A/N: Hi everyone! Thanks for your most recent reviews; I love hearing from you! It got my juices flowing and I was able to get a lot of writing in last weekend. Hope you enjoy this chapter. :-)
Chapter 10
Lisbon's POV
She observed Simms in the distance with Jane from under her lashes, keeping her head down pretending to read a report at her desk. Abbott joined them; now they were heading into the 'fish bowl' conference room. Her jaw was set so tight, that it hurt when she released it. Fischer appeared at her desk and leaned against it, facing the conference room.
"I can't believe Abbott is letting Simms borrow Jane. It's been three days."
She didn't respond; Fischer was just venting because she needed him on her case and Abbott had refused to halt Simms' case for hers. Everyone knew that the order came from the director and there was nothing to be done for it.
"We don't need Jane to close this case," she reminded her gently.
"I wonder why Jane agreed to this anyway; it's not in his contract."
She wondered the same thing. When he told her he had to work with Simms, she asked him why he had agreed. He said it was to keep the peace at work but Jane didn't care about that kind of thing... he was the maker of chaos. He was hiding something from her but she wasn't sure what. Whatever he was working on was confidential and he couldn't share it with her.
Her insecurities about their relationship were rearing their ugly heads and she did her best to keep them under control but a part of her wondered if he was working with her because he wanted to.
She was openly looking in the same direction as Fischer now, observing Simms's interactions with Jane. The woman had no shame; she watched as she positioned herself right beside Jane, so close that her hip touched his shoulder as she was standing and Jane was sitting.
"Do you think something's going on between them?"
"What? Why are you asking that?" she blurted out.
"They were pretty cozy at the ball; they make a nice-looking couple. He seemed to like her and now he's working with her again," she added with a shrug.
"I doubt Jane's interested. She's not his type," she said trying to sound as convincing as possible.
Fischer turned around to face her, her eyebrow lifted at the corner.
"Simms is every man's type," she said with a chuckle. "Besides... I know you're still new here and you keep away from gossip but it's a known thing around here that what Simms wants, Simms gets. She's the golden child if you get my meaning. She has several directors fawning over her. If she wants Jane, she'll get him and by the looks of it the other night, she won't have to try too hard."
"I don't think so."
"Why not?"
"Jane isn't interested in dating anyone," she said with confidence because he was dating her.
"He's interested, Lisbon, believe me. It may be tough for you to see him that way after all these years but I know firsthand."
"What do you mean?"
"On the island... he asked me out on a date."
"You went on date with him?"
"He thought I was a tourist... it was a good way to get close to him. So yeah, I did."
"A date? With Jane?" she asked incredulously.
She'd become friends with Kim and she couldn't believe she was only hearing about this now.
"He was authentic… real, you know? A great date actually. Nothing like he is now... and more relaxed. Great dancer too."
A small smile was teasing Fischer's lips as she spoke and it made her uneasy. Now all those times Jane said Kim was different on the island made sense. Her stomach soured; did they sleep together? Maybe that's why Kim had asked her if she had slept with him when they first met... because she had slept with him and she assumed that she had too.
"Did... did you guys..."
Fischer frowned at her.
"I was undercover, Lisbon," she said clearing her throat and looking uncomfortable.
That wasn't an answer. What happened between them? Did Fischer have feelings for Jane?
"Anyway, we should be heading to Irving soon. Be ready to go in 10 minutes."
Fischer paused and came back to her desk.
"You know... there is this one odd thing that I should mention now that we're on the subject... you know how he wears his wedding ring all the time... on our date, he didn't wear it. I never gave it a thought back then, but now that I know him better, I wonder why."
Her heart sank; he'd been making love to her every night with that ring on his finger and it was starting to bother her. That ring felt like a barrier between them and made her feel like she was competing with the ghost of his wife. She was trying to be sensitive to his situation and hadn't brought it up but to hear Fischer say that he'd taken it off for a date with her struck her painfully in the heart.
They'd only been together a few days, eight actually, but it felt like months to her. Things were moving fast on the one hand, especially where her heart was concerned; it was deeply attached to him and they were essentially living together at her place. On the other hand, moving slowly because she still couldn't open up to him; just thinking about being vulnerable to him made her anxious.
Abbott exited the conference room and signaled for her to come to his office.
"Having a good afternoon, Lisbon," he asked as he closed the door behind her.
"Very productive," she answered. "I'm meeting Fischer in 5 minutes to head to Irving. We're conducting interviews with the new witnesses."
"I won't keep you long, then. Have a seat."
She sat and waited.
"Everything okay, boss?" she asked with concern.
"That depends. I heard about your break up with Agent Pike," he said, lifting his hand to signal to her to wait so he could continue. "Don't worry, I'm not going to ask you the details. I'm just wondering if you will continue with your transfer to D.C. in light of this change in status. You're an asset to our team and I hate to see you go."
He smiled pleasantly at her waiting for her response and she felt like a deer caught in headlights.
"I don't know," she answered honestly.
Her heart was racing. That job was her lifeline right now. She didn't feel like she could let it go because if things went south with Jane, she wanted a place to run to and she would need to run far to get over him. He considered her response for a few seconds watching her with interest. She hated when he looked at her like that.
"Okay. Thank you for your honesty. Just wanted to let you know that the longer you wait, the harder it will be to keep you on the team should you change your mind. I've been asked to start interviewing for your position asap. Once I hire, I won't be able to take you back. You'll have to let me know your decision by mid-next week."
"That only gives me 7 days to make my decision."
"I'm sorry, Lisbon, that's the best I can do."
"Of course. I appreciate that. I'll think about it."
She headed back to her desk and halted her step a bit when Jane and Simms came into view. They were sitting on Jane's couch and Simms was sitting closer than necessary to him, brushing her knee to his as she was perched on the end of the cushion. She rolled her eyes and continued her stride in their direction. As she approached, Simms eyes flicked to hers then she placed her hand on his knee and rubbed it. Jane's eyes went to Simms's hand on his knee then to hers as she approached.
"Jane, Simms," she greeted pleasantly, then sat at her desk.
She didn't want to give that woman the satisfaction of knowing that she rattled her. Jane cleared his throat behind her and ended their interaction. Soon Simms was on the elevator and out of her sight.
"Lisbon," Jane's voice reverberated from behind her. "Want some coffee?"
She got up without looking at him and headed in that direction at a quick pace.
Jane's POV
Lisbon was annoyed. He didn't need a crystal ball to figure it out. He took his time following her into the break room. When he got there, another agent was making coffee. He joined her at the counter where she was arranging and re-arranging the sugar and stir sticks. He started making himself a cup of tea silently willing the other agent to leave so he could speak to her in private. Finally, the man left and he turned to her, brushing his hand on her arm briefly.
"Hey... you, okay?"
"She was all over you."
He sighed. She wasn't wrong.
"She's making her intentions known."
"Yeah, I can see that."
"And I've made my intentions clear to her."
"She didn't get the memo."
"It would be easier if our relationship wasn't a secret."
"That wouldn't stop her."
His gaze narrowed on hers.
"And how's that?"
"She knows, okay."
"Knows what?"
"About us. She's the one that told Marcus."
"I see," he acknowledged.
He wasn't surprised to hear that, he had figured Simms guessed, but he didn't know that Lisbon knew that she knew. Then the puzzle pieces fell into place... that's why she'd been upset the other day, she'd spoken with Simms. He wondered what else the two had talked about.
"What else did Simms say when you spoke to her?"
She looked surprised that he had guessed about their conversation, but then he saw acceptance in her features.
"I went to apologize for embarrassing her; I thought it was the right thing to do."
"And..."
"She asked if we were together."
"And..."
"I denied it but she said I wasn't a very good liar. Anyway... she said she wanted to pursue you and since we weren't together that I shouldn't mind."
This had gone further than he thought but this was not the reason she was upset the other day. There was more.
"She's calling your bluff. What else did she say?"
Her eyes darted away from his, "Nothing."
"Teresa... come on. What else did she say."
"Nothing," she answered, turning away from him. "She wants you, okay? And she usually gets what she wants."
"She can't have me. I only have eyes for you," he said, gazing into her eyes.
"She already did, didn't she?" she said.
Her eyes were unsure as they looked into his. This is what had upset her a few days ago.
"No," he replied emphatically. "I wanted to make you jealous, that was the beginning and the end of it."
She frowned at him and he watched as her cheeks flushed.
"I know that... but why would she lie? We weren't together. It doesn't matter if you did. You can tell the truth."
"I am."
Her eyes darted to the door as someone passed by.
"I didn't sleep with her."
She watched his face but he could tell that he wasn't swaying her.
"I won't be upset if it's true, Jane. You were well within your right."
"Maybe, but I didn't."
She shook her head and looked down at her empty coffee cup.
"Look... this is a stupid conversation. It doesn't matter if you did or not. I'm over it."
"You're not and I didn't, but you don't believe me. That's a big problem, Teresa."
Her eyes darted to the door again.
"We shouldn't be talking about this here and really, it's okay. I just want to forget about it."
"Teresa," he said softly. "You're the only one in my heart. I couldn't be with someone else when I feel this way about you. I'm not like that… you know it."
Her eyes searched his and he gave her the time she needed to process what he said. Suddenly, a small smile teased her lips as her eyes twinkled back at him.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
Relief washed over him... she believed him; he could see it.
"When will you be home tonight?"
She said home and not 'my place'; he felt encouraged by this progress. They hadn't spent a night apart since their first time together and that's the way he liked it.
"I have to work tonight."
He saw the annoyance and disappointment on her face.
"Don't wait up... I'll wake you when I get in."
"You can have my spare key."
"I'm honored."
"Don't get too comfortable. You're not moving in. I just don't want to worry about what you'll do to get in," she said teasingly.
6 p.m...
Jane's POV
"Patrick? What's your take on what Sullivan just said?" Simms asked abruptly.
He shook his head and shrugged with annoyance looking out the window.
"I already told you what I think."
"Sullivan... I'll call you right back."
Simms ended the call coming through Bluetooth on the car's speaker.
"I appreciate that but I still have to look at the other possibilities."
"You're wasting my time."
"You agreed to work this case."
"I was forced to work on this case because you brought in the director."
"The director can't force you to do something you don't want to."
He gave her a pointed look.
"Don't play coy Melissa, it's not a good look on you. What's your end game here. Why did you drag me on this case because it's certainly not because of a threat to the great ole u, s of a."
"And what do you think is happening here?"
"You tell me. This is your game."
"You think I'm playing a game?"
"I know you're playing a game. We had fun... I didn't take you for a sore loser."
"Don't flatter yourself. I assure you that your reason for being on this case is purely professional."
"Is it?"
"Tone down your narcissism, not everything is about you. If I wanted you, I'd have you and I wouldn't need to use my position to do it."
"Is that right?"
"It would be child's play to clear the playing field if that's what I wanted. Teresa seems quite insecure in her relationship with you. It wouldn't take much to send her running."
"Your confidence is ill-placed."
"I don't think so. She's keeping your relationship a secret because she knows it won't last. She's having her fun, scratching a years old itch I bet… but it's doomed to fail because you're not compatible. You're too narcissistic and she's too Mother Theresa trying to save you from yourself."
"You're deflecting, Melissa. Tell me what you want so we can get through this quicker."
"I don't have a hidden agenda. You know where I stand and what I want. I think we could have a lot of fun together and we would be great in bed. It's up to you to take me up on it or not. And don't pretend you don't find me attractive… I know I'm your type, Patrick."
"You think highly of yourself."
"As do you," she interjected. "Look, I get it… you have an attachment to Lisbon and you were about to lose her. You had to make a move to keep her by your side, and you're a bit tied up with her right now, but you will tire of her as she will of you. I don't have to do anything to break you up, I'm sure you will both take care of that on your own. But right now, I'm concerned with national security and that's my only motivation for bringing you on this case… forcefully. Will you help me or not?"
The woman was a pathological liar, a true psychopath. He couldn't detect a single trace of deception in her features or tone. But he knew she was lying. He called her out hoping to draw her out but his tactic failed. It was worth a shot but for now, he would have to go along and see how it played out.
2 a.m...
Lisbon's POV
She clutched at her dream as something woke her. She felt strong arms pull her into their embrace as a body molded itself to hers. It was Jane; he was home. She hadn't been able to sleep without him and had been tossing and turning. She must have finally passed out.
He groaned in annoyance as he made contact with her tank top and underwear. She felt strange going to bed naked by herself, so she had put on her usual sleep attire.
"I need to feel you," he complained, tugging at her tank top. "I can't sleep with you like this."
She helped him remove it, then he pushed her panties down to her thighs and pulled her back against him, his warm body bringing her the same relief he expressed.
"You feel so good," he whispered, his hand roaming her breasts to her belly up to her hip then her thigh.
He repeated the motion in reverse, kissing her neck with his hot open mouth. Her body hummed to life with desire. She pressed her bottom against his groin and felt his erection. He moaned from the pressure, so she continued her teasing. She was rewarded quickly when he entered her from their current position. They hadn't made love like that before and it was a new sensation for her.
"I missed you tonight," he panted in her ear. "I couldn't wait to come home to hold you."
"Me too."
He moaned as he pushed all the way to her innermost limits, stretching her fully.
"You feel so good," he said huskily near her ear.
He adjusted the angle of his possession and increased his speed. The new position sent her body buzzing as her stimulated core sought its climax. She braced herself to better absorb his hard pounding lost in her own bliss. Moan after moan escaped her as each stroke brought her closer to her goal.
She loved being possessed by him, he reached in front of her between her legs and stimulated her while sucking the back of her neck. His moans and whispered words about what she did to him increased her desire.
She missed his kiss but didn't want to stop their momentum, it felt too good. As though he read her thoughts, he pulled out and pushed her on her back. She was trapped in her panties and he helped her take them off.
"No more clothes when you come to bed," he said breathlessly as he settled between her thighs and entered her again.
They both moaned in relief at being joined again their eyes on each other. He kept his eyes focused on hers as he slowly thrust inside her and kissed her softly. He skimmed his lips and nose across her face, stopping to kiss some spots, then back to her lips. She wrapped her legs around him needing him to give her what her body craved; her body bucking trying to reset the rhythm from earlier.
"Please, Jane, please."
He kissed her softly then stopped all motion to hold her gaze.
"Say my name."
He was so beautiful; she could see the strain in his features as he fought to maintain control, his breathing coming in pants.
"Patrick… please… please."
He groaned with male pride swooping back down to take her mouth in a searing kiss as his body resumed its rhythmic movement inside her. Her breath was catching unable to continue their kiss, her body so close to the edge.
He adjusted his position as she begged him for release. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, then found the pulse at her neck with his mouth sending her body into overdrive. She couldn't hold back her moans as his short and quick thrusts made her climax as she clutched desperately at his waist.
He continued his merciless rhythm until she capitulated into a mass of limp limbs, her body blissfully spent, riding the waves of pleasure flowing in her veins. She reached up to hold him when he pulled her tight against him and his body started shaking from his release as moan after moan reverberated from his throat and chest from his carnal possession.
She loved this part of their love-making; the erotic intimacy of the heat of his essence as he filled her; his hot breath on her neck, his hair tickling her nose, the smell of his warm skin, his body shuddering under her hands, his satisfied moans in her ear. Making love with him was an erotic experience of all her senses and a complete fulfillment of her heart.
He kissed her gently murmuring sweet words of love to her as they both recovered the use of their limbs. She stared into his loving eyes and was lost. She loved him so much it scared her.
"Say it," she asked.
His eyes narrowed briefly then he smiled crookedly. He studied her for a few seconds then he uttered the words that she longed to hear that scared her to death.
"I love you."
"Me too," she whispered and immediately felt overwhelmed and exposed.
She pulled him into a hug, his gaze too intense for her to bear. After a few moments, she turned to her side and he spooned her. As though sensing her anxiety, he hugged her tight but her body couldn't relax, her mind was racing. What if it didn't work out between them? What if he left her? How could she exist in her world again without him by her side? Her heart raced as she stared at the wedding ring on his hand lying in front of her on the bed reminding her that she was second to a ghost. Could he ever move on fully?
Suddenly, she felt his fingernails on her skin as he started a slow trajectory along her body. She closed her eyes and surrendered to sleep.
The next day...
Lisbon's POV
'I'm heading home now,' she texted Jane before heading down the stairs to the lobby.
Jane was at her house preparing supper. She let him keep her spare key to let himself in. He was still working the case with Simms but managed to slip away early so they could spend some time together before he had to go back. She was concerned about what he was doing on the case that required him to keep such late hours, but due to the confidentiality, he couldn't tell her.
"Teresa," greeted Simms voice from behind her.
She braced herself and turned.
"Melissa."
"How are you?"
Ugh. She didn't want to make small talk with her. Simms didn't like her, she didn't try to hide it, so why was she putting them through this. She could have just waited for her to clear the lobby.
"I'm fine. How are you?"
"Great. I'm really enjoying working with Patrick. He's been a great asset these last few days. Hope you're not missing him too much on your case."
Oh. She wanted to annoy her it seemed.
"All good," she answered as she arrived on the landing and headed towards the exit.
"Heading home already? It's early, isn't it? You're not meeting Patrick by any chance?"
"No," she said exasperatedly. "I have to go."
"Strange... he left early too."
What was she playing at with her questions? She already said that she knew they were together even though she denied it. Why was she persisting on this line of questioning?
"Lisbon," Wiley said from behind her. "Glad I caught up to you. Here's the file you asked for, I was able to get it for you."
"Thank you, Wiley."
Wiley smiled expectantly at both of them and it got awkward.
"Okay... have a nice afternoon, agents."
Wiley took his leave and she tried to do the same but Simms wasn't done it appeared, she fell in step beside her.
"I can see why you kept him around all these years. The way his mind works; it's exciting. He's unpredictable but very... stimulating."
"That's one way to describe it," she said glibly and picked up her pace.
"We'll be spending a lot more time together in the next couple of days," she said suggestively.
"Good luck with that," she said as she finally hit the fresh air outside glad her interaction with Simms was over.
She entered the house and immediately the smell of food hit her nose. She walked briskly to the kitchen and smiled. Jane was wearing the horrible apron she received as a gag gift a few years ago at a holiday party. It had the torso of a woman in a bikini on it and with his island shirt and dress pants, he looked absolutely ridiculous and adorable. He was stirring something in a huge pot and smiled at her. That smile, she couldn't get enough of it, never could. She reached in front of him and hugged him from behind, pressing her cheek against his back.
"I missed you, too," he said jovially.
She gave him a strong squeeze in response. He turned in her arms and pecked her on the lips. She peeked in the pot and confirmed her suspicion.
"Spaghetti."
"And garlic bread. How was your day?"
"Ugh," she provided, pulling away from him. "Simms cornered me on my way out. That woman is so irritating."
"Uh, oh. What did she want?"
"Annoy me, I guess. She was spouting how amazing you are and how close the two of you are getting."
"I see."
"You see what?"
"You're feeling a bit jealous."
"I'm not! She's just... irritating."
He crowded her against the island in the kitchen, his eyes twinkling with mischief. He placed his hands on either side of the counter trapping her, smiling down at her.
"It's okay, Teresa. Jealousy looks good on you," he said as his eyes observed her. "But you know I have no interest in her at all."
He kissed her softly.
"You are all I think about."
He kissed her again.
"It's your lips I want to kiss... your scent I can't resist."
He nuzzled her neck with his nose, then lifted her on the counter sending some of the contents on the floor.
"Your body I want to bury myself in."
His eyes held hers intensely with a little smile as his hands rubbed her thighs and their breathing got heavier.
A timer went off behind him and he smiled wickedly.
"Saved by the bell... I guess I'll have to save you for dessert."
He kissed her one more time, chastely, and helped her down the counter, pressing her to the front of his body; she felt his erection against her belly and smiled.
"You see what you do to me."
He winked at her and turned around to attend to the sauce and she busied herself with getting plates and cutlery before she made a fool of herself and begged him to make love to her immediately.
Jane's POV
Today was a good day. Last night Teresa asked him to tell her he loved her and she reciprocated. He couldn't be happier with this progress. She was obviously feeling safe enough with him to verbalize her feelings.
His food was getting cold but he didn't care… he couldn't take his eyes off her. He loved to watch her eat. She did so with such enthusiasm. He was still feeling worked up from their little encounter in the kitchen and right now, all he wanted to do was kiss the sauce off her pouty lips. His body hummed with energy at the thought. They were sitting as they usually do on her sofa and he resisted the urge to interrupt her meal.
"You're staring at me again."
"I can't help it."
She took another forkful of spaghetti and chewed while watching him.
"You didn't touch the box."
He frowned at her statement.
"You asked me not to."
"You've been alone in the house; you could have looked inside."
"How do you know I didn't."
"You would have led the conversation to it if you knew what was inside. Tried to get me to show you the contents so we could talk about it."
"Interesting. Do I do that a lot?"
"Yes."
"I didn't think I was that obvious."
"When you know someone's tell, it's best not to reveal it."
"Touché... so why are you revealing it now?"
She shrugged.
"I don't want to have to use tells to trust you. I want us to have an honest relationship. I can't live with lies and half-truths. I need you to understand that."
"There're no lies between us, is there?"
"You tell me."
"I want the same thing, Teresa."
"Okay."
"Do I get to see what's in that box?"
"Not tonight. I just wanted to say thank you for respecting my privacy."
He smiled and nodded.
"You're welcome."
She smiled sweetly at him and took a bite of her garlic bread.
"This supper is amazing. Thank you."
He accepted her praise with a nod.
"More wine?"
"Yes!"
They ate in silence a bit more before she spoke again. He knew she wasn't done.
"Why are you working with Simms and don't give the harmony excuse. I want the truth."
He had been hoping she wouldn't bring up the subject again because he couldn't tell her that the director had made veiled threats about her position at the FBI. The man knew he couldn't touch him, but he could make Lisbon's life more difficult and stall her career further. She gave up her new senior position in D.C. for him, he didn't want her to have to sacrifice any more of her career for him. If he told her the truth, she would feel guilty and he didn't want that.
"Why can't you accept that I'm trying to do the right thing? It's a personal favor to the Director and he'll owe me after. That's hard for me to pass that up... you know that."
Her eyes were narrowed on his face searching but he knew he was giving nothing away.
"Fine," she finally relented.
"When do you have to leave?"
He looked at his watch, it was almost 6 p.m.
"In an hour."
"When do you think you'll be home?"
He loved hearing her refer to her place as 'home' with him as the context. He smiled at her and she blushed.
"Don't get too comfortable alone in that bed, I should be back by 2 a.m., and remember what I said last night," he said with a wink.
She blushed harder and kicked him playfully.
"I'll dress however I want for bed, thank you. You're not the boss of me."
"Hmmm... I am in the bedroom."
Her eyes widened and she cleared her throat. She adjusted herself slightly; she was turned on by his words.
"If you're a good girl, you'll get rewarded," he said, adjusting the timbre of his voice seductively.
"Will I?"
He shrugged.
"What if I'm a bad girl?"
A jolt of lust kicked up in his loins and he smiled.
"Well played."
He couldn't wait to get back tonight to see which one she would choose. She took a sip of her wine keeping her eyes trained on his. Somehow, he was sure she would be a bad girl tonight.
Two days later...
Jane's POV
The last two days had been hectic. They had both been preoccupied with their cases and had barely seen each other. When he woke up this morning, she was already gone because she had an early meeting with Fischer about their case. They had exchanged texts a few times, but that had been the extent of their interactions. She was heading home now and he couldn't wait to see her.
They only had a small amount of time together tonight because he had to head out again as he'd been doing the last few nights so he picked up her favorite takeout. She said she had to chase down a suspect today, so he prepared a bubble bath for her because he knew she would be sore.
He heard the key in the door and turned to greet her.
"Jane?"
"Lisbon."
"Sorry... you know I'm working on it... Patrick," she said with a sweet smile, her eyes brightening at the sight of him.
"Hmmm... and you know I love it when you call me Patrick," he responded, pecking her on the lips.
She dropped her purse and go bag at the entry followed by her jacket on the sofa.
"Hungry?"
"Yes, I'm starving. We had to work through lunch."
"Oh, that's too bad."
"Why?"
"I poured you a bubble bath upstairs... the water will be cold if we eat first."
"A bubble bath?" she said with excitement.
"Hm, hm," he answered with a smile.
"Grab the food and meet me upstairs," she said with a cheeky smile, then started to undress as she made her way to the stairs.
He watched her as she took off all her clothes and was down to her bra and undies at the top of the landing. Then she tossed her bra down the stairs, followed by her panties. He struggled to remember that he had to get the food first before going after her.
Jane's POV
"This is the best night ever," she stated emphatically.
She forked a mouthful of noodles in her mouth and moaned with appreciation.
"This is exactly what I was craving all day," she added.
"You wound me."
"What? Why?"
"Best night?"
"You know what I mean," she said, hitting his leg with hers to make her point making the water slosh. "A bubble bath with food... and a very sexy man. What more can a girl ask for."
"Flattery will get you everywhere," he chuckled.
He took a bite of his food and watched her. Her bathtub wasn't meant for two but they made it work. He sat at one end and she sat at the other with their legs bent between them protruding out of the water. Because of the size of the tub, their legs touched at their knees, but it worked out because the position allowed them to eat their meal as well. The tub wasn't deep either, so he also got to enjoy the view of her perky breasts.
"I am curious about something," he asked.
"You... curious? How strange."
"I was looking for some mood music to play while you took your bath and perused your selection. I expected the 90s music, even the 80s but not the soft jazz and the best hits of the pan flute."
She choked a bit on her food as she chuckled.
"That is all your fault!"
"Excuse me?"
"Culpepper? When I had to hit him to get you out of trouble? That got me hours in anger management and that quack of a counselor insisted that the group learn to meditate. He insisted that the pan flute was the best music to achieve this."
"And the Jazz?"
"I love Jazz. My uncle was in a band and my mom listened to his cd all the time. It's good memories for me."
He smiled at her. She was opening up to him and he couldn't be more thrilled.
"I think bubble baths will be a must every night."
"And why's that?" she asked.
"It's nice. It's very nice being like this with you."
She smiled with her mouth full and tried to chew at the same time.
"It is nice. I'm enjoying it too."
They stared at each other for a few heartbeats and then started eating again.
"On the subject of music, I've waited years to unearth this mystery... maybe you can put me out of my misery."
She looked up at him in surprise.
"What on earth are you talking about?" she asked.
"What instrument did you play in high school?"
"What? Why do you want to know that?"
"You never told me."
He could see she was searching her memory.
"Oh… You know that... you drove me crazy with that back then… for weeks."
"No... I made a series of guesses, but you never confirmed if I was correct."
"Okay... so what is your best guess?"
"I'll go with my original guess... the clarinet."
"And that would be correct. See... you already knew the answer to the big mystery."
Lisbon's POV
Jane was so adorable. Being like this with him in the tub right now was everything. She felt so relaxed and happy.
"I'm a good guesser."
"Yes, you are."
"Why did you pick it?"
"Seriously... this is what you want to talk about?"
"Yes."
"Okay... let me see if I can remember. Uhm... we had to pick numbers... yeah... that was it... the numbers corresponded to instruments. I was happy I got the clarinet... it was small to carry around. My friend got the bassoon. That thing is huge."
"I bet you got really good at it... you're blushing. I knew it."
"Well, yes. It was important for me to have good grades. So, I practiced until I got really good at it. I made it into the competitive band and we made it to the regionals that year."
She gagged a bit on her food when she remembered that day of the competition.
"What's wrong?"
"Oh... talking about all this brought up a memory and it's gross."
"Really? How's that?" he asked mid-bite.
"When you play the clarinet, it comes with a little wooden piece that you must keep wet with your saliva for it to work. Well... somehow, I lost mine and didn't notice until we were set to go on stage. My teacher found one lying around but it was obviously used. It was so gross. I gagged during the performance because I couldn't push the thought out of my mind that someone else's spit had been on it. I ruined our chances of winning the regionals."
"That must've been upsetting for you at the time."
She shrugged. She meant the story to be funny, but Jane picked up on the big impact it had on her.
"Yeah... I was kicked out of the band. The band traveled and it was fun. It got me away from my brothers and my dad for a day or two. It was hard losing that."
She took a deep breath needing to change the subject.
"What about you? Do you play an instrument?"
"A few actually."
"Really?"
"Surprised, I see."
"Yes. I just don't picture it. What do you play?"
"The cello, the piano, and the guitar."
"What?... How? Why?" she giggled, rapt with interest.
He looked at her briefly then back at his food. He took a bite and watched her.
"Come on... fess up."
Jane's POV
"Give me a minute," he chuckled.
He wanted to finish chewing his bite before he launched in and he also liked the way she was looking at him her eyes bright with excitement.
"My father was running a scam and I had to learn to play an instrument to convince the marks that their kids would have a chance to play with a symphony youth orchestra. He went to the pawnshop and they had a violin and a cello. He thought the cello would be more convincing and he knew a guy that could show me how to play."
"Can you still play?"
"I played a few years ago… it all came back to me. I'm not the best… but I can make it convincing," he added with a devilish smile.
"Did the scam work?"
"Unfortunately, yes."
"You didn't like it, did you? Scamming people?"
"That's complicated."
"How?"
"Because… it never occurred to me that what we were doing was wrong. My father said that we were taking from the rich and they had so much money it didn't matter to them. He often said they were begging to give him their money. It's just the way it was… but there was that one time when he went after a grandmother and her dying granddaughter… it's not that he took her money… that didn't bother me, sadly. It was that he gave that little girl hope that she could be cured. We fought a lot after that. I wanted out from under him to run my own scams."
"Did you? Get out from under him?"
"Yes, I did. That's how I met Angela. My dad didn't like the psychic gambit… he said it was too boring. I went to study with the best… her dad. He was convinced I was the true article and for a while, I was convinced too. I was really good at it and I just got better. And… well… you know how that turned out."
She put her hand on his knee and rubbed it.
"What about the other instruments?"
He smiled at her change of subject.
"Well… the guitar... that was for an act my dad put together. He wanted us to go legit... that didn't last long… didn't pay fast enough to keep up with his gambling debts."
"Is that where you learned to play cards so well… your father?"
"No… he wasn't very good. I taught myself because I thought I could help him become a better gambler, but all it did was get him into bigger trouble."
She nodded and he knew she understood the helplessness of living with an addict but she didn't pursue the conversation for the same reason he wanted to drop it; there was no point talking about it.
Lisbon's POV
"What about the piano?"
He stopped eating and looked uncomfortable; she remembered that his wife was a piano teacher.
"Sorry... you don't have to talk about it."
"It's okay. I want to."
"Angela loved the piano. It brought her a lot of joy when she played. I used to watch her for hours; she played so beautifully. She was teaching Charlotte to play and she got upset because she didn't want to practice. She asked why she had to play if I didn't. So... I started taking lessons with her and we learned together."
"That's so sweet."
That gesture was a sign of a good father. He was so young when he started his family. Just 21 years old when his daughter was born. She remembered sadly the coroner's report that Angela had been about 5 weeks pregnant when she died. She always wondered if he knew or if he had found out after. His whole life was ripped from under him at 28 years old.
A pang of deep sadness for the loss he suffered overwhelmed her. She didn't want to ruin their evening, there had been too much pain. He was pushing his food around and she knew she needed to lighten the mood.
"I'd love to hear you play sometime."
He smiled softly at her; he looked relieved that she was changing the subject.
"I will if you will," he challenged.
"Deal! I'll beat you..."
"Not everything is a competition."
"That's what losers say," she teased.
He put his plate down on the floor, a wide grin pushing his cheeks to their limits. Then he sat up straight and grabbed her legs.
"Put it down, Teresa," he said in a predatory manner.
"No," she giggled.
He yanked on her sending her off balance but she was determined to play hard to get. He continued to pull her closer to him placing her legs on each side of his waist. She was using the tub's sides to maintain her balance when his hands traveled underwater and gripped her hips pulling her against him; her core coming into intimate contact with his erection. Her body immediately pulsed with desire; her food forgotten. He grabbed her takeout container and discarded it for her.
"We should get out here. I want my dessert."
He winked at her, rubbing her thighs. The tub was way too small to handle sexual activity so they extricated themselves from the tub and headed into the bedroom.
She listened to his heart as he traced lazy patterns on her back with his fingers after they made love. She kissed his chest and nestled her head back in the crook of his arm. She knew he had to go soon. She was tired of this schedule.
"What time is it?"
He expelled a long breath and looked at his watch.
"Looks like I have to go."
"How much longer before this case is over?"
"A few more days... 2 maybe 3."
He rolled out of bed and headed to the shower. She admired his naked body as he retreated from her sight. He was perfection from head to toe, from his curly blond head to his wide shoulders and toned arms to his tight perfectly formed butt. She considered joining him in the shower so she could ogle the rest of his fine assets but she knew he was tight on time.
She'd be back in his arms like clockwork at 2 a.m. She'd been delaying her bedtime the last few nights because she couldn't sleep without him. It just required too much effort; so she would wait for him on the couch and he would wake her upon his arrival. This routine was temporary. Soon he'd be done with that case and they could go to bed at a reasonable time.
She got out of bed and got dressed for a jog. That would kill some of her boredom.
The next day...
Lisbon's POV
Jane didn't come home last night. She texted and called and received no response. She'd been a mess, worried for his safety, but had no recourse to find out what was going on. When she got to the office, Abbott seemed normal, so she knew that he must be fine.
She struggled to focus on what Cho was saying about the new case; they were at a swanky hotel in downtown for the murder of two socialites sisters and an unknown male. The women were the daughters of a judge sitting on a trial regarding corruption in the city police department. This was going to be a very public case.
After reviewing the scene, they headed to the elevators and when the doors opened, she was stunned. Jane was in there with two men and three women; one of which was hanging all over him. He'd been laughing with the small group when the doors opened.
"We'll get the next one," Fischer said without missing a beat.
There was no spark of recognition in Jane's eyes when they landed upon her as the doors closed and although she knew he was obviously undercover, it reminded her what a great actor he was.
Fischer shared a look with her and Cho and they waited to be safely in the SUV before discussing what they had just seen.
"I thought he was just consulting," said Fischer as she started the vehicle.
"He's not an agent. He shouldn't be working undercover," she stated with annoyance.
She buckled herself in, resolute in her decision that Abbott was going to hear from her the minute she stepped into the office.
Her phone vibrated and she quickly grabbed it to check if it was Jane; it was Fischer, again. She responded to her text and tossed her phone back on the bed in frustration.
Today's case had been grueling… the death notification had been hard to watch as the parents wept uncontrollably. They had split up to conduct the witness interviews and as much as the girls were rich and spoiled, they were also very loved. So far, it was looking like a hit. They would know more once the autopsies and forensics reports came in. Wiley was also viewing all the video footage.
She laid back on the bed her mind racing, filled with thoughts of Jane. Abbott had been tight-lipped about Jane's involvement in Simms' case. He had been sympathetic but unmoving in position to provide any type of update other than to say he was okay. She had no idea when she would hear from him again. She tried to find Simms, but she was also away from the office, probably at the safe-house to monitor the operation.
Jane would have told her that he wasn't coming back if he knew, so this must have been a new development that they hadn't been expecting. But surely, he could have given her the head's up that he would be away and that he was okay. This radio silence from him brought back all the memories of those times he disappeared on her... sometimes days, other times, months. Every time had been a worrisome ordeal for her and every time he strolled back into her life as though nothing of consequence had happened.
The heaviness in the pit of her stomach that always accompanied his vanishing act was back in full force. She'd barely been able to eat all day, relying on coffee to fuel her. She forced herself to eat a muffin and had managed only two bites before her stomach revolted. The worst time this happened was when he'd gone to Vegas for 6 months; she'd lost a significant amount of weight to the point that her clothes had been hanging on her and Grace had noticed her condition.
She looked at the clock radio on the nightstand... it was almost midnight. He must know she was worried about him. Surely, he could find a way to tell her he was okay. But then she realized that this was Jane... this is what he did when he got consumed by a case.
She sat up on her bed, then sprang up on her feet. She was wired, she was annoyed and she was mad. She couldn't help it. She was feeling all these emotions and she didn't know where to put them. She missed him and was worried about him; all things she'd felt before where he was concerned but now it was more intense.
She went downstairs to take her mind off of him but found nothing to preoccupy herself with. She forgot how to be alone in her own house without him. She kept expecting him to show up.
She marched back up the stairs and stared at her bed. She couldn't decide if she should sleep naked in case he showed up or with her usual attire. Then she realized that her worst nightmare was materializing; what she feared most. He was driving her crazy, already. Why was it important what he wanted her to sleep in she told herself. She got into bed like she always did before Jane came along and placed her pillows just the way she used to. His scent permeated from her bedding and her pillows. She hugged the pillow he slept on last night missing him and mad at herself at the same time for being so weak where he was concerned.
She couldn't get comfortable and an image of Jane with that woman she saw him with today kept creeping up in her mind no matter how many times she pushed it away. By 4 a.m. she was disgusted with herself. She'd been tossing and turning for hours. In just a few days, Jane had taken over her life, invading every aspect of it. Not only was he a permanent fixture at work, but he was also now essential to her personal life; how would she survive him if he left? She still wasn't sure if he was confused about his feelings for her and even if he loved her… what if things didn't work out between them for a different reason? How would she get her life back? He'd been living with her since their first night, she gave him her spare key.
They were moving too fast, tangling their lives; it would be too painful to keep going like this if it didn't work out. What was needed was a bit of distance... Jane should be sleeping at his trailer a few times a week so she can keep up her routines and her separate life so that when nights like this happened it would be normal for her to sleep alone. She wouldn't miss him so much. The more she thought about it, the more it made sense; she just needed to slow things down between them and get some perspective.
Jane's POV
It was almost 9:30 p.m. by the time he arrived at Lisbon's house. He hadn't had contact of any kind with her in three days and he missed her with an ache he didn't know possible. The house was dark except for the porch light. He should've called her as soon as he had been done, but he didn't want to talk to her on the phone, he wanted to see her, so he waited until he was cleared and came straight here. When he'd retrieved his cellphone from the lockbox at the safe-house and turned it on, he'd seen all the text messages, missed calls, and voicemails from Lisbon that first night he didn't come home but they had stopped after she'd seen him on the elevator. He knew she would be a handful when he saw her but he knew how to handle her in that condition.
He was going to use the spare key to enter the house but decided it was better to wait outside this time. By midnight, with no sight of her, he was having second thoughts. He'd have to wait her out on the swing. He found a good position and closed his eyes.
"Jane... Jane... wake up."
He frowned at the source disturbing his sleep.
"Jane... come on. Wake up."
It was Lisbon and she was annoyed. He sat up... she was back. She was all dressed up and a faint smell of wine was on her breath.
"Where were you?"
"Out. Let's talk inside?" she said opening her door and waiting for him to enter.
He walked in and squinted when she turned on the lights in the living room. When his eyes finally adjusted, he was able to take her in. She looked stunning in a black formfitting cocktail dress, her hair and makeup done up. She didn't make a move towards him, she was just standing there with her keys in her hand watching him, waiting.
"I missed you," he said softly.
She continued staring at him. Lisbon was always deathly calm before she exploded. He looked around the house quickly and noticed it was very neat and spotless. She'd been arranging; the first clue she was stressed.
"I know you're upset but-"
"I'm not upset. Why would I be upset? You disappear for three days and just show up like nothing happened... that's just part of the course of the fun ride on the Jane train. I mean... why would I expect my boyfriend to call me or text me to let me know that he's alive."
"Teresa, you're obviously mad-"
"Your superior powers of observation win again," she said sarcastically.
"I'm sorry."
"Oh well... you're sorry. That fixes everything doesn't it?"
She tossed her keys on the little table in the entry and kicked off her heels.
"I was working; it was out of my hands. Abbott would have told you if there was something wrong. Surely you understand the situation I was in?"
"Dennis is not my boyfriend, you are! And don't tell me you couldn't find a way to contact me and tell me you are okay? We are in a relationship, Jane! You can't just disappear and waltz back in and expect me to act like everything is okay! Do you know what I went through? What I was thinking that first night you didn't come home?"
He could see now that the anger was simply masking her hurt. He'd screwed up. She was right; he could have called her, but he hadn't thought it necessary.
"I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking about you and that you would be worried."
"I was expecting you back ho-" she didn't finish her sentence and just frowned. "I was expecting you."
"I'm sorry."
He walked up to her. He could see that her anger had run out of steam. He reached out to touch her and she stepped away from him. He let his hand drop.
"So, what now... I'm just supposed to forget everything? I want to be alone tonight."
"Teresa, please. Don't do this. I miss you. Don't you miss me?"
He took her hand and she stubbornly made eye contact; her facial features neutral.
"I missed you like crazy... please don't send me away."
She took a step away from him and shook her head.
"You can sleep on the couch."
He flicked the channels repeatedly unable to sleep. It was almost 5 a.m. and as exhausted as he was, insomnia was his unwelcome companion. The tv was on mute because he wasn't really interested in watching anything. His ears perked up when he heard soft footsteps coming downstairs and he looked in that direction. She paused on the landing, apparently surprised to see him awake. She didn't say anything, so he waited.
"I missed you, too," she said very quietly.
She wasn't moving. She was just staring at him in her tank top and underwear. He was so tired; he wasn't sure what to do.
"Well... are you going to come to bed or not?"
She spun on her heel and headed up the stairs. He chased after her in a panic because she seemed upset again. When he reached her, she was in the middle of her room.
"I haven't been able to sleep. I missed you, I was worried about you and you just left me hanging. You didn't think of me."
Only the lamp on her bedside table was on, the sheets were a tangled mess behind her and he could see the strain in her features. Her arms were wrapped around her middle and he could tell that it took a lot for her to tell him how she was feeling.
"You didn't think of me," she said again.
"I did... you're always on my mind, Teresa. I just wasn't thinking like a boyfriend. I'm sorry."
He took her in his arms but she remained rigid. He jostled her softly to get her to look at him. When she finally looked up, her mouth was still set in a pout but he was undeterred. He kissed her softly, coaxingly. When she finally reciprocated, he sighed in relief.
"I missed you so much. I couldn't wait to come home to you."
Their kiss intensified and she pressed herself against him simultaneously trying to undo his belt. They undressed in a rush of limbs, bumping uncoordinated into each other, needing to reaffirm their love for each other without words.
'I need you,' she kept repeating against his lips as she pressed herself desperately on him seeking what only he could provide.
He pushed her onto the bed and crawled on top of her, kissing her while checking her readiness for him.
"I'm ready... please, I just need you inside me, please," she pleaded.
He groaned in male possessive power and entered her to both their relief. It was a quick possession as he was unable to control himself as she chanted his name over and over again between kisses. He drove harder and faster, listening to her pleas as he buried his face in the crook of her neck to give her what she wanted. He sucked the tender flesh of her neck aggressively needing to possess her in every way, she gasped, then her inner channel contracted around him as she climaxed, her moans pushing him over the edge as his need to make her his overpowered him. He couldn't hold it, a powerful series of groans erupted from him as he spilled himself inside her, his entire body spasming with the force of his release.
He collapsed on top of her, his breathing ragged as he fought to regain control of his body; his blood was rushing and pounding in his ears, his arms too weak to push himself off of her. She kissed his neck, then his shoulder, her legs maintaining their vice grip hold on him, her arms hugging him to her. He was still pulsing inside her, too overstimulated and still hard. He could feel her heart beating fast against his chest and he was sure he was crushing her with his weight.
He was finally able to find the strength to push himself up on his elbows and gazed into her eyes, kissing her lips softly.
"I love you."
Her hand reached up and stroked his cheek, then her fingertip traced his lower lip. She was searching his face and he waited for her to reciprocate like she did the other night, but his heart sank as he realized she wouldn't.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly, twisting in his arms, forcing him to pull out as she positioned herself on her side.
"Teresa?"
"Please, just hold me."
She reached for his hand blindly behind her; he took it and pulled her into his arms spooning her tightly. She pulled the blanket on top of them and he felt himself fade out to sleep.
Lisbon's POV
She was nervous this morning when she woke up. She needed to find a way to explain to Jane that they needed to slow things down between them. Last night she couldn't hold her ground. She needed to establish some boundaries before she was completely lost in him. Until she was sure they could go the distance, they needed to date each other like normal people. They were moving too fast. She saw the hurt in his eyes last night when she didn't reciprocate his words and as hard as she tried, the words had remained trapped in her throat. She loves him; she wanted to repeat those words to him, but her brain hadn't let her say them. She wasn't ready.
Jane had seemed to be in good spirits when he woke up with no lasting effects of the way their love-making had ended. He even said he had a surprise for her tonight. She was excited, but feeling morose at the same time; she should tell him sooner, rather than later about her plan. She had worked it out in her head the last sleepless nights she spent and she felt it was the best way to proceed with their relationship.
She hadn't been home more than 5 minutes when a knock came at the door. She walked over and opened it; it was Jane... with a huge bouquet of flowers.
"Wow, these are beautiful. You didn't have to do that."
"I know. I wanted to."
She went into the kitchen to get a vase and put them in water. He hugged her from behind and kissed the top of her head. Then he pulled her hair away from her neck and kissed her. She flinched unexpectedly, having forgotten the soreness of his love bite from last night. His hand immediately came up to inspect the damage.
"Teresa, I'm sorry. I didn't realize."
She turned in his arms and pulled him down for a quick kiss.
"It's okay. Last night was… amazing."
Although his love bite had hurt a bit at the time, it had also initiated her intense orgasm. She had loved every moment of his love-making, she was still turned on thinking of the wild abandon in which he had taken her.
A look of recognition graced his features as he read her meaning. His chest puffed out a bit as a small smile teased his lips.
"You enjoyed that, did you?"
"You know I did."
His eyes danced with mischief and he kissed her again.
"Were the flowers my surprise? Because I'm also hungry and I don't see any food on your person."
He chuckled at her cop talk and kissed her nose.
"No, missy, that is not your surprise... your surprise is that I'm taking you out tonight! I got us a reservation at this very nice Italian restaurant; the chef is amazing I heard, right in the heart of Little Italy."
"That's downtown."
"I know."
"That's not a good idea. A lot of our colleagues go there after work to eat. If someone sees us, they won't believe it's not a date."
"Why is that a bad thing? We're in a relationship."
"You know why. I still think it's best to keep this thing between us for now."
"Why? It won't change anything, Teresa. People don't care."
"I care."
"You had no problem dating Pike for all to see."
"And look where that got me,"
"Where? What's the big deal?"
"Gossip, looks in the lunchroom, questions."
"That's always there, you know that. That's not the real reason. Talk to me."
This was it. She needed to say it now, this was the time. She took a deep breath and looked him straight in the eyes.
"I think… until we know how this turns out between us, we should keep it private."
"How this turns out?"
Shoot... what did she say? That's not what she wanted to say. She wanted to talk about boundaries.
"You know what I mean," she said to try and deflect him.
"No, I don't."
"We don't know how this will go between us," she said honestly.
This was not the conversation she thought she was going to be having. She could tell by the look on his face that she was upsetting him but she knew she couldn't take it back because it was the truth of how she felt and he would know she was lying.
"No… that's an incorrect statement. The true statement is You don't know how this will go between us. I thought we were in this together."
"So, you don't have doubts? About us?"
He walked to the middle of the kitchen, his hands on his hips, his eyes searching in the distance for what, she didn't know. She couldn't be the only one with doubts. He let his head hang for a moment then he refocused his eyes on her.
"How long have you felt this way?"
His eyes widened as he read her.
"That long?" he confirmed, shaking his head.
He spun on his heel and walked a bit further from her, his features set in a frown.
"Don't make me a bad guy… we haven't had one conversation about where all this going. I don't know what you want and you have no idea what I want."
"Okay tell me. What do you want Teresa?"
She wasn't expecting that question and she had no idea what she wanted from him.
"I don't know."
"You do. You just don't want to tell me."
Images of them married with a family popped into her mind and she knew that he was right. But that future wasn't possible. She needed to figure out what she could live with in their relationship.
"I just need some time, okay?"
"I was giving you time. That's why I didn't ask."
She hadn't considered that he was handling her with kid gloves.
"Jane... I-"
"Aren't you going to ask me what I want?"
"I know what you want," she blurted out and she wasn't sure why.
She assumed she knew what he wanted, but she was starting to see that she might have made some miscalculations. But it only proved her point further that they needed to slow down and get some distance from each other.
"Enlighten me, Lisbon."
He said her last name with emphasis and she knew it was because she didn't call him Patrick. She invoked her right to stay silent because she needed to think. But before she could formulate a response, so peaked that he had called her Lisbon, he continued.
"Let me help you - I want to be with you. That's all I want."
"That's not true. You want it on your terms. You're upset that I want time. You want to parade our relationship in the open when I'm not ready."
He took a deep breath.
"Okay, fine. No fancy dates anywhere we can be seen. Anything else?"
This was her opening to discuss boundaries like she had practiced. She hesitated because she was losing her nerve, but she reminded herself that she never backed down from the hard things. She needed space to get her head on right and she needed to tell him so.
"I need more… space."
"More space?"
"We can't be together all the time. We work together and then you're at my place every night. I need time alone. I think we should set a schedule."
"I see. And what would that look like?"
Something was off she realized; he wasn't challenging her but she had no choice but to continue.
"We see each other twice a week to start. Get to know each other."
"Do you have specific days in mind?"
She hesitated again. He was being too accommodating.
"Our schedules are crazy. We could just make plans depending on where we are with our cases."
"So, I should plan to see you twice a week?"
"Yes."
"Do I get a say?"
"Of course."
"Four days."
"Jane… fine… three."
"It's not a negotiation… I want four."
"How about three when we're busy… four if we don't have a case."
Jane's POV
The frustration was building in his chest but he tried to keep calm. This was obviously an overreaction to his absence. He surmised it would be best to go along with her than to try and convince her otherwise. It probably wouldn't last more than a few days. He needed to get her talking so he could get all her thoughts out so he could deal with them.
"Anything else?" he asked to show his support. "Might as well get it all out in the open."
He sees her hold her breath and he instantly realized he underestimated the situation.
"No overnights… I need to go back to my routine."
He couldn't reign in his annoyance anymore; it was one thing to keep their relationship a secret and quite another for her to treat him like a fuck buddy. He felt his anger rise.
"I see. Do you also want to see other people?" he added glibly.
"No!"
"So… let me get this straight… after we make love, you want me to roll out of your bed and leave? Is that immediately after I pull out or do you require post-coital snuggling?"
"That's not what I mean."
"It is what you mean! I just want to know when you want me to exit your bed!"
"You're making it sound bad."
"Because it is."
He stared at her waiting, his pulse running wild beneath his skin. When she didn't answer he made for the door.
"I'm just asking for what I need!"
"No… you're pushing me away."
"I just need time," she pleaded.
He stood perfectly still, watching her. He didn't like the way he was feeling right now. He needed space; needed to think.
"Good night, Teresa."
"Stay. You don't have to go."
"I do."
A/N: So... I hope you enjoyed this extra-long chapter... as you can see, we are heading into some more fun with Jane and Lisbon. Drop me a review as always... I love hearing what you think!