Sunday

The trip back to the hotel was quiet, other than a few cheerful comments from their irrepressible chauffeur. A strange silence seemed to have settled between Jane and Lisbon. A waiting silence. And they both had a pretty good idea of what it was they were waiting for.

Jane was vaguely aware that the plans he'd made to give Lisbon the time of her life and impress her socks off (not that she's wearing socks, he thought distractedly) had veered wildly off-course, but he was no longer interested in anything other than getting her back to the hotel room.

They didn't touch each other on the elevator ride up to the hotel suite; didn't even dare to look at each other as Jane fumbled to find the key-card to open their door. But then they were both in the room and the door was closed and suddenly Jane couldn't wait any longer.

He slipped one arm around Lisbon's waist, brushed her hair back over her shoulder with his other hand and then leaned in and gently kissed her. Although he knew she had been both expecting and wanting this, he could still feel the moment Tipsy Lisbon vanished and Sober Lisbon made an alarmed return. But although she stiffened slightly in instinctive uncertainty, she didn't pull away.

For a few moments everything hung in the balance as a newly sober Lisbon made up her mind. Then she slid both her arms around his neck and relaxed into the kiss. Jane responded hungrily and unhesitatingly, pouring years of unacknowledged desire into every touch of his mouth and hands. He was almost undone, however, when she pressed her body against his, slid her fingers into his hair and smiled against his lips. Simultaneously weak with relief and wild with excitement, his hands actually (frustratingly) started to shake. It was several minutes before they were steady enough for him to begin to tentatively undo the tie around her neck that held up the front of her dress. When she made no move to stop him, he began to guide her gently into his bedroom.

It was only when he'd backed her up to the bed that she came up for air long enough to comment, "I thought the whole idea of inviting me to the wedding was to avoid exactly this?"

"As you are so fond of pointing out, my plans seldom go the way I expect them to," he responded, finally managing to remove her dress and gain access to all that skin he'd been thinking about all evening. "And yet the results are always satisfying."

"Like the time we got shipped to Mexico in a container, for instance?" she said dryly, as she got the last of his buttons undone and relieved him all at once of his jacket, vest and shirt.

"Merely a detour en route to a satisfactory conclusion," Jane said airily. "And just think how many great stories you have to tell because of me."

"I'm thinking that tonight is your chance to make it up to me for all those great stories," Lisbon said, and her gaze was suddenly so intense that the fire in Jane's blood leapt like an accelerant had been poured on it.

"I'll do my best, my love," he said softly in her ear, before proceeding to do just that.

0000

When Lisbon awoke the next morning, she found she was alone in the bed. Suppressing a twinge of anxiety, she pulled the sheet off the bed and wrapped it around herself before venturing into the next room. Jane, unselfconsciously dressed only in his boxers, was just closing the door behind one of the hotel staff. As Lisbon breathed in the delicious aroma of a full English breakfast, he turned around and saw her. His face lit up.

"Hey, sleepyhead. I thought you were never going to wake up, so I decided to lure you out with the smell of bacon. Worked like a charm."

He came over and kissed her, then backed up slightly so that he could get a good look at her face and gauge her mood now that they were in the dangerous quicksand of the morning after.

"You are a prince among men," Lisbon said, moving towards the covered food, and nearly tripping over her sheet.

Jane, eager to live up to this lavish praise, disappeared into the bathroom to fetch her a complimentary bathrobe, which he then helped her to put on. Gratefully, she untangled herself from the sheet.

"So how long have you been awake for?" she asked, hoping that he wasn't going to say that he'd been up the whole night.

"Only about half an hour," Jane admitted. "But it was a very tortuous half-hour which tested the limits of my self-control. I very badly wanted to wake you up."

"So why didn't you?" Lisbon asked, interested.

Jane looked a little abashed.

"Come on, Lisbon, we both know you're not a morning person."

"You were afraid!" Lisbon exclaimed, amused. "Finally! I was beginning to think I was losing my touch. I shouldn't let you make me doubt myself." She grinned at him cheekily.

"I wasn't afraid of you, Lisbon," Jane said, deciding a defense was called for. "I was merely afraid of losing my status as a prince among men. I have standards to uphold."

"Right," Lisbon said in a disbelieving tone. "Shall we eat?"

Jane shot Lisbon an amused grin which she returned before turning her attention to the food. They both tucked into their breakfast with gusto.

About half-way through the meal, Lisbon suddenly said, "You're thinking so loudly I can barely hear myself chew."

Caught out, Jane gave a wry half-smile. Since she'd brought it up, though, he thought he might as well be honest.

"I was regretting that we only have a few more hours here before we have to return to the real world. I guess I'm just wondering whether, when we get back to Sacramento, sensible, practical, workaholic Lisbon will reassert herself and kick me to the curb."

"Is that your way of telling me that you don't want this to be a one night stand?"

Jane looked genuinely shocked.

"I would never consider having just a one-night stand with you, Lisbon," he said reproachfully.

"And yet you think I would?" she asked, raising her eyebrows at him and giving him a pointed look. "Don't you know me better than that?"

"Yes," he said softly, "but you're also a smart lady who could easily decide in the sober light of day that she's made a big mistake which she doesn't plan to repeat. Happens to the best of us."

"I knew what I was doing last night, Jane, and I don't think it was a mistake. I think we could be good for each other if we give ourselves half a chance."

Jane gave her a wide, wonderful smile.

"Well, we don't have to check out for another few hours, so I say we go back to bed and give ourselves the chance to be very, very good to each other."

He stood up and held his hand out to Lisbon, who grinned and took it.

"Lead on, Macduff," she said.

"Don't you think Romeo would be a more appropriate comparison, given the circumstances?"

"Too tragic. Let's compromise on Bottom."

Jane opened his mouth to make a retort, but Lisbon cut him off with, "Surely, Jane, you can find something better to do with your tongue than argue about Shakespearean characters with me?"

As it happened, Jane could...

THE END