Desert Interlude

A collaborative story by kathiann and lgmtreader

Authors Note: We would like to apoligize for taking so long to update. Kathiann went crazy today. On the plus side she got to interview the guy who runs the coolest used book store in town. The guy has like 45,000 books at last count. She can always find something in there to buy. Lgmtreader promises to hound her more tomorrow to gat an update out in a timely manner.

Disclaimer: We do not own any of the characters in the CBS show The Mentalist.

Warning: Rated M for a reason. Pure smut will ensue in future chapters.

Chapter 3: Showers and Sausage and Hikes, Oh My

Once Lisbon was safely back in the room, Jane allowed himself a fleeting thought of what she was doing on the other side of the door before he quickly got out of the hot tub and jumped into the pool, knowing the kids wouldn't matter, and using the chilly water as the next best thing to an ice-cold shower. He didn't know what he would do if he went into that room and her pajamas were something tiny, shorts and a tank top, or worse, just a t-shirt. He groaned, he didn't want to think about that. He didn't want to think about the fact that there were no pajamas in his bag. Sure he usually wore pajamas when it was cold, but when it was summer and this hot he never did, he slept in his boxers. Not a problem before now. Maybe he could just sleep in his dress pants. Would that be odd?

He knocked on the door and waited for Lisbon to open it. He managed to bite back a groan; she was clad in shorts and a tank top, if you could call those shorts. I think she's trying to kill me. He grabbed his bag and headed into the bathroom, taking a quick-cold-shower and getting dressed in his extra change of pants; in his befuddled state, he didn't even think to slip on an undershirt.

"You wear your pants to bed?" Lisbon asked, incredulously. She was already on the bed, no covers, just laying on top watching the local news.

"No, I didn't bring pajamas with me, so I thought I'd wear this." He sat on the opposite edge of the bed, as far away from her as he could and still be on the bed.

"Seriously Jane, what, don't you trust me?" Lisbon looked over at him and grinned.

It's not you I don't trust, Jane thought, but out loud he said, "No, I trust you, I just didn't want you thinking I was going to try something."

"I'd never think that about you, Jane." She went back to watching the TV and Jane tried not to let his disappointment show on his face. Maybe he'd misread the situation in the hot tub, the gentle touches, the almost kiss. He was such an idiot. He laid down on the bed, on his side with his back to her, as far as he could get from her without falling off the bed. He pulled back the comforter and slid under the sheets, wanting to put barriers between him and Lisbon. He was still embarrassed, even if Lisbon didn't know. He closed his eyes, but didn't sleep, an act similar to the one he put on at the CBI on a regular basis. He knew that she wasn't always convinced, but hoped that tonight she would just let it be.

He didn't know when it happened, but he really had fallen asleep. He knew, because now he was awake. He knew it was early; he didn't want to open his eyes, but there was light coming from somewhere. He sighed and shifted slightly in the bed, only then noticing that he must have fallen asleep much earlier than he'd realized, and then rolled over to face Lisbon in his sleep. Lisbon had joined him under the sheet and was pressed up against him, her tight little ass pressed up against his groin. He had the distinct impression that this was very bad for some reason, but couldn't figure out why as he took a deep breath and could smell the scent that was distinctively Lisbon, the cinnamon and vanilla. And then she turned slightly and pressed up even closer against his front, and he remembered why it was a bad thing that Lisbon was in his arms this early in the morning. It might have been a while since he'd been with a woman, but he still had a morning erection like most men do.

Fleeing the bed quickly in abject fear, without regard to whether his bed-partner awoke or not, he rushed into the bathroom for yet another cold shower. Concentrate, Patrick. Think of anything but her. Snakes. Yeah. Lots of snakes in the canyons. Snakes that look like... oh damn, this shower isn't doing the trick! He groaned to himself as his own snake-like appendage waved happily in defiance of his attempt to calm it with the frigid water.

"Jane! Don't use up all the hot water! You know how tiny the water heaters in these old places can be!" Now he was trapped between a soft place and a hard-on. He should have stayed with the car. But that was no good either; thinking of the car only brought up images of him and Lisbon and what he'd do with her if he had her there, in his back seat like they were a couple of kids on their first date to the local make-out spot.

"I'll be out soon," he called reluctantly. He turned off the useless cold water, quickly dried off, then pulled the towel tightly around his middle, willing the recalcitrant body part to just shut up and go away. He scooted past Lisbon and headed over to his bag, keeping his back to her so that she couldn't see anything that could still be seen. "It's all yours, Lisbon. I think there still should be plenty of hot water left," he said, seeing as I didn't use any... She bemusedly went into the bathroom, leaving him in privacy to get dressed.

Jane dressed slowly but deliberately, finally getting himself, all of himself, under control at last. He sat down on the bed, leaned against the headboard, and rubbed his temples. It had been a close call, but he'd survived. Suddenly, the bathroom door opened, and he looked up at it. Lisbon strode out of the bathroom, wrapped only in her very skimpy towel. "I left my clothes out here. Close your eyes and don't look while I get dressed!" she told him mischievously.

And just like that, he was completely undone. Again. She had such power over him and didn't even know it. He turned on his side away from her, ostensibly to make it clear he was not looking at her as she dressed, but really to unobtrusively hide a certain misbehaving body part from her.

"We've got to go over and talk to the mechanic, see if the tow truck driver can get your car picked up early so that he can get started on figuring out what the heck is wrong with it." He needed to answer, needed to say OK but couldn't get his mind to communicate with his mouth. He settled for nodding and hoped that she, standing there naked just a few feet from him with nothing but his eyelids to block the sight, would see it. With much willpower, he slowly but surely backed his wild animal back into its cage. Again. Hopefully this time it would stay put.

"Man of few words this morning, are you?" Lisbon asked, the same teasing tone from earlier still in her voice. "Shall we do breakfast first or do you want to talk to the mechanic?"

Multiple choice, never my favorite type of test, no chance to talk myself out of a wrong answer. Of course, that would mean I'd have to talk now. Jane finally managed to get his mouth to open and he answered in a strangled voice, "I don't even know what time it is, but I'm guessing the mechanic isn't open yet, so breakfast by all means."

"It's early." Her voice was slightly muffled, and Jane guessed that she was pulling a shirt on over her head. "I'm done, you can open your eyes." Oh, he didn't know if that was a good idea. After what she had worn the day before, and then her in the towel... he didn't know if his mind could take much more of that punishment. He slowly returned to sitting up, and opened his eyes.

And it was worse than he expected. How many casual outfits does the woman pack for a case? he wondered before taking in the full sight of her. Today's outfit consisted of a pair of tiny denim shorts and a white spaghetti strap tank top. She even had a pair of sandals to wear. He of course was dressed in his modified suit: dress pants and button-down shirt, untucked and slightly unbuttoned with the sleeves rolled up. It had never even occurred to him before to pack casual clothes for a work trip, and now he was beginning to regret it.

"Say, did you see any men's clothes at that general store yesterday? I could really use something else other than my work clothes to wear." He tried to keep his tone as light as hers was. Her mood was improved 100% since the day before, and he didn't want to do anything to spoil it.

"I think I did, but there's no guarantee any of it will fit you. Just look at your swim suit; it's a size too big," damn, she'd noticed "and looks like it walked out of the 80s." The lilt to her voice was music to his ears; it wasn't often that she used that tone of voice, but when she did he was always in for a good day. He sat at the end of the bed to put his shoes on and looked through the bathroom doorway to where she was putting her hair up in a ponytail. Her neck, the very distraction from the night before, was on full display, as was her back end, causing him to shift uncomfortably. If he didn't stop looking soon he wouldn't be able to join her for breakfast. "Do you even know what you do to me?" he mumbled, realizing too late that he'd spoken his thoughts out loud.

"What was that, Jane?" Lisbon asked, turning to face him.

"Nothing, just nothing." Lisbon didn't look like she believed him, but by some small miracle she let the matter drop. They walked out of the motel room together, checking to make sure one of them had the key. Noticing that the mechanic was indeed open this early, they decided to go there first after all, and headed across the highway to the garage. It didn't take long for them to confirm that the tow truck driver would indeed be in today and that he would be able to pick up Jane's car. The mechanic was positive that he could get whatever the problem was fixed that day, unless the car needed a new part, in which case it would be another day at least.

Breakfast was at a table this time and not a corner booth, so Jane was able to sit across from Lisbon and not have to worry about touching her. They looked at the surprisingly vast array of breakfast foods offered by the diner, everything from pancakes to French toast. There was even an apparently local specialty that Jane couldn't pronounce the name of; the description was rather vague, though it sounded like something that the buzzards in the desert might bring home for dinner. Eventually they each decided to go with something known, and pancakes are always safe; Lisbon chose blueberry pancakes and sausage, and Jane went with buttermilk pancakes, hash browns, and orange juice. They chatted idly until their food came and then dug in, both hungry. Jane knew that his hunger was caused by his overactive imagination and his inability to control certain body parts. Jane couldn't fathom why Lisbon was so hungry. Everything was going along great until he felt a gentle pressure on the side of his leg. Stopping mid-chew, he processed what he was feeling... was Lisbon really playing footsies with him?

Not wanting to draw attention to it in case she just thought his leg was the table leg, he slowly slid his feet back, and hers followed. Now he really didn't know what to do. It was just her foot touching his leg through the fabric of his pants. Silently he wished that they really were in a booth, because then he could... he could what? Return her touch, place his hands on her thighs? No, that wouldn't work. Best to just pretend that Lisbon wasn't touching him at all. Yes, that would be the thing to do.

"So, Lisbon," Jane managed to choke out as he finished the last bite of bacon, "what did you have in mind for the day?" He looked up at her to see her savoring a sausage link in a way that should be illegal in front of any red-blooded heterosexual male.

"I talked a bit with some of the locals yesterday, and found out that there are some nice trails nearby. I thought I might go hiking a bit before it gets too warm. You can join me if you want." Jane couldn't be sure, but he thought there was a note of uncertainty in her voice, she wasn't... nervous, was she? No, there was no way that the unflappable Teresa Lisbon was nervous about going on a hike in the middle of nowhere with him. It just wasn't possible.

"A hike, sounds great." Jane said, trying not to look at the way she was eating her food. Sure, it wasn't meant to be provocative, but the way she moved her mouth... The waitress came and left the check on the table and both Lisbon and Jane reached for it at the same time, their hands brushing. The jolt of pure desire that went through him at such a simple touch almost had him backing out of their plans for the morning, but he didn't know when the next opportunity he would have to spend with Lisbon, just relaxing and being the carefree woman he always knew was inside, so he stuck with it. "I'll get breakfast."

"Are you sure? I know I made you pay for dinner." She still hadn't moved her hand from where it was lying on top of his on the check and he was having a hard time concentrating.

"Yeah, I'm sure. It'll be fine. Like you said last night, I'm the reason we're in this mess. The least I can do is pay for the food." Be nice, be nice and she'll never know that right now you'd like to apologize by taking her back to the motel room and laying her out on that bed like a feast.

"Ok, sure, if you say so." She finally moved her hand. To Jane it seemed that she was deliberately caressing the back of his hand with her fingers as she drew them away.

They went over to the small general store to get bottles of water and sunscreen; unfortunately, there were no appropriate clothes for Jane for hiking, not that he'd seen anyway. He'd been much too busy following Lisbon around the store and had rebuffed her efforts to help him look. "Hey, Jane," Lisbon asked as the stood just outside the store, water bottles, sunscreen and a small bag with lunch in hand, "Could you get my shoulders for me? I don't want to get burned to a crisp."

"Ok." Jane said, his voice surprisingly even. He took the proffered bottle and squeezed a small bit of the white lotion onto his hands. I can do this, just rub the lotion into her skin, it's not that hard. He gently touched her shoulders, sliding on the sunscreen and working it into her shoulders, neck, and back, sliding his hands under the straps of her top to make sure that all her skin was protected. He tried not to imagine what it would be like to slide the straps off her shoulders, to bend down and kiss that milky skin, to caress her, to hear her moan beneath him... he shook his head and removed his hand. "All done."

"Thanks Jane. I always manage to miss a spot when I do it myself." She took the lotion bottle from him and applied some to her face. "You should really use some, you're almost as pale as I am. I'd hate for you to turn into a lobster." He just nodded, taking the lotion and putting it on his face and neck.

"You missed a spot, Jane." Lisbon said, reaching up and rubbing a stop on his cheek gently. He wanted to melt into a puddle right there. It was one thing him touching her, but another thing entirely when she touched him deliberately. He really didn't trust himself to talk. They made one last stop at the motel for Lisbon to exchange her sandals for something better suited to hiking and to make sure no valuables were in sight, before heading off to the small trailhead just behind the diner.

The way was steep, going up the side of the canyon, and Jane struggled to keep up with Lisbon's brisk pace. She really was going to be the death of him. What had possessed him to agree to walk with her? He had assumed that yesterday's speed was based on her anger and frustration, but today she wasn't either and she still managed to walk at a pace that he would have to call a run.

They came to the top of a small rise that looked out over the canyons; the view from up here was incredibly beautiful. There was a slight breeze this high up and Jane stood facing it, allowing it to cool his sweat-drenched body. "I think it's a bit more humid today than it was yesterday." He sat lightly on top of a rock and put down the bag he had been carrying, pulling out a sandwich for himself and offering one to Lisbon.

"Yeah, probably due to the storm that's coming, I saw it on the news last night." Lisbon moved to sit next to him and took a swig of water before grabbing the sandwich. "Look, you can see the motel."

"Yeah, and the pool. Man, that would feel good right about now," he said, thinking of her in that bikini. He held back a sigh and took another bite of his peanut butter and raspberry sandwich. Who would have figured that they would sell sandwiches like this in that little store. The clerk had said it was because the parents of some of the kids who stopped didn't want to go to the diner, and didn't want to waste a whole loaf of bread on just a sandwich or two.

"I like getting a bit of physical exercise before a release like relaxing in the pool." Jane looked over at her; she was really beautiful. He felt the words rising in his mind to say and bit them back down. The last thing he wanted was to take the quick way down the mountain.

"It really is a beautiful view." That would have to suffice.

"Yeah." They sat there for a few more minutes finishing their sandwiches before Jane finally got up the nerve, to hell with it all, he was going to go for it. "Lisbon, I've been meaning to tell you... or rather, I've been thinking..." He stalled, how to say what he was thinking?

"I know, Jane. Me too." She turned to face him and placed a hand on his arm. He looked in her eyes and saw something that could only be described as lust floating up near the surface. He leaned in, much as he had in the pool, and smiled slightly as Lisbon reached up to meet him. He was just bringing his lips to hers – he could almost smell the peanut butter on her breath – when he felt the first drops fall. Willing it to just be his imagination he drew back slightly and looked around. Just as he looked up, the clouds that had been on the horizon when they started out opened up with a downpour that drenched them in seconds.

Lisbon threw Jane a playful look and shouted through the noise of the hard rain. "Better head back, we don't want to get caught up here if all this rain washes the path out!" Jane just stared after her. She probably didn't even realize it, but her white tank top had grown translucent in the downpour and left very little to the imagination – not that Jane had really needed help in that department.

"First one back to the room gets first dibs on the shower!" Lisbon called, already on her way back down the trail. Jane shook himself and began to follow, trying not to think about what he would do with her if they both got back to the room at the same time, and idly wondered if the shower was big enough for both of them.

Preview for Chapter 4: Jane gets muddy getting down the hill, and somehow he's got to get clean…