…and henceforth
Those two words weren't what had startled her most.
A declaration of love made by a man who had been beside himself with so many emotions that his brain had probably gone haywire… well, it wasn't such a big deal.
Or, that man being Jane, maybe it was a big deal. However…
It was the way he had clung to her hand in that desert that had touched her most.
…
You alright?
Yeah, I'm fine. Never better.
…
She had never understood before how much he actually needed her. How her presence was enough to make him feel better.
That's why she had to save him – no matter what it took to do that.
Some people might think she had killed Red John out of love for Jane. It wasn't completely true.
She had killed Red John so that they could all move on. Not only Jane and her, but her team as well.
They had been living under that evil shadow for much too long.
It was high time for them to come back to the light. She would have been willing to pay the highest price for that, if she had to.
Now here she was. Filing her paperwork as if she had picked up her life exactly where she had left it.
Yet so many things had happened in the meanwhile. They couldn't pretend otherwise any much longer.
"Jane?"
His gaze slowly met hers – and she felt she could quite get lost in the new warmth of those eyes.
"Yeah?"
"You still haven't told me what you meant that day."
It was clear that he immediately got her meaning. He studied her for a long moment before asking that question.
"Do you really want to know?"
Did she want to know? She herself couldn't tell that.
One thing was sure though. She needed to know. Whatever the consequences might be.
He got up from the couch and came to her side. Lisbon shuddered as his thumb grazed her cheek.
For he wasn't looking at her as a man in love with someone. His intent stare reminded her more of the way a husband gazes at his wife.
Unconsciously her hand slid to his chest, fingering the fabric of his vest.
Jane tilted his head, and his lips brushed against hers almost in slow motion.
Then he started trailing featherlike kisses all over her skin. At the corner of her mouth, on each of her eyelids, just below her ear. When his lips found her neck she let out a moan – her own feelings suddenly threatening to overwhelm her.
He smelled of tea and aftershave, and felt so solid and warm against her body. Her arms tightened around him, as if she didn't want to ever let him go.
"Do you really want to know?", he murmured once again – his lips a mere inch from her collarbone.
"Yeah", was all she was able to say.
She couldn't care less about her rational mind pointing out that the two of them were too messed up to even think about a relationship – not to mention a marriage.
They were going to be together in this – and that would be more than enough.