Catherine got out of her car and walked the short distance to her place of employment. She had been restless all day, a hazard of being a single woman on Valentine’s Day, and she was looking forward to focusing her energy on a case. She hoped she pulled the best one.
When she arrived at the front desk, Sara was there, idly chatting with Nick and the receptionist. “Hey, guys,” Catherine smiled, waving as she went to the chart to sign herself in. “What’s going on?”
Sara didn’t say anything. Instead, she stormed off, surprising the strawberry blonde. Nick shrugged. Catherine raised an eyebrow: “What did you do this time?”
“Actually,” Nick smiled easily. “It’s not my fault. Seems she’s a little jealous of someone who received two anonymous flower deliveries today.”
Catherine’s face lit up; immediately, her mind started racing to think of who would be receiving such a gift in the office. “Who were they for? Was it that girl that works with Greg sometimes?”
Nick snorted. “You’ve got to be kidding me, Cath.”
“Ahhh,” she paused, watching his face. “They’re for me? Who were they— oh right, anonymous.”
“We could always print them,” he winked, before leaving on the same path Sara took. Catherine chuckled and watched him leave, wondering what Warrick and Gil were getting themselves into.
Before Christmas, she knew that she and Warrick had been sliding into something more; when she needed support, he was somehow always standing on her doorstep before she even called him, and he knew how to take care of her. They started going out together, dancing. She was returning the care-and-concern favour more and more, and with every moment they spent together, she knew that she could easily be in love with the much-younger man.
However, there was one thing that was holding her back.
Gil.
She had been in love with him since the day they met the first time, when their darker pasts were all they had, but the timing had never been right. That, and she was pretty certain that he never felt the same way about her. She just wasn’t his type. But, the feelings were still there, and very difficult to shake.
Lately, though, she was beginning to wonder if it was mutual. Ever since Warrick started showering her with additional attention, Gil had broken out of his shell and become much more attentive. They started having their once-traditional breakfasts again; he took Lindsay to a baseball game; he gave her extra days off—and would even take one off with her, once and a while. Of course, his actions made Warrick strive harder, and then Gil would try harder—leading up to Valentine’s Day.
Catherine took a breath before entering the break room. As Nick said, there were two bouquets on the desk. The first one, a box of crimson roses, she knew was from Gil. It was his style. Warrick’s bouquet, on the other hand, was a wild bundle of bright flowers—some of them Catherine couldn’t name. It was less classic, but just as sincere and passionate. She blushed and fingered the blossoms of each bundle tenderly.
“Hey, Cath,” Warrick came into the break room. She watched him swagger towards her, and felt her heart start pounding harder. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”
She accepted the hug he offered her. “Thanks for the flowers. They’re really nice.”
“You’re welcome.” He let her slip out of his arms. Catherine was worried Sara—or, worse yet, Gil—would take that moment to walk in, so she felt better knowing she wasn’t in any sort of compromising position. “What are you doing tonight, after shift?”
She raised an eyebrow. “You asking me out, War’?”
He smiled, although he bowed his head a little. “Maybe. Are you saying yes?”
The door opened. Catherine leaned over.
Gil “Perfect Timing” Grissom walked into the room. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Catherine,” she smiled back at him, thanking him with her eyes. He nodded to Warrick and then asked: “What are you two up to?”
Catherine looked at Warrick and then smiled and shrugged. “Nothing much.”
“Would you... like to go out to dinner later? On a date?”
Warrick spoke before she had a chance. “Gris, I was here first.”
“Treat your elders with respect, Wa—”
He flipped him off with a steely gaze and a hand gesture Catherine didn’t understand. “Respect this, Gris’.”
Gil took a step forward, a dangerous smirk in his eyes. Catherine, not knowing what was going on, stepped between them. “Guys. Neither of you are going to be remotely close to speaking terms with me if you don’t cool off. I mean it.” When they took a step back, she sighed, her body relaxing. “Now, will you two behave?” They both nodded. “Good.” She smiled, as an idea struck her; it would be difficult, but it might help her make a decision—and she was definitely in favor of that. “Now, if you both want to take me out on a date for Valentine’s Day, there’s a way to do this.”
They both perked up.
Catherine smiled.
“We’ll all go out on a date together,” before they could groan, she kept talking: “And you two will have to work together to plan it.” She saw Sara and Nick nearing the room, so she pasted a huge grin on her face and stepped back to sit down in a chair. “Teamwork, boys. Think you can handle it?”
~*~
Warrick was glad that Gil didn’t pair either of them with Catherine during that shift, but he wished that Grissom had better sense than to put them together on the same murder case. The silence in the Tahoe was unbearable. Warrick, for comfort’s sake, had suggested that they take two vehicles, but Gil insisted that they drive together. The younger man hoped it was for nothing else but planning Catherine’s date. He didn’t want anymore surprises.
“You can go first,” Warrick turned his head and looked at his supervisor, referring to the fact that both men wanted to say something, but remained silent.
Gil chuckled nervously. Warrick sucked in some air, remembering the last time he heard that particular tone of laughter, and shuddered. “I was just going to suggest the same thing,” Gil responded.
“Nah, man, you can go ahead.”
Gil didn’t waste any time making it known what was on his mind: “So, was I so bad that I turned you back onto women?”
Warrick nearly choked on what he wasn’t eating, completely shocked, initially. Then, he felt a strange wave of relief. “I was gonna ask you the same thing,” he put an arm on Gil’s forearm as he drove, but didn’t say anything else.
Shortly after his admission, Gil stopped the car at the crime scene.
The dead body was on the kitchen floor, knife in its throat. “Damn,” Warrick was the first to speak between them, while snapping a few pictures. “Looks like the knife was thrown.”
Gil nodded, bending down with his flashlight. “So far, yes, it seems to be that way.”
Warrick, with a smile in his eye, as well as on his mouth, looked down at Gil and asked: “You still have your dancing shoes?”
The older man didn’t miss a beat, looking up quickly. “We’re not going to that club, are we?”
He grinned back, letting the memories of that time resurface. “Last I remember, you loved that place. Got you all... fired up.” When Gil started to blush, appearing very uncomfortable, Warrick added: “You know Catherine will love it. How long has it been since she’s taken a night off and just let loose?”
Gil sighed. “Yeah, you’re right. She would most likely enjoy that sort of thing.”
“So, we’re on?”
“Yeah,” Gil nodded. “I’ll get us out of work when we get back.”
They finished processing the scene before saying anything about the date or anything indirectly related to it. Instead, Warrick let the information and conversations be sifted by his mind. By the time they parked in the lot of the crime lab, Warrick had a lot to think about.
“Gris’?”
“Yes, Warrick?”
“You know, you weren’t bad at all.” He smiled sincerely, trying to soothe any old wounds that might have still been open. Then, he raised his eyebrows and added: “In fact—”
Gil had put a hand on Warrick’s shoulder, silencing him, squeezing the tired muscles there. It felt so good, he realized—too good. Gil spoke, his voice low. “You were pretty good, too.”
“Only pretty good?”
He smirked and raised an eyebrow. He looked so playful; Warrick felt the wind being knocked from his sails. “Yeah.”
Warrick groaned. “I can do better. Man, I didn’t know you were grading me!”
Gil shrugged. “Better luck next time, War’.”
They walked into the office building, and split up, preparing to go their separate ways. Warrick watched Gil go into his office, where he was to go about getting the three of them off of work. The darker man picked up his cell phone and placed a call.
“Eden. Management.”
Warrick smiled. “Hey, Charles.”
“Ricky, that you?”
“Yeah.”
“You coming by tonight?” The other man seemed thrilled to hear his voice; they had been old friends, from college—Charles Kelley had been a business student, and they had once had a couple of elective classes together, building their friendship upon a mutual interest in mythology. “I can put you on the list, if you want.”
Warrick saw Catherine walked down the hall, reading a file, eyebrows furrowed in concentration as she pondered what she was holding. He quickly asked Charles: “Would you be able to put two guests on there with me?”
“Sure,” Charles replied. “Who are you bringing?”
“Gil and Catherine.”
Charles didn’t miss a beat. “From work?”
“Yeah,” Warrick smiled. “They need to loosen up a little.”
“And Eden is the place to do it. I’ll see you later on tonight, Rick.”
“Bye Charles.” He hung his phone up just as Catherine walked by, managing to snag her arm while she passed him. “Hey, Cath?”
“Warrick,” she smiled. “What’s up?”
He smiled back at her when she settled herself next to him, leaning up against the wall as he did. “Gil and I have some plans we’d like to run by you for tonight.”
“We’re working tonight, War’,” she waved her hand around, gesturing to the building they were in. “In case you haven’t noticed.”
He chuckled. “I know. Gris is working on that, though.”
Her cheeks flushed a little; he wondered what was going on in her head. “Where are we going?”
“Eden.” She narrowed her eyes and looked at him, cheeks flushing a little more. He smiled. “The club. Grissom and I want to take you dancing.”
She chuckled, most likely in disbelief. “Gil is going to go dancing?”
“Yeah,” he laughed with her. “I think he’s actually looking forward to it.” She glanced down at her watch. He suggested: “If you want to go home and change, we can come by and pick you up.”
Catherine’s expression was hard to decipher. He saw amusement, and something he thought was arousal, but the rest of the emotions, he wasn’t sure about. She nodded. “Sure. I’ll just go check with him, and then I’ll head home. Thirty minutes—”
“Tops,” he interjected. Above her head, he saw Grissom walking towards them. “There he is, speaking of the boss.”
She turned and smiled. Warrick noticed that the smile was different than the one she offered him, and wondered what that meant. “You’re going to come dancing?”
Gil nodded, less stiff than before, looking more comfortable with the idea than before. “Yes,” he answered. “I handed your case to Nick, and Sara’s going to do what she can with ours until we come back in tomorrow night.”
Catherine’s smile stretched. Warrick smiled, impressed that Gil was actually taking time off. “Can I go change now?”
He nodded again. “Warrick and I will give you...—”
“Half an hour,” Warrick smirked, knowing how long girls took sometimes to prepare. He didn’t want to waste any of the evening.
She touched Gil’s arm and reached up to kiss his cheek. Then, she turned and did the same to Warrick. “Thank you, boys. I’ll see you later.”
They both turned to watch her leave, their eyes glazed, cheeks slightly flushed. “She’s amazing, isn’t she?” Gil asked.
Warrick nodded in reply.
~*~
Catherine smiled as she looked around the large club. Warrick had dashed off to meet with an old friend—the club’s owner, he mentioned—leaving Gil and Catherine alone to find a table and order drinks.
“What do you think?”
She grinned and leaned in close to reply. “You definitely didn’t pick this place, did you?” When he shrugged and ducked his eyes, she put a hand on his arm, squeezing gently. “Gil, I’m still impressed you came. It means a lot.” She wriggled her eyebrows playfully. “I never had two dates on Valentine’s Day before.”
“I find that hard to believe.” He spoke so quietly, she almost didn’t hear his words. He ushered her to an available table, where he ordered two beers—one for him, and one for Warrick—and a screwdriver for Catherine.
She grinned. “Thanks for ordering me a drink.”
“It’s one of those things a good date is supposed to do, Catherine.” The way he said her name made her shiver. She didn’t know how she was going to make up her mind. He wrapped an arm loosely around her, not pulling her into him, because he didn’t want to push her into anything, just to hold her there next to him comfortably. “Are you cold?”
The entire place was dimly lit, she was glad—she didn’t want him to see her cheeks flushing. She looked at him for a few moments before noticing Warrick approaching from a distance. She watched him, appreciating his youthful lines and movements, unsure still where her loyalties would fall.
“Hey,” she smiled. The waitress chose that moment to arrive with their beverages. “Gil ordered you a beer.”
She caught the gaze Warrick sent Gil’s way and wondered what it was about. He smiled and raised the bottle of beer. “Thanks, Grissom.”
“You can start to call me by my first name, you know,” Gil smiled back, returning the gaze Warrick sent his way. Catherine glanced between them, wondering what was going on. Gil’s arm slipped from her shoulders, onto the back of the booth’s cushioned chair, as he reached for his bottle of beer.
Catherine quietly picked up her drink, as she watched the two of them. The silent exchanges had her wondering what was or had been going on between them. Gil had rarely looked at anyone the way he was looking at Warrick; she had received a couple of those looks herself, but she was beginning to wonder what was going on.
“I know,” Warrick said after a long silence, after sidling into the booth next to Catherine. His arm, too, went around her back, resting where Gil’s rested above the back of the cushion. She leaned back against them. “It’s just... habit.” After setting his bottle down, he nudged Catherine and asked: “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “Yeah. This place is great. I haven’t been on a VIP list in a very long time.”
Warrick chuckled.
Again she saw the look.
She bit her lip, mostly to keep herself from blurting out questions she wanted answered. The three of them managed to make small talk, awkwardly, until they finished their first two rounds of drinks. By then, they had loosened up a little.
“Guys! Please! I wanna dance!”
Warrick grinned. “I’m fine with it. I’d love to dance. It’s Grissom you have to convince.”
She turned around, her arms landing softly on his chest. “Gil?”
He swallowed and looked down at her. “Yes, Catherine?”
She shivered. He had to keep saying her name that way, letting it roll off his tongue, pushed by a deeper voice he never used at work, in front of others. “I really want to go dance.”
He shrugged. “I’m not nearly drunk enough to go dancing with either of you.”
Catherine’s eyes sparkled as she flagged down a server, an idea fresh in her mind. She spoke as close to the lady as she could, because she didn’t want Gil to know what she was planning. Warrick caught some of it and chuckled, but when their supervisor asked, neither said a word.
When the redheaded server came back with a tray of tequila shots—three for each of them—Gil started to shake his head. “Catherine, you will be the death of me.”
She grinned, and put a lemon in his mouth, rind first, making sure to push his chin closed when she was done positioning it. Then, she grabbed Warrick’s shirt and unbuttoned it a little, giggling nervously. She felt like she was in high school, at one of those make out parties she was never allowed to attend, except this was much more intense an experience.
After dipping her head, she let her tongue lap at Warrick’s dark skin in one smooth movement. Then, she took the shot, tossing her head back to take it all. And then, she pressed Gil’s mouth to hers so she could take the lemon.
“Who’s next?” She grinned, watching both of them with mischievous, intoxicated eyes.
Warrick picked up a shot, setting it on the table next to him, while he picked up a lemon and looked at both of them. “Cath, could you hold something for me?” She nodded and opened her mouth, which was dry with anticipation, and accepted the lemon, holding it there impatiently. She had been gripping Gil’s knee, only becoming aware of it at that moment when he adjusting his position to become more accessible to Warrick.
“Catherine,” she shuddered when he said her name in that way that affected her the most, this time near her ear. “Move forward a little? I’m going to come up behind you.” She lurched, the idea too pleasurable in her mind. Gil, unaware, wrapped an arm around her stomach and asked: “Are you alright?”
She managed to nod.
Warrick leaned forward and grabbed Gil’s wrist, salt shaker in his hand. Catherine hadn’t used the salt, but she was curious to see what Warrick was going to do with it. The younger man dipped his head and licked Gil’s wrist; watching it, the strawberry-blonde felt herself heat up. When Gil’s body trembled, she turned her head to watch him; his eyes were still open, but fixated on Warrick, watching as he shook some of the white mineral onto the damp flesh. He descended again, licking it all up.
If she had thought that his trembling was an accident, the second time it occurred confirmed that it was not. Gil’s eyes were closed when she turned around again, his head tipped back a little, his mouth open as he sighed.
She furrowed her brow and struggled to think things through. Warrick and Gil? She never would have guessed, in a million years.
Warrick’s hand on her jaw, beckoning her forward, shot her out of her thoughts and into reality. There was desire in his eyes, but Catherine didn’t know if it was all for her; however, if he kept looking at her like that, she thought she might explode. It was intense. Slowly, she leaned forward, out of Gil’s warm torso, and offered him the lemon.
He took it, his warm lips brushing over hers in the process. She fell backwards, reeling from the contact, into Gil’s arms again.
Then, Warrick pointed to a shot and to Gil: “Your turn, Gris.”
He leaned forward. “I, uh, don’t exactly—”
Catherine turned around completely, getting up to settle herself against Warrick. “Who do you want to lick?”
“And it can’t be yourself,” Warrick added with a smile.
Gil smiled back at him. Catherine felt the distinct feeling of being left out. There was something happening between the two men, and she didn’t know exactly what it was. It was upsetting her and arousing her at the same time; simply put, she didn’t like its effect on her one bit.
“Well,” he said with an easy shrug and a crafty gleam in his eye. “I might have to test both of you, see which one of you tastes better.”
Catherine squeaked: “And the lemon?”
He smiled. “I’ll hang onto it.”
He was playing this very well, she reasoned, as she leaned forward so Gil could reach her. He pushed the hair off of her neck with one hand and leaned forward to meet her. His mouth on her neck was warm and soft; his tongue moved tenderly against her, as he lapped once at her neck. She thought that if she could purr, she would.
Gil pulled back. “Delicious.”
Catherine found herself blushing under his warm gaze. Gil looked past her, to the man behind her, so she leaned towards the back of the booth and turned her head a bit so she could watch.
“Where do you want it?” Warrick asked, a teasing tone in his voice.
Gil replied: “You know where.”
“No way! You know how ticklish I am there!”
Catherine blinked. “Ahh, guys? When did Gil tickle you?”
Neither of them heard her. Gil was reaching to push the collar of Warrick’s shirt back, exposing his collarbone. He didn’t completely dip his head into his chest, but instead reached more with his tongue, flicking the muscle through the gully the bone created. Warrick moaned; Gil grinned; Catherine frowned. She was turned on, and both men she was with seemed to be more into each other than her. Gil didn’t have to say it; Catherine already felt like the loser.
“Hey, guys?” She tried to break their trance by waving her hands in front of their faces. It worked, and she had their attention. “Let’s finish our shots and go dancing, okay? I’m getting restless.”
Gil smiled. “You heard her.”
“She’s getting restless.”
“We should fix that.”
Warrick nodded. “Gonna finish your shot?”
“Oh right,” Gil blushed a little, reaching for the salt shaker. “Catherine, may I borrow your wrist?” She was unable to deny him, and extended her arm for him to use. He licked it again, shook some salt onto it, and licked it again; he took his shot and sucked on his lemon. “Shall we?” He asked, holding the salt and pointing to the shots.
They finished the remaining six in a no-nonsense fashion. Catherine winced as she felt the burn, but didn’t want to be sitting between them anymore. “Dancing time,” she wagged a finger at Gil, “And if you say you’re not drunk enough...”
Gil took the finger she wagged at him, and brought it to his lips, where he kissed the tip of it. “Let’s go dance.”
Warrick slid out of the booth first, taking one of Catherine’s hands; Gil followed her, holding onto her other hand. Their thumbs caressed the back of each hand, completely confusing her and making her feel safe at the same time.
The music was sultry; the bass beat was suggestive, telling Catherine there was no way she was going to make it out of that club with any sort of sanity. Warrick started to move in front of her, once they made it into the middle of the crowd, turning and still holding onto her.
She moved her hips in time with the music, swaying towards Warrick as he put her hand on his chest. One arm went around her, his hand nestled in her back, while the other hand reached for Gil.
When she felt him come up behind her, she gasped at the feelings coursing through her system. One of Gil’s hands was on her stomach, expanding over her muscles, squeezing gently, while his other hand was on Warrick’s arm.
“You’re good at this,” Catherine remarked, after turning her head to look at Gil. “Where did you learn to dance?”
“Warrick taught me,” he whispered, nipping at her earlobe. She felt her knees weaken, but Gil was quick, tightening his hold on her. Warrick also responded, adjusting himself so he was more able to support her.
“When did you teach him to dance?” She called to Warrick.
He grinned. “We’ve been here before.”
“As friends?”
Warrick tilted his head and shrugged, still moving with the music. “No, I wouldn’t exactly say as friends.” Catherine’s eyes widened as she contemplated his words; as she thought, Gil pressed his body up against hers, letting her feel his arousal. She jumped when she felt him, and when she fell forward, she felt more of the same thing in front of her.
“I’m not going to survive tonight, am I?” She half-joked, but half-pondered seriously.
“We’re both crazy about you, Cath,” Warrick answered her somewhat.
She felt Gil rest his head on her shoulder, she felt him inhale deeply. She bit her lip. “Can I do nothing normal?”
“Normal is overrated,” Gil murmured in her ear.
“Uh huh,” Catherine managed to nod. She swallowed twice, trying to make her voice work. “I need to sit down again.”
“Another drink?”
She nodded. “Yeah. I think that’s in order.”
They moved together to the seating area, where they were able to find a different table. This one was in the back, away from the action on the dance floor. Catherine was relieved that it was more secluded. She didn’t want the entire club to see what kind of a mess she was in.
Gil went to get their drinks, leaving Warrick to hold Catherine until he returned. She didn’t say anything until he came back, when she had two mouthfuls of her screwdriver. “What are we going to do about this?”
“What do you want to do?” Gil asked hesitantly.
She chuckled. “Well, we can’t very well go home together, the three of us, and just pile into bed.”
“Why not?”
She turned and looked up at Warrick. He was being serious; she saw it in his eyes, and it made her wonder. “I... I’m too old for this. Why don’t you two go back to Gil’s and pick up where you left off? I’ll just get a cab home.”
Gil clamped a hand over hers. “Why don’t you come, too?”
“And how exactly is this gonna work?” Between Gil kissing the palm of the hand he claimed, and Warrick nuzzling her neck, she growled softly in frustration and started to weigh the pros and cons of the situation. “Would you stop that? I’m trying to think!”
Gil chuckled. “No thinking tonight.”
“I never expected you to say that. You of all people,” she shrugged out of Warrick’s grip and looked at both of them. Her head pounded from the alcohol, and her pulse was racing on top of that. “Do you both realize that this will change everything between us, maybe for the worst?” They glanced at each other and nodded.
Gil added: “Might be for the best.”
“Might,” she argued. “It might. That’s a really big gamble.”
“Big gamble, big rewards.”
She picked up her drink and swirled it under her thoughtful gaze. “I’m crazy for considering this, aren’t I?”
Warrick and Gil glanced at each other and then back at her. She put the glass to her lips and finished her drink. The men hadn’t touched theirs. She looked from Gil’s eyes to Warrick’s, and back to Gil’s.
She sighed, cursed herself and her weaknesses, and stood up. “Well, where are we going to go?”
~*~
When the cab stopped in front of Gil’s townhouse, her breath hitched in her throat. The entire drive had been surreal; she kept trying to poke through the fog created by alcohol and lust, trying to make sense of the entire night and what was still to come, but she couldn’t. Every time she almost made sense of something, Gil would brush her arm, or Warrick would nuzzle her neck, and she would be pushed into the thickest part of the fog and find herself reeling again. When the cab stopped, she could’ve sworn she heard her heart pounding in her head.
Gil paid for the cab, but Warrick promised to pay him back as soon as he wasn’t sitting on his wallet. The older man told him not to worry about it, as they slid out of the cab, both men guiding Catherine to the door.
By the time he finally got the key in the door, she could feel herself trembling against both of them. Warrick managed to support her while Gil opened the door. By then, Catherine regained control of her legs, and walked in after Gil, eyeing both of them for some sort of explanation or justification.
They didn’t give her either. Warrick shut the door and locked it, while Gil shrugged out of his coat and tossed his wallet and house key on the bookcase nearest the foyer. When he turned, Catherine grinned—out of nerves, mostly—and slipped her shoes off. She heard Warrick shrug out of his coat, and then he saw his hand extend towards Gil, with a couple of dollars in it.
“Warrick, I—”
“Take it. The cab was expensive.”
Gil smiled gratefully. “Thanks.”
“Should I—”
He cut Catherine off, smiling at her with his blue eyes, almost knocking the wind out of her lungs with one soft gaze. “You’re our date.”
“But, it’s not the 1960’s anymore, in case you haven’t noticed” she said still looking nervously from one pair of eyes to the other, although feeling a little stronger. “A girl can take care of herself.”
Warrick wrapped an arm around her from behind, letting his long and lean body press up against hers. “Let us take care of you, Cath.”
She shivered, even though her body was beyond overheated. She could feel the tequila in her stomach, the vodka’s effects pumping through her system, and the desire spreading like wildfire from between her legs until it reached every extremity possible.
“You never told me if you thought I was crazy or not,” she muttered after Gil extended his hand, after she accepted it, after he directed them to his bedroom. “Would one of you please answer so I feel better?”
Gil chuckled, turning to face her once they were inside his private domain. “If you’re crazy, then we are, too.”
“But, you’re supposed to be the pillar of sanity!” Catherine sighed, her voice laced with exasperation. “You’re the one I look to when I get unhinged, and you fix everything! And here you’re definitely not fixing everything! Look at me! Definitely not fixed!”
Warrick chuckled. “She gets mouthy after a couple of drinks.”
Gil nodded, agreeing with a grin. “Yes, she certainly does.”
“Are you still thinkin’ about that time I tried to tell you to get over—” she slapped her hand over her mouth, realizing something that she never would’ve considered before.
Warrick reached up and lifted her hand away. “What were you gonna say?”
“Was it him?” She asked Gil.
The older man started to blush. “I’m never giving you a drink ever again, Miss Catherine,” he pretended to scold her. “And yes, it was.”
Warrick looked over at Gil. “What’s she talking about?”
He shrugged. Catherine, wanting to know more, kept talking: “I was trying to tell him to get over someone... I thought it was Sara. It was you?” She whirled around and faced both of them. “Why didn’t you tell me you two had been...” her nose scrunched up. “Dating? Were you dating?”
“I guess we were,” Gil replied. Warrick nodded and smiled his way.
“Is this going to be weird?” Catherine asked. “Maybe we should just have some coffee and call it a night.”
Gil caught her wrist in his hand, and when he brushed his fingers over her pulse point, she shuddered. “Nervous, Cath?”
“Why does this have to be one thing that has you so friggin’ calm?” She demanded, cheeks flushing. Both men stayed where they were, watching her quietly. She was glad they weren’t pushing her, because it made staying easier. “I want this,” she admitted after catching her breath. “But, I’m trying to think about all the long term affects this’ll create.”
“Trying?”
“My head’s a little fuzzy,” she confessed with a small shrug of her shaking shoulders. Then, she asked with a soft, polite voice: “Can I watch you two kiss?”
Blue and green eyes widened, before they turned to face each other. She watched in amazement as Warrick leaned in and put his hand against Gil’s cheek, bringing his lips down on the older man’s. Gil’s arms wrapped around Warrick’s waist, holding him firmly in front of him. Catherine sighed, feeling her temperature increase, unsure of why she enjoyed watching the scene in front of her so much.
When they broke up, their bodies still close, but their faces apart and turned to face Catherine, she grinned. Gil nudged him. “Better than pretty good, if you’re wondering.”
Warrick chuckled but said nothing.
“You two can keep going if you want.”
Warrick shook his head. “Tonight’s about you.”
Gil motioned for her with his hand. “Come here, please, Cath.”
She took a few steps. At first they were hesitant, but as she neared them, they became more decisive, more bold. She put a hand on Gil’s arm, and leaned up to kiss him. The kiss itself was more potent than she ever thought it would be; his grip on her lower back was firm and demanding, but safe at the same time, and she knew that she wanted to be there.
Before she got too caught up, she pulled back, reassuring Gil with a grin. Then, she turned a little and leaned up on the balls of her feet. As he had touched Gil, Warrick used a hand to cup her cheek gently as he brought his lips to hers. After kissing him for a few seconds, she felt Gil’s lips at the base of her neck, his hands pushing her hair back so he could continue his exploration. Gil continued to move behind her, his lips traveling over her shoulder. When he paused at her other side, he reached around her and started undressing her, starting with her shirt.
When she was topless, covered only by a lacy blue bra that mirrored the colour of her eyes, both men dipped their heads and lazily moved their lips over her uncovered skin. Catherine shivered when Gil licked a path from her bra strap to her collarbone gully. Warrick, on the other side, was busy sucking and licking along her jaw. Catherine was doing all that she could to concentrate on standing up. Her hands were gripping both men for support.
Gil moved to her back again, focused on kneading her weary back muscles and planting sporadic kisses over her skin. Warrick dropped down in front of her. From his position on his knees, he started unfastening her pants. He placed one kiss to her navel which caused Catherine’s knees to buckle. She hadn’t been entirely prepared for the tenderness they were showering her with. Luckily, Gil wrapped an arm around her and held her firmly against his chest so she wouldn’t topple over. Warrick popped the button on her pants and then kissed the newly exposed swatch of skin. He put his hands on her hips and then took the zipper pull between his teeth.
“Show off,” Gil muttered between kisses to Catherine’s neck, as Warrick tugged her zipper fly open with his mouth. Catherine chuckled softly, until Gil bit down on her; then, one hand snaked up to grip him, while another moved to steady herself up on Warrick.
She stepped out of her pants and let Warrick massage her legs before telling them both: “You’re overdressed.”
Warrick stood up and kissed her lips, pulling a low purr from the woman. Then, he started for Gil. Catherine, sensing what he was doing, moved a little out of the way, watching with hungry eyes. His dark hands rushed down Gil’s buttons and when the shirt was open, he took his time pushing the material off of his shoulders. Catherine watched as Warrick’s fingers scraped over Gil’s chest, and as Gil’s face scrunched up as he tried to keep a moan from surfacing. That only made Warrick try harder.
Finally, Gil moaned, making both Warrick and Catherine smile. Warrick quickly shrugged out of his shirt, letting Catherine help him with his pants.
Every time she was feeling unsure, she’d look into their eyes. In each pair, she saw nothing but acceptance, arousal, love, and desire. Those gentle looks kept her going; for once, she forgot who she was, just that two men she loved and trusted wanted her. The thoughts made her laugh; part of her kept telling her how crazy she was, part of her didn’t care.
Warrick was lying on his back, cradling Catherine in his arms as they kissed. She loved his lips. They were different from Gil’s, but still amazing. Behind her, she felt Gil undoing her bra. When the fabric sagged below her, she adjusted herself so she could shrug out of it. Playfully, Warrick tossed it at Gil, who managed to catch it just before it hit him in the face.
“I’ll be right back,” Gil muttered softly, padding to the bathroom. She heard him turn the light on, the fan humming softly—before Warrick coaxed her back into the lustful haze.
Cool and metallic were two sensations Catherine didn’t expect to feel at her hip. She didn’t flinch, but she did break contact with Warrick’s lips to turn and look at Gil.
“Gil!” She gasped at the first snip. “Those were expensive—” she stopped talking and just growled as he reached and snipped the other side of her underwear. The panties fell on top of Warrick, where Gil reached to grab them, pausing to tease the younger man experimentally. Before he could react, Catherine launched herself at him. It was in play, but she was still annoyed that he ruined a pair of perfectly good underwear. “You owe me,” she said under her breath as her entire body pressed his into the mattress.
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah,” she nodded, before kissing him.
He pulled back and brushed the hair out of her eyes. “You’re beautiful.” She raised an eyebrow at him, not understanding where the need to compliment came from. Before she could ask about that, though, she felt Warrick’s lips on the small of her back. While Gil kissed her lips, Warrick started blazing a trail from her lower back, over her curves, down her thighs.
Warrick’s teeth dug into her calf, making her wriggle and laugh. “That tickles.”
He chuckled, and pulled her from Gil’s arms. She wasn’t kissing his lips anymore, but she felt them on her. Out of the corner of her eye—when her eyelids fluttered open—she saw his hands on the younger man’s torso. But, then, she felt hands elsewhere, and fell victim to the urges inside of her.
Gil helped Warrick finish undressing, while Catherine watched. She couldn’t tear her eyes away. While Gil kept her entertained, tasting her skin and driving her crazy while he did it, Warrick reached behind him to open the drawer in his nightstand.
“You know your way around here, do you?” Catherine teased, bending down to kiss his chest. When he pulled out a couple condoms in their neat wrappers, she nodded: “Good idea.”
~*~
Catherine arched her back and groaned softly as she lowered herself down onto him. Gil blushed, watching how sexually free she looked, watching how Warrick responded to her. He gently toyed with her hair, brushing it out of her eyes, letting his fingers trail down her face. She caught one of them in her mouth, sucking on it hard as she moved up and down.
Eventually he pulled away, content to watch. He never saw himself as a voyeur, but the show was incredible. While he couldn’t quantify his emotions—because he’s never had to do so—he knew that he wouldn’t be able to give up what was in front of him easily.
He knew he was hard and straining for release, but he couldn’t bring himself to do anything about it. He was completely mesmerized.
“Gil.”
Realizing that Catherine was trying to convey a message to him, he looked up into her eyes. “Ye-yes?”
“You gonna take off your pants any—” she stopped talking as Warrick did something right. “—time soon?”
He blushed. “Well, I, uh, you’re kinda... occupied.”
She rolled her eyes after rolling her hips a little. He noticed that both of them had slowed their movements down. “You and I both know there’s a vacancy.” He gasped, not out of horror but only surprise. “Just be careful. Both of you. I’d like to be able to walk into work tomorrow.”
Warrick helped him by finding a couple of items out of his drawer again. Gil smiled and accepted the tokens. Catherine had all but stopped moving on top of Warrick, and turned a little to watch him. Gil saw the uncertainty in her eyes and did his best to dissolve her worries by telling her: “If you don’t like it, I’ll stop.” He kissed her back and felt her relax.
With the help of his lubricant, he slowly began to prepare her, first with one finger, then with two. When he started to use a scissoring motion with his fingers, she winced, so he slowed down.
“No, don’t stop,” she said, as Warrick helped her move a bit.
“You sure?”
“Yesss,” she replied with a distracted nod. Gil didn’t want to disappoint her, so he kept his actions up. Eventually, he added a third finger; when he did so, she moaned loudly. “God, Gil...”
He smirked at Warrick, who grinned back. He played with her for a few minutes longer, relishing the reactions he was able to provoke from her with just his hand. Then, she snapped him from his enjoyment: “Gil, please, hurry.”
“Don’t wanna piss the boss off, Gil,” Warrick said.
Gil smiled. “No, I don’t.” He rubbed Catherine’s back while reaching for the condom. “Are you sure you don’t want to wait and—”
“Gil Grissom would you just take advantage of me like I want you to?”
He choked on a chuckle, and slowly positioned himself behind her. She moaned loudly as he began to slide into her. Slowly, taking each inch as carefully as possible. He grunted, not expecting the tightness, not expecting the pleasure to hit him as it did.
“God, Gil,” Catherine muttered on a sigh. When Warrick leaned up and captured a nipple in his mouth, she gasped and yelped his name. Both men chuckled, and continued to move carefully.
Catherine reached orgasm first, shuddering and gripping Gil with one hand, Warrick with the other. Gil pressed his lips to her shoulder, sucking on her sweet skin.
When the older man felt Warrick’s hand on his forearm, gripping tightly, he knew the young man wasn’t far behind.
And, then, Gil felt his own release building. he cried out and buried his face in Catherine’s back.
They unattached themselves and collapsed in a pile of limbs, panting for much-needed air. Catherine managed to prop herself up on her elbows, although still dizzy with desire, and kissed both of them on the lips. “Thank you.”
Warrick chuckled and snuggled up behind her. Gil smiled and wrapped an arm around her.
The three of them fell asleep, smiles still on their faces.
The End!
