CHAPTER 10 – A KISS DOESN'T ALWAYS MAKE THINGS BETTER

Teresa was done with her shower and was getting ready for bed when she saw all the mini bottles of alcohol strewn on top and around the coffee table. She remembered her brother calling her looking for Jane – he hadn't been able to reach him by phone. She wondered if he was so open tonight because he'd been drinking. She groaned internally… she was so tired of feeling confused. She was scared that it could all fall apart… he still wore his wedding ring for goodness sake. She got in bed to wait for him.

Jane didn't think he'd been in the shower that long when he came out and found Teresa fast asleep. The night was ending better than he could have ever hoped for. She loved him. Now he had to make sure he didn't ruin things and lose her. He just couldn't believe his luck that Teresa was giving him a chance at a real relationship with her after everything that had happened. She could definitely do better than him and should have, but he's not going to fall on his own sword. She picked him over Marcus and now he wanted to make sure she didn't regret her choice. Real-life was going to intrude when they got back to Austin… they only had two more days in this tropical paradise and he was going to make them count.

Jane slipped under the covers and was happy to see that she hadn't erected the pillow barrier. Teresa was actually in the middle of the bed facing his side, so he got as close as he could, so he could watch her sleep. Her hand was on the bed near his chest and he couldn't help himself – he took her hand in his and drifted off to sleep.

Teresa woke up in the middle of the night confused. She was trying to move but she couldn't. She opened her eyes and saw the reason… Jane had trapped her hand against his chest. She'd fallen asleep waiting for him. She pulled her hand from his grip and gently stroked his arm down to his hand. She'd watched his hands many times over the years… on the steering wheel while driving, doing magic tricks, holding a book he was reading, or doing his puzzles. She'd always found his hands very sexy and she'd liked feeling them on her hips and thighs in the pool. His arms were manly and toned and she wanted to have his arms around her… she decided to shimmy closer and got under his arm. He woke up then, groaned suggestively, and tucked her body closer this his chest. She could feel his breath on her lips and he opened his eyes.

"Humm…" he said. "I want to kiss you."

"Then why don't you?" Teresa said, her voice sounding strange to her ears.

He smiled and kissed her gently. She needed to get closer, he still felt too far away. She stuck her leg between his and molded herself to him. That action changed the intensity of Jane's kiss and he stuck his tongue into her mouth. She felt her insides liquify and a surge of lust washed over her from head to toe. Soon, the kissing wasn't enough, and Jane turned her on her back and started kissing her neck and running his hands all over her body. Then suddenly he stopped.

"Sorry – that went a little further than I planned," said Jane, breathing hard and watching for her reaction. She looked confused – hurt and now he felt bad. "Tell me what's wrong?"

Teresa sat up and moved away from him and wrapped her arms around her knees.

"Why do you keep stopping when we…" she trailed off not know how to verbalize her thoughts. This was the third time he cooled things off between them. She was wondering if it had something to do with his wife. "Is it-… Is it because of… your wife… that you're not ready? Just tell me. It's okay. I just need to know."

Jane frowned at her and propped himself up on his elbow – he reached for her hand and she felt like she was going to cry. He put his warm hand on top both of hers.

Jane could see her looking at his wedding ring. He didn't realize how she may perceive his wearing it. It'd been with him for so long and it had taken on a different meaning for him over the years other than the original promise that he'd made the day he married his wife. But it had nothing to do with him putting on the brakes.

"Teresa… this has nothing to do with that. I promise you. It's just… You deserve to be properly courted. If we were back in Austin, I would wine and dine you and take you home and leave you on your doorstep. But we're here, in a forced intimacy situation and I don't want to take advantage… that's all. I don't want there to be any regrets."

Jane was shocked when she swung off the bed and got up.

"So, you're making decisions for me again. Here I am thinking that you're not ready because of, you know what and you've just decided in your mind that I'll have regrets and control the situation."

She was so sexy when she was mad. He couldn't help himself but smile. He tried not to, he knew he was throwing gasoline onto the fire, but she was so beautiful right now.

"Don't give me that smile Patrick Jane… you're not wiggling off this hook that easily," she said, desperately trying to keep her mad face on.

"C'mon… I'm sorry. You don't want to be mad at me right now. You know it and I know it." – He laid back down, opened the covers, and tapped the bed beside him. – "You want to be here. C'mon."

God, she hated when he did that. When he was right. But he wasn't right about the other thing. She can decide for herself if she wants to be courted or not. And with that, she crawled back into bed and nestled herself beside him, determined to stay mad, but also have her cake too. Jane tucked her into his embrace and nuzzled her neck. It felt so strange to be with him like this, but it was also addictive. Then he started kissing the base of her neck at her back and it was sending shivers down her body. Then he said with a mock mobster voice from a movie. 'Baby… c'mon. Don't be mad. I'm dying here.' It was a really bad impression, but it made her laugh, then he started laughing, then the whole bed was shaking with their full-on body shaking giggles.

When the giggles subsided, she turned around, begrudgingly not mad anymore. They were staring at each other in silence. His eyes were still dancing with joy and he was wearing a lopsided grin.

"I love you," she said.

"I love you, too," he said.

"I don't mind if you want to court me, as a matter of fact, you need to court me all the time regardless… but there doesn't have to be an order to it, okay?"

"Alright," agreed Jane.

"Let's get some sleep, I'm exhausted," Teresa said, feeling so cozy and sleepy wrapped in Jane's arms.

Jane agreed and kissed her goodnight.