A/N: Warning, some sexy scenes ahead. A little more light-hearted Jisbon before I get back to the case next chapter.

Chapter 20 - Love

'Where are they?' Jane called to Lisbon as she was brushing her teeth in the bathroom. He was already undressed to his boxers in the adjoining bedroom.

She smiled as she finished off. 'Chest of drawers, third one down at the back', she replied, coming back into the room.

She got into bed noticing three novels stacked neatly at what was now presumably Jane's side of the bed. He really was making himself at home.

Jane rummaged in the drawers until he found the box full of the letters he had sent her. He jumped back into bed excitedly, opening the box like a child opens a Christmas present. Lisbon watched him curiously.

'Why were you hiding them, afraid I might see them and be overcome with your lust for me?' he asked, delving through them.

She laughed softly. 'Nothing like that, no.'

He turned his head towards her. 'Oh, I see, you didn't want Marcus to come across them?'

She blushed a little. 'Okay, yes, I didn't want to explain them to him, he would have thought it weird and I didn't want him to get the wrong idea.'

Jane raised his eyebrows. 'You mean you didn't want him to get the right idea.'

'That's not the only reason I didn't tell him.'

Jane answered before she had time to explain. 'You wanted these to be something between the two of us only.'

She smiled, nodding. He put the letters on the bedside table beside him and lay down beside her, looking into her eyes. 'Good' he said softly, planting a gentle kiss on her lips.

'You know the first time Pete showed up with one of those I thought you had come back. I got back from work and he was waiting for me.'.

'Sorry.'

'You know I almost took a plane to see you a few times.'

'You did? What stopped you?'

'Well, I had a job and Abbott was still watching me. Plus I knew it had to be your decision to come back. And I thought if I did go and see you I was afraid I would never have been able to leave you.'

Jane smiled back. 'That would have been okay with me. We could have frolicked naked in the sand.'

'Yeah, dead romantic, have you ever had sex on a beach? The sand goes everywhere.'

Jane's eyes glistened. 'Tell me more, Lisbon.'

She laughed again and caressed his cheek. 'I never thought we would get here so quickly. I mean, a month ago I never imagined you lying here in my bed.'

'I would hope not, it would have been a little crowded with Pike here too.'

Lisbon noted a small tinge of insecurity behind the joke.

She looked at him seriously. 'You know it's different with you, don't you?'

He nodded and kissed her again.

'I thought you would be more nervous, you know, the first time. You surprised me that you weren't.'

'You thought I wasn't nervous? I thought my heart was about to explode from my chest!'

Lisbon laughed. 'Really? You didn't act like it, that's for sure.'

Jane smiled at the memory. 'Well there came a point where my libido took over from my nervousness.' He grinned and added, 'Speaking of which...'

He suddenly sat astride her, pinning her hands to the pillow, peppering kisses over her neck.

She giggled and squirmed beneath him. 'Jane! Stop that! It tickles!'

He stopped suddenly, grinning, his hands still pinning hers and replied, 'Really? I had no idea.'

'So what else have you planned now that you have me in this compromising position?'

'You think I don't know you could wrestle me and have me in handcuffs in two minutes flat from this position?'

'Maybe we'll leave that to another night' she grinned.

He grinned again, releasing her hands and lowering his hands to her breasts, lifting up her nightshirt so he could feel their nakedness. He bent down, his tongue exploring one whilst his hand caressed the other. After a few minutes, Lisbon began to shudder beneath him, drawing her legs up behind him, wanting him to fulfil the desire within her.

'Hurry up' she pleaded, almost already gone from his foreplay alone.

He looked up, grinning wickedly and replied softly, 'Patience, woman' as he moved her legs apart and kissed her flat stomach. Lisbon readied herself for what was to come but instead he moved his kisses to her inner thigh, then her legs and feet.

'Jane!'

'You could at least make a concerted effort to call me Patrick when we're in bed like this, Teresa.'

She gasped again, beads of sweat breaking out on her and wished she had the strength at this stage to punch him for that remark. Then he began to move his touch and kisses up her legs again. By this stage, he could barely control himself so stopped for a second to steady himself before he avoided the area again and moved back to her breasts.

Lisbon's face was red and she held a hand to her face, halfway between ecstasy and misery. He stopped for a second to look at her, allowing her time to remove her hand and give him a withering look. He grinned again when she said, 'For god's sake, Patrick, I was patient for twelve years, haven't I been patient enough?'

He laughed softly. 'I guess you have' he replied, before he finally gave them the release they needed.

'Can I ask you a question?' he asked later on, his arms around her.

'Anything. As long as it doesn't make me mad again.'

'Why do you love me?'

'You fishing for compliments?'

'I'm serious, Teresa, I'd like to know.'

She looked up at him to check if he was indeed being serious before placing her head back on his chest.

'Well, you know me so well, you tell me.'.

'Hell if I know. I think you're nuts to take me on.'

She laughed a little then thought for a second. It was a question she asked herself many times. How had this man woven his way into her heart?

Lisbon began to speak. 'Well, I guess to begin with I wanted to help you find some peace, nothing more. I always knew there was a good man inside of you, despite what you thought of yourself. Like you said one time before I wanted to fix you I guess. Maybe I was a bit naive when I first met you but I felt it even then, that behind the sadness and guilt was a good person inside. I always held on to that, despite some of the terrible things you've done. As I got to know you better, I realised how smart you were of course, even envied sometimes how easy you could see something I never would have picked up on. You taught me so much and even now, all these years later, every day working with you is exciting.'

She thought for another moment. 'I'm not saying exciting is always necessarily a good thing of course, but I am certainly never bored when you're around. Plus, you let me see your own weaknesses through the years, you let me see a side of you very few people get to see and you trusted me with that. And, in your own way, you always tried to protect me and fight for me, despite my objections sometimes. I didn't have a lot of people do that for me growing up.'

She paused for a second then added, 'And I guess some people would call you funny and charming at times.'

'Only some people, some of the time?'

'I guess I can see why some would think that on occasion. Also, you can be so incredibly kind and thoughtful at times it makes up for the moments you act like a jerk. Well, most of the time it does, anyway.'

'You need to work on your complimenting skill if that's what the last one was supposed to be' he replied, smiling.

She looked up at him. 'And I guess you're not too bad looking either.'

He smiled back at her, his hand caressing her face as she added, 'Oh, and you have a smile that can make me do just about anything.'

'Just about anything, eh? I must remember that.'

After a second he added, 'I still think you're nuts.'