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Duties and Desires
Chapter 6
A/N: Well, this is it; the last chapter. This story was a fun little experiment for me as I got to try a different writing style. Thank you all so much for your patience and your great reviews. You guys are great :)
As always, my compliments to EllipsesBandit for being the greatest beta. She truly goes above and beyond the call of duty.
Shift was almost over, and with no calls, he could go home and have a peaceful morning with Sara. He leaned back, hoping to relax for the last hour. The second he closed his eyes, he heard it; that distinctive clicking sound of Catherine Willows’ shoes on the tile floor. If she was coming to tell him about lab results, the pace would be slower; if she wanted to remind him to sign off on vacation time, the steps would be brusque. But the ones he heard now, loud and forceful, and echoing down the hall, meant she was angry; pissed off was more accurate.
Catherine walked straight in --with no greeting-- and slammed the door. Stopping at his desk, she dropped a thick book with a heavy thud.
“Did you decide to ignore this along with the rest of your paperwork or did you just decide to let the lab read it?” she angrily accused.
Opening the cover, Grissom noticed it was the romance novel found a few days earlier. “I thought I had gotten rid of this,” he answered, puzzled. He could have sworn it got thrown away with the catalogs that had been cluttering his desk.
“Well, someone got a hold of it, and it’s been all over the lab!” she told him. “And whoever wrote this trash wrote me as…as…” Gesturing with her hand, she loudly commanded, “Look at page 372.”
“Oh god, you’re so good at this,” Lorraine panted.
“I have many hidden talents,” Daniel whispered before his mouth found her tender skin again.
His lips blazed a fiery trail from her jaw line to her collar bone. There, his tongue darted out for the briefest of moments to taste the delectable flesh. When she gasped once again, he smiled against her. While Lorraine may be the strongest, toughest nurse in the hospital, Daniel Rodgers knew how to make her melt like butter on a pancake. His hands slipped beneath her silk blouse, where they traveled up to caress her warm, soft—
Grissom cleared his throat, feeling slightly uncomfortable. “So this would be you and…” he trailed off. He had an idea of the male character’s counterpart, but he hoped he was wrong.
“Hodges,” she finished through gritted teeth. “But that’s not all! Read page 573.”
The buttons from Conroy’s shirt bounced against the wall as Lorraine tore the two halves apart. She ran her hands down his smooth, rock hard chest. Her fingers stopped just above his pants before starting upward again. She continued the same motion several times, allowing her fingers to skim lower and lower, but never close enough to where he wanted.
“Tease,” Conroy growled after the last pass.
Lorraine smiled wickedly before laying hot, wet kisses to his chest. His breaths grew harsh and ragged. When her mouth closed over one of taut nipples, he—
Looking up with his mouth slightly open, Grissom informed Catherine, “I don’t think I want to read this any more.” He closed the book, and pushed it away.
“I did, and do you know what I found?” She didn’t even give him a chance to form words. “That my character slept with all the men, including Conrad and Hodges!” She clenched her jaw. “Conrad is bad enough, but Hodges?” The name was spit out with a high amount of disdain.
He tried opening his mouth again, but she ranted on, “I can’t even find out who wrote it! Look at these test results!” She shoved a piece of paper in his face.
Grissom started scanning over the lab tests she had run on the book when Greg came bursting in.
Greg stood next to Catherine with a determined expression. “Grissom, I need to talk to…” He paused, and his gaze shifted to the book. His body slacked with relief. “Oh, thank God! You guys have the book!”
“I found it,” Catherine replied. “Somehow it got out.” She stared pointedly at Grissom.
“Wha- How…how did…how did that happen?” Greg stuttered. “I threw it away. Who dug it out of the trash?”
Quirking an eyebrow, Grissom faced Greg fully. “You threw it away? When were you in my office? By yourself?”
Catherine glared at the former lab rat as he looked helplessly between her and Grissom. “I-I dropped off that file and then you left…And-and I read a little.” He quickly held his hands up in defense. “But nothing about you,” Greg emphasized to the blond. “Or you,” he gestured to Grissom. “But I read…what I did see…it was bad. Really, really, really bad. I had to get rid of it.” He shrugged. “So I threw it away.”
“There’s a trash digger because someone found it.” Catherine crossed her arms over her chest. And now Hodges thinks I’m his sex slave.”
“I just had Henry congratulate me on Batman and Robin finally getting together,” Greg countered.
“Three. That’s how times my character slept with Hodges’”
“That’s nothing compared to some scene with Nick in the locker room. Archie asked if we like to work out together.”
“Oh, please. Lorraine tied up Conroy Heckler, and then proceeded to spank him with-“
“All right,” Grissom interrupted. He didn’t want to listen to his C.S.Is argue any longer and he certainly didn’t need any more details from the book “I’ll take care of this.”
After the two left, the nightshift supervisor shook his head, and sighed. Instead of thinking of what to cook for breakfast, he now had to devise a plan for keeping the lab from turning into The Young and the Restless.
“I think Captain Brass wrote it,” Archie theorized. “I mean, he knows an expert in the whole dominatrix thing. You saw that scene between Tim and Heidi, right? With the whips, chains, and…”
Ronnie huffed. “If Warrick wrote that, the man needs serious help. Not only writing detailed descriptions about his colleagues having sex, but the kinky stuff his character did? The man is sick. Really sick…”
Hodges shook his head. “It’s not Warrick. I thought it was Catherine at first, but now I’m thinking it’s Nick. I always wondered if he had feelings for Greg. Maybe it was some perverse way of telling him. Sweet, innocent, down-to-earth, Texan my ass…”
The conference room quickly became quiet as Grissom entered and walked to the front. He’d called for a meeting of the graveyard personnel before the shift ended. His five C.S.Is were seated together in the front while lab technicians stopped their hushed conversations in the back.
“I called everyone in her to discuss this.” He held up the book. “This romance novel was found in the break room three days ago, and from the names and descriptions, it’s obvious the characters are people in the lab.
“Now I took the book when it was found, and I was going to destroy it. But unfortunately the book got into circulation before I got to do so. I’d like to apologize to everyone.” Grissom found the eyes of Sara, Warrick, Catherine, Nick, and Greg first. Then he looked around the room at the rest of the staff. “I’m sorry. It should have been taken care of immediately.”
His voice became more firm. “Because now rumors have started about staff members based on their counterparts in the novel. I would have thought people who work with evidence on a regular basis would know better than to make assumptions on a piece of fiction.” He paused. “Unless of course someone has something concrete.”
A full minute of silence passed while Grissom scanned the room, waiting for a response. Getting none, he took a breath, and went on, “I don’t think I have to explain to you all about the damage these rumors can do. Especially if they reach the assistant lab director.”
Some people shifted in their chairs; others looked away. Conrad Ecklie would surely launch a full-scale investigation into finding the identity of the author if any of the details of his character reached his ears. People would be interviewed, computer access would be heavily monitored, and there would certainly be some firings. Grissom wanted to put a stop to any talk that would cause the staff to lose their jobs.
“I don’t know who wrote this. According to analysis, the book was printed on regular computer paper with an ink cartridge standard for most laser jet printers. Because it has been passed around, no unique prints were found on the cover.” Catherine’s thorough analysis revealed nothing probative; she had covered all the bases from questioned document testing to fingerprints to calling local print shops for information on the cover. “And the cover is apparently the number one choice for those binding manuscripts.”
Grissom’s mouth was held in a firm line. “I’m not sure why this was left here or what the writer hoped to accomplish, but I can tell you I don’t ever want to see something like this at the lab ever again. I also don’t want people speculating on other people’s lives based on absolutely no evidence. I’m sure you all have better things you should be doing with your time, anyway.” He inhaled sharply through his nose, and said, “If there is talk of the book or of people in relation to their characters, the guilty parties will be doing mandatory volunteer work on decomp studies at the body farm. Unpaid and on off hours.” His forehead wrinkled slightly from frustration. “So this novel should not be mentioned again. Is that clear?’
There were a few quiet “yes’s,” but mostly nods. A couple of people visibly swallowed. Grissom dismissed the room and everyone shuffled out, keeping silent. He then made his way to the copy room; where the paper shredder was located.
Grissom tore his eyes away from the computer screen. “Actually, yes. There’s a study on the use of the arthropods in traditional medicine in Nigeria.”
“No romance novel?”
There was the briefest glimpse of a smirk before he rolled his eyes.
After shift ended, Sara waited an extra ten minutes while Grissom shredded Duties and Desires. He surprised her when he came to the car with a large bag full of strips of paper. They stopped by a recycling plant on the way home as he insisted the book be completely destroyed.
Truthfully Sara felt relieved by his wanting to be thorough. Earlier in the night, she’d wondered why the lab techs had been smirking and whispering to each other when she walked by, especially women. It was when she found Catherine harassing Ronnie about some tests results that she discovered the book had made the rounds. The blond had adamantly explained she was not going to let the book out of her sight as she tried to figure out who wrote it.
While Sara felt embarrassed that she and Grissom’s characters’ love scenes were seen by almost everyone, she was more than relieved that Catherine had confiscated the book and then went to Grissom. Her fears were completely dispelled with the meeting and the detour to the recycling center.
Exhaling through his nose, Grissom turned to her. “It amazes me that some people believe everything they read in fictional stories, whether it’s a science fiction or mystery or romance novels. They sincerely think these alternate worlds are part of reality when really it’s just something from the author’s imagination.”
She shrugged. “Fantasy is better than reality. For many, books are an escape from real life.”
He nodded in agreement. “And we witnessed it on a small scale. There are whole groups out there dedicated to finding a wizarding world in London or who have the entire blue prints on fictional space crafts. Some women believe a Navy SEALS or a Secret Service agent will enter their lives and sweep them off their feet.” Tilting his head to the side, he spoke evenly, “In this case, everyone thought Catherine wanted Hodges, Nick and Greg have a secret relationship, and that I am some kind of dashing hero.”
Smirking, Sara gently massaged her fingers through the curls at the back of his head. “Even scientists are allowed to have their dumb moments. But they were right about you.” She chuckled as he rolled his eyes again.
“I’m just happy I was able to take care of the whole thing.”
“Speaking of that…” Her voice turned slightly huskier. Carefully, she removed his glasses and tugged him to his feet, ignoring his puzzled expression. “Have I ever told you how sexy you are when you take charge at work?” She started placing soft kisses along his jaw line.
He cleared his throat. “Uh, no”
Nuzzling his neck, she inhaled the wonderful sandalwood scent of his skin. “It’s a huge turn on to see you up there, taking control of everything.” She pressed her lips against his ear, and murmured, “Playing the big, bad boss.”
Sara’s hands then slid under his t-shirt, and her fingers and palms roamed his broad back. Her mouth moved down his jaw to chin, where she kissed the dimple several times. Just as she was about to reach his lips, she heard, “So was it my whiskey-smooth voice or my powerful biceps?”
Stopping, she pulled back to see the lines around Grissom’s eyes crinkled with amusement. He was obviously fighting a grin as his lips twitched.
“You read the book, didn’t you?” she lightly accused.
He lifted a shoulder. “I skimmed over some of it.”
Sara shook her head, silently berating herself for assuming he wouldn’t look at the novel. He never expressed interest in romance novels, and she thought he might avoid something that described private details of their co-workers and themselves. But this was the man who willingly delved into the world of plushies and their strange mating rituals; like he would shy away from this.
She raised an eyebrow. “What did you think?”
“I thought it was interesting to see the people of the lab from the perspective of the author. She had a unique view.” One side of his mouth lifted. “Especially when it came to sex. She thought of things I’d never heard of.” Grissom leaned in closer until their noses touched. “Like the scene on page 454.”
She chuckled, remembering coming across that part between Gage and Cara. “Baby, I love you and I love being able to make some of your fantasies come true, but I am a thirty-six year old woman; I can’t bend like that. There is no way that one will ever happen.”
“No?”
“Not without some major yoga training and elective surgery to remove some of my ribs.”
He laughed loudly and brought his mouth to her for a few heated kisses. They broke apart and she rubbed their noses together. “But to answer your question, it wasn’t your voice or muscles that did me in.”
Nibbling on her ear, he asked, “What was it?”
She moved back enough to look at his face. “Your blue eyes, which are the color of sapphires and are as deep as the ocean,” she answered seriously before snickering.
“Your delightful, gap-toothed smile, the one reserved for me and me alone, always makes my heart drop and brighten the day,” he deadpanned.
Grissom’s chuckle made her skin tingle as their mouths met again. She loved that she could see him be playful and carefree; it was her favorite side of him.
They stumbled down the hallway through laughter and kisses, continuing to trade lines from the book.
“I can never resist running my fingers through your distinguished salt and pepper curls.”
“My heart always skips a beat when I feel your breath against my neck while we sleep.”
“I love the way your lips tickle the sensitive skin of my neck.”
“Not as much as I love kissing the endless yards of skin of your long, luscious legs.”
Falling against their bedroom door, Sara laughed in earnest, almost to the point to where she was in tears. When Grissom’s deep chuckles stopped she opened her eyes to see him studying her with a serious expression, but his eyes still twinkled with delight. Laughing made the lines around his mouth vanish, and he appeared twelve years younger, like when they first met. His smile was wide and showed just how much fun he was having. She reveled in the fact that she was able to bring that youthfulness out in him.
Grissom placed his hand on her cheek, his breathing steady and controlled. Seductively, he whispered, “Your deep chocolate brown eyes are the windows to your beautiful soul and I always see your love for me reflected in them.”
She giggled again, and pulled him into the bedroom. “Oh, Gage,” she whispered before the door slammed shut.
Greg and Nick had been busy covering their tracks, denying all rumors of their relationship. She rolled her eyes. Please. Maybe nothing had happened yet, but there was definitely something present. She had witnessed fleeting touches and heard double entendre between the men. The two would come to realize their feelings soon enough, giving her more to write about.
Like Dr. Grissom and Sara. Those two thought they had everyone fooled from the beginning, but she saw through them immediately. If there was that much passion between Dr. Grissom and Sara looking at each other over a table, she could only imagine how much happened outside the lab. The nightshift supervisor had offered no real opinion of the book other than he never wanted to see it again. But just because he got rid of it, didn’t mean he didn’t enjoy it. She knew he read it too because he was a scientist, always curious about everything. As for Sara, she knew the brunette stayed hidden for the rest of shift after the novel was discovered. Why? She shouldn’t be embarrassed over having a great sex life.
Captain Brass offered nothing but personal congratulations to Dr. Grissom for destroying the book and promises to throttle anyone who said a word to the homicide detective who asked him about Tim Copper and Heidi Castle. The man should really watch where he put his mugs of imported Darjeeling tea if he didn’t want people figuring out his relationship with the dominatrix.
The female staff had been great about giving their opinions, especially Mandy and Wendy. She made mental notes from all of the conversations on what to change and move around. She would keep those in mind for the next time she wrote.
Then she saw him walk by: Warrick Brown. The man walked fluidly with such ease and care. His smile, rarely seen, was a treat, one that she received almost everyday.
“Hey, Judy,” he said, stopping at the reception desk. “Did D.A Sinclair call me back?”
“Yes. He said he’ll meet with you at eight tomorrow morning.” Judy handed him the piece of paper. “By the way, a few of us are meeting for dinner tonight. You are more than welcome to join us.”
“Let me guess. You guys are going to Anthony’s?”
“Hey, you were the one who got me hooked on the place,” she lightly defended.
When Judy first started, she had been warned about Dr. Grissom’s experiments, and how he liked to use people in them. Luckily, her first encounter with the entomologist had involved an experiment with Warrick, that didn’t result in her receiving a foot fungus. But a few weeks later she had been part of one where she lost some of her hair. Dr. Grissom apologized, but it was Warrick who made her feel genuinely better when he took her out to dinner. He introduced her to Anthony’s Pizza, and she’d go there at least twice a month since. The tall C.S.I even joined her from time to time.
“I’m sorry. My wife and I are going out tonight.” He smirked, having not seen Judy’s slight frown. “You know, of all the things I’ve told her about work, I think this one will take the cake.” His voice was low and smooth. “Who would’ve thought someone would write a romance novel about the lab?”
Grinning thoughtfully, she answered, “I don’t know. I think there are a lot of untold stories around here if you know where to look.”
Warrick considered her statement for a moment before asking, “Any ideas on who wrote it?”
“There are so many people who could’ve written this,” she admitted. “I wouldn’t even know where to begin looking.” Cocking her head to the side, she sweetly commented, “I know you’re a better investigator than I am.”
His lips rose in a half smirk at her compliment. Then, his expression turned serious again. “I heard there was some bad stuff written about people, Catherine especially.” He looked her straight in the eye, and spoke in the most caring tone, “I hope you weren’t one of the victims of that.”
“Oh, no. I got the ending I wanted.”
“You know, no one would tell me about my character.” He shrugged, confused. Raising his eyebrows, he looked straight at her. “Do you know what happened to him?”
Again, Judy smiled widely. “He ended up with the right woman.”
Warrick thanked her before saying goodbye. Judy smirked as she watched him walk out the door. It was an easy decision to put Warren and Trudy together in the book; the other C.S.Is were already claimed except Catherine, but there was no way she would have put a gentleman like Warrick’s counterpart with such a morally loose woman.
The End