A/N: Apologies for the delay in updating this story. Now that I've finished 'Missing' updates should be much timelier. Thank you as ever for your lovely words of support.

Chapter 16 - Control

Jane woke to find himself wedged in on the far edge of the bed. He was lying on his back with Lisbon's butt jutting into his hipbone. She wasn't kidding about being a bed hogger. He found himself smiling nonetheless as he watched her sleep soundly, her arms stuck out vertically across practically the whole of the other side of the bed, hands joined together as if she were pointing a gun at a perp. He almost laughed out loud, still a cop even asleep.

He moved to lie on his side, facing her back, to try to gain a little more space. That accomplished nothing more than her pushing into him further and awakening something in him he hadn't felt in years first thing in the morning. He closed his eyes, tried to use his biofeedback to get control over himself but then she moaned softly and rubbed against him slightly. He took a deep breath, put his hands on her waist and attempted to push her back to her side of the bed. She writhed, a dissatisfied groan expelling from her as she did so doing nothing to ease his discomfort, her wriggling instead having the entire opposite reaction. He rolled his eyes and made his way out of the bed, needing to put some distance between them.

He made his way to the bathroom, used the toilet, washed his hands and began to brush his teeth. Looking in the mirror as he did so his thoughts turned to Angela. He'd just shared a bed with a woman who wasn't her and he exhaled loudly, a sliver of guilt making its way into his thoughts. When he married her he never thought of straying even when surrounded by temptation, increasingly more so as his fame soared. And when she died he never imagined he'd ever want to be with another woman. But, as evidenced by his body's reaction to Lisbon that morning, he sorely did.

It was one thing feeling he was ready to move on with her as a romantic partner but it was an entirely different matter carrying through with it in a physical sense. All they had done up until now was kiss and cuddle and it had stirred up some passionate feelings but, on the whole it was fairly innocuous and he could still control how far it went, still control himself during it. Control freak much, he sighed to himself. But the act of making love was when she'd see him out of control, unable to put on a mask or deceive her in any way. He wasn't entirely sure his mind was ready for that step yet as much as his body desired hers. Of course, he could just have sex with her, satisfy her and his own baser desires by allowing his lizard brain to take over and keep his emotional senses intact but Lisbon knew him too well not to realise there would be some kind of pretence involved if he did that, that he would be holding something back from her. And he didn't want to just have sex with her in any case. It would cheapen their relationship; betray what they already had established as friends. He wanted that emotional and physical bond with her as he had with Angela but he was also terrified of having that again too. And even more terrified of losing it again.

He padded back into the bedroom and noticed her now lying fully on the side of the bed he had been sleeping on. He quietly turned off the alarm she'd preset before sliding under the covers again. He watched her for a few seconds, her breaths even and her chest rising and falling hypnotically as she lay facing him, a rare sight to see her so serene. He brushed some hair from her face so he could observe her more, moved closer to her. He thought of kissing her lips to wake her up. Then he closed his eyes, swallowed hard. Just like you used to do with Angie, Paddy, his brain told him. He puffed out a breath, suddenly wishing he'd slept with another woman before even attempting this relationship with Lisbon. At least if he'd done that he wouldn't have to face the rush of guilt his every action with her now seemed to hold as he would have presumably already worked through those thoughts the first time he'd become intimate with someone else other than his wife. He leant over and kissed her cheek softly. Her eyes fluttered open, green orbs staring at him confused and sleepy still.

"Good morning," he said softly.

She blinked a few times rapidly, moved slightly to look around her and frowned. "Why are you on my side?" she said in an accusatory tone, her voice croaking slightly with sleep.

"Because I slept on a postage stamp all night," he smiled.

She blushed, realising she'd taken up most of the bed. "Sorry," she yawned, covering her mouth with her hand. "Told you I was a hogger."

Now she was awake his thoughts ran only to how adorably cute and rumpled she looked first thing in the morning, hair messy, fresh faced, freckles accentuated by the lack of makeup and half awake. Naturally he was not masochist enough to mention that to her. She was inevitably grumpy enough in the morning. Instead he moved to kiss her on the lips. She kept her mouth closed and kissed him back quickly. Worried by morning breath, obviously, he surmised.

"Um...I'll be right back," she said quickly, confirming his suspicion and made her way to the bathroom.

When she came back a few minutes later Jane was back on the other side of the bed. She slipped into her side and checked her alarm clock.

"I turned the alarm off," he said before she mentioned it.

She shot him a withering look.

"Lisbon, it's Saturday. You're not even on call. Have a lie in for once in your life."

She rolled her eyes but moved closer to him and he put his arms around her.

"How'd you sleep?" she asked.

"Pretty well considering I was a little stuck for space."

"You could have had a whole bed to yourself next door," she countered.

He kissed the top of her head. "True. But the cuddling here makes up for it." He squeezed her a little tighter to make his point and closed his eyes.

She moved up and kissed his neck, softly and gently.

He sighed approvingly.

She began to unbutton his pyjama top and her fingers caressed the skin she bared. His heart beat faster as she intensified the kissing, her hand coming up to draw his mouth to hers. They kissed deeply as her hand began to move further down his top, her leg coming to rest on his thigh as she rested her head over him, her kisses more insistent. He allowed the feeling of heat wash over him, moved his hand to the back of her head to deepen the kiss more, raising his head from the pillow. She moaned into his mouth and he shuddered. He felt her fingers loosen the bottom button of his top, her fingertips stroking his chest in lazy patterns, his skin igniting beneath her touch. It had been so long since someone had touched him like this it was almost too much for him. A part of his brain was telling him he should be making similar advances back, that he should be exploring her skin like she was his but he was unable to react in any coherent manner apart from kiss her. Then he felt her fingers shift lower and, in an almost involuntarily gesture, he stopped their progress. She stilled immediately, her mouth against his as he moved their hands back to rest on his stomach. She drew back, embarrassment flooding her features that she'd been too forward.

"Sorry-" she began, crimson faced.

"It's okay," he smiled, catching his breath, trying to reassure her and kissed her quickly. He stammered, "You didn't do anything wrong. I'm just...well I'm just not sure if I'm ready for...well you know I'm still recuperating I guess."

"Of course," she replied quickly. But both of them knew there was more to Jane's reluctance in continuing than the fact he was getting over his illness.

He kissed her deeply again, changing his tone to easygoing, casual. "You know I was thinking maybe the two of us could take a drive up the coast today, maybe stop and have some lunch. Fresh air would do me the world of good I think. You too after spending all that time at the hospital and then at the office."

He knew by her reaction she wasn't buying his chirpiness but she shrugged then nodded. "Sure, sounds lovely."

He nodded in return. "Great," he replied, a little too enthusiastically.

Lisbon watched through the two way mirror as Jane applied just the right amount of pressure and flattery for the girlfriend to confirm she'd given Martin Franks an alibi and that she hadn't seen him until much later the night of the murder of his brother's wife but that he'd asked her to confirm they'd been together all night. When gently pressed further she admitted that he'd come in with bloodstains on his shirt that he'd tried to pass off by telling her he had a nose bleed. Evidence was circumstantial as his clothing had been washed but without an alibi now Lisbon had more authority to lean on him further and investigate his bank accounts and emails in greater detail.

A smile fell upon her lips as she recognised the man she used to know at work. His reading of the girlfriend was spot on, knowing immediately she wasn't the type to fall for any type of aggressive questioning, that it would only make her clam up further. He coaxed the truth out of her instead, a soft smile in her direction, a light hand placed on hers, unerring sympathy on his face.

While his good looks were certainly part of the package that made her fall for him, it was this more cerebral side to him that made him stand out amongst other good looking men. But she was not immune to his dazzling smile either, or when he decided to turn on the charm as he was doing to the woman opposite him right now. Her admiration of his interrogation techniques gave way to baser thoughts as she continued to stare through the glass, catching a glimpse of his smile when he turned his head slightly, or when his nimble fingers tapped lightly on the table. Her mind wandered momentarily as she remembered them trailing over her bare skin and her heart rate increased.

"He's still got it," Van Pelt said quietly beside her, looking at her boss sideways for confirmation.

Lisbon nodded quickly, swallowed quietly and took a breath to bring her out of her more lustful line of thinking. "Yeah." She cleared her throat and turned to face her. Louder, "Yeah, still knows how to work a room even if there's only one person in it. Get the brother in law back in for questioning and get a court order ready to check more of his financials. Get a search warrant prepared for the girlfriend's apartment also, might be some evidence there we can salvage. I'll talk to a judge in the meantime."

She nodded to the glass in front of her. "Charge her with withholding evidence, aiding after the fact, whatever else you can think of so the two of them can't get together and let him talk her back into providing an alibi again. Let's see if we can get this one wrapped up today."

"Sure, boss," Van Pelt replied brightly, exiting the room.

Jane and Lisbon exited the two rooms simultaneously and met in the corridor.

"Thanks," she said softly. "You did good work in there."

He nodded, shrugged off her words. "Hardly an accomplishment. She was an easy read after all."

Lisbon rolled her eyes. Trust Jane to turn a compliment into an insult about her and her team's own interrogation skills.

Jane had exited the bed as soon as she had agreed on a day out together and headed to the kitchen to make them breakfast before they hit the road. He was humming and whistling happily as he scrambled some eggs when she arrived to join him freshly showered. She was still embarrassed that she'd practically jumped the poor man that morning. She didn't quite know what had got into her but she should have had more sensitivity. It had been a long time since he'd been with a woman and there she was lunging at him before dawn. She resolved to let him set the pace from now on, as difficult as that might be. She wasn't used to being backward in the bedroom, enjoying taking control there like she did in pretty much every other aspect of her life.

"Something smells good," she said at his back.

"First day off my diet, Lisbon. I'm making a feast. Hope you're hungry-"

The smile fell from his lips as he turned to talk to her and was replaced by one of barely disguised lust. She was wearing an aubergine sun dress, dotted with small white butterflies, her cleavage enhanced by what must certainly have been push up bra. Then he noticed the spaghetti straps on the dress bore no bra straps underneath. So she was wearing a strapless bra. Most probably. He swallowed hard, considering the fact she may not be wearing one at all. Christ.

She blushed immediately as his eyes continued to cascade over her, only leaving her when the smoke alarm began to sound in the kitchen. She rushed up beside him, waving a tea towel below the sensor to stop its incessant ringing.

"Jesus, Jane, watch you don't set fire to my damn kitchen!" she scolded.

"Sorry," he muttered, turning his attention back to his cooking. He cleared his throat. "Nice dress," he added conversationally.

Rigsby accompanied Jane to meet with more of Janet's clients that afternoon. After ten minutes of nothing but wedding talk Jane wished he'd been able to persuade Cho instead and sat sullenly beside him.

"We're having a bachelor party a week before," his tall colleague enthused. He laughed. "Grace is afraid of me turning up wasted at my own wedding so we're taking no chances." He glanced at Jane who was staring out the side window, "Hope you'll make it, man. And to the wedding too." He laughed again. "It's kinda your fault this is happening at all."

Jane turned towards him. "You rather I hadn't interfered?"

"Are you kidding me? Best thing you ever did getting us to see what was right in front of us."

Here we go again, Jane thought. They must be tag teaming each other to have their say in his and Lisbon's relationship.

"You know-" Rigsby started nervously.

"Save your breath," Jane quickly interjected, stony faced.

Rigsby wisely took his advice and kept his eyes on the road ahead instead, Jane pretending to fall asleep. After another fruitless afternoon they sat glumly in the car again on their way back to the CBI. As they'd talked to four clients in various directions they took a different route back.

An hour later they approached a beachfront restaurant.

"Want to stop for something to eat before we get back?" Rigsby asked as his stomach growled.

Memories of the place hit Jane squarely in the chest. "Not in there," he said quietly.

Lisbon insisted on driving so Jane could rest further on their day trip. Well, that and the fact she preferred to drive. She had been surprised when he'd mentioned packing an overnight bag in case they decided to book a B&B if it was too late to drive home. She wondered if that meant he was considering advancing their relationship further but she tried to put those thoughts to the back of her mind and try to go with the flow. It was not exactly in her wheelhouse to do so but she had to give it a try. A few hours in Jane directed her to a small restaurant beside the beach.

"Let's try here," he suggested. "I'm starving."

"After what you ate for breakfast!" she teased.

"I've been on a diet for days, woman. I need feeding up again."

They parked up and went inside. The place was practically empty and they were seated immediately on the terrace with a stunning view of the ocean. A surly waitress came and took their drinks order, flashing both of them a look of contempt.

Lisbon raised an eyebrow at Jane. "No wonder the place is dead with staff like that," she whispered.

He nodded, checking his menu silently before she came back with their drinks. He narrowed his eyes at her and she retreated. "I'll be back in a minute for your order," she said brusquely.

"Well, come on," she coaxed him when she disappeared. "What's her problem?"

"How would I know? I've never been here before," he frowned.

"Maybe not but you took a good enough look at her when she brought the drinks. You must have got a read off her."

He shrugged and took a sip of his iced tea. "No idea, sorry."

She was about to leave it when she noticed him tug slightly on his wedding ring after he put his glass back on the table. So that was it. The waitress must have thought that she was Jane's mistress. She'd remembered noticing the tan line on the girl's left hand ring finger. Recently divorced. Obviously he'd cheated on her so her less than enthusiastic welcome to the pair of them. Lisbon inwardly applauded herself with her own reading skills. Not in Jane's league but not bad.

Jane looked out to sea, his posture suddenly tense and his lips set in a thin line before he turned back to her. "Why don't we go elsewhere? Not much ambience here-"

"I don't give a damn what she thinks of me," Lisbon cut in. "And since when do you care what some bitter divorcee thinks? Or anyone else, come to that."

He nodded, realising she'd noticed what he had. "I don't but..." He played with his wedding ring. "I don't like anyone thinking of you in those terms. As...some kind of appendage for a man."

Lisbon shrugged. "Jane, I'm fine. If it was someone whose opinion I actually did care about then it might be different but it isn't." She smiled warmly at him. "I'm not going to let a two bit waitress spoil our day out."

He grinned at her and moved his fingertips closer to hers but not quite touching them. His tone was soft and he looked at the ring on his finger again. "If I took it off then-"

"Then it would raise too many red flags. It's okay, I understand."

Part of her wished he'd say to hell with it and yank it off his finger but she had a feeling that the threat of Red John wasn't the only reason he was holding back. Inside she knew he wasn't yet ready to remove the ring. She just had to hope that one day in the not too distant future he would be.

He puffed out a breath in relief. "Thank you." He looked around the terrace and, satisfied they were alone there, leant over and gave her lips the faintest of touches with his own.