A/N: This chapter is pretty much all M rated.

Please skip to the last section for the storyline part if that doesn't interest you (you should get the gist of what transpired in the M part if you only read that but it'll make more sense if you read through, I think). Struggled with this chapter for what seemed like weeks and still not happy with it entirely but just had to post it finally to get it out of the way so I could move on. More action of another kind coming up next chapter - should be quite an emotional one...

Chapter 10 - New Sensations

He attacked her lips in the elevator, sliding his fingers through her dark curls. She tasted of chocolate and red wine and he groaned as he trailed kisses down the curve of her neck.

He'd made her wait in the restaurant, watched as she bit down her frustration. He'd distracted her with dessert, not entirely sure why. Nerves had played their part certainly. He'd acted brash and full of himself, his usual recourse when most unsure. But acting that way only made the reality more terrifying and he kicked himself for his bravado.

He was afraid to disappoint her. He was afraid of not being able to anticipate her needs. He'd told her he was a psychic once. She knew he could read people. Was she expecting him to have some superhuman power where seduction was concerned when he took her to bed? He'd had few lovers before Angela. Then just her for years. Of the two of them, Teresa was likely to be the more experienced. In variety, anyway.

But then he saw her take mouthful upon mouthful of the soufflé and he'd been transfixed on her tongue as it swept across her lips as she ate, accompanied by the little keening noises of approval she made.

She wasn't purposefully trying to taunt him which only made him more aroused.

In the end, by the time their plates were removed, he was too hungry for her to care about anything other than being with her. He stopped thinking about the after or even the during - he'd follow his instincts, his mind was too hazy with lust to do much else anyway.

"Patrick," she gasped as he nipped at the skin at the base of her neck playfully, her fingers skimming over his chest.

By the time they made it to the room he pinned her against the door as soon as they were inside, kissing her like his life depended on it. He drew back, breathless, and looked into her eyes. They were brimmed with desire but more than that he read trust in them and undiluted affection. Did he see love in them for him too? No, he told himself immediately as his heart rate skyrocketed, it was far too soon for that. Wasn't it? He caught his breath, overcome with the emotions he felt upon seeing her so unguarded, so honest, so very...his.

He kissed her again, softer and more tenderly and felt her respond in kind as she melted against him, giving all of herself to him. Another torrent of emotions hit him and he grasped her tighter in his arms. He wasn't sure how to categorise how he felt. Overwhelmed, lucky, grateful, terrified...all of those and more too he had trouble identifying as he kissed the crook of her neck and felt her breasts heave against his chest.

He continued kissing her neck as his fingers went to work on the zipper of her dress. Hers automatically went to his belt in response. "No," he said softly. "Please, allow me first."

She nodded and allowed her arms drop to his sides again. He was appreciative she was willing to give up control for him, that she'd allow him to take charge on this occasion. She understood it had been so long since he'd undressed and savoured a woman that he wanted and needed to do just that and at his own pace before he became selfish with desire for his own gratification.

He unzipped her dress painfully slowly, fingers trembling as they traced bare skin in their wake. She wasn't wearing a bra and he sighed into her mouth as he took control of a long kiss. Her hands looped around his neck, playing with the tuft of hair at the nape of his neck.

The dress pooled on the floor below her and he disengaged his mouth, eager to see her nearly naked form. She kicked the dress away and he gazed at her standing there, alabaster skin pebbled with occasional freckles that somehow reminded him of pretty seashells and wearing nothing except black lace panties and three-inch heels. His mouth went dry as he gazed at rosy-tipped nipples, already hard and begging to be kissed.

"Jesus," he breathed, shaking his head, "you're even more beautiful than I imagined," he said, hoarseness in his voice. "Just a second, don't move," he added, the dryness of his mouth making speech difficult. He moved backwards and she frowned. He lifted a bottle of water from beside the bed and almost downed it in one as he continued to look at her. She laughed, "Cat got your tongue, huh, well, that's a new one."

His expression darkened and her skin lit up with goosebumps as she saw the desire in his eyes. "Please turn around and face the door," he all but ordered her, his tone low and barely controlled.

He hadn't been sure he would have been able to stop himself from resisting her for any length of time if he'd had to keep looking at her front. Her dark emerald eyes, lipstick smeared lips, swollen and bruised through their kisses, her breasts, pale and round and perfect, her stomach, flat and toned...it was too much for his senses all at once. He'd been in the desert too long and he was in danger of drowning now he'd found the idyllic oasis that was Teresa Lisbon.

Had it been anyone else she would have felt self-conscious of being so openly ogled and would have probably told them to go to hell for telling her what to do but with him, with that tinge of desperation in his strangled voice, it only made her feel unbelievingly sexy and even more turned on. It hadn't sounded liked an order to her ears, more like a beseeching plea.

She'd take control back when the time was right. Later. She licked her lips in anticipation. But she had to admit, although she would never do so openly to him, compared to previous lovers she'd taken, it was a nice change of pace for her to have someone else calling the shots in the bedroom right out of the gate.

Slowly she turned until she faced the door.

He moaned silently. The view from the back, her pert backside, encased in black, wouldn't make it easy for him either. He was going to struggle either way.

A second later his hot breath whispered across her shoulderblade before he kissed it, his tongue sweeping out and quickly tasting her flesh. His hands were set at her sides, shaking as they slowly trailed upwards.

Instead of curling towards her breasts he diverted them to her upper arms, stroking them gently and peppering them with kisses. Every movement of his was painstakingly slow and she groaned with impatience. Then suddenly he took hold of her wrists gently in his hands and moved her hands so her palms splayed against the door at either side of her body. He placed his own on top of them and intertwined their fingers against the wood. She gasped as he slid his nose down the indentation at the centre of her back, tickling her skin, his mouth open and his kisses more insistent and full of want.

"Is this how you tackle suspects?" he asked, his voice amused and like honey as he moved to kiss her other shoulder, his hands still on hers against the door, his front against her back.

"If I did Professional Standards would have had me fired for it a long time ago," she came back with, bending her neck to the side so he could uncover more skin to caress with his lips.

He chuckled against her skin and a fresh batch of goosebumps made her moan as his mouth tickled her. "Patrick, oh god," she whispered.

He slid his hands away from hers and caught her sides again. She turned her head and they kissed as his left hand ascended to embrace a breast as the other moved to the waistband of the thin fabric of her panties. His fingertips ghosted over her nipple and she arched her back into him with a garbled moan. He grasped her breast fully, squeezing it, his breath accelerating as he felt its soft fullness in his hand. He rolled the nipple between his fingers, testing what she liked, learning what made her breathing become shallow, adjusting the pressure and pace and then adjusting again until she was all but purring against him.

His right hand descended across the woven black fabric, over the thin patch of coarse hair he could feel beneath it as he trailed his index finger to the apex of her thighs. He found her hot and wet for him through the cloth, an invitation to explore. He groaned as she attacked his lips with hers again, slipping his fingers under the thin material. She bucked against him as he rubbed her tantalisingly slowly at first with his middle finger, his fingertip sliding back and forth in upwards and downwards motions against her labia in subtle barely there touches. He engaged his thumb, pressing it just higher and rubbing small circles with increasing pressure as he felt her writhe against his erection.

He continued, his mind awash with new knowledge with every slick stroke and every pass of his fingers across her nipple. He felt her struggle against him, her muscles tighten under his hand as he continuously corrected and counter corrected until he could read her body like he could read a face. He teased her then, making his movements just off to where she wanted them most, dipping his finger into her then just as quickly removing it again, time and again. He didn't want this moment to end and he wanted to draw out her orgasm like no man ever had before.

"Goddamnit," she muttered under her breath.

He chuckled and kissed her earlobe. "Patience, woman." He was relaxed now, knew they were more than compatible sexually (like there ever had been any doubt), knew he could please her.

Sensing she was about to veer from the point of being incredibly aroused to incredibly annoyed within seconds he removed his hand from her underwear. She turned immediately and grabbed his shoulders, backing further against the door as she pulled him nearer as his lips found hers. They kissed frantically as her hands flew to his belt buckle. "Not yet," he breathed, almost out of air. She groaned in frustration. His lips travelled to her breasts.

He breathed out upon seeing one rosy nipple. He licked his lips and took it into his mouth, flicking it with his tongue and biting on it gently. She moaned and gathered his hair in her hands as he uncovered the other one and gave it the same attention.

His mouth traversed to her navel and he licked its hollow centre, his fingers looping around the waistband of her panties on either side. He pulled them down quickly and breathed in her scent audibly. "Christ," he exhaled, unaware he'd spoken out loud.

He looked up at her, green blue eyes pleading.

She shot him a look back that asked him if he was stupid.

He grinned, closed his eyes and flicked his tongue out. He tasted her.

Her head rolled back against the door with a soft thud as his tongue entered her. She felt his hands on her hips, slight tremors in his fingers the only indication of his lack of confidence. She listened to his breathing, his soft moans of ecstasy as they intermingled with her own. She had been brought to orgasm many times, more often than not by her own hand, but none had come close to the overwhelming depth of emotion she felt as Patrick continued to use his mouth on her. She felt him become more confident to tease her more, to make her feel like she was about to explode before he pulled her back from the brink time and time again. He was a quick study in learning what she liked and disliked and apparently ravenous to learn all that he could. She could sense how long it had been since he'd been so intimate with someone, could sense his almost childlike wonder in bringing this latent talent back to life again and in igniting feelings in her she never thought were possible.

"Now," she whispered. "I want you now," she told him, barely able to breathe.

"Not yet," he said, licking her before probing her with his tongue again.

She almost rolled her eyes but then they fell back in her head as he sped up his actions. Out of nowhere, her muscles tightened inexplicably quickly and she let out a silent gasp as an orgasm took hold of her. Then his lips moved quicker still, kissing her roughly while he grazed the sweet bud of her clitoris with his teeth then soothing it with his tongue. He added a finger to elongate her pleasure, then another as his mouth ascended to her stomach, pressing urgent kisses upwards to it and then her breasts, his fingers continuing to masterfully stimulate her core. She banged her head against the door as he moved to kiss her mouth and took hold of his arm barely able to respond, her fingers digging into the cloth of his jacket until she wasn't sure where one orgasm stopped and another started. He kissed her ear, the sensitive spot just below it. "Holy crap!" she breathed, her face contorted as she rode out the euphoria that swept through her.

He kissed her cheeks ardently, the corner of her mouth, her forehead, her hair as she came down. Finally, he pulled his hand away and rested it on her hip. He kissed her lips tenderly. "Okay?" he asked.

She opened her eyes and blinked wildly to see him smirking at her. This time, she did roll her eyes, saw him dazzle her with a smile.

She took a deep breath. Then, without warning, she pushed the jacket off his shoulders and kissed him hungrily as she shoved him towards the bed. He tumbled onto it awkwardly with her half on top on him. She pulled him up again to make short work of his vest and shirt and threw them on the floor behind her, dragging the shirt off him without undoing its buttons before pushing him back to the mattress again. She kissed his chest as she knelt beside him and he cradled her head in his hands as he looked at the ceiling, his breathing erratic. She made it to his belt buckle and pulled at it with irritation, slipping it through its loops and throwing it next to the other discarded garments. She kissed him again as she undid his button and pulled down his zipper, could feel the bulge at the front of his boxers. She touched it with her index finger and his body jerked in reaction immediately along with a hiss of approval.

She giggled and quickly divested him of his pants, socks and shoes. He held himself up on his elbows and laughed as she went to work on undressing him like some kind of whirling dervish.

"Playing hard to get, I see," he remarked as he saw her scramble beside him again, kissing his chest until she made it to his mouth. He took her face in his hands and kissed her slowly then, trying to slow things down so they could both catch their breaths.

He turned her onto her back and kissed her again, his eyes raking over her naked form leisurely.

She looked up at him as she breathed heavily, her breasts bouncing slightly, bright green trusting eyes circling his face expectantly. He ran the pad of his thumb down her cheekbone as he gazed at her, naked skin against naked skin touching for the first time. She ran a leg up his calf and moved so their lower bodies aligned against each other. Her nails trailed over his back, grazing it gently in soft sweeping patterns. He rubbed against her experimentally, his hips swaying closer to her heat.

Back and forward. Up and down. Back and forward. Up and down.

His erection responded eagerly. She kissed him with such tenderness he thought he might cry. She spoke quietly as if speaking louder would scare him away.

"Everything okay?" she asked.

He kissed her silently, nuzzled a breast as he continued his slow rocking.

He nodded. A stray tear escaped. "Perfect," he smiled.

"Then take your boxers off," she grinned.

He laughed then embarrassment swept across his face. "I-uh...I'll just be a second."

He went to move to get the condoms from his bag but she held onto him. "I'm on the pill."

He frowned. "Yes, I know."

"How did you know that?"

He shrugged. "The reminder you set on your phone every day."

She shook her head slightly at him. She'd have the discussion about why he was looking at her phone reminders another time. Right now the only thing she wanted was sex, not an argument.

She turned her voice soft again. "So, we can...well, we do without them if you want."

He blinked twice rapidly.

"I'm always careful, Patrick. If you're worried about..."

"I'm not," he interrupted. "I know you'd never...well, that you'd always take double precautions. And you'd never miss a check up, in any case." He furrowed his brow. "But with me...with me, you don't want to use them?"

"It's not like I have to worry about a string of women you might have been with lately, is it?" she smiled.

He shook his head. "No. Definitely not."

At his continuously perturbed expression, she said, "Look, if you want to use them it's fine, go ahead. I just...well, this is different, isn't it? Us I mean? I just thought...well...never mind...Really." She smiled brightly. "Go get one. Hurry up."

He nodded and kissed her quickly, rolling off her to the edge of the bed. But instead of getting up to get his bag he sat there, his back to her, staring ahead.

She sidled over, placed a palm on his back. "What's wrong?"

He breathed deeply and shook his head. He said nothing for a long moment.

"I-I can't do this," he said so quietly she had to strain to hear him. He hung his head then got off the bed. "Not tonight...not...right now. I'm sorry, Teresa," he added, barely looking at her dumbfounded expression while he quickly put his pants back on.

"What?!" she replied in a whisper, shaking her head.

He slipped his shoes on, foregoing his socks as he hurried to redress. He looked at her naked form, her questioning and undeniably hurt gaze, then looked away. He licked his lips. "I-I need some air," he managed to get out as he pulled his shirt back on. "I'll be back soon," he added as he grabbed the keycard and all but ran from the room.

The door slammed shut behind him and Lisbon fell back against the bed. "Oh crap," she muttered, putting her hand across her eyes as she sighed.

She heard the keycard slip into the slot, the short beep as he opened the door quietly. She lay in bed dressed in a spare white T-shirt she'd brought with her, the red letters of the alarm clock beside her telling her it was 1.58am. He'd been gone for two hours.

It was dark and she heard him stumble slightly as he tripped over something. She turned the light on beside her and he looked up, moving her heels to the side. "Hey, I thought you'd be asleep by now," he said softly, a nervous smile on his lips.

"Is that why you waited until this time to come back?"

His shoulders sagged and he shrugged. He sat down on the bed next to her. "I'm sorry," he said with another shrug. "I didn't realise the time."

"Where were you?" she asked with concern. He looked so bereft and alone she couldn't be angry with him.

"Just walking," he sighed. "There's a pebbled beach quite near so I sat there for a while. Just had to gather my thoughts." He smiled and touched her hand that was on top of the covers, playing with her fingertips lightly. "I didn't mean to worry you."

"I'm only upset because you wouldn't talk to me about whatever changed your mind. I know you're bound to be nervous. But...but then you seemed so sure..."

"Oh, I was. More than sure."

"And then? I know...I know I must have said or done something. Something to do with the damn condoms. I-I should have kept my big mouth shut about them."

He smiled and intertwined their fingers. He went to say something then stopped. Took another breath and started again. "It surprised me, what you said."

"It was just a suggestion. But why...why did it upset you so much? Or was it your wife you were thinking of? Guilt about moving on from her? Talk to me, Patrick."

"Yes and no," he answered cryptically. He brought her fingertips to his lips and kissed them gently before releasing them. He intertwined his fingers in front of him. "When you suggested that it became more real to me. Us, I mean. I-I know it is real, of course, it is. And I want that. Please don't think that I don't want you or don't want this because of my actions tonight. Because I do. I really do want this, Teresa."

His tone was full of urgency and she took one of his hands, stroking it gently to calm him. "I want this too. So tell me what we need to do to fix this."

He laughed softly. "Ever practical."

She shrugged. "Go on, there's more you want to say."

He clicked his tongue as he thought.

"Patrick, whatever it is, just tell me. I don't need for it to be wrapped up in some pretty bow. If it's bad I'd rather just hear it straight out."

He smiled at her and nodded. "Of course you would. Okay. It's not bad, though. Or, at least, I don't think it is. I suppose I've been drifting along with this, this thing between us. Enjoying the flirting, the affection, the getting to know you. I've loved it all. I've loved...I...love-"

He broke off and took a deep breath. "Christ, I wish we'd just had sex after that first dinner together."

Lisbon drew her head back. "What?"

"When you invited me in for tea after I dropped you off."

She reddened. "Yeah, for tea. Nothing else."

He smirked. "We both know it wasn't tea you were offering that night, my dear."

The flush continued to spread across her face. "What's your point?" she stammered.

He chuckled softly before becoming serious again. "If we had had sex that night then it would have just been that. Sex between two people who were attracted to each other. Whereas now..."

"It would still have just been sex tonight. You're thinking about it too much. Reading too much into what doing it means for us. It's just sex, Patrick."

"Hmm. Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe you're thinking too little about what it means."

She troubled her bottom lip. "When I'm in the mood for sex I'm not really thinking much at all. It's kind of the point."

He laughed and shrugged, conceding she may have a valid point. "Yeah, I noticed."

She said, "You seemed to be fine with it then suddenly you weren't. What was it about what I said that scared you off?"

He bit his lower lip. "You asked if I felt guilty about moving on from my wife. Well, the truth is...the truth of the matter is that when I'm with you...when I'm with you I rarely think about her. And tonight...when I saw you against that door...when I...tasted you...you were all I thought about. All I wanted was you, Teresa. I was consumed by it wholly. Consumed by you."

Her blush reappeared as she recalled his hot breath on her skin, his mouth expertly coaxing her to orgasm. Heat pooled in her and spread through her body with a frisson of lust at the recollection.

He continued, "I never imagined finding that thirst for someone again. But still, I never thought about her...just you."

She frowned and he nodded, telling her he was coming to the point. "Then you mentioned not using protection and I-"

"Panicked. It was too much, I pushed you too far. Made sex even more important in your head."

"Yes, partly that. But mainly...mainly the...the last time a woman suggested we didn't use protection was when my wife I decided to try for Charlotte. And that's when I started thinking about my wife. All of a sudden a vision of her hit me and there you were lying there before me...so beautiful and so ready. And so was I. And then...well, then, like you said, I panicked. Felt a tonne of guilt hit me that here I was moving on and well, there she was..."

Lisbon squeezed her eyes shut. "Oh god, I'm such an idiot. I never thought-"

Softly, "Hey, there's no reason why you would and you have nothing to apologise for." He took both her hands in his. "I'm just sorry I bolted. It's kind of what I do when things get to me."

"Well, you came back. Just don't do it again."

"You think I'd leave you here stranded?"

She smiled, "You know I'd hunt you down and kill you if you did."

He smiled broadly. "That I do."

He bent over and kissed her tentatively on the lips. Nervously, "You want out of this? I'd understand. I'm quite the mess."

"Do you?" she asked him seriously.

He looked into her eyes and he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, caressing her cheek with his thumb. "Nope."

"Good." She unsuccessfully tried to stop a grin from forming. She sighed. "Come on then, it's late. Come to bed. We'll talk about this again in the morning if you want."

His tongue wavered across his bottom lip. She rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, I'm not going to pounce on you. I'm exhausted. Besides..." She smiled triumphantly, "I'm not the one who'll lie there frustrated. I'm quite content thanks to earlier."

He nodded seriously but with a hint of a cocky smile in his eyes. "So that's my punishment for leaving you for a couple of hours, is it?"

"Yep," she pecked his lips and lay down under the covers, bringing them up to her chin.