Look what the wave dragged in...

Chapter five: Halfway home…

It was brilliant in its own way. Creepy, but brilliant, using a tidal wave to steal gold bars. It was a fascinating crime, giving the case the kinds of twists that usually made her obsess with solving it, with finding out how.

But today, Frank had changed all that. He was her definition of distraction. Calleigh was supposed to start helping Speedle in Trace, but no. Because of Frank, she’d sat huddled on a stool trying really hard not to think. And now that Speedle’s work needed someone to go to the bank, all she could think about was seeing Frank again. Could she see him without losing all her control? Could she work with him without climbing him or running away?

What if Frank wouldn’t look at her or touch her? What if it was already too late?

//Calleigh, get yourself under control, girl, and get your ass into that bank.// A shuddering sigh crossed her lips as she squared her shoulders. //That’s a brave girl.//

Now, to walk inside.

The door wasn’t going to open itself. So Calleigh would have to. //Go inside, you coward.// Cold fingers wrapped around the hand and pulled. Defense smile in place, Calleigh walked into Golden Beach Bank and Trust more afraid than she’d ever been. And yet she wanted nothing more than for Frank to look at her like he had in that stairwell and reach for her. She wanted nothing more than his arms around her, making her feel safe.

“Hey, Calleigh,” Eric’s gloved hand stopped an inch form her wrist. “Usually you walk around a corner, not through it.” An arm at her back turned her into the hallway proper. “Little distracted, huh?”

Calleigh smiled and leaned into his arm. Distraction time. “Speed sends a kiss,”

“Not through you, he doesn’t, but go ahead.” His smiling face tilted to present her a scruffy cheek. “Plant one there,” He paused, a joke on his lips. “’Less you think Frank’ll get jealous.”

The tile floor clacked as both her heels hit the ground sharply. “He… Frank told you?” Calleigh’s fingers dug into Eric’s sleeve for balance.

Before her widened eyes, Eric grinned and shook his head. “You let him walk in here wearing your lipstick, Calleigh. I asked. And he looked just as freaked out as you do right now.”

She couldn’t kill him, no matter how badly she might want to. And hitting him would only make him know he’d hit the mark. Trying to pull back, Calleigh could hear herself not managing to speak. “I … I can’t… we shouldn’t… Eric, I don’t know what to do.”

“First, you know you can talk to me, right, Calleigh?” //Damn you, Eric,// It was a low blow to demand to return a favor given to him. Calleigh glared up at the man, but stopped pulling away. Her reluctant nod made him smile. “Good girl, now for the hard part. You have to decide what you want to do. What do you want, Calleigh?”

//I don’t want to be so afraid…// Calleigh stilled in Eric’s arms forcing herself to think about Frank, about Speed and Eric, and herself. To be truthful, she’d been thinking about Frank for a lot longer than she’d like to admit to. And from his response in the stairwell, Calleigh didn’t think she was all alone in this feeling. Breath caught in her throat, Calleigh met his eyes and jumped. “I want Frank, Eric. I want Frank.”

A smile broke out on Eric’s face as he hugged her closer and whispered in her ear. “Then go get him, girl.” Calleigh buried herself against his shoulder, feeling his lips brush her cheek. “You both deserve all the happiness you can get.”

She was still relearning to breathe when Eric pulled back with a smile. //Damn you, Eric.// “You know I love you, Eric, but you make it real easy to be angry at you.”

The smile widened even more. “That’s what Speed’s always saying. All part of my charm.”

Calleigh shook her head at him and tucked her hair behind her ear with a faint unwilling smile. “Go charm your boyfriend, I’m supposed to have work to do somewhere around here.”

Giving her a strange half bow and a smile, Eric Delko pointed to yet another stairwell. “Horatio has requested your presence upstairs, my lady.”

Calleigh didn’t bother to respond, it would only make his behavior worse. The smile, however, was still on her face when she hit the second floor.

000

Things were wrapping up. All the loose ends were sorted out. And it felt like hours since he’d laid eyes – or anything else—on Calleigh. //Damn it, Girl, why are you hiding from me?//

He even had an excuse ready. Traffic and other conditions in the city were still bad enough to pull Horatio’s “no one travels alone” card. Frank could offer her a ride home. He could become, as Eric said, her safe stalker.

Maybe he could touch her, maybe she would talk to him. And maybe, just maybe, Calleigh would reach for him again.

If he could stay close enough to her, for long enough. And so here he was, holding up a wall outside the locker room. Waiting for a tiny blonde with a gun. Not the middle height scruffy brunette man stepping out the door. “Hey, Speed,”

“Why hello, Frank.” Speed’s grin was very familiar. Frank had been looking at it on Eric all day. “Waiting for someone?”

Muscles knotted up all over his back as Speed joined him against the wall. //Damn Eric for telling.// He could feel the threatening smile crawl onto his lips as his shoulders left the wall. “Been talkin’ to your boyfriend today?”

“No, actually. Your future girlfriend.” Now Frank felt those knots tighten enough to twist his neck painfully. “Shoulda seen her, calm little Calleigh huddled in my trace lab actin’ all scared.”

Any tighter and the muscles around his spine were gonna snap in half. “Calleigh was … what?” //She’s afraid of me. I hurt her, scared her. Damnit all to hell.// His hands clenched, his breath caught, and his heart dropped into his gut. “Is… is she… I didn’t meant to hurt her, Speedle, is she okay?”

A forehead crinkled in the instant before a mouth dropped open in shock. “Oh no, Frank, you didn’t hurt her.” Speedle put a hand on his shoulder, forcing Frank to meet his eyes. “Calleigh’s not afraid of you. She’s … “ Frank watched Speedle search for the right words, wanting to believe him. “She’s afraid of wanting, needing you.”

A shuddering breath escaped Frank as his hands started to shake. A small see of hope lifted his heart. He hadn’t hurt her and she just might want him back. “Are you sure, Speedle? Are you sure Calleigh wants me?”

The smile on Speed’s face made his nerves start to unwind. His words finished the job. “Yeah, I’m sure, Frank. I know exactly how that feels.” Speed laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. “She’s gonna be scared, but she needs you, man. Go get her.”

His hands were still shaking as Frank smiled and returned the shoulder clasp. “Thank you, Speed. Now get out of here, Eric’s waiting.” Frank waited until Speedle disappeared around the corner before pushing open the locker room door. “Calleigh?”

He’d meant to be calm, collected and suave. He’d meant to carefully approach her and slowly make some kind of gesture. All those intentions just vanished at the mixture of need and nerves written in her eyes when she looked up at him from a bench.

“Frank,”

Two steps put him at her side. Two hands reached for hers. Two arms wrapped tight about her waist to pull her flush against his chest. A breathless, frozen moment later her arms slid over his shoulders and tightened around his neck. Her body relaxed and pressed closer in his arms. “I’ve got you, Cal, I’m here.” Frank breathed easier at the heat of her in his arms. Every muscle in his body melted to get her closer. She felt incredible clinging to his shoulders. And he remembered the sweet urgency of her kiss. “Calleigh,”

He found his fingers at the curve of her cheek, angling her chin up. Frank watched heat build in her eyes as he leaned closer. “Yes, Frank,” Suddenly he had permission to go faster. Fingers curling through her hair, Frank pulled her to her toes to get his lips to hers. There was the silken fire he remembered, the sweet urgency of her nails in his skin, the delicious eagerness of her kiss. It was amazing, perfect heaven. And she was still too short. His tiny darlin’ was barely reaching his chin on tip toe.

“My sweet Calleigh,” Hands stroking along the beautiful curve of her waist, Frank lifted her against his chest and moved to sit on the bench. Calleigh sighed her approval and pressed closer, her knees tightening against his waist. //That’s it, sweetheart.// Frank opened to the sweet invasion of her tongue and dragged her hips over his own. “Oh, darlin’,”

She smiled against his lips and the sound of her groan tightened every muscle in his arms. //Closer, Calleigh, more.// His hand found its way up her back to tangle in her hair. He needed her taste, needed her body against his and the sweet welcome of her lips opening to his. He needed more of her. Now.

Lost in her kiss, Frank slipped one hand up the back of her shirt for the hot silk of her skin and precious arch of her body against his. And the breathless gasp. “Ah, please, Frank.” //Yes, darlin’// He adored feeling every inch of her body respond to his, loved the arch and rub of her hips against his. So sweet and so warm. And clinging to his shoulders.

“Calleigh,” Sliding hungry fingers up her back, Frank pulled her down to equally hungry lips. Never, never would he get enough of her kiss. He groaned helplessly at the light scratch of her nails along his neck and down his shoulders to the buttons of his shirt.

In a flash he saw it. Exactly what they would do together if she opened his shirt. Calleigh, stripped bare and pinned between his body and the bench or the lockers. If her fingers reached skin, he would lose all control in the rush to return the favor. And once he reached her skin… all bets were off. //No, darlin’,// Weakly catching her wrists, Frank broke the kiss. “Sweetheart, we can’t, not here.”

Calleigh stilled in his arms, looking at her own hands with surprise, at his unknotted tie and open collar. Four buttons, she’d managed four buttons while he’d been lost in her kiss. Her breath caught and her teeth pressed into her lower lip. //Oh, darlin’ please,// His hands clenched, eyes locking on those gorgeous lips. //Don’t, darlin’, I can’t help myself if you…// She licked her lips and he lost it. One hand in her hair, the other flat and low on her back dragged her flush against him as he desperately invaded the sweet warmth of her mouth with something like a growl.

“Mm, Frank, you’re right. Not here.” A soft groan crossed her lips and his as she slowly pulled out of his arms to stand just out of reach. //So beautiful, sweetheart.// His fingers were reaching for the smooth line of her waist when her hand caught his. Far from stopping him, Calleigh guided his fingertips under the edge of her shirt to press flat against her skin. Frank helplessly watched her eyes flutter and her neck arch… at the simple touch of skin. //Beautiful Calleigh, so warm.// Oh, he was going to love burying every nerve in her body in heat. He was going to delight in making Calleigh burn in his arms. “We have to go. Take me home?”

//Her bed, touching Calleigh with no interruptions, no reasons to stop.// “God yes, Cal.”

000