn it Eric's kiss was too good. Jake was a good kisser and she knew it, so she tried and get her head back into kissing him but he broke the kiss.
'You want to go over at my place?' He asked her hopeful.
She pondered the question for a moment and then before she was sure of her answer she said 'Okay' and Jake smiled. She knew what going to his place meant. It was definitely not to just sit on the couch and played cards or watched television. If it had been Eric though, they would have probably eased into it...grab a glass of wine, sit on the couch and chat for a while and then maybe proceed to the interesting part. The funny thing was that she didn't find anything bad in that flow. She couldn't seem to find anything bad when she was comparing Jake and Eric which she seemed to be doing a lot lately, and somehow, Eric seemed to always come on top...and that was saying something because Jake was very good...in a lot of things...not everything but a lot of things.
oooOOOooo
They had barely made it through the door and Jake was already pressing her against the door, his hands working on the buttons of his shirt as he kissed her hungrily.
She let him, needing to feel for herself if this is still as it was, if the feelings she had for him are still the same and even though she wasn't one to easily sleep with someone, Jakes was one of her exes so it wasn't like she had never slept with him.
She kissed him back, pushing all thoughs of Eric at the far end of her brain and focused on Jake...on his hands...everywhere he was touching her, his lips, everywhere his lips were kissing her because by now they had left her lips and were making her way down her neck. He was pressing his body against hers, his hands finally undoing the last button of her shirt, he pushed it off her, leaving her in just a lacey black bra...just what he liked on her. He liked the contrast of the color against her skin plus he thought that black was the sexiest color for lingerie.
She grabbed his t-shirt and pulled it off his head, breaking the kiss in the process, dropping it on the floor just before Jake started undoing her black trousers. She stepped out of her pants as they dropped and pooled around her ankles. His hands started roaming south as his lips assaulted her neck but the minute she felt the tip of his fingers reaching into her black tong, Calleigh couldn't resist but ask 'Are we seriously doing it behind the door?' She asked him.
'What can I say...I can't wait any longer' Jake replied as he started undoing his own belt and jeans.
This is what always irritated Calleigh when it comes to Jake, he's always jumping right to the point. It wasn't that he never indulged into foreplay or oral sex but sometimes it feels like it is just sex for him, like all he wants to do is get in her pants and that's it. There was no making it feel special or tell her beautiful things. The only words that usually slip out of his mouth would be curse words as he is about to come.
'Jake bed' she told him.
'No Cal...I want to have you here against the wall' he told her before slipping his finger inside her heat 'This feels more...erotic' he told her before he captured her lips with his so she would not protest as his fingers started pounding harder and faster into her.
She let him have his way, after all it did feel good and sexy, plus from experience she knew that this was only round one. Round two would probably involve her going down on him as it always did and round three would usually be slower...but Calleigh wasn't sure she wanted round three today.
She was just about to cum when he pulled his fingers out, grabbed her tong and pushed the material off her, proceeded with getting rid of his own boxers and then he was lifting her up and penetrative her without a second thought.
She moaned against his ear as she held onto him while he fucked and Calleigh let herself go and finally enjoy her own release.
oooOOOooo
It was dark and the middle of the night when she finally opened her eyes. They never made it to the bedroom, instead they ended up on the couch and continued there and eventually fell asleep on the couch too.
Still naked, she looked at the sleeping man next to her and as she looked at him, her mind started working.
At first she smiled at him. Calleigh had always thought that Jake was very attractive and after all these years he still and probably will always be in her eyes, he had been her first love after all. He always did have that bad boy look which he carried so proudly. It really suits him...always did and his character and even how he behaves always did fall in line with that title, but Calleigh also noticed that some things never changed. After all these years, it was still right to the point when it comes to sex especially the first round, and the second was right on queue as well and well then for the third one, Calleigh simply didn't feel like it, having been somewhat disappointed that some things never changed, so she had pretended to be tired. He had obviously been proud to say that it was at his own doing that she was this tired so early, and Calleigh had laughed and let him have that one as well.
She couldn't say the sex wasn't good but, because damn it was always hot sex with Jake but sometimes, Calleigh desired something different...something sweet and romantic, something that didn't make her feel like she was just another lady that he was fucking.
She couldn't help but wonder what Eric would be like. She imagined him being wonderful in bed...all lovey dovey, showering her with kisses making her skin tingle every spot he touched with those kissable lips. She wondered how his hands would feel like on her body...how he would touch her. She shifted slightly suddenly feeling unsatisfied but she was not about to wake Jake up, definitely not. Actually, she didn't feel like spending the rest of the night now not when Eric was on her mind, so slowly she got up, got dressed very carefully so she doesn't wake up Jake, grabbed her stuff and made her way out of the door.
oooOOOooo
Heading back to work in the morning, it promised to be an interesting case. The water heater went flying through the roof of the house and crashing Frank's brand new car. Claire Gibbs and her fiance Brett Morrison's house caught fire, with the later becoming the victim. Eric arrived first and when Calleigh arrived and saw him there, she couldn't help but smile, feeling her eyes shining, reflecting the beautiful day that was filling Miami, the butterflies in the pit of her stomach soaring.
'Hey' she greeted him with that bright gorgeous smile of hers. He was walking away from Frank with a huge smile on his face. Calleigh caught sight of the destroyed car, and immediately realized what the amused look on Eric's face was all about as she rolled her eyes in that cute way she always does.
'Hey' he replied still laughing, as he stopped to wait for her. He couldn't help but take her in. The satin red blouse she was wearing which happened to match the colour on his own shirt, the gorgeous smile that filled her face and her eyes...there was just something about her eyes that were sparkling this morning.
'Someone is amused' she teased as she reached him, that smile still filling her face, making his heart skip a beat.
'Well how often do we get to see that? Can you imagine Frank's reaction when that happened? How I wish I was here to see it first hand' Eric laughed. Calleigh couldn't help but laugh seeing Eric this amused and happy, even if it was at Frank's expense. It actually made her feel better. After what happened last night with Jake, she was feeling somewhat off about facing Eric this morning, almost as if she had cheated on him, which is stupid because they were not a couple, but for some reason, she was feeling guilty, maybe because her heart was telling her to choose Eric and not Jake and she had gone against her heart by sleeping with Jake...but she needed to prove something to herself and maybe she did.
They finally reached the main door of the now burnt house, and immediately started inspecting it.
'Hey...there's no glass out here' Eric pointed out.
'There's no broken glass on the ground. It must all be inside' Calleigh told him as she peaked in through the broken window 'Covered by debris which we can't get to' Calleigh said. Their eyes were literally scanning the area, trying to take in anything that they could figure out, anything at all.
'Someone broke into the house' Eric said as a matter of fact.
'Could be the point of entry' Calleigh continued.
'Well fire rescue said we can't get in until it's safe' Eric told told. Calleigh started taking some pictures of the broken glass as evidence when Eric leaned in and pulled a piece of broke glass which seemed to have a finger print on it 'Hopefully this print will tell us who it is' he told her.
oooOOOooo
The elevator opened and Calleigh walked out when Eric called her 'Hey'.
'Hey' Calleigh said with a smile as she turned to look at him.
'Anything on Ron Cramer?' he asked her as he walked beside her.
'He claimed he never went in the house' Calleigh told him, glancing his way.
'Now we can prove it. Fire rescue released the scene' Eric informed her with that look and a raised eyebrow.
'Great. I'll grab my kit. You wanna ride together?' she asked him and Eric couldn't help but smile at her request. There was just something about her that such a question made her heart flutter, especially after Natalia had pointed out how Calleigh seemed to be taking particular interest in him...if only she knew they had kissed! Then she would know how much of an interest Calleigh was taking in him.
Not long after, they were at the crime scene, taking photos and going through the debris checking if they could spot something on the floor that would catch their eye. Eric saw a photo in a frame of Claire and Brett smashed on the floor and took a picture. He picked it up and shook his head 'Life changes so fast' he thought out loud, but not loud enough that Calleigh could hear him, thinking of just how close it could have changed for him a few months ago, before he placed the photo back on the floor 'How's the Miniray comin?' he asked Calleigh
'It's picking up octane all over the room. There's no doubt about it. This was arson' Calleigh said.
'Yeah explains the pattern on the floor' Eric replied.
'The arsonist poured gasoline everywhere' Calleigh said 'It's gonna take a while to get through the debris' Calleigh said.
'Fire rescue's working on that. Got an arson investigator looking for the point of origin' he told her just as his eyes caught something on the floor 'Maybe we beat him to it' Eric told her as he crouched down, took some photos and picked the object up 'Fire did a number on this, but check it out' he told her so Calleigh got up and took the object in her hand.
'Is that a spark wheel?' she asked.
'It's a lighter. It's melted plastic around it. Could be our source of ignition' he told her.
'You know what...tell the investigator where you found it. I'll take this to the lab' she told him.
oooOOOooo
'Hey you called?' Calleigh asked Eric as she finally made it back to the crime scene.
'Yeah' Eric replied as he got up from the floor 'Our arson investigator discovered the point of origin is in this room' he informed her.
'The lighter didn't start the fire?' she asked surprised.
'No' Eric confirmed.
'Okay...what did? There's no evidence of low burn on the floor' she told him.
'No gasoline was poured here, which means it started from the vapours' Eric told her.
'It was poured somewhere else in the house and it just sat there' she said as she started putting on the gloves.
'Yeah, time went on, the vapours crept across the floor to the water heater' Eric said.
Calleigh walked past him and crouched down in front to where once was the water heater 'So the pilot light was our heat source' she said.
'Yeah, but if they wanted to kill Claire and her fiance, why would he pour gasoline everywhere else and then let the pilot light ignite the fire?' Eric asked her.
'Yeah you're right. They probably wouldn't chance it. They'd just pour and light' she said.
'Yeah. Our arsonist is an amateur, never anticipated this' Eric said.
'Maybe they were surprised. Got interrupted' Calleigh suggested.
'An amateur pouring gasoline probably splashed himself' Eric pointed out.
'Let's get clothes from all suspects' Calleigh said.
'Yeah. If he made this mistake, he probably made others. Let's sift through the rest of the debris' Eric said before they started making their way out of the room and back to the first room.
'This is where Ron Cramer broke the glass' Calleigh said as she crouched down and started moving things around hoping to find something, when a piece of glass punctured her glove, breaking her skin 'Ouch, damn it' she said.
Eric hurried to her and crouched before her taking her hand in his 'What happened?' he asked her as he put the light from his torch on her finger.
'It's a piece of glass' she told him.
'Hang on a second, let me see' Eric told her concerned.
'Ooh' Eric said softly.
'That'll teach me to leap before I look' she said softly as she leaned in closer to him, smiling at him and Eric knew what she was doing. She was flirting with him and he couldn't help but smile back at her before he gently pulled the piece of glass from her finger.
'Thanks Eric' she whispered softly, that smile still lingering on her face but the way she was looking into his eyes, was melting Eric from the inside and he couldn't help but stare at her, hold the eye contact and then the moment broke as Eric realized something.
'Look the glass is clean' he told her.
'Yeah. There's no smoke stain on it' she pointed out.
'No. You know what? Your accident might have just turned into our biggest lead' he told her smiling back at her.
oooOOOooo
It was later that day after the case was closed and they had made the arrests related, when Calleigh was making her way into the locker room and found Eric there in a jogging pants and just a white vest he likes to wear for training.
'Hey...you're going to the gym?' She asked him with a smile as she approached him looking all divine even after a full day at work, which she spent most of it in a house that had practically burned down.
'Yeah' he replied with that boyish grin of his as he turned to give her his full attention.
'You emm...you wanna come over at my place afterwards?' She asked him.
'Sure...shall I get some food with me?' He asked liking the sound of spending alone time with her after a day at work. It was still tiring, his body still in the process of adjusting to everything again, although it seems to be getting better day by day after the shooting.
'Tacos?' She asked smiling at him.
'Done' he replied 'I'll text you when I'm on the way but it will be another two hours or so...maybe a bit before' he told her.
'No problem...I'll have enough time to pamper myself' she replied with a wink making him lick his lips in the process and Calleigh just giggled 'See you later Delko' she replied and Eric couldn't the chuckle that escaped him as he watched her walk away.
oooOOOooo
Almost two hours later, Calleigh was eagerly expecting Eric to arrive. She hadn't planned any of this, but after the good day she had, she was in the mood for some company tonight. She had to admit that earlier when she asked him to ride together, it was because she was craving some time with him, and then he had taken care of her when she got a piece of glass in her finger and all she wanted to do was pull him and kiss him so she could thank him properly, so when she walked into the locker room and found him there, she just went with her gut and asked. She knew he wouldn't refuse to spend extra time with her.
There was one thing she wasn't sure of. Should she tell him about last night or not? It was weighing heavily on her conscience so maybe she could make it up to him without telling for now. They were not together so it wasn't cheating.
Walking out into the living room, she turned the music on, hoping to keep the good mood going and maybe who knows, a dance again later. The only difference would be that her kind of songs were ballads and not Latino music. She had a good playlist going, so she turned it on and lowered a bit the volume. She just needed it in the background, then walked into the kitchen and grabbed two glasses of wine, a bottle of wine and filled the glasses.
She was feeling fresh and just a light grey shorts and a light pink tank top with her hair up in a messy bun, Calleigh was getting in a mood. She couldn't help the smile that filled her face when she heard the doorbell ring, so she hurried to open up, with her own glass of wine in her hand.
'Hey' she said beaming at him just before taking a sip of wine.
'Drinking alone are we?' He teased.
'Well not for long...now I have company' she replied with a wink. Eric chuckled at that. He couldn't help take her in. His eyes went up and down her figure as he watched her paddle barefoot ahead of him, her ass swaying from one side to the other 'You're just going to stand there?' She asked him and Eric chuckled.
'Busted' he replied as he followed her into the dining area, and Calleigh rolled her eyes in that cute way she always does but smiled at him.
They sat down facing each other and pulled out the Tacos Eric got with him. He watched her taking a bite and then lick her lips and Eric had to remind himself not to stare at her. He really needed to calm himself down tonight. He could tell that she was in a very good mood, what caused it he didn't know but whatever it is, he was definitely on the receiving end so he was happy for it.
'Have you heard anything about Frank's car?' She asked him just to get the conversation started.
'No but it looks total loss' he replied 'I'm sure Frank already went to the insurance company' Eric replied already starting to laugh as he remembered the water heater in Frank's car 'You know I asked him if it came custom with the car?' He asked her outright laughing now.
Calleigh gasped and threw the ball of napkin at him 'You didn't?' She asked.
'I did. I swear he wanted to kill me' he laughed.
'I bet he did' she replied 'He just got the car out a week ago' she told him and Eric just laughed 'Change of subject' she told him 'I kind of feel sorry for Claire' Calleigh told him.
'Why?' He asked her having the last bite of his Tacos.
'She lost everything...her fiance is dead, she lost her freedom...her house is burned up...all because of her ex because he wouldn't leave her alone' she explained.
'Mm...some exes don't know how to stay away' Eric replied giving her that look that told her the conversation has changed again.
'Are we still talking about Claire?' She asked him.
'We are but it kind of relates' Eric replied.
'Yeah I guess...the only difference so far my ex haven't ruined my life' she replied with a chuckle.
'As if I'll ever let that happen' Eric replied immediately and Calleigh smiled.
'That's sweet' she replied 'Anyway...I don't want to think about that tonight' she told him as she started getting up and clearing the table. Eric grabbed what was left and followed her into the kitchen and when they were ready, they refilled their glasses with wine and made their way to the couch. The doors to the back porch were open and a nice breeze could be felt swaying into the room, while the music still played into the background.
'Well...I'll give you something to think about' he told her as he sat down on the couch with the glass of wine in his hand. Calleigh sat down next to him, one leg bent, the other one dangling on the floor.
'Oh yeah?' She asked him intrigued as she sipped her wine.
'Will you come with me next Sunday? Mum is organizing a Latino party' he informed her.
Calleigh's eyebrows shot up 'You want me to come to your family's party?' She asked him surprised.
'Why not?' He asked her 'It's not like you don't know my mum plus she has been bugging me to invite you as well. She asks about you very often. Apparently you made quite an impression on her' he told her with a wink.
'What are you talking about?' She asked him 'When did I...?' She started asking him but he interrupted her.
'After I was shot Cal. She told me that she found you next to my bed very often. She appreciated how much you took care of me and how much you were there for me' Eric told her as he took her hand in his and squeezed her fingers gently, before bringing her hand up to kiss her knuckles. What he didn't mention was that his mother had found her crying next to his bed, that she had told him how rattled she had been...he could still recall that conversation...
'That girl is definitely in love with you hijo' Carmen told him.
'What are you talking about mum?' Eric asked her, not expecting that word to come out of his mother's house. It had been a few days since he got shot so Eric was able to keep conversation and not drift to sleep after a few minutes of waking up again.
'That blonde girl that was here earlier' she replied 'She hasn't left your side. I heard her crying one time after you got shot...she was begging you to open your eyes, saying she couldn't imagine her life without you...that she needed you to wake up'
'Are you sure?' He asked her. The thought that Calleigh could love his like that did things to him. It was all he ever wanted. He had fallen for her the minute he saw her, and even though eventually they became really good friends, Eric never stopped entertaining the idea of the two of them like that. Sure, he pushed it at the back of his head for the sake of their friendship and work, and now his mother was not only telling him that Calleigh likes him but that she was sure that she loved him.
'Of course hijo...she didn't see me. She doesn't know I heard her' she told him.
'Eric' Calleigh said again and Eric looked at her.
'Mm sorry' he apologized sheepishly.
'Where did you go? You looked like you were a million miles away' she told him, smiling at him.
'I was just thinking about something' he told her.
'Care to share?' She asked sexily as she moved closer to him.
Eric smiled at her, reaching out to push a piece of baby hair that escaped her messy bun behind her ear 'Just how happy my mum would be if you join me' he told her with a smile.
She smiled at him and climbed on top of him...straddling him...looking sexily in his eyes...before she leaned in and very gently kissed his lips. Her lips were soft as she pressed her lips softly against his. He could feel her breasts press against his chest, her arm moving up his chest, around his neck and then her other arm rested on his shoulder, careful to not tilt the glass of wine and wet the couch and Eric in the process. He parted his lips then and Calleigh slid her tongue into his mouth and Eric couldn't help it as his hand started moving up her thigh and settle on her hip. He felt her tongue trace the outline of his lips so Eric parted his lips, inviting her in and Calleigh just let her tongue roll into his mouth as they kissed slowly and sweet. It was gentle and cute on so many levels as somehow they managed to control the temp until Eric broke the kiss.
'Cal...we need to get rid of the glasses' he told her and Calleigh smiled wickedly. She reached behind her, one arm still around his neck, as he supported the stretch by holding her from her back and placed her glass on the coffee table but as she turned, Eric thought she was going to take his but instead she started kissing him again and Eric smiled against her lips. He kissed her a while longer, not able to resist her, his free hand pulling her closer as he deepened the kiss without letting it get too heated, their tongues dancing together momentarily until he let go of her mouth 'You're such a tease' he told her as he looked in her eyes, that boyish grin on full display.
She smiled wickedly and then leaned even closer 'I know' she whispered before kissing him softly again. This was nice he thought. This whole thing of having Calleigh straddling him, in comfortable clothes, hair up in a messy bun as they just kiss. Nothing felt sweeter.
Calleigh caught the sound of the next track playing, so she gently stopped kissing him, her arms resting around his neck as she looked in his eyes 'You...wanna dance?' she asked him, and Eric smiled.
'You wanna dance?' he asked her thinking she was the cutest thing for asking, as if he was going to reject an opportunity to dance with her.
'I know it's not Latino music but this song is nice' she told him.
'Of course I'll dance with you Cal' he told her. They got off the couch and Eric placed the wine glass next to hers. She took his hand and led them out on the back porch, where the ocean and the stars were the audience. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and Eric wrapped his arms around her waist, letting his hands rest on the small of her back as they looked into each other's eyes. Celine Dion was singing in the background as they swayed softly, lost into each other's eyes, the lyrics hitting home...
I'm falling into you...
This dream could come true...
And it feels...so good...
Falling into you...
Their eyes were lost into each other...searching...the words hitting home...hitting her hard somewhere inside of her as she realized how true and perfect this song was for them. She watched him lean down, placing his lips against hers and Calleigh immediately parted her lips, inviting him in and Eric slid his tongue in her mouth and kissed her softly, passionately as their tongues danced together. The sound of the waves crushing against the shore mixed with the light breeze and the voice of Celine Dion, created the perfect atmosphere and as she kissed him, it started hitting her, how hard she was falling for him, how hard she was falling for her best friend. He felt her hand cup the back of his head, his fingers grazing his hair as a soft moan escaped her mouth and Eric deepened slightly the kiss before they pulled apart again so they could look in each other's eyes.
So close your eye...and let me kiss you...
And while you sleep...I will miss you...
There were never truer words spoken as all Calleigh wanted to do was invite him inside, or better yet get down on the wooden porch and have him make love to her, outside here, where only the stars could see them, with music playing in the background...but having Eric make love to her was something that she still needed to be clear about. It wasn't because she didn't want it, because damn it she wanted it so badly but that was a line that once crossed, things would change drastically, and she needed to be sure of it, because she knew that it was a big deal for both of them, and Calleigh didn't want to hurt Eric or herself for that matter.
The track finished and Eric and Calleigh were still staring into each other and occasionally kiss softly. She watched Eric's face lift into the softest smile as his hand cupped one cheek, his thumb caressing the skin there 'I don't think I will ever listen to that song and not think about this night' he told her and she smiled.
'Me neither' she replied 'Sounds so...true and perfect' she told him.
'Mmhhmm' he replied before he leaned down and kissed her lips again and then she smiled.
'Okay...I'll come with you on Sunday' she told him and he smiled and kissed her again.
'Really? Thank you Cal' he told her.
'You're welcome' she replied 'Hold that thought' she told him before she turned and hurried inside and then came out holding the two glasses of wine in her hand and her phone 'I just want to take a photo...so I'll remember this night forever' she told him blushing a bit and Eric smiled. She was just the cutest when she blushed and this side of her...this side that he was getting to see was just something that melted his heart and made him fall for her even more.
She took his hand and led them towards the wooden railing, their backs against the ocean, she let her back rest against his chest and Eric wrapped his arm around her waist and let his chin rest on her shoulder, her wine glass in one hand as with the other she reached the phone out and took a picture and then another as Eric kissed her cheek and she giggled at that feeling, the slight stubble tickling her skin.
'Thank you for tonight Cal...this was just...perfect' he told her.
'It was amazing' she told him as they turned to watch the waves in silence, just embracing the beautiful sight ahead of them and each other.