129A/N: This is the last chapter of this fic! I hope you've all enjoyed the ride. Thank you for reading, and especially thank you for reviewing! A special thank you to Dr. Callian who always keeps my on my toes and pushes me to find the killer lines in me. ; )
***Make sure you read my note at the end. : ) Happy New Year!
Cal stood there, not sure he'd heard her correctly. Did she say what I think she said?, he wondered as he continued to look her over, not daring to allow anymore hope in until he was certain. Her response was so quiet that he wanted to be absolutely sure before he went any further.
Not getting an immediate response from him, Gillian looked down at the floor to hide the blush she could feel rising in her cheeks, feeling instantly foolish for leading him down the path he'd so blindly followed her down. Her mind started to reel and spin as she tried to think of ways to back out of what she'd just confessed, her heart beating faster and faster with fear of how this was going to affect everything between them.
Suddenly alarmed by her closed off posture, he touched her cheek gently with his thumb, causing her to quickly look back up at him and instantly shut down due to embarrassment. He slid his fingers along the side of her neck and laid his hand flat on her, with his thumb on her cheek and his fingers curling around her neck. He knit his brow together at the lack of emotion on her face and thought perhaps he had heard her wrong.
Her stomach flipped as he moved his thumb over her skin, and it took everything in her not to react. She wanted to react, desperately. She wanted to kiss him and tell him she wanted him so bad it hurt, that it was torture when he was so close and she couldn't have him; but she knew he was reading her every move, and not knowing what he was thinking or feeling made her try her best to shut down. She wished that for once he would just drop that damn mask for more than a few seconds.
He looked in her eyes and saw nothing change. Just blank, he thought. Desperately wanting her to open up so he could know what she was thinking, he raised his second hand and mirrored the posture of the first, stepping toward her. With the added contact, Gillian couldn't stop herself. She inhaled sharply through parted lips and her eyes slightly rolled back as she tried to control the exhale. So much emotion flooded over her face it was as if she was being brought back to life. There you are, Cal thought to himself, and gave her a small smile.
With his smile, Gillian noticed his face softened and she couldn't believe her eyes, but it seemed his mask had all but disappeared. She raised one of her hands and wrapped it around his wrist, causing him to spread out his fingers on her neck. Feeling his hand move against her, she involuntarily tipped her head to the side giving his hand more space, dying to feel more of him. Dropping the opposite hand, he trailed his thumb across her chin, barely skimming her bottom lip, then sliding his hand down the front of her throat to her collarbone, and continuing to her shoulder as far as the collar of the t-shirt would stretch. Noticing there was nothing hindering him, like a bra strap, he tipped his head to the side and looked up in her eyes with approval and some surprise. Thinking back to the night before he realized she couldn't have worn a bra with that dress, and his approval multiplied as he licked his lips.
She was mesmerized by the look in his eyes. His hunger for her was evident, but he didn't look like he was ready to devour her like usual. His eyes were loving and passionate and desperate. And in that moment, it was as if nothing existed beyond them. There were no cases to solve, no faces to read, no speech patterns to pull apart; no right or wrong, or true or false; no one to fix or help. There was just him and her. And neither could get enough of the other.
He was captivated with every part of her and soaking in every inch he touched. Trailing his hand down her arm, he placed it on her hip, lightly squeezing before snaking it around her back. He pulled her close as he breathed her in and she could look at nothing but his lips. His eyes, his lips. His eyes, his lips. His eyes, so full of desire and something else she hadn't seen in so long, and his lips…
He shuffled his feet toward her, pressing his body fully against hers and feeling like if he wasn't close enough to her, his chest would cave in and collapse. She raised a hand to run it through his hair causing his eyes to roll back and close. She bit her lip and smiled slightly at him as he opened them again, loving the control she was learning she had over him. He was under a spell. He knew it, he knew that she knew it, and he didn't care.
He focused his sights on her mouth and leaned in. She did the same, and finally, finally they connected. She kissed him with all the passion she had flowing through her body, reflecting all the unhindered passion she could see in his eyes, and he kissed her with all of the fierce, unnamed emotion that was pumping through his veins. It was slow, almost painfully so, but they both wanted to savor the moment and take it in. She dragged her fingers through his hair; and his hands inched up and down her back, occasionally creeping inside her t-shirt and gliding along her soft skin. He focused on her reaction each time, not wanting to venture where not allowed.
Finally feeling he wasn't going to get a negative response, he purposely slid his hand inside her shirt, laying it flat on her lower back. She sighed against him at the contact, pulling away from their kiss, and leaned her forehead against his, telling him silently how badly she wanted him. Looking in her eyes, he moved his hand along her skin and slid his other hand inside her shirt to her bare hip. Dragging his first hand back to her hip as well, he ran both up her body, curling his fingers around her back just in time to skirt around her breasts, and brought them back to her hips.
With his hands firmly in place, he backed her up to the edge of the bed and kissed her again, tangling his fingers in her hair and feeling her hands on his chest. He reached back down for the hem of her shirt and she lifted her arms above her head as he pulled it up, wondering if he could actually see her heart beating in her chest. As he threw the shirt on the floor, she wiggled out of her pants and sat on the edge of the bed in just her underwear. Cal quickly pulled his shirt off and threw it on the floor behind them. His breath hitched when he felt Gillian brush against Cal Jr. as she untied his pants and pulled them down. She grinned up at him seeing the twitch ripple through his body, and he responded by leaning into her and guiding her back down on the bed. He tangled his hand in her hair again, gently turning her head to the side so he could kiss her neck. Holding himself up on one arm and half on her, he leaned down and dragged his lips from her shoulder to her jaw bone.
Feeling his hot breath on her skin did nothing to quell her desire. She slid her arms around him and raked her nails down his back, earning a groan from him that landed right in her ear. She lightly laughed at his reaction and ran her foot up his leg, aching to feel more of him. Repositioning himself, he rolled off her, took her lips again, and reached for her panties and pulled them down as far as he could. Finding his reach to be insufficient, he broke away from her and scooted off the bed. He laid his hands on her hips and dragged them down, taking in every inch of her long, smooth legs. When he reached her panties somewhere near her knees he continued down her legs, taking them along for the ride. Once he reached her feet he threw them on the floor, gently letting go of her feet and taking in the sight.
He never really thought he'd ever be lucky enough to have Gillian Foster in his bed. He was damn certain that he'd never have her in his bed when it was her idea; and yet here she was, laying completely naked in front on him. Seeing some insecurity rising in her face he said, "You…are the most amazing thing I've ever seen. You're striking."
Blushing and noticing just how naked she really was, she replied, "Stop starring Cal."
"I'm not starring-" he started before he was cutoff.
"You are," she immediately countered, feeling extremely vulnerable.
Quickly taking his boxers off and throwing them somewhere over his shoulder, he dove back on the bed, hovering over her on all fours and said, "Sorry. I just like what I see."
She only swallowed at his response. She'd had plenty of men express how attractive she was, but somehow it was different coming from him. There was something hidden inside her that stirred when he looked at her like he was right now and when he used words like 'striking' and 'stunning' when referring to her.
Seeing she'd retreated back into herself again, Cal lowered himself on top of her to bring her back. Gillian immediately snapped back and bit her lip and whimpered when she felt him pressed against her thigh. Wanting him inside her, she wrapped her legs around his waist and gave him an affirming look to the question on his face. He was surprised at the lack of foreplay, but feeling quite impatient himself, he obliged and guided himself to her opening and slowly thrust inside. Gillian's hands instantly found his back and her fingers curled into his skin. Cal mumbled a muffled, "Oh fuck," at her tightness and wondered how he was going to make this last any amount of time at all. Pausing for a moment and breathing heavily, he buried his face in her neck and stayed very, very still so as to minimize any additional sensation.
Gillian brought her hands to the base of his neck and brought his head up so she could see his face.
"You ok?" she asked, half-concerned, half-amused at his reaction.
"I'm good," he grunted unconvincingly.
Smiling, she moved below him. He groaned at the feeling, but clearly got the message and finally started moving again, causing Gillian to moan faintly in approval. Finally pulling himself together, he established a rhythm and had her writhing below him in pleasure.
Not long later, he felt her walls closing around him as her arms did the same and with one more thrust she was crying out his name and her walls clenched around him milking him as his orgasm pulsed through him. He collapsed on her, thankful for her quick release and relieved that he didn't finish alone as he laid his head on her chest, feeling it rise and fall as she attempted to catch her breath.
She looked down at his head laying on her and closed her eyes when she felt him drape an arm over her stomach. She raised a hand to run over the side of his face, trying to memorize the moment because she wasn't sure it was real. When he turned toward her, she kept her hand on his face as she looked him over.
He smirked at her and said, "Now let me ask you again: You sure you like your gift?"
Taking her hand back she said, "Oh yes. I'm quite pleased with both."
"Oh yeah?" he replied, feeling quite proud of himself.
"Mmm hmm," she replied as she reached for the edge of the comforter to throw over her self. Pulling it around her shoulders she brought it up to her nose and took a deep breath.
"What's that then?" Cal asked confused by the intoxicated look on her face.
Letting the look fade from her features, she tucked the comforter under her chin and said with a smile, "It smells like you."
His tipped his head to the side in thought as she sunk further into his bed. Seeing it was only 7, he settled in next to her and pulled the covers up over himself as well. She scooted toward him when he put his arm out and invited her to move closer with a jerk of his head. She happily obliged and laid her head on his shoulder, thinking she could get used to mornings like this.
A short while later he said, "I've gotta ask…" and paused as he waited for Gillian's attention. As she looked up at him he continued with a waggle of his eyebrows, "How many points did that get me?"
Propping herself up on one arm she replied, "Are you seriously still thinking about points?"
"Well you haven't told me I don't have to worry about them anymore," he defended himself.
"I'll make you a deal," she replied. "You make me waffles, and you don't have to worry about points anymore."
"Now?" he asked. She nodded at him and he said, "What are we waiting for? Up and out of bed!" and he threw the covers off them and jumped out of bed.
"Cal!" she yelled. "It's cold! Can you at least hand me my clothes, please?"
He leaned on the bed near her and asked, "What? You're not into cooking in the nude?"
Failing to hide a smile, she grabbed his face and planted a sensual kiss on his lips saying, "Not today."
"Alright then," he said surprised that she didn't give him a flat out no. He threw her clothes at her and found his own, taking her hand as she crawled out of bed. He held her hand all the way to the kitchen, causing her to smile sweetly as she walked behind him.
Catching her smile as he let go of her he asked, "What?"
"Nothing. I'm just excited about waffles," she lied, loving his sweet gesture all too much.
"Oh yeah? Well I'll make you waffles every day if they'll make you smile like that," he replied. "I quite like that look on you."
"Every day?" she asked.
"Every day," he confirmed as he turned to start making breakfast.
###############
As they were cleaning up the dishes from breakfast, Cal's cell phone rang.
"It's Em," he said before picking it up.
"Merry Christmas, Em," he greeted her.
"Merry Christmas, Dad! Are you doing your typical Christmas routine? Up early in the morning to work and treating it like it's no different than any other day of the year?" she asked.
"As a matter of fact," he started, acting as though he was going to tell her she was wrong, "yes."
She laughed at him through the phone and said, "You're so predictable. So did you and Gillian use your Christmas gifts yet?"
"Yeah, we did actually," he said glancing over at Gillian, "We had a great time too."
"I'm glad," she said with a smile. "Can I talk to her?"
"Beg your pardon?" he asked, wondering why his daughter assumed Gillian was there.
"Gillian," Emily stated. "Can I talk to her?"
"Why do you assume she's here?" he asked locking eyes with Gillian who now had surprise plastered on her face.
"Because she is. Just let me talk to her. If you don't, I'll just call her phone," she threatened.
"It's for you," he said to Gillian, giving up the fight knowing it was futile.
Swallowing and slowly bringing it to her ear she said, "Hello?"
"Hi, Gillian. Merry Christmas!"
"Merry Christmas to you too, Emily. Thank you again for the gift. It was very thoughtful, and that was a very nice restaurant."
"You'd never been there?" Emily asked.
"No, that was the first time," she confirmed.
"Well good. I hope you had a good sleepover too," Emily said in teasing.
"We did," Gillian said, not sure how to respond. "I hope you don't mind, but your bed looked more comfortable than the couch," she added, earning a lop-sided grin from Cal.
"Sure it was…" Emily stated. "I have to go. I just wanted to call and wish you both a Merry Christmas. So I'll see you when I get home?"
"When are you coming home?" she asked while wondering how long Emily thought she was going to be there.
"Later tonight," she said. "Were you planning on leaving early?"
"I hadn't really thought about it," she replied, thinking that she had no intention of spending the night last night in the first place.
"Well, it would be nice to see you, and I'm sure Dad would like the company. But if you're not there, Merry Christmas again."
"You too, Emily. I'll talk to you later," she said as she hung up the phone.
Cal could see she was deep in thought and asked, "What did she say?"
"She assumed I would be here tonight when she got home," Gillian truthfully said. "And she didn't believe me that I slept in her room," she added as she pulled her lips into a thin line.
"Teenagers, you know," he said as he walked to her and put his hands on her hips. Her stomach flipped again, still not used to the contact. "So are you staying?" he asked, hoping she wasn't planning on leaving early.
Looking slightly down and playing with her hands, she replied with hesitation, "Like I told her, I hadn't really thought about it. I wasn't planning on a sleepover last night, let alone being here today." Seeing sadness playing at the corners of his eyes and his mask threatening to come back, she raised her chin and said, "But, unless you're planning on kicking me out, I would like to see her." She saw the sadness fleeting from his eyes, but his mask was still lingering so she laid her hands on his chest and added, "And I wouldn't mind spending the day with you either, as long as you didn't have any other plans for Christmas."
"Darling, I can't think of anything else I'd rather do," he replied truthfully with a smile. As he looked in her eyes he realized that for the first time in a long time, he felt safe - like he wasn't required to keep his mask on; like it was okay to be himself; like the person in front of him wasn't going to run away if he let his real colors show, regardless of how dark and ugly they might be; like maybe he could at least think about breaking his heart out of the thick shell it was encased in. People always thought of him as a bastard, but what they didn't know was that he was just protecting himself. Maybe he didn't need to do that with her anymore.
Seeing his mask leave his face again, she smiled back at him; and then she saw something else. His face went from unveiled, to honest, to vulnerable; and she could see the evidence of how much keeping his mask on affected him. He looked tired and worn; but beyond his face his eyes looked genuinely happy, something she hadn't seen from him in a long time. She silently told him she understood and brought a hand to his face before pulling him into a hug. Feeling him desperately cling to her, she tightened her grip on him and smiled; and she thought this was going to be the best Christmas she'd had in a long time.
And that's it! I hope the ending was sufficient. I'm generally very terrible at wrapping up stories.
Here's the note I wanted you to pay attention to: I have an idea for an extension of this storyline that I'll be writing as a separate fic and calling "I Need To Know Too". Get it? Too...Two. Yeah, you all get it. Anyway, keep your eyes open for that. If you are interested in that and you plan on reading it whenever it gets posted - what's your preference on chapter length? It really varied a lot in this fic and left me wondering what you all prefer. So let me know if you have a preference, and hopefully I'll see you all at the next fic!