Post by NV Oracle on Oct 28, 2008 17:04:50 GMT -10
Hey, there ladies.
Would you believe the start of thread #4? I truly am very pleased that you are liking my story this well. Here is the next chapter, just as I promised.
Horatio and Calleigh have a little together time. I think I can toot my own horn, at least just a little, and say that I'm pretty sure you ladies are going to LOVE this chapter, although Sandra, it is a little long, but I'm pretty sure you can handle it.
Although, I know I said I wasn't able to right anything 'Hot and Steamy', I believe I am going to put in an 'Air Conditioner' alert, because it get's pretty interesting over at Horatio's house. I'll let you ladies be the Judges.
Here we go. Please enjoy.
*****************
Chapter 66
Horatio and Calleigh looked at each other and smiled, then Calleigh sat back in her seat as Horatio asked.
“Ok. Where to?”
“My place, for just a couple of minutes, if you don’t mind.“
“Yes, ma‘am.” He replied.
They drove in companionable silence for a few minutes, then Horatio asked.
“What was it you needed to get from home?”
“You mean besides a change of clothes and some pajamas?” She asked.
He nodded with a quirk of a grin.
“I was hoping to get what I would need to give you a massage.”
Horatio pulled the Hummer into a visitor’s space.
“Calleigh, wait a minute.“
He got out of the Hummer and walked around to the passenger door. He helped Calleigh to close the door.
She turned to face him and walked up to him and wrapped her arms around him.
Horatio looked down at her. “That’s not necessary, sweetheart. You don’t have to.”
Calleigh looked up at him, exasperated. “I know I don’t have to, Handsome. If you will recall, I had offered, even before Stevie said anything. It’s something that I want to do for you. In case you missed the memo, we don’t like seeing you in pain. I have an idea that might help get you some sleep, and to help you relax, and hopefully feel a little bit better, if you will trust me.”
Horatio pulled her towards him and gave her a hug, as he told her. “Sweetheart, trust has never been the issue.” He leaned in and kissed her.
Calleigh remembered where she was, after a minute and broke it off. She rested her forehead against his chest, as she slowly got her breath back.
“What’s wrong?” He asked, puzzled.
Calleigh shook her head. “Nothing. I just don’t want my neighbors seeing me make out in the parking lot with my boyfriend, that’s all.”
Horatio laughed, genuinely amused. “Your boyfriend, huh?”
Calleigh nodded, with a smile. “Absolutely.”, then looked up at him.
Horatio noticed the pink tinge to her cheeks. He chuckled as he pulled her towards him again. “I’ll tell you what, how about we go get your things, then we can take this ‘hug fest’ over to my house.”
Calleigh chuckled as well, and nodded. “We can do that, Handsome.“ She turned and walked up the steps, up to her front door.
He followed her up to the door and watched her unlock it. The door swung open and she invited him in. He wiped his feet on the front door mat, then stepped over the threshold, and into her apartment.
Calleigh started down the little hallway, as she told him. “Make yourself to home, Handsome. I shouldn’t be but a few minutes.”
He stood in the middle of her living room, as he told her. “It’s all right, Beautiful. Take your time.”
She walked into her bed room, and pulled out a duffle bag from her closet, and set it on her bed. Calleigh then walked back over to the closet, and pulled out a pair of slacks, as well as a matching top, and put them with her duffle bag. She then went over to her dresser, and pulled out a pajama short set, as well as a bra and underwear. She took everything over to the duffle bag and put all of the items inside. She went into the bathroom and got her ‘travel’ set of toiletries, toothpaste, mouthwash, shampoo, conditioner, and deodorant, as well as her toothbrush, hairbrush, and the carrying case, and brought those to her duffle bag as well.
Calleigh then walked into her hallway bathroom, and opened the cabinet under the sink. She pulled out a larger bottle, a medium sized plastic bottle, then two smaller glass bottles. She stood there for a moment, thinking, trying to recall something, then, realized she would have to go into the living room to verify something in one of her books. She also knew that Horatio would quickly determine what she was up to, but she hoped that he would not refuse her request.
She knew that the massage, in combination with the aromatherapy, would help him to feel better in no time. If it worked on Hagen, it was certain to work with Horatio, but she also knew that she would have to set just the right mood when she did do it, otherwise, it might not, or at least not as well as she intended.
Getting him out of his trademark ‘business casual’ suit would be an additional bonus, but it would also be the most complicated aspect to this plan. Seeing him in his casual jeans and shirt the other night, had literally been breath taking. Although he still looked like Horatio, obviously, he also looked so different, that it took a bit of getting used to, to not do a double take whenever she looked over at him. What she had planned, though, was to get him so far out of his clothes, that she hoped he would not refuse her on principle.
Her own experiences with an alcoholic parent reminded her that, when that parent suspected that either the physical or emotional had met it’s mark, that the parent in question would remember that particular hole in the armor, and continue to use it as a means of hurting the child.
Basically, she knew that she had to get him to let down his guard, to relax, in order for this to work. She looked down at her ingredients, and sighed, then left the bathroom, and walked back into the living room. She stopped at the end of the hallway, and observed the red head……
Horatio watched her walk down the hall, then turned, and walked over to her book case. He quickly noticed books about Ballistics and Forensics, as well as Harry Potter, Mysteries, Science Fiction, and U.S. History. He also noticed several books on Aromatherapy and Massage.
Is this where she gets her ‘magic’ from? He thought to himself as he picked up one of her Aromatherapy books and leafed through it. He stopped in one section and was reading one passage, when a throat cleared itself behind him. He turned and looked at her as she approached.
Calleigh took the book from him and opened it to a different section. She read for a moment, then closed it, as she passed it back to him, and mumbled. “That’s what I thought.”
Horatio took the book from her and watched as she walked away, back towards the bathroom, with a puzzled expression.
She went back into the bathroom, and followed the instructions in the recipe, and closed the cap of the plastic bottle tightly. There, that aught to do the trick. She thought.
Calleigh took the bottle into her bedroom, and added it to her duffle bag, then also added 4 candles to it, and closed the zipper. She picked the bag up as she walked into the living room.
Horatio turned from the book case at the sound of her approach. “Do you have everything?”
She grinned. “Almost, Handsome. The only thing I have left is in my front closet.” She walked over to the closet, and opened the door. Inside, on the floor, sat two workout mats, rolled, and tied up. “Do me a favor, please, and grab those, and bring them out to the car.“
“Sure.“ Horatio told her, as he did as she asked. He also noticed that she grabbed another rolled up cloth item, then closed the door.
“Ok. We’re ready, now.” She told him, as she closed the door.
Horatio opened the front door. “After you.”
She smiled at him. “Except that I have the key.” She waved her key ring in front of him to illustrate.
“Well, fine, then.“ He stuck the tip of his tongue out at her.
“Now I know why Richard called you a scalawag.” Calleigh laughed. She turned and locked the door, then followed Horatio to the Hummer, as he opened the doors with the remote control. They put her things in to the back seat, then Horatio helped her climb in to the front passenger seat.
Horatio walked around to the driver’s side and climbed in as well. He drove to his place, and helped her gather her things from the back seat. Now it was her turn to follow him to the front door.
She watched as he unlocked the front door, and invited her into his home again. He followed her in and locked the door.“Where do you want this?” He asked.
She looked around the living room, then turned to him questioningly. “In here, if you don’t mind, that is?”
He shook his head, as he set the items on the floor, next to his coffee table. “Ok. What’s next?”
Calleigh turned to regard him, with her hands on her hips. “Well, I’m hoping you have a pair of lounge shorts, or whatever you’d normally wear to bed.“
He chuckled, and she just barely caught that mischievous gleam in his eye, as he replied. “I get it.” He turned to go up the stairs. “I’ll be right back.”
“Ok.“ Calleigh pulled out each of the four candles that she brought, and lit them, then set two of them on the second shelf of each of the units on either side of his tv, then also set the remaining two on each of the end tables on either side of the couch. She untied the two workout mats, and unrolled them, then laid one on top of the other, on the floor, then untied and unrolled the sheet, and covered them with it.
“Well, it looks like you’re ready. I‘m not quite sure what for, but you’re ready.“ Horatio pointed out from his place at the bottom of the stairs.
Calleigh looked up at the sound of his voice, and her breath caught in her throat. He stood there in red and blue plaid shorts with the matching shirt opened down the front. Even from her position on the other side of the room, Calleigh could easily make out his chiseled physique. She quickly blinked back to the here and now.
“Not completely, but almost.” She told him, as she put the bottle of massage oil on the coffee table. She picked up her duffle bag, and walked toward him. “Which way to the guest room, so that I can change?”
Horatio shook his head. “No guest room for you.” He turned to point at the top of the stairs. “Once you get to the top of the stairs, take the hall to your left, and my room is the big one on the right, at the end of the hall.” He told her.
“Ok. To use your words, I’ll be right back.” Instead of going up the stairs, though, Calleigh put her bag down on the floor, and pulled him in for a hug. “Don’t get nosey, Just hang out and I’ll be back as quick as I can.”
Horatio chuckled as he nodded. “Yes, ma’am.” He replied, as he leaned in for a kiss.
Although the kiss was short and sweet, it was just short enough and sweet enough, that Calleigh knew, when their relationship went to that level, that the fireworks would be spectacular. She sighed, after a moment, then turned, and picked up her duffle bag, and climbed the stairs to the upper level of the house.
Calleigh followed his instructions, and found herself walking into a room that could only have been the Master Suite. A large King sized bed sat in the middle of the room, draped in a burgundy and gold comforter and skirt. She put her duffle bag on to the bed. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a door that had two hangers on it, with a note. ‘Calleigh - please use me to hang up your work clothes. Horatio said ok.’
She grinned. Leave it to Horatio to think of his guest, before himself. She quickly hung up her clothes, as he had asked her to, and changed into her own lounge short set. As she was changing clothes, she thought she heard the sounds of a guitar coming from downstairs.
Maybe the candles are working, already. She thought, with a smile. She set her bag on the floor, under her hung up clothes, and made her way back downstairs. At the bottom of the stairs, she peeked around the corner and saw him sitting on the stool, strumming lazily on the instrument, not necessarily playing anything specific, but just letting the music move him.
She leaned against the wall, and folded her arms in front of her, and allowed the music to just flow between and around them, as she prayed that he would not look up.
He didn’t, for several long moments. When he did, finally, they exchanged a smile, and she walked across the room, as she told him. “One of these days, I’m going to need to record you doing that.”
Horatio looked confused. “What for? It‘s just noise.”
“No, it’s not, Handsome. What you played may not have been an actual song that someone wrote, but it still did the job of relaxation. Trust me, it was very soothing, very nice.”
“I guess.” Horatio replied, not really convinced. “What’s next?” He asked as he set his guitar back in it’s display stand, and stood up.
Calleigh mentally crossed her fingers and hoped a lot. “You, take off your shirt, and lay, face down, on the pallet, please?”
Horatio’s eyebrows climbed into his hair, but he wordlessly obeyed her request. He pulled off his pajama top, and draped it over his guitar stool, then laid, face down, on the pallet that Calleigh had created on his living room floor. He pulled the pillow towards himself, and leaned into it, propping up his upper torso and shoulders.
Calleigh looked him over from top to bottom, then asked. “You ok, Handsome?“
“Sure.” Horatio told her, but she also noticed that his eyes were closed. “I’m fine.”
“Ok.“ She straddled his hips, then tapped the underside of both of his arms. “You know the drill. Spread ‘em.”
Horatio chuckled as he moved his arms just a bit further away from his body. “Yes, ma’am.”
Calleigh picked up the bottle of massage oil, and opened the top. She poured a small amount into one hand, and rubbed them together, to warm the oil. She smiled to herself at the scent of the oil. Perfect. She thought to herself.
As she moved her hands to his shoulders, she told him. “If the pain gets to be much, please say something.”
“I will.” Horatio replied, as he willed himself to relax. He moaned softly, under his breath, as she hit a particularly tough knot, then, as she worked the knot out, he asked. “Is that scent what you were checking in that book?”
He can’t see her smile at that. “Yes. I was double checking the ratio of both scents to the carrier oil, which, in this case, is the nonscented massage oil that I’m using.“
“Carrier oil?“ He asked.
“Mmmhmmm. It ‘carries’ the essential oil, which is the scents ‘essence‘, distilled.“ As Calleigh has made this explanation, she has had the rare opportunity to check him out, unseen. She had not been aware of exactly how well developed and muscular he truly was. She knew that the attention would be something that he would attempt to avoid, if at all possible, which is why she knew that she had to rack her brain, just to remember the last time she had seen him out of his trademark suits.
As she worked her massage, she scanned his body. Broad muscular shoulders, that seemed to take the weight of the world far too often, down, to shoulder blades that were wide, and that stood out in definition as well. His sides and ribs were equally toned and well defined. The indent in his hips and lower back were irresistible to her as well. She wanted to touch him everywhere, but knew that she had planned for this to be about him, and not her.
The scarring from his father’s abuse didn’t take away from the fact that his musculature rippled when he moved, further perpetuating the use of feline adjectives to describe the red head. She knew that they were, in fact, quite accurate. Even for all his height, at 6 feet tall, his weight, which he somehow seemed to keep down, and his musculature, he seemed to be able to move with the unhurried grace of a cat. She, herself, had used them a time, or two, to describe him, but she had also heard other people using them in reference to him.
She continued the massage down, from his shoulders, down his back, and partially around his torso. Several times, she thought she heard him groan, or otherwise react, to something she had done. “You ok, Handsome?” She asked as she worked from his shoulder blades, and continued down his back.
“I’m fine.” He told her, then added. “You’re really good at this. I didn’t realize I was this knotted up.“
Calleigh chuckled, as she worked for just a moment, at the small of his back, around his waist. “I can’t take all the credit, Handsome. Part of it might be me, but most of it is the scent from not only the massage oil, but also the candles that I put out.”
“Ok. What am I smelling?“
“I have Lavender and Black Pepper in the massage oil, and Vanilla and Lavender candles in various parts of the room.“ She bypassed his rear end, and picked up the massage at the tops of his legs.
“Why those particular scents?” He asked.
Calleigh poured some more oil onto her hands, then rubbed them together to warm the oil, then turned back to one of his legs, starting at the top of his thigh. “Well, the Lavender and the Black Pepper are to help ease the muscle aches and pains, and help relax the mind. The black pepper also is for soothing some of the bruises that you’ve got, to help dissolve them.“
“What about the Vanilla?” He asked.
She chuckled. “The Vanilla is just on general principles. I like how it smells.” She explained, as she moved the massage down to his knee.
Horatio chuckled. “I take it you’ve studied aromatherapy for awhile, now?”
“I have.” She admitted. She moved the massage from his knee down to his calf, and his foot. “A friend in college introduced me to aromatherapy. She was really into meditation and self hypnosis, and she claimed that the aromatherapy would help that. I had developed an interest in meditation and massage, actually before I met her, and we met through a mutual friend. I quickly realized that the aromatherapy could easily be applied, as an extension of both, and to both.“
“You’ve been able to pursue your interest in them?” Horatio asked.
Calleigh poured some more oil onto her hands, then rubbed them together to warm the oil, then reached for his other leg, as she told him. “When I moved to Miami, I was quite pleased to discover that I could not only continue, but expand on my knowledge for all of them. Massage, hypnosis, meditation, as well as the aromatherapy.“ She continued the massage from the top of that leg to his other knee.
Horatio chuckled. “I wouldn’t have taken you for an ‘alternative medicine’ kind of girl.”
She chuckled as well. “I’m just chock full of all kinds of surprises.“
They laughed.
Calleigh moved the massage down from his knee, down to his calf and foot. “Actually, my mother ‘urged’ me to pursue the massage, saying that the information was worth having on its own.” She finished up with his foot. “For the most part, Mom was right. This one time.” She joked. “Roll over for me Handsome.” As she patted both his feet. “I don’t know.”
He thought about it for a minute. “Can you roll a glob of Jello?” He asked.
“Jello?“ She asked, not getting the connection.
Horatio chuckled. “Yeah, Jello, because I’m so relaxed right now, I don’t think I could move, even if you paid me to.“
Calleigh laughed. “I’m glad it’s worked that well, but yes, I still need to roll you over. I want to finish your massage, and hopefully get you crawled into bed, at a semi decent hour. We still have to be at the hospital kind of early in the morning."
“Yes, we do.” He agreed, as he moved to roll over for her.
As Horatio settled himself, Calleigh took a moment and scanned his body. Just as they had on his back, the bruises across his chest and abdomen stood out in stark contrast to his fair skin and freckles. She also noticed that just as he was muscular, toned, and well defined down and across his back, his chest and abdomen was equally well defined and muscular. Strong, broad shoulders, down to an equally broad, muscular chest, then down further still to a slim, toned waist and a well defined ‘6 pack’ that dissolved into a red happy trail.
When Calleigh moved to straddle his hips, Horatio noticed a pink tinge to her cheeks. He cracked a shy grin as he hesitantly asked. “You like what you see?“
Calleigh smiled. “Very much so.“ She told him softly, gently, as she leaned in and kissed him. After a few minutes, they broke their kiss for a lack of air. Calleigh laid on top of the red head, as she rested her head against him. She felt his arms wrap around her. “You are so bad.”
“Me? What did I do?” He asked as he pulled her towards himself. “I’m just laying here.”
“Do you know what you do to me?” She answered his question with one of her own.
Horatio cracked that boyish grin. “I know what I’m hoping.”
She chuckled. “I’ll bet.” She sat up and picked up the bottle of massage oil. She poured some into her hand, then rubbed her hands together, then picked up one of his arms, and gently began to massage his upper arm, slowly working her way down to his elbow, then to his forearm, then his hand. She laid his arm on the pallet, then turned back for the bottle of oil. “You still with me, Handsome?“
“Sort of.” He replied, with a sleepy lilt to his voice. “Why?”
She poured some more oil onto her hands, then rubbed it. “I just want you to relax. Let your mind go wherever it wants to go. Don’t make it go anywhere special. Ok?“ She asked as she picked up his other arm.
“I think I can do that, Beautiful.“ He told her, that sleepy lilt still in his voice.
“Ok.“ She smiled down at him. His eyes were still closed. She picked up his other arm, and began massaging the oil into his skin. She slowly moved down his arm to his elbow, then to his forearm, and hand. She laid the limb on the pallet again, then turned back for the bottle of oil. As she poured more oil onto her hands, she asked tentatively. “You still with me, Handsome?“
“Yup. Still here, Beautiful. What’s wrong?” He asked her, with his eyes still closed.
“Just making sure, sweetheart. You’ve got a lot of bruising here on your chest and abdomen. I’ll try my best not to hurt you, but please tell me, if I do, ok?”
Horatio’s eyes opened. As Calleigh laid her hands on his shoulders, he grabbed her wrists to stop her movement. “Sweetheart, this is a two way street. If I didn’t trust you, do you really think I would have agreed to any of this?” He grinned a devilish little grin. “I’ll admit, I’m feeling pretty good right this instant. Better than I have for a long time, and it’s all because of you. If you agree to continue with what you’re doing, until your finished, I’ll put up with a little discomfort. Agreed?”
“Except I don’t want you to be in any pain at all.” She told him. “I only want you to associate this with something positive.”
He chuckled. “There’s only one thing I’m feeling right this moment, and it’s very positive.” He told her. “Your amazing, Beautiful. Don’t stop, please?”
What could she say to that? She grinned gently down at him, humbled that he would agree to this quite so completely. She leaned in for a kiss, then broke it, as she sat up, putting both of his hands down on the pallet.
She began at his neck and shoulders, slowly working the kinks out. She noticed fairly quickly that his eyes slowly closed at her ministrations. As she continued down to his pectorals, and across his chest, she also noticed that his breathing slowly dropped off.
She quickly grabbed for the bottle of oil again, and poured some more onto her hands. She rubbed her hands together, to warm the oil, then picked up where she left off, from just under his ‘nipple line’ to around his sides, massaging muscles as she found them, and working knots out when she came to them. She paused here for just a moment, watching his abdomen, as he breathed. He didn’t falter, and it remained even and deep, so she continued, slowly working into his abdomen, pressing in to him, and stretching his muscles. “I think we’re getting to be done, Handsome. How do you feel?“ She asked, as she finished at his sides, just above his shorts.
Horatio opened his eyes, and pulled her towards him. “Fantastic. Stevie was right. You do have magic hands. Thank you.”
Calleigh chuckled, as she allowed Horatio to pull her towards him. “I’m glad I could help, Handsome. You’re more than welcome. If you need a repeat performance, just let me know, ok?“
Horatio grinned wickedly. “Yes, ma‘am. That’s a promise.“ He lifted his head slightly and kissed her.
Calleigh gave as good as she got, putting all of her feelings for the man under her into their kiss. When they eventually broke it for air, she gently reminded him. “Come on, Handsome, let’s get you to bed. You have a little boy who is counting on some of your magic for tomorrow.”
“Yes, ma‘am. Let’s go.” He agreed.
They both stood up, and after they extinguished the candles, and made sure that the doors were locked, they made their way, together, up the stairs to bed.
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Well? Hopefully, it'll be enough.
Your friend
NV Oracle
Would you believe the start of thread #4? I truly am very pleased that you are liking my story this well. Here is the next chapter, just as I promised.
Horatio and Calleigh have a little together time. I think I can toot my own horn, at least just a little, and say that I'm pretty sure you ladies are going to LOVE this chapter, although Sandra, it is a little long, but I'm pretty sure you can handle it.
Although, I know I said I wasn't able to right anything 'Hot and Steamy', I believe I am going to put in an 'Air Conditioner' alert, because it get's pretty interesting over at Horatio's house. I'll let you ladies be the Judges.
Here we go. Please enjoy.
*****************
Chapter 66
Horatio and Calleigh looked at each other and smiled, then Calleigh sat back in her seat as Horatio asked.
“Ok. Where to?”
“My place, for just a couple of minutes, if you don’t mind.“
“Yes, ma‘am.” He replied.
They drove in companionable silence for a few minutes, then Horatio asked.
“What was it you needed to get from home?”
“You mean besides a change of clothes and some pajamas?” She asked.
He nodded with a quirk of a grin.
“I was hoping to get what I would need to give you a massage.”
Horatio pulled the Hummer into a visitor’s space.
“Calleigh, wait a minute.“
He got out of the Hummer and walked around to the passenger door. He helped Calleigh to close the door.
She turned to face him and walked up to him and wrapped her arms around him.
Horatio looked down at her. “That’s not necessary, sweetheart. You don’t have to.”
Calleigh looked up at him, exasperated. “I know I don’t have to, Handsome. If you will recall, I had offered, even before Stevie said anything. It’s something that I want to do for you. In case you missed the memo, we don’t like seeing you in pain. I have an idea that might help get you some sleep, and to help you relax, and hopefully feel a little bit better, if you will trust me.”
Horatio pulled her towards him and gave her a hug, as he told her. “Sweetheart, trust has never been the issue.” He leaned in and kissed her.
Calleigh remembered where she was, after a minute and broke it off. She rested her forehead against his chest, as she slowly got her breath back.
“What’s wrong?” He asked, puzzled.
Calleigh shook her head. “Nothing. I just don’t want my neighbors seeing me make out in the parking lot with my boyfriend, that’s all.”
Horatio laughed, genuinely amused. “Your boyfriend, huh?”
Calleigh nodded, with a smile. “Absolutely.”, then looked up at him.
Horatio noticed the pink tinge to her cheeks. He chuckled as he pulled her towards him again. “I’ll tell you what, how about we go get your things, then we can take this ‘hug fest’ over to my house.”
Calleigh chuckled as well, and nodded. “We can do that, Handsome.“ She turned and walked up the steps, up to her front door.
He followed her up to the door and watched her unlock it. The door swung open and she invited him in. He wiped his feet on the front door mat, then stepped over the threshold, and into her apartment.
Calleigh started down the little hallway, as she told him. “Make yourself to home, Handsome. I shouldn’t be but a few minutes.”
He stood in the middle of her living room, as he told her. “It’s all right, Beautiful. Take your time.”
She walked into her bed room, and pulled out a duffle bag from her closet, and set it on her bed. Calleigh then walked back over to the closet, and pulled out a pair of slacks, as well as a matching top, and put them with her duffle bag. She then went over to her dresser, and pulled out a pajama short set, as well as a bra and underwear. She took everything over to the duffle bag and put all of the items inside. She went into the bathroom and got her ‘travel’ set of toiletries, toothpaste, mouthwash, shampoo, conditioner, and deodorant, as well as her toothbrush, hairbrush, and the carrying case, and brought those to her duffle bag as well.
Calleigh then walked into her hallway bathroom, and opened the cabinet under the sink. She pulled out a larger bottle, a medium sized plastic bottle, then two smaller glass bottles. She stood there for a moment, thinking, trying to recall something, then, realized she would have to go into the living room to verify something in one of her books. She also knew that Horatio would quickly determine what she was up to, but she hoped that he would not refuse her request.
She knew that the massage, in combination with the aromatherapy, would help him to feel better in no time. If it worked on Hagen, it was certain to work with Horatio, but she also knew that she would have to set just the right mood when she did do it, otherwise, it might not, or at least not as well as she intended.
Getting him out of his trademark ‘business casual’ suit would be an additional bonus, but it would also be the most complicated aspect to this plan. Seeing him in his casual jeans and shirt the other night, had literally been breath taking. Although he still looked like Horatio, obviously, he also looked so different, that it took a bit of getting used to, to not do a double take whenever she looked over at him. What she had planned, though, was to get him so far out of his clothes, that she hoped he would not refuse her on principle.
Her own experiences with an alcoholic parent reminded her that, when that parent suspected that either the physical or emotional had met it’s mark, that the parent in question would remember that particular hole in the armor, and continue to use it as a means of hurting the child.
Basically, she knew that she had to get him to let down his guard, to relax, in order for this to work. She looked down at her ingredients, and sighed, then left the bathroom, and walked back into the living room. She stopped at the end of the hallway, and observed the red head……
Horatio watched her walk down the hall, then turned, and walked over to her book case. He quickly noticed books about Ballistics and Forensics, as well as Harry Potter, Mysteries, Science Fiction, and U.S. History. He also noticed several books on Aromatherapy and Massage.
Is this where she gets her ‘magic’ from? He thought to himself as he picked up one of her Aromatherapy books and leafed through it. He stopped in one section and was reading one passage, when a throat cleared itself behind him. He turned and looked at her as she approached.
Calleigh took the book from him and opened it to a different section. She read for a moment, then closed it, as she passed it back to him, and mumbled. “That’s what I thought.”
Horatio took the book from her and watched as she walked away, back towards the bathroom, with a puzzled expression.
She went back into the bathroom, and followed the instructions in the recipe, and closed the cap of the plastic bottle tightly. There, that aught to do the trick. She thought.
Calleigh took the bottle into her bedroom, and added it to her duffle bag, then also added 4 candles to it, and closed the zipper. She picked the bag up as she walked into the living room.
Horatio turned from the book case at the sound of her approach. “Do you have everything?”
She grinned. “Almost, Handsome. The only thing I have left is in my front closet.” She walked over to the closet, and opened the door. Inside, on the floor, sat two workout mats, rolled, and tied up. “Do me a favor, please, and grab those, and bring them out to the car.“
“Sure.“ Horatio told her, as he did as she asked. He also noticed that she grabbed another rolled up cloth item, then closed the door.
“Ok. We’re ready, now.” She told him, as she closed the door.
Horatio opened the front door. “After you.”
She smiled at him. “Except that I have the key.” She waved her key ring in front of him to illustrate.
“Well, fine, then.“ He stuck the tip of his tongue out at her.
“Now I know why Richard called you a scalawag.” Calleigh laughed. She turned and locked the door, then followed Horatio to the Hummer, as he opened the doors with the remote control. They put her things in to the back seat, then Horatio helped her climb in to the front passenger seat.
Horatio walked around to the driver’s side and climbed in as well. He drove to his place, and helped her gather her things from the back seat. Now it was her turn to follow him to the front door.
She watched as he unlocked the front door, and invited her into his home again. He followed her in and locked the door.“Where do you want this?” He asked.
She looked around the living room, then turned to him questioningly. “In here, if you don’t mind, that is?”
He shook his head, as he set the items on the floor, next to his coffee table. “Ok. What’s next?”
Calleigh turned to regard him, with her hands on her hips. “Well, I’m hoping you have a pair of lounge shorts, or whatever you’d normally wear to bed.“
He chuckled, and she just barely caught that mischievous gleam in his eye, as he replied. “I get it.” He turned to go up the stairs. “I’ll be right back.”
“Ok.“ Calleigh pulled out each of the four candles that she brought, and lit them, then set two of them on the second shelf of each of the units on either side of his tv, then also set the remaining two on each of the end tables on either side of the couch. She untied the two workout mats, and unrolled them, then laid one on top of the other, on the floor, then untied and unrolled the sheet, and covered them with it.
“Well, it looks like you’re ready. I‘m not quite sure what for, but you’re ready.“ Horatio pointed out from his place at the bottom of the stairs.
Calleigh looked up at the sound of his voice, and her breath caught in her throat. He stood there in red and blue plaid shorts with the matching shirt opened down the front. Even from her position on the other side of the room, Calleigh could easily make out his chiseled physique. She quickly blinked back to the here and now.
“Not completely, but almost.” She told him, as she put the bottle of massage oil on the coffee table. She picked up her duffle bag, and walked toward him. “Which way to the guest room, so that I can change?”
Horatio shook his head. “No guest room for you.” He turned to point at the top of the stairs. “Once you get to the top of the stairs, take the hall to your left, and my room is the big one on the right, at the end of the hall.” He told her.
“Ok. To use your words, I’ll be right back.” Instead of going up the stairs, though, Calleigh put her bag down on the floor, and pulled him in for a hug. “Don’t get nosey, Just hang out and I’ll be back as quick as I can.”
Horatio chuckled as he nodded. “Yes, ma’am.” He replied, as he leaned in for a kiss.
Although the kiss was short and sweet, it was just short enough and sweet enough, that Calleigh knew, when their relationship went to that level, that the fireworks would be spectacular. She sighed, after a moment, then turned, and picked up her duffle bag, and climbed the stairs to the upper level of the house.
Calleigh followed his instructions, and found herself walking into a room that could only have been the Master Suite. A large King sized bed sat in the middle of the room, draped in a burgundy and gold comforter and skirt. She put her duffle bag on to the bed. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a door that had two hangers on it, with a note. ‘Calleigh - please use me to hang up your work clothes. Horatio said ok.’
She grinned. Leave it to Horatio to think of his guest, before himself. She quickly hung up her clothes, as he had asked her to, and changed into her own lounge short set. As she was changing clothes, she thought she heard the sounds of a guitar coming from downstairs.
Maybe the candles are working, already. She thought, with a smile. She set her bag on the floor, under her hung up clothes, and made her way back downstairs. At the bottom of the stairs, she peeked around the corner and saw him sitting on the stool, strumming lazily on the instrument, not necessarily playing anything specific, but just letting the music move him.
She leaned against the wall, and folded her arms in front of her, and allowed the music to just flow between and around them, as she prayed that he would not look up.
He didn’t, for several long moments. When he did, finally, they exchanged a smile, and she walked across the room, as she told him. “One of these days, I’m going to need to record you doing that.”
Horatio looked confused. “What for? It‘s just noise.”
“No, it’s not, Handsome. What you played may not have been an actual song that someone wrote, but it still did the job of relaxation. Trust me, it was very soothing, very nice.”
“I guess.” Horatio replied, not really convinced. “What’s next?” He asked as he set his guitar back in it’s display stand, and stood up.
Calleigh mentally crossed her fingers and hoped a lot. “You, take off your shirt, and lay, face down, on the pallet, please?”
Horatio’s eyebrows climbed into his hair, but he wordlessly obeyed her request. He pulled off his pajama top, and draped it over his guitar stool, then laid, face down, on the pallet that Calleigh had created on his living room floor. He pulled the pillow towards himself, and leaned into it, propping up his upper torso and shoulders.
Calleigh looked him over from top to bottom, then asked. “You ok, Handsome?“
“Sure.” Horatio told her, but she also noticed that his eyes were closed. “I’m fine.”
“Ok.“ She straddled his hips, then tapped the underside of both of his arms. “You know the drill. Spread ‘em.”
Horatio chuckled as he moved his arms just a bit further away from his body. “Yes, ma’am.”
Calleigh picked up the bottle of massage oil, and opened the top. She poured a small amount into one hand, and rubbed them together, to warm the oil. She smiled to herself at the scent of the oil. Perfect. She thought to herself.
As she moved her hands to his shoulders, she told him. “If the pain gets to be much, please say something.”
“I will.” Horatio replied, as he willed himself to relax. He moaned softly, under his breath, as she hit a particularly tough knot, then, as she worked the knot out, he asked. “Is that scent what you were checking in that book?”
He can’t see her smile at that. “Yes. I was double checking the ratio of both scents to the carrier oil, which, in this case, is the nonscented massage oil that I’m using.“
“Carrier oil?“ He asked.
“Mmmhmmm. It ‘carries’ the essential oil, which is the scents ‘essence‘, distilled.“ As Calleigh has made this explanation, she has had the rare opportunity to check him out, unseen. She had not been aware of exactly how well developed and muscular he truly was. She knew that the attention would be something that he would attempt to avoid, if at all possible, which is why she knew that she had to rack her brain, just to remember the last time she had seen him out of his trademark suits.
As she worked her massage, she scanned his body. Broad muscular shoulders, that seemed to take the weight of the world far too often, down, to shoulder blades that were wide, and that stood out in definition as well. His sides and ribs were equally toned and well defined. The indent in his hips and lower back were irresistible to her as well. She wanted to touch him everywhere, but knew that she had planned for this to be about him, and not her.
The scarring from his father’s abuse didn’t take away from the fact that his musculature rippled when he moved, further perpetuating the use of feline adjectives to describe the red head. She knew that they were, in fact, quite accurate. Even for all his height, at 6 feet tall, his weight, which he somehow seemed to keep down, and his musculature, he seemed to be able to move with the unhurried grace of a cat. She, herself, had used them a time, or two, to describe him, but she had also heard other people using them in reference to him.
She continued the massage down, from his shoulders, down his back, and partially around his torso. Several times, she thought she heard him groan, or otherwise react, to something she had done. “You ok, Handsome?” She asked as she worked from his shoulder blades, and continued down his back.
“I’m fine.” He told her, then added. “You’re really good at this. I didn’t realize I was this knotted up.“
Calleigh chuckled, as she worked for just a moment, at the small of his back, around his waist. “I can’t take all the credit, Handsome. Part of it might be me, but most of it is the scent from not only the massage oil, but also the candles that I put out.”
“Ok. What am I smelling?“
“I have Lavender and Black Pepper in the massage oil, and Vanilla and Lavender candles in various parts of the room.“ She bypassed his rear end, and picked up the massage at the tops of his legs.
“Why those particular scents?” He asked.
Calleigh poured some more oil onto her hands, then rubbed them together to warm the oil, then turned back to one of his legs, starting at the top of his thigh. “Well, the Lavender and the Black Pepper are to help ease the muscle aches and pains, and help relax the mind. The black pepper also is for soothing some of the bruises that you’ve got, to help dissolve them.“
“What about the Vanilla?” He asked.
She chuckled. “The Vanilla is just on general principles. I like how it smells.” She explained, as she moved the massage down to his knee.
Horatio chuckled. “I take it you’ve studied aromatherapy for awhile, now?”
“I have.” She admitted. She moved the massage from his knee down to his calf, and his foot. “A friend in college introduced me to aromatherapy. She was really into meditation and self hypnosis, and she claimed that the aromatherapy would help that. I had developed an interest in meditation and massage, actually before I met her, and we met through a mutual friend. I quickly realized that the aromatherapy could easily be applied, as an extension of both, and to both.“
“You’ve been able to pursue your interest in them?” Horatio asked.
Calleigh poured some more oil onto her hands, then rubbed them together to warm the oil, then reached for his other leg, as she told him. “When I moved to Miami, I was quite pleased to discover that I could not only continue, but expand on my knowledge for all of them. Massage, hypnosis, meditation, as well as the aromatherapy.“ She continued the massage from the top of that leg to his other knee.
Horatio chuckled. “I wouldn’t have taken you for an ‘alternative medicine’ kind of girl.”
She chuckled as well. “I’m just chock full of all kinds of surprises.“
They laughed.
Calleigh moved the massage down from his knee, down to his calf and foot. “Actually, my mother ‘urged’ me to pursue the massage, saying that the information was worth having on its own.” She finished up with his foot. “For the most part, Mom was right. This one time.” She joked. “Roll over for me Handsome.” As she patted both his feet. “I don’t know.”
He thought about it for a minute. “Can you roll a glob of Jello?” He asked.
“Jello?“ She asked, not getting the connection.
Horatio chuckled. “Yeah, Jello, because I’m so relaxed right now, I don’t think I could move, even if you paid me to.“
Calleigh laughed. “I’m glad it’s worked that well, but yes, I still need to roll you over. I want to finish your massage, and hopefully get you crawled into bed, at a semi decent hour. We still have to be at the hospital kind of early in the morning."
“Yes, we do.” He agreed, as he moved to roll over for her.
As Horatio settled himself, Calleigh took a moment and scanned his body. Just as they had on his back, the bruises across his chest and abdomen stood out in stark contrast to his fair skin and freckles. She also noticed that just as he was muscular, toned, and well defined down and across his back, his chest and abdomen was equally well defined and muscular. Strong, broad shoulders, down to an equally broad, muscular chest, then down further still to a slim, toned waist and a well defined ‘6 pack’ that dissolved into a red happy trail.
When Calleigh moved to straddle his hips, Horatio noticed a pink tinge to her cheeks. He cracked a shy grin as he hesitantly asked. “You like what you see?“
Calleigh smiled. “Very much so.“ She told him softly, gently, as she leaned in and kissed him. After a few minutes, they broke their kiss for a lack of air. Calleigh laid on top of the red head, as she rested her head against him. She felt his arms wrap around her. “You are so bad.”
“Me? What did I do?” He asked as he pulled her towards himself. “I’m just laying here.”
“Do you know what you do to me?” She answered his question with one of her own.
Horatio cracked that boyish grin. “I know what I’m hoping.”
She chuckled. “I’ll bet.” She sat up and picked up the bottle of massage oil. She poured some into her hand, then rubbed her hands together, then picked up one of his arms, and gently began to massage his upper arm, slowly working her way down to his elbow, then to his forearm, then his hand. She laid his arm on the pallet, then turned back for the bottle of oil. “You still with me, Handsome?“
“Sort of.” He replied, with a sleepy lilt to his voice. “Why?”
She poured some more oil onto her hands, then rubbed it. “I just want you to relax. Let your mind go wherever it wants to go. Don’t make it go anywhere special. Ok?“ She asked as she picked up his other arm.
“I think I can do that, Beautiful.“ He told her, that sleepy lilt still in his voice.
“Ok.“ She smiled down at him. His eyes were still closed. She picked up his other arm, and began massaging the oil into his skin. She slowly moved down his arm to his elbow, then to his forearm, and hand. She laid the limb on the pallet again, then turned back for the bottle of oil. As she poured more oil onto her hands, she asked tentatively. “You still with me, Handsome?“
“Yup. Still here, Beautiful. What’s wrong?” He asked her, with his eyes still closed.
“Just making sure, sweetheart. You’ve got a lot of bruising here on your chest and abdomen. I’ll try my best not to hurt you, but please tell me, if I do, ok?”
Horatio’s eyes opened. As Calleigh laid her hands on his shoulders, he grabbed her wrists to stop her movement. “Sweetheart, this is a two way street. If I didn’t trust you, do you really think I would have agreed to any of this?” He grinned a devilish little grin. “I’ll admit, I’m feeling pretty good right this instant. Better than I have for a long time, and it’s all because of you. If you agree to continue with what you’re doing, until your finished, I’ll put up with a little discomfort. Agreed?”
“Except I don’t want you to be in any pain at all.” She told him. “I only want you to associate this with something positive.”
He chuckled. “There’s only one thing I’m feeling right this moment, and it’s very positive.” He told her. “Your amazing, Beautiful. Don’t stop, please?”
What could she say to that? She grinned gently down at him, humbled that he would agree to this quite so completely. She leaned in for a kiss, then broke it, as she sat up, putting both of his hands down on the pallet.
She began at his neck and shoulders, slowly working the kinks out. She noticed fairly quickly that his eyes slowly closed at her ministrations. As she continued down to his pectorals, and across his chest, she also noticed that his breathing slowly dropped off.
She quickly grabbed for the bottle of oil again, and poured some more onto her hands. She rubbed her hands together, to warm the oil, then picked up where she left off, from just under his ‘nipple line’ to around his sides, massaging muscles as she found them, and working knots out when she came to them. She paused here for just a moment, watching his abdomen, as he breathed. He didn’t falter, and it remained even and deep, so she continued, slowly working into his abdomen, pressing in to him, and stretching his muscles. “I think we’re getting to be done, Handsome. How do you feel?“ She asked, as she finished at his sides, just above his shorts.
Horatio opened his eyes, and pulled her towards him. “Fantastic. Stevie was right. You do have magic hands. Thank you.”
Calleigh chuckled, as she allowed Horatio to pull her towards him. “I’m glad I could help, Handsome. You’re more than welcome. If you need a repeat performance, just let me know, ok?“
Horatio grinned wickedly. “Yes, ma‘am. That’s a promise.“ He lifted his head slightly and kissed her.
Calleigh gave as good as she got, putting all of her feelings for the man under her into their kiss. When they eventually broke it for air, she gently reminded him. “Come on, Handsome, let’s get you to bed. You have a little boy who is counting on some of your magic for tomorrow.”
“Yes, ma‘am. Let’s go.” He agreed.
They both stood up, and after they extinguished the candles, and made sure that the doors were locked, they made their way, together, up the stairs to bed.
************************
Well? Hopefully, it'll be enough.
Your friend
NV Oracle