This is the T-rated version of this chapter. The M-rated version is in the Mature section.
Jane caught up with Lisbon and followed her down the hall, his eyes naturally attracted to her ass. He was instantly reminded of their earlier walk down the hall and her difficulty in maintaining normalcy after what he had done to her. By the time he followed her into the bedroom he was hard and sure of what he was about to do to her. He closed the door and quickly locked it before grabbing her hand and pulling her to him.
Startled she gasped, "Jane!"
He quickly pushed her up against the wall and kissed her. He felt her tremble and she moaned helplessly. He pushed his tongue into her mouth and she accepted him easily, bringing her hands up and pulling him to her. God, he loved how she was game for anything. He reached down and grabbed the back of her thighs, lifting her up so her legs wrapped around him. She trembled again and wrapped her legs tighter, pressing up against him. They kissed deeply. He couldn't get enough of her and he groaned involuntarily as she moved against him.
She pulled back and said breathlessly, "Let's go to the bed."
"No."
She was startled by his answer. "They might hear us," she said.
"Then you'll have to be very, very quiet," he said, looking at her, daring her to chance it.
Her eyes flashed with desire and determination.
As they caught their breath and slowly started untangling from each other, Jane looked at her. A slow grin played across her face and he grinned back at her. He let her down and was immediately troubled with the problem of his pants down around his ankles and his shoes still on. Lisbon looked down with him and they both chuckled. He tried toeing his shoes off like she had earlier, but they were laced too tightly. She was grinning widely at him now as he bent to unlace them and then kicked everything off. Freed, he pulled her with him over to the bed and they collapsed on it. They helped each other get their shirts off and then Jane pulled her into his arms. They lay facing each other, arms and legs all tangled up again.
"You called me Patrick," he said.
Lisbon grinned. "I did."
"I liked that."
"I could tell."
Patrick chuckled again. "Well played."
"Thank you."
"You're going to enjoy that part, aren't you?"
"What part?"
"The being in control part."
"Immeasurably."
Jane grinned. "Well, enjoy it while you can. I will eventually get my stamina back."
"We'll see."
He leaned in for a kiss. "Is this why you wanted to come back here?"
"Actually, no. I wanted to talk to you about Alexander Knox."
"What about him?"
"I was just thinking you were put on the spot out there, that maybe you'd have better luck back here where you're more relaxed. If Knox is still in the Sacramento area, we're talking 10+ hours to get him here."
"I don't know what to do though."
"Patricia said you were starting to master distance stuff. I was thinking you might have those memories in your memory palace."
"You've been doing a lot of thinking."
"Do you want to try? Go have a look round?"
Jane closed his eyes and sighed. "Not really."
"Why not?"
He opened his eyes and said, "I think I've seen enough for one day." He was in no hurry to go back and see all those memories he'd managed to avoid the last time he was there.
"Just real quick," Lisbon said. "It might be really helpful."
He considered her. He wanted to please her. He wanted to help the team. He wanted to catch Red John, and Alexander Knox was the only lead they had at this point. But he was starting to feel his limits. The amount of startling information he'd absorbed in the last 24 hours was staggering. That the new information broke apart the very foundations that had sustained him for the last 35 years made it even more difficult. Frankly, he knew Lisbon was the only reason he was managing it as well as he was. She really was his refuge. Even the team knew it.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I just need to take a break."
"Okay."
"I know you're feeling the pressure. I am too, but I—"
"You have other pressures. I know, Jane. I don't mean to add to it."
"No, you're not. You're helping immensely."
"I may have overstepped the bounds a bit in helping my subordinate," she said and rolled her hips so her patchy mound was pressed against his.
"Partners," he corrected.
She grinned slyly.
"I had no idea you would be so mischievous in bed," he said.
"I told you that you didn't know everything about me. But you were too busy feeling all superior to hear me."
He chuckled and ran his hand down her back to her sweet ass. "I am all ears now."
"Now. Mhm. Such a typical man."
He smiled widely. He liked her even more in bed, all relaxed and playful.
"I do have to get back to the team," she said. "You want to come and help Cho again?" she asked straight-faced.
He shook his head, still smiling. "As fascinating as that work is, I think I'll hang out a bit up here," he said. He was not about to admit how hungry he was, that he was going to have to raid the fridge some point soon.
"Mmkay," she said, and moved in to kiss him.
"So have we broken any records for you yet?" he asked.
"For number of times in a day?"
"Yes."
She scoffed. "Hardly." Then she quickly asked, "You?"
"No. But I would say there is a day, a week, in our future just waiting for us to smash old records."
"How psychic of you…" she grinned.
"A day, a week, with no work," he added.
"Agreed," she said and kissed him again.
They reluctantly got up and got dressed in the reverse order they got undressed. By the door, Jane laced his shoes while Lisbon waited. When he stood he looked her up and down.
"You don't look like you just got ravished up against the wall," he said and took her into his arms.
She smiled. "That's good."
"But knowing that you did is going to keep me hard all night." He kissed her softly.
"Mmm. I'll keep that in mind," she said pulling back. She took his hand and pulled him with her. "Come on."
They went down the hall hand-in-hand, Jane noticing the light spilling out under Patricia's door. Lisbon dropped his hand before they reached the living room. Ryan was back on the couch watching hockey this time. When he saw them, he sat up.
"Agent Lisbon?" he asked.
Lisbon and Jane stopped. "What?" Lisbon asked.
"Wayne said you had a treadmill downstairs. I was wondering if I could use it tomorrow."
Lisbon considered his request. "That sounds doable. Talk to me tomorrow."
She headed for the stairs and Jane followed. At the top of them, he grabbed her hand. "I'm going to stay up here," he said.
"What are you going to do?" she asked, skeptically.
"I'm just going to get some tea. I'll be down later."
"Tea, huh?" she said, like she saw right through him.
He smiled. "I'll see you later."
"Mhm," she said slyly and turned to go downstairs.
Jane went to the kitchen, thinking the night wasn't over yet. He opened the fridge and stood looking inside. All the remains of the dinner were there and he questioned whether he wanted to drag out that lasagna. He heard something behind him and he turned to find Ryan coming into the kitchen.
"The lasagna is excellent," Ryan said.
Jane turned back to the fridge. "I know," he said, annoyed. While he wanted to resist just on principle, he had eaten all of one bowl of soup that day. And while he'd not broken any records, he had expended an inordinate amount of energy since daylight broke that morning. In short, he was famished. He went for it, pulling out the casserole dish covered in tin foil and placing it on the counter.
Ryan was leaning against the counter by the sink watching now.
"Is there something you wanted?" Jane asked.
"Yes," Ryan said.
Jane turned and looked at him. "Okay."
"I wanted to thank you for apologizing to my—to our mother."
Jane narrowed his eyes at Ryan, looking for the real intent. "Okay."
Ryan reacted to his look and struggled with what to say next. "Okay, I'm just… I think you should apologize to me too, but I know I punched you and all, so, whatever." He lifted his hand to indicate the bruise Jane had almost forgotten about.
"Yeah, whatever," Jane said. Harvard and Columbia, really?
"Yeah, so I just wanted to tell you that my—that she—has her hopes up about you and I'm asking that you not toy with that. She's…." He was really struggling for words now, and not because he didn't know what he wanted to say. He was cautiously choosing how to say it. "Look, I don't know what she was like when she was with you, but I never understood why she was the way she was until now. I mean it all makes sense now."
"What makes sense?"
Ryan hesitated. There was no reason for him to trust Jane at all, so Jane said, "Her sadness?"
Ryan took a deep breath and exhaled, saying, "Her depressions. She'd close a case and everyone would go home happy except for her. She'd take to bed for days after a case like that." He frowned at Jane. "She'd kill me if she knew I was telling you this."
Jane nodded. "I understand."
Ryan looked unsure. "Do you?"
"Yes. More than you could know."
A look of understanding crossed Ryan's face. "I'm sorry for what happened to your family," he said.
Jane frowned, annoyed again. "Your secret is safe with me," he said.
Ryan looked startled then wary. "I don't have a secret. I have a request. I'm asking that you not dash her hopes cruelly. I haven't ever seen her this happy and I thought you should know that. That's all this is about," he said. He pushed off the counter and went back to the living room and the couch.
Jane turned back to the lasagna. He pulled the tinfoil up and looked at the remains with a growing indifference as he realized he was no longer hungry.