Arctic Wonderland

Chapter 2

Lisbon stirred softly as she woke, fluttering her eyes, stretching softly, and cuddling closer into his warmth, before she realized who she was using as a pillow. Jane sensed her tense, but smiled when she didn’t pull away. He rubbed her back softly and she blushed as the electricity of his touch coursed through her spine and awakened her senses.

“What time is it?” she spoke, her voice raw from the cold weather and her emotions.

Jane looked at the clock ticking on the wall, smiling as he realized that she is as affected of their closeness as he is. He blinked rapidly to try to focus on reading the clock, before he answered, “6:45.”

“AM or PM?”

“PM.”

She relaxed a little into his arms, and his smile grew as he tightened his hold on her softly.

“You cold?” he asked, and when he felt her head move up and down, he pulled her closer.

“Can you see the thermometer from here?”

“Yeah,” he answered, “you want me to tell you the temperature outside?”

She nodded softly, already starting to feel her body tremble with cold and something else.

“20 below and dropping,” he mumbled, rubbing her back and arms, sending more electricity coursing through their veins, “You hungry?”

“A little,” she shrugged, sinking deeper into his embrace, “We could use something warm in our stomachs.”

He hummed in consent but made no effort to move.

“Jane?” she asked, confused and slightly worried that he had fallen back asleep. She turned her head up and met his gaze for the first time since waking up.

“I can’t get us something to eat if you’re pinning me down on the couch,” he teased her; worried that if he didn’t, he might have just kissed her plump lips and explore every inch of her body. She blushed, rolled her eyes, and adjusted herself to give him room to get up off of the couch. The moment he stood up, he missed her closeness and warmth, and he could tell she missed his warmth too, but she tried not to show it.

Soon, they were sitting down side by side, eating a sandwich and sipping on hot chocolate, a blanket wrapped around their shoulders. He smiled and leaned into her playfully, before leaning back, and she leaned back into him. Instead of lighting the silence with a little bit of joy, the brief contact made their whole body tingle with expectancy, curling their toes and sending shivers down their backs. She looked at him and smiled, and he leaned down, touched her forehead with his, never once breaking eye contact. He saw the slight dilation of her pupils and heard her soft hitch of breath, yet he knew that she could tell he did the same.

“Still scared?” he asked softly.

Confusion crossed her face slowly and he smiled softly as he felt her forehead crease. “Scared of what?”

“Being stuck with me in this cabin,” he shrugged, masking his hurt tone with an air of indifference. She broke the contact to take a sip of the hot chocolate. Even though he tried to mask the slight twinge of pain he felt when she started to panic, even though now he knew it was fear of being trapped, she saw it.

“Jane,” she said softly, so soft he wasn’t even sure he heard her correctly, “ever since my mother died, and my father started drinking, he would lock us in our room for days at a time,” she took a shaky breath before continuing, “when you said trapped, I couldn’t help thinking I was back in my room, tired, hungry, and thirsty, while my brothers’ screams echo and I can’t do anything to help them.”

Jane set his cup and sandwich down before taking her into his arms in an embrace. He rubbed her shoulder and back, and when he felt his shirt starting to get wet, he placed her cup and sandwich on the table next to his and drew her closer. Her body shook violently with sobs and he planted a soft kiss on her head.

“I’m happy I’m not alone this time… I’m happy I’m with you.” She finished softly.

He planted another kiss on the top of her head as he pulled her closer by the blanket wrapped around her. He wrapped his hands around her waist under the blanket and felt static course through his body from his hands at the contact of her skin. He felt her shiver involuntarily, his gentleness, his warmth and sudden contact, enticing her to cross that boundary and kiss him. He pulled away to look at her, and when he smiled, she smiled back.

“Me too,” he said softly, brushing her moist cheek with his thumb.  His constant motion on her cheek was making heat pool in the center of their bodies. He touched her forehead with his again, searching her emerald eyes for hesitation or fear or restraint. When he didn’t find it, he smiled and kissed her softly, tenderly. Her breath caught in her throat, his kiss, unexpected and sweet, catching her by surprise. Her eyes closed as she kissed him back, and he followed suit. The kiss was slow, explorative, sending their minds in a whirlwind as their senses exploded. She was the first that regained her composure, she pushed him back, tears filling her eyes again as she tells him, “We can’t.”

Jane was still a little dizzy from their kiss; he blinked in rapid succession as he tried to get his mind focused on what was happening. “Why can’t we?”

“We work together, it’s against policy,” she shakes her head softly, trying to fight the tears that are threatening to fall again.

“I don’t care about the FBI rules and regulations, Teresa,” she looked at him instantly when he used her first name, “I care about you… I-I love you.”

Teresa could feel her heart falter as he said those words; she smiled softly, ignored the insipid policy, and kissed him again, before saying, “I love you too.”