Chapter 5:

Two days had passed since she had last seen Jake and he had yet to text her or call her...anything. There was complete silence which was quite odd coming from him, and Calleigh wasn't sure if this was better or not. Truth be told, she didn't think much of it nor did she think much about him either. Her mind was occupied with work and Eric lately. She often found herself staring at the photos they had taken on her back porch, smiling as she recalled that moment...that night really, from sharing tacos to chatting on the couch, the way she had confidently straddled him and kissed him, to them dancing and that moment on the porch...and then when it was time for him to leave.

'Well...I guess I better go...it's getting kind of late' he told her.

'Yeah' she sighed. She had been enjoying herself, and really didn't want this night to come to an end, 'I wish there was more time' she said blushing a bit. This thing that she was saying things so openly and doing things around Eric was strange to her. A part of her liked it and she was sure Eric adored that little fact as well, but another part of her felt strange. She still couldn't understand how she so willingly had straddled him and kissed him like that earlier, but damn she did, and it was the sexiest thing ever.

'Me too' Eric replied as he let his knuckles slide down her cheek, looking in her eyes 'But hey, we have next Sunday together and we can always do this again' he told her.

'That's true' she replied.

They were standing behind the door now, his hand on the knob 'Thank you for such a wonderful night Cal' he told her, before he leaned down and kissed her cheek. She closed her eyes at the feeling of his lips on her skin. It was sweet, and Calleigh loved that he didn't just kiss her on her lips like they were together, and even though it was a kiss on the cheek, it still felt somehow intimate and not just a friendly kiss. He still gave her the space and the free reigns and she liked that about him. She appreciated it, so when he pulled away and opened the door to leave, Calleigh called out his name.

'Hey Eric' she said and he turned to look at her and Calleigh took the opportunity to wrap her arms around his neck and lock her lips with his. She felt him smile against her lips as she pressed her lips and tongue against his lips, begging him to part his lips and the minute he did, she let her tongue roll passionately into his mouth, making sure to give him a kiss to remember. There wasn't a corner in his mouth that she didn't venture and Calleigh knew that it was taking everything he had in him to not pick her up and have his wicked way with her, and God knows how much she wanted it...but he didn't do it. She knew he wouldn't not until she gives him the go ahead...and then she was ending the kiss leaving him breathless.

'Wow' he said, one arm on the small of her back, the other one cupping her cheek, looking in her eyes, and Calleigh smiled adoringly at him before she pecked his lips one more time.

'I'll see you tomorrow?' she asked him.

'Yep' he replied and with that he kissed her lips one more time and went on his way.

She tried to push her thoughts away and focus on the evidence in front of her. It had been laying there for the past fifteen minutes at the very least, and it was getting kind of disturbing because usually Calleigh wasn't one to let personal matters affect her work, but damn, Eric Delko had been occupying her mind most of the time lately. It had started when he was shot and that was understandable but somehow she still managed to get the job done, but since he kissed her that night not so long ago, she couldn't seem to get him off her mind. She knew it would probably knock her off her feet being kissed by him, had often imagined what it would be like to be kissed by him, but damn he had knocked her off her feet and swept her away in so many ways.

She liked how she was with him when it was just the two of them. Liked the confident woman, that knew she held the heart of that man. It wasn't just the fact that Eric attracted a lot of women, because even Jake for that matter was always a ladies man, but in her eyes, Eric was different...special. He was her best friend, and Calleigh always trusted him more than anyone else she knew. She knew that he would always be respectful while showing her what he wanted, while still being affectionate.

She smiled at the thought but figured it is best she does some work and get this evidence done with. She still needed to test it and write the report and so on, so with that in mind she started getting ready to start testing it.

It took her longer than she thought to get it ready. The striations varied which indicated that the gun was not what they had been looking for. She checked some details of the case and her eyes caught a name...a name that she was all too familiar with, which also meant that the two days of not hearing from him were about to come to an end and Calleigh wasn't sure she wanted them to. Sometimes, it was just quiet and peaceful not having Jake around. He seemed to cause too much noise in her life, and after she had been spending so much time with Eric, Calleigh was starting to realize that maybe her heart was right, and the past should stay in the past.

'Penny for your thought' she heard a familiar voice say from behind her.

She turned around and found Jake leaning against the door with his hands in his pockets...his hair always looking a bit tousled, unshaved and looking handsome as always. She smiled at him, trying to stay in a good mood and not let him get under her skin 'Hi Jake' she greeted 'Just finished testing the gun for the Nunez case' she informed him.

'Is it a match?' he asked her as he pushed away from the door and started making his way towards her while she concluded the report.

'No it's not' she replied, putting the final dot on the paper, then turned to give it to him.

'Mm not good' he said as he took the report in his hand 'Guess we need to keep on looking' he told her and she nodded 'So...you wanna tell me why you sneaked out in the middle of the night?' he asked her. Of course he was going to ask!

She looked around to make sure no one was around, because the last thing that she wanted was for Eric to find out about this. It wasn't that she was trying to hide things from him, but she just didn't want to hurt him. She wasn't sure how he would take the news, and things were so good between them, that she really didn't want to ruin it.

'I had the early call in the morning' she replied.

Jake laughed at that and stepped a bit closer to her 'Cut the crap Cal' he told her 'Why don't you just tell me the real reason? Is it because of Delko?' he asked her.

'This has nothing to do with Eric, Jake. Why do you always have to bring him up?' she asked exasperated. So much for not ruining the good mood she had!

'Because he is in the middle of this' Jake told her as he signaled between them.

'And how do you know that you're not the one in the middle Jake? Have you thought about that?' she asked him, because the reality was staring to feel like Jake was the one in the middle, because if he wasn't around, things would be so much better.

And Jake laughed again 'Because you and I have a history together...because you slept with me and not with him' Jake replied confidently as he took another step closer to her.

'Maybe I was just trying to prove something' she told him, which she was. She was not lying but to Jake it didn't matter. What mattered was that they had sex, that he had won that battle and fucked her like he wanted to.

'What were you trying to prove exactly?' he asked her, stopping in front of her.

'Whether you're still a jerk or not' she spat out exasperated already 'Look...I woke up in the middle of the night and I couldn't go back to sleep okay. I had the morning call, so I just picked up my stuff and left. End of story' she told him.

'You could have texted or called the next morning' he told her, still not buying what she just said.

'Whatever' he replied and turned to leave but not before he eyed her up and down.

She sighed heavily as he left and sat down on the empty chair, letting her head fall down in the palms of her hands. She was so tired from all of this, and she knew it was her own fault for not deciding who she wanted to be with. She just couldn't figure out why this was so difficult! Jake was a jerk that always got under her skin and knew that at some point he was going to hurt her, and Eric was the one who was melting her heart and knew that he would always be there for her, so why was this not simple like it should be? The thing was that if she chose to be with Eric, which was she was starting to do, she wasn't sure Jake was going to leave them alone, just like that. She didn't feel like it will be the end of that chapter and that's it, she could move on...not until he is sent to some other undercover job where she doesn't have to see his face and just hope he doesn't get killed.

'Hey...are you okay?' she heard that gorgeous voice say she would know anywhere coming from behind her.

She turned around and smiled at him, feeling all the miserable effects Jake left behind melt away 'Now I am' she replied 'Where have you been all day?' she asked him, realizing she hadn't seen him almost all day.

'Court' he simply replied 'It took longer than anticipated' he told her.

'Mm always does' she told him.

'So...you wanna tell me what got you upset?' Eric asked her.

Calleigh pursed her lips together and furrowed her eyebrows 'Jake...who else?' she asked.

'Wanna talk about it?' he asked her.

'No actually I don't Eric, because I don't want to waste my time talking about him, especially with you. You don't need to hear it' she told him.

'You know that you can always tell me anything right?' he asked her 'Even if it is about Jake' he told her.

'I know Eric, thanks' she replied smiling.

'Okay...I'll let you get back to work' he told her as he turned to leave when she called him. It had been just a split second thought, but she really felt like it.

'Hey Eric' she called out and he turned to look at her 'You wanna hang out later?' she asked him with a shrug and hopeful look on her face.

'I always want to hang out with you Cal' he told her smiling at her. It was like a sense of relief washed over her at that. She knew that. She really didn't need to sweat it, or feel nervous or anything of that. Eric seemed to have caught on her nervousness so he approached her, smiled softly at her as he looked right in her eyes, and then reached out and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, letting his thumb brush against her cheek. She smiled at him but didn't say anything.

'So what do you want to do?' he asked her 'Anything in mind?' he asked.

'Actually yes' she replied and started giggling 'This is really silly...but I feel like going to the playground' she told him.

His brows furrowed up at that but chuckled 'The playground? You wanna go to the swings?' he asked her surprised.

'Yeah I do actually. I don't know I feel like spending time on the swings, eating delicious chicken pieces all greasy and crunchy good, and then maybe a walk on the beach?' she asked him.

'Sounds like you have it all planned out' he told her amused and Calleigh nodded 'Well sounds good to me' he told her.

'Great. I still have at least this rifle I need to analyze and then I can call it a day' she told him.

'Great. Even I need to finalize some documents. I'll call you when I'm ready. If you finish first let me know and we can plan at what time we're meeting' he told her and Calleigh nodded, so with that Eric exited firearms so that they could both get ready and call it a day.

oooOOOooo

Eric was on his way to pick up Calleigh and as he drove all the way to Bal Harbour, he couldn't help but smile as he thought of her. It felt so good to finally be spending time with her like this outside of work. What was even more great, was the fact that she was coming around, he could feel it. He could still see her in front of him, feel her sitting on top of him, straddling him, see her gorgeous eyes looking down into his eyes before she leaned in to kiss him. The way she had been playful and sassy, confident and the way she had kissed him, Eric could tell that her feelings for him were growing.

She was starting to ease into them being more than just friends. Their was no awkwardness about it all. The only hurdle was obviously Jake, and Eric only wished he could just make him disappear. He wasn't sure if that would solve the problem though, because it was like pushing the problem to the side until it resurfaced again, so to some extent, Eric preferred that Calleigh deals with it now, even if in the end it means that he will loose. He wasn't sure how he would be able to go back to being just friends with her now after kissing her, and feeling her body pressed against his. Just closing his eyes, he could feel her in his arms, her lips pressed against his and her tongue inside his mouth, or his in hers...but at the same time, Eric knew that she needed to make a decision. He just hoped she would choose him because now that he tasted her, he wanted to taste all of her not just her mouth, but Eric was going to be patient when needed to be, and be upfront other times...just like he planned to do tonight. He just couldn't wait to have her in his arms and kiss her. He knew she liked the fact that he was upfront about his feelings sometimes because it makes her feel all warm and fuzzy inside whether she liked to admit it or not. He had a tendency before of being quiet about what he wanted when it comes to her but not anymore, not when he knew that he could loose her if he doesn't act, and he was not about to sit this down and let Jake win without a fight. Eric knew that Calleigh was the only one for him. He always knew that but before they were both young and not ready for this, but even if he had dated a lot of women, deep down, he always knew he was just playing around and nothing was serious. Calleigh had always been the one woman he wanted to get serious with, since the first time they met in that garage.

Knocking on her door now, he could feel himself getting slightly anxious because funnily enough outside of work, when they are out on a date, the butterflies in the pit of his stomach decide to remind him that they are still there. The door opened and her face lit up as she saw him.

'Hey come in' she told him as she turned to walk inside but Eric grabbed her hand turning her around and crushed his lips hard against hers. It took her a moment to realize that Eric had just pulled her into a kiss, but the moment she did, he felt her melt in his arms, her own arms moving up around his neck as she deepened the kiss, their tongue twisting and turning together when Calleigh moaned in his mouth and Eric thought it would be better to calm the kiss down before the need to have her overtakes him. He wasn't sure if she was ready for that and Eric didn't want to push her too much. He knew that she could feel how much he wanted to be with her in every sense of the word, but Eric wasn't a jerk, so he was going to wait until she is ready.

'Nice to see you too' she giggled as they broke the kiss, her arms still wrapped around his neck, his arms settling on the lower area of her back.

Eric chuckled at that 'Sorry couldn't wait...I needed to kiss you' he admitted.

'Kiss away CSI Delko...no one is protesting' she told him and Eric chuckled at that playfulness, leaned down and kissed her softly again for a while longer before he pulled away slightly and pecked her lips with a smile on his face.

'We better stop kissing if we want to go out' he told her and she smiled.

'I know and I really want to go on the swings' she told him and Eric chuckled again before he pulled her in and kissed her on the forehead.

'Who would have thought eh...miss firearms likes to play with guns and swings' he told her with that cute boyish grin of his and Calleigh slapped his torso and Eric laughed.

'Come on let's go' she told him.

Not long after they were at the playground and Calleigh was on the swing and Eric was pushing her. She knew how to swing herself but Eric volunteered to push her for a while before he joins her on the empty swing next to her. It was funny, sweet and at the same time kind of intimate, because he knew she wouldn't ask anyone else to do something like this with her, and she chose him, so for Eric that classified as intimate. He was watching her go up and then come back to him, and again and again. He walked to the front then, letting her swing by herself for a moment, took his phone out and took a photo.

'If you show that photo to anyone, I'll kill you' she told him with that gorgeous smile of hers.

Eric laughed, knowing she was going to say something in those lines 'I wouldn't dream of it' he replied 'This is for me...it's too precious' he told her and Calleigh smiled. She always thought that cheesy words made her want to puke and maybe that was why it never bothered her that Jake wasn't one for compliments and cheesy words but every time Eric seems to say something like that, it actually warms her heart. Maybe it depended who said the words and how not the words exactly that made her want to puke. There was just something about Eric telling her stuff like that, that warms her heart and makes her fall for him even more, if that was even possible at this point.

'Well make sure to send it to me' she told him 'Now come swing with me, it's more fun' she told him, so Eric obliged her and went to sit on the vacant swing next to her and started swinging himself. They laughed at first feeling silly but the truth was, that it was actually nice to do this together. It was childish yes but somehow relaxing, and Eric could tell that Calleigh was really enjoying this. That she needed this. He could feel how relax and comfortable she was, could see it in her eyes, in her smile.

'This is so relaxing' she said at one point. They had been swinging for a while without saying a word, just enjoying the moment, letting their eyes take in everything around them. The playground was not too populated and even though there were mostly kids, because that is what playgrounds were for, Calleigh found that even the laughter and the light screaming of joy from the kids were warming her heart.

'Thank you for doing this' she told him 'I wouldn't dream of asking anyone else to come here with me...it's so nice and relaxing...I needed this' she told him.

'You're welcome' he replied smiling 'I'm glad I'm your go to in this' he told her with a smile 'You wanna take another picture with both of us on the swing?' he asked her.

'Sure' she replied 'These are amazing memories to have photographed' she told him.

'They sure are' he replied. He pulled his phone out and tried to position his hand in a way that they could both fit in the picture...they did...but the swings weren't too visible, so when a young lady approached and offered to take a photo for them, Eric gladly handed her the phone and they both posed for the shot. Thanking the young lady, they checked the photo out and both agreed that it was a great shot 'Do you want to go on that round swing, the one that looks like a web? We can stay together on it' he told her and Calleigh nodded, so they got up and hurried to it before someone else takes it. They laid down on it, their heads next to each other, their bodies half on the swing and half on the floor as they helped swing themselves with their feet. It wasn't the most comfortable position but they were enjoying the position anyway, so Eric took another photo and Calleigh smiled. It was almost too sweet how he wanted to snap a picture of all the beautiful moments they were having together...no one else ever bothered and she didn't used to bother that much either, but with Eric everything seemed to be different. A thought ran through her mind then but she hoped it was not that. She hoped he wasn't taking pictures wanting to stay in that moment because he was afraid of not having the chance to recreate these moments again. Sure she hasn't exactly made a decision yet, but she was finding herself asking him to hang out and spending time with him, no one else mattered...and most importantly she didn't feel guilty like she did when she spent her time with Jake. Her stomach grumbled then and their eyes locked on each other and they both laughed out loud.

'Someone's hungry' Eric commented.

'Actually I am but I am really enjoying myself here with you at the same time, I don't want to move from this spot' she replied.

'We can stay as much as you like Cal' Eric told her but then her stomach grumbled again and they burst out laughing again, harder this time as she covered her face with both hands, feeling embarrassed 'I think your stomach does not agree with me' he told her with a huge grin on his face 'Come on...let's go get something to eat, then if you want we can always come back' he told her.

'Okay' she replied. He could tell that she was slightly embarrassed, her cheeks a little flushed and Eric couldn't help being amused. They started walking side by side, leaving the playground and on their way to get some delicious chicken pieces, when he felt her slide her hand into his and tangle her fingers with his. He looked at her not expecting it and smiled at her, the chocolate orbs melting into her green ones. It was like their eyes were speaking words that couldn't come out of their mouths. They smiled as they stopped walking not even realizing it, and Eric leaned down slowly, like he was asking permission to kiss her in public and when her eyes fluttered at having his lips so close to hers and then licked them, Eric closed the small distance and kissed her lips gently, his free hand pulling her into him...then her stomach grumbled again, and they broke the kiss laughing 'This is so embarrassing' she said as she let her face rest against his chest.

Eric laughed, cupped the back of her head and kissed the top of her head 'Nothing to be embarrassed about. Let's go feed that stomach of yours' he told her.

Fifteen minutes later, Calleigh was munching on some delicious, very oily and crunchy chicken pieces just like she had desired. Eric had decided to just get a bucket of pieces and they could share. He had to admit that this was fun and unexpected, because Calleigh usually would opt for something healthy except for the occasional pizza night, but maybe, she just needed some comfort eating today, and Eric was not about to complain. They sat there for quite a while just enjoying the delicious food and sipping their sodas, talk about anything and everything and just enjoyed each others company, and when they were ready, they made their way out and down to the beach.

They were walking on the sand, close to the water, as they held each other's hands and held their shoes in the other one. The water would splash against their feet at times, and they would laugh, and sometimes, they would stop and just look at the waves crashing into them. By now, it was dark and quite late, but it had been such a relaxing and fun evening that neither of them felt like going home their separate ways.

'Do you want to sit down on the sand for a while?' Eric asked her.

'Yeah, sounds like a good idea' she replied.

So they moved just a bit further up where the waves could not reach them but they were still close enough, and Eric sat down and Calleigh sat down between his legs. He smiled at that and kissed the side of her face as he wrapped his arms around her. Calleigh sighed and closed her eyes as she leaned into him.

'Are you okay?' he asked her.

'I am' she replied 'This is so nice...so peaceful' she told him 'Here with you...by the beach under the stars...what more could I ask for?' she asked.

'Nothing' he replied 'I'm always happy here...I have my favourite things here...the ocean and you' he told her before kissing her shoulder and Calleigh smiled.

'So tell me something' she started 'Do you say things like that to every girl?' she asked him teasingly and Eric chuckled.

'Actually no' he replied 'Only to you Cal' he told her honestly and Calleigh turned slightly in his arms so she could look at him.

'Are you serious or are you just trying to flatter me?' she asked him narrowing her eyes at him.

'I'm serious Cal...I never needed to say things like that to anyone because no one ever compared to you Cal...it's always been you' he told her as he lifted his hand and let his knuckles slide down the side other face.

Calleigh's lips parted in awe at his words, as a smile filled her face. He could see her emeralds shining, looking as gorgeous as she always does, but here under the stars and the moonlight with the waves crushing to shore close to them, she took his breath away and Eric could tell that she was being very affected by what he was telling her. He watched her eyes move...looking at his lips and then she was looking up in his eyes again as he watched her swallow hard.

'Eric...I...' she started but he cupped her cheek, watched her eyes close as she felt his fingers touch her skin on her face and neck, and when his lips kissed her eye and then the other one, she gasped softly and when his lips met hers, she moaned against his lips. Immediately tongues met and Calleigh deepened the kiss, wanting to make him feel everything and whatever she was feeling right now, because he was making her feel all kind of wonderful things. She shifted towards him so she could kiss him properly, and then felt Eric push at her and she was falling on her back and Eric's body was half on her and half on the sand. Their eyes met, his brown eyes growing darker as his thumb kept caressing her cheek, her green eyes twinkling even brighter if that was even possible. Her hand went up to cup his cheek, looked down at his lips and raising her head, she locked her lips with his. It started slow and beautiful but as the kiss progressed and they deepened the kiss, her hand started moving up and down his back, the kiss started becoming more heated as their tongues battled each other and her moans were starting to make him lose some of that control that he had been trying to hold on to. He let go of her mouth and his lips started moving along her jaw, biting playfully, and when she turned her head giving him access to her neck and then felt him kiss that sweet spot near her ear, Calleigh moaned and his hand started moving down her side as she arched her back feeding her body into his.

'Eric' she whispered feeling all kind of sensations ready to explode inside of her at his touch and the way his tongue and mouth were kissing her.

At the sound of his name, he moved from her neck and captured her lips again, before slowly he ended the kiss and rested his forehead against hers 'I think we better stop' he whispered, his voice obviously full of raw emotion.

'Yeah' she replied, because even if she wanted him to continue, here on the beach was not exactly the place for two officers of the law to make love. She kissed his lips one more time and Eric started to move off her into a sitting position, and Calleigh just crawled between his legs and let her back rest against his chest. His arms immediately moved to envelope her as his lips kissed the back of her head.

'Up for one last photo?' he asked her. He loved this position and wanted to keep a memory of it...not that he was ever going to forget this moment, but if they took a photo he could look at it whenever he wanted.

'Sure' she replied, so Eric pulled out his phone and stretched his hand in front as they posed and smiled for the camera.

'Take another one' she told him just as she turned and locked her lips with his, and Eric snapped another shot. He smiled at her and kissed her lips one more time 'Make sure you send me all the photos' she told him.

'Let me do it right now' he told her, so he selected all the photos they took and sent them to her 'Shall we go?' he asked her and Calleigh nodded.

Not long after they were at her door. She offered him to come in but it was getting late and Eric didn't trust himself to keep things under control any longer not after the way things had started evolving earlier. It was starting to get hard to just kiss her and not touch her or take things further, like he really wanted to do. He had a feeling though that if what happened at the beach, happened at her house or his for that matter, then probably things would have progressed.

'You sure you don't want to come in?' she asked him again and Eric smiled.

'I better not Cal, not after how things were starting to progress earlier. I need you to be sure that you want that before it happens' he explained and Calleigh smiled.

'You're always so considerate' Calleigh told him smiling at him 'So I see you Sunday?' she asked him.

'Yep...can't wait' he replied.

'Thanks for tonight Eric...it was wonderful' she told him and before he could say anything, she wrapped her arms around his neck and locked her lips with his. His arms wrapped around her waist immediately, pulling her closer to him, and then one hand went up to cup her head and he deepened the kiss, as their tongues battled each other hungrily. The slow sweet kiss seemed to no longer be enough now that they have kissed a few times. Their bodies, hearts and souls were begging them to take things further, but that was up to Calleigh when it happens. He showed her tonight that he wants her in that way, not that she had any doubt, but if she had the slightest of doubt, now she doesn't anymore. Ending the kiss, they smiled at each other and Eric kissed her forehead, making her close her eyes momentarily, cherishing the feel of his lips against her skin, and the way this kiss always seemed to make her feel special.

'Goodnight Eric...sweet dreams' she told him giving him a meaningful look.

He grinned back at her 'Goodnight Cal...sweet dreams beautiful' he told her, letting his thumb caress her cheek, just before he kissed her lips one more time and then went on his way.

She watched him leave and then headed into her bedroom, and she started disposing of her clothes, her train of thoughts took her to earlier at the beach, the way he had pushed her on her back and the way he had kissed her eyes and then her lips, the way his tongue danced with hers in her mouth, the way his lips started kissing her jaw and then that spot near her ear, driving her crazy. She couldn't help the moan that escaped her mouth. Now in just her white underwear, Calleigh fell on her back with a deep sigh, stretching her arms above her head. She was in her bed alone, when she could have had Eric be here, right now making love to her. Wait...does she want that? Is that what she wants? Is she sure? Would it be just sex like it felt like it was with Jake or would it blow her mind and truly call it lovemaking? Well she wouldn't know today...but maybe Sunday she will.