Teresa sat in one of her living room armchairs. Patrick sat on the closest end of the couch. They had both been thinking about "Lisbon And The Seven Suspects" on the drive back to town, although they hadn't spoken about it yet. Teresa had come to a decision, and it couldn't be put off.
"I've really thought about it, Patrick, and there's only one thing that I can think of that will help me maintain my composure around these Red John suspects. Otherwise my mind will be so wound up and my thoughts and emotions so tumbled together that I'll never make it and I'll end up killing us all. Just like you said."
"I shouldn't have said that. I'm sorry for it. " Patrick shook his head and put those regrets aside. "You want me to hypnotize you."
"Yes. If you think you can help me."
"I haven't been able to think of any other way myself. I know you don't want me 'in your head,' as you say. But yes, I think I can help."
"I'm not as worried about you being in my head now that I know you love me."
"I always thought you just didn't want me to make you cough up your deep, dark secrets, Lisbon." He was smirking.
Her head jerked to attention. "You're not going to do that, are you? I mean you don't have to . . . ?"
"Oh, my," Patrick teased, "What are you hiding? What's in there, Lisbon?"
"Nothing! Stop it! This isn't helping, Patrick! " She was giggling just the same. "It's just, what if there's something terrible in there I don't know about?"
"Everybody has the same fear, Teresa. Don't you think if there were something like that, we would have seen signs of it in nearly ten years of knowing each other? No. There's nothing like that. You're a good, kind, honorable person. That's all. Remember. I've been in there once before." He smiled lovingly at her, remembering her as sweet as honey inside, soft and caring even under hypnosis. A delicate flower, too beautiful to disturb.
When she saw how Patrick looked at her, Teresa blushed and smiled back at him.
Remembering his sweet sojourn into Teresa, as brief as it was, warmed his emotions and brought Patrick's love for her to the fore, physically prompting him to act now that their feelings for each other were known. Images and fantasies of the unexplored filled his mind and urged expression. He needed to get that under control. Now. Struggling and knowing himself brought Patrick to a crossroad. He had to kiss Teresa. It had to happen before he put her under hypnosis.
"Lisbon."
Teresa looked into his eyes gone navy over pink cheeks, slight moisture on his brow. She could see that Patrick's breathing had picked up, forcing his lips to part, and the pulse at his throat was its prominent feature. This was desire! What would he do?"
He licked his lips. "Lisbon." A little louder this time.
Her eyes were half-lidded as she stared at his mouth. Hadn't he said her name? Twice. Teresa's eyes widened. "Yes, Patrick. What is it?"
"If I don't kiss you now, I'll steal one when you're under and I don't want to do that."
All Teresa really heard was, 'don't want.' "You don't want to kiss me?" She looked at Patrick in disbelief.
For Patrick to keep from sweeping her into his arms and satisfying their desire for one another that moment was a tense internal battle. He stared at her, in such a receptive state already that hypnosis would be as natural a next step for her as breathing. He considered putting her under and stealing that kiss and several more. But it would be a violation. He couldn't do that to her.
"Teresa. Look at me." She shook herself a little and focused on his eyes. "What I'm saying is I want to kiss you now. Before I put you under. So we're both conscious of it and you give it freely. Otherwise, I know I can't keep from stealing one." Or ten. Or maybe fifteen. Or maybe just one that would put them both under its own hypnotic power.
Patrick took a deep breath and stopped his train of thought. He didn't know how much longer they would be able to avoid the intense attraction that drew them to consummate their relationship. He had been dreaming of it for years. Teresa confirmed their need with her next words.
"But Patrick. Will you steal kisses from me when I'm under, too? As many as you want? Even if I don't know it, I want you to kiss me. Even if you kiss me now, I want you to kiss me more, then. I don't care how I get them. I just want them. Because part of me will know it and it will make me very happy. And I'll know because my lips will be plump from your kisses when I come to."
The light from the evening sun streamed into her living room window, touching everywhere with golden light and striking red sparks into her hair. Patrick lifted thick, silky waves to let them flow like flaming water over his hand, the curl wrapping it like a baby's fingers. Teresa laid her fingers softly against the side of his head, wiggling below the already golden curls, warmed in a sunbeam.
"One kiss," Patrick said. "But, Teresa. I can't take much."
"Just a kiss."
It was their first and it was sweet. Patrick felt all the striations and the softness as Teresa first touched his lips with hers, and puckered slowly against them. Patrick pressed in, moving his head slightly to smudge the kiss against her. Teresa felt the suckling movement of his hidden teeth on her lips, just short of pressing them open. He broke the kiss and she separated from him without audible complaint, having taken what he could give. She couldn't look at him for the moment, without wanting more. Patrick, too, averted his gaze and recovered his breath.
"Teresa, I love you."
Unable to really speak, she offered her hand without looking at him and he set his in it. She drew it a little closer and speckled it with a few tears. When she looked at Patrick, and although her voice was husky, Teresa was smiling as she returned his hand. "I love you, too, Patrick."
He nodded and managed to return her smile. "Okay. Ready to start?"
"Yes, I'm ready."
Patrick pulled up the other armchair. He induced the trance easily, taking her much deeper than their previous effort. Teresa followed him readily and Patrick did not meddle with her at all, merely made the suggestions and set the trigger by a light slap above her knee.
When Teresa awoke from the trance, the first thing she did was to lick her lips, then looked at Patrick reproachfully. "No kisses."
The sweet strains of Teresa's desire touch Patrick like music, enticing him, making him search for its theme and rhythm. He wanted to hold her, just feel her body close to his.
"I hope it works, Patrick. The hypnosis."
"It will. It's not magic. And there are plenty of other things we'll encounter, but I think you'll notice a big difference. With those seven suspects and any others we identify as we get closer. Your own suspicions will trigger an instinct to react calmly, notice and remember everything about the interaction. It's the best protection I have to offer, Teresa, and you're so very important to me."
"I know." Teresa stood and held her arms open to him. "Let me hug you, Patrick. Just easy, okay?"
When he walked into her embrace, Patrick nestled his head on her shoulder, but turned away so that he wouldn't be tempted to nuzzle her neck. Still, it felt like home, comfort, surety. He thrilled to remember how she squeezed her fingers when she grasped you, trying to hold you tighter, and he experienced it in light of their new relationship. He desired her from the depths, but he allowed himself to simply rest there a moment while she swayed and hummed her affection for him.