"Sorry," Patrick Haynes apologized as he and his wife came down the stairs, clad in silk bathrobes. "Hope we didn't embarrass you."

Catherine's lips slowly edged into a smile. "It's a little late for that," she murmured, and turned to glance at Gil, their near-miss tryst floating through her mind. It had been only minutes since she'd come downstairs to meet Brass for more questioning, Gil having already abandoned their 'moment' upstairs when his cell phone rang. She could still feel his lips, bruising hers as they kissed aggressively. She could still feel his hands, sliding over her body in feverish caresses. She could feel his body... his arousal... pressing into her, making her ache for him.

Jim Brass furrowed his brow, glancing between the two senior CSIs. Catherine wore an almost smug smile, while Gil just turned several shades of crimson and averted his eyes. Something was going on that nobody was telling him... something was happening with the two of them... but he'd given up trying to figure them out years ago. He simply raised his eyebrows, shrugged, and gestured for the Haynes couple to sit down for questioning. Whatever the two criminalists were hiding would have to wait, for now...

*****

"Where's Brass taking the Haynes'?" Catherine asked as she and Gil made their way back up to Portia Richmond's bedroom, field kits in hand.

"Well, after they have a moment to get dressed," Gil replied, "He's taking them around the perimeter of the house. He wants to question them a little more about the party while doing a subtle sweep of the grounds."

She nodded in response. "More evidence?"

He shrugged. "Y'never know."

She sighed, wanting to pull him into her arms... wanting to knock him to the floor, straddle his hips, and just have at him... but instead, she brushed past him and glanced around the bedroom. "The hostess' bedroom," she murmured, shaking her head. "Too kinky."

Gil glimpsed quick at her expression before shyly averting his eyes, mumbling a pathetic, "Yeah." His cheeks flushed with warmth for what felt like the millionth time since their 'moment' in the hallway, and he fought to remain in control of his emotions. Every touch, every kiss, still lay in the forefront of his thoughts. Upon catching sight of the red satin sheets on the king-sized bed, his mind conjured up images of what he'd like to be doing with Catherine in that bed at that very moment.

Willing his arousal to wane, he cleared his throat and quickly decided it would be best if he stayed on the opposite side of the room. Away from Catherine, away from the satin sheets calling their names... away from overwhelming temptation. "I'll, uh... take this side of the room," he stammered, pointing to the sofa and the fireplace. He then gestured toward the bed and the closet. "Why don't you take that side."

She regarded him momentarily, her eyes seemingly delving into the core of his very being, before she replied with a smile and a simple, "Okay."

Gil sighed and turned toward the wall, crouching down to check the carpet for any kind of evidence. He could still feel Catherine's eyes on him, moving over him, but he suppressed the urge to meet those lovely eyes with his own. He couldn't do it. One more glance, and he'd toss her onto that bed and have his way with her... an action that could very well compromise both their careers.

He knew she was aware of what he was thinking... aware of the obvious tension between them. She always knew... especially when it came to him. She could read him like no one else could, and though he tried desperately not to reveal much about himself to her, she knew anyways. It was almost strange how well she knew him... just by looking at him.

When he finally sensed her eyes moving away from him and beginning their search for evidence, he let out a breath in relief... barely audible. He was in for a long day... of that much, he was sure.

*****

Several hopeless minutes later, Catherine sighed, dropping the silk scarves she'd been examining. "Well," she huffed, "I got nothin.'" She glanced toward the other end of the room, to where Gil was bent over the sofa. "How 'bout you?" She couldn't help but giggle softly at the sight of him, her head cocking just slightly as she admired the view.

"I haven't found anything, either," he replied, slowly turning over his shoulder to meet her eyes... finding they were focused somewhere else. "What are you staring at?"

Her eyes snapped to his, her cheeks subsequently flushing a bright shade of pink. "Nothing," she squeaked out, attempting to choke back another giggle.

He slowly straightened up, cocking his head as a half smirk adorned his lips. "That giggle suggests something different."

"I'm sorry," she apologized, "I was just... just..."

He raised his eyebrows, staring at her expectantly. "Just...?"

"Admiring the view," she finally blurted out.

"Ahh..." He nodded. "And..." He met her eyes. "Did you like what you saw?"

She arched an eyebrow, his playful tone not escaping her. She decided to play along and began sauntering toward him, swaying her hips suggestively. "Oh, yes..." she breathed. "In fact, I'd love to see more." She was now toe-to-toe with him, staring up at him through her lashes.

His hands instinctively slid to her hips, squeezing softly. "Is that so?" he whispered, his breath a puff of air against her awaiting lips.

She hummed, "Mm-hmm..."

That simple sound was enough to destroy his last thread of self control, and his lips came crashing down on hers. She gasped against his lips and snaked her arms around his neck, drawing him in tight to her body as their tongues danced frantically. Every single suppressed emotion from earlier suddenly came bubbling to the surface, and they quickly picked up where they had left off.

With one quick jump, her legs secured themselves around his waist while his hands cupped her butt, squeezing her softly while he held her up. She moaned against his lips and began to attack him more fiercely, taking his bottom lip between her teeth. "Gil..." she growled. "I need you."

He groaned against her lips and began to walk across the room with her in his arms. "Well, then..." he breathed. "Shall we do the room too?"

"God, yes..." she moaned, and cried out as he dropped her on the bed.

She sighed as she fell against the satin sheets, sinking into them, Gil's body blanketing hers a moment later. Just as before, his hands slid over her body with a frantic, yet gentle touch, cherishing her while still trying to feel as much of her as he could. She just moaned and sighed beneath the attention, loving the feel of his body pressing her into the bed.

Their hands moved quickly to undress the other, their desires foremost on their minds. Their location, and the fact that what they were doing was potentially career-destroying, mattered not at that moment. For now, their world had stopped turning.

When she felt his hands working the button and zipper of her dress slacks, she gasped, her stomach twitching as his fingers skipped over her bare skin. He looked up to meet her eyes, a tender, yet lustful smile crossing his boyish features as he dragged the pants past her ankles, tossing them over his shoulder.

He trailed kisses up her legs, his fingers following and tickling, creating imaginary patterns on them as he worked his way to her center. When he kissed her through the thin black lace of her panties, she cried out, her hands frantically pushing at the annoying fabric.

He chuckled at her obvious frustration, and shook his head as he assisted her in removing them, his mouth finding the spot that was demanding the most attention. She cried out once more at the sensation and lifted her hips from the bed, moving against his mouth. He moaned against her, sending a wonderful vibration through her system, and she groaned loudly in response, his name escaping her lips in a sigh.

His skilled tongue brought her to the brink several times, and just as she was about to crash over the edge, he'd slow his ministrations, an exquisitely sweet form of torture. "Gil..." she finally choked out when she'd had enough. "Please..."

"Hmm?" He dipped his tongue in and out of her belly button repeatedly while he rid himself of his pants and boxers.

"Please make love to me... I need you so bad."

Sliding up her body, he positioned himself over her while he stared into her eyes. "Anything for you," he murmured, and kissed her deeply as he entered her.

She whimpered, both at the kiss and the sensation of their bodies joining together, the sound lost inside his mouth. They moved together, fifteen-years-worth of repressed desire fueling their frantic pace. Catherine raised her hips off the satin sheets, her chest flattening against his as she allowed for him to plunge deeper within her.

He grunted softly at this, his arousal quickly nearing the peak. The sensations of loving her, mingled with the heightened excitement due to their 'taboo' circumstances brought him quickly to the edge, and he called out her name as he exploded, spilling inside her.

Her orgasm followed shortly after, as she tensed in his arms, her entire body practically convulsion as she panted his name. They both rode the wave of pleasure til it ended, their bodies sinking to the sheets in unison. Gil held her tightly, relishing the sound of her labored breath, and the feel of her chest rising and falling beneath him.

After a long moment of silence, in which they were both waiting for their blood pressure to return to normal, he pulled back and stared into her eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but the voice of Jim Brass from downstairs invaded the moment.

"Gil? Cath? You still up there?"

A look of panic shot into both sets of eyes, and in a flurry of movement they dressed and straightened the rumpled bedsheets, heading back downstairs. Whatever was about to be said would have to wait.... again.

THE END